Anyone want to critique my LTE before I send it?

[Oeditpus Rex]

Here 'tis:

Editor:


The current Free Lance online poll, "I support drilling for oil...," needs a fifth choice.

In addition to "off shore," "in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge," "anywhere we can find it" and "nowhere," any such poll should include the choice, "in the estimated 68 million acres of on- and off-shore oil fields already leased to oil companies but as yet un-tapped."

Earlier this month, the House Committee on Natural Resources released a report noting that the number of drilling permits issued between 1999 and 2007 by the Bureau of Land Management increased by 361 percent. Some 10,000 permits, the report says, are being "stockpiled" by oil companies. The committee estimates that domestic oil production would nearly double and natural gas production would increase by 75 percent if the oil companies that hold these leases put them to use.

On June 12, Rep. Nick Rahall (D-WV) introduced H.R. 6251, the Responsible Federal Oil and Gas Lease Act, which would prevent the Secretary of the Interior from issuing new leases to oil companies that aren't drilling on those they already have and proposes that oil companies give up leases they aren't using. This bill, of course, is not a long-term answer to America's "pain at the pump" — that would require a concentrated effort into developing renewable energy and weaning Americans from their addiction to oil — but it at least puts a big habeus corpus squarely in the faces of the oil companies that seem indifferent to the economic squeeze their get-richer tactics put on us.

One wonders why President Bush and Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain have been calling on Congress to "lift the ban" on off-shore drilling when there is no such ban. Perhaps they mean they want Congress to lift the moratorium on new drilling permits — but why would Congress do that when 10,000 permits lay unused?

I voted "nowhere" in the poll, by the way — not because I'm some tree-huggin' lib'rul, but because the poll left me no other viable choice.

The poll is here, at upper left, in case anyone wants to help it: http://www.freelancenews.com/

[NanceGreggs]

1. Just my opinion on this, but ...

:applause:

[Oeditpus Rex]

8. Thanks

It's a crappy little paper, and I feel kind of sorry for the kid editor (I used to be his editor), since TATB have flayed the staff until the newsroom's marrow is showing. But, dammit, I just got peeved when I saw those choices. They're like, "Neocon... neocon... neocon... tree-huggin' lib'rul."

[skooooo]

2. ..

:patriot:

:thumbsup:

[Oeditpus Rex]

12. Thanks

Oh, and about Imus — you're absolutely right. :thumbsup:

[minnesota_liberal]

3. Good letter. Crappy poll.

The poll reminds me of the ones found on MSNBC. Only 2-3 highly contrived choices, which are often logically flawed and always fail to provide a reasonable span of choices.

[Fire Walk With Me]

4. K&R!

:applause:

[zeemike]

5. Yes I will critique it

Hmmmm lets see....it looks perfect to me.

[flamin lib]

6. It's 333 words. A bit long. Edit, be merciless and see if you can get it

to 250 or less. Try this:

The current Free Lance online poll, "I support drilling for oil...," needs a fifth choice.

The poll should include, "in the estimated 68 million acres, on and off-shore, leased to oil companies but un-tapped."

The House Committee on Natural Resources released a report noting that the number of drilling permits issued between 1999 and 2007 increased by 361 percent. Some 10,000 permits, the report says, are being "stockpiled" by oil companies. The committee estimates that domestic oil production would nearly double and natural gas production would increase by 75 percent if the oil companies put these leases to use.

On June 12, Rep. Nick Rahall (D-WV) introduced H.R. 6251, the Responsible Federal Oil and Gas Lease Act, which would prevent the Secretary of the Interior from issuing new leases to oil companies that aren't drilling on those they already have. This bill is not a long-term answer to America's "pain at the pump” but it at least puts a big habeus corpus squarely in the faces of the oil companies that seem indifferent to the economic squeeze their get-richer tactics put on us.

One wonders why President Bush and Sen. John McCain have been calling on Congress to "lift the ban" on off-shore drilling when there is no such ban. Why would Congress do that when 10,000 permits lay unused?

I voted "nowhere" in the poll, by the way — not because I'm some tree-huggin' lib'rul, but because the poll left me no other viable choice.

[Oeditpus Rex]

9. The paper doesn't enforce a word limit

I used to be its city editor. If letters get up around 500 words, they just make 'em into a "guest editorial."

They get about three letters per week, so they've got plenty of space to fill.

[flamin lib]

10. In that case go for it. nt

[johnfunk]

11. The original's outstanding; the shorter version is even punchier

It's just the sort of letter that gets the news editors asking, "Why haven't we covered this?"

[lonestarnot]

7. Excellent and I voted nowhere in the shitty poll.

[EFerrari]

13. "Why are President Bush and John McCain calling on Congress"

is more direct and pumps the pay off.

And, where you disavow tree hugging, lol "The poll should be reworded: Why don't oil companies support drilling for oil?"

:evilgrin:

Nice job, Oedi.

[Oeditpus Rex]

14. I added the 'tree-huggin'' bit

because the doot-brained former (exiled) chair of the local Republikanners is a prolific LTE writer and frequently paints with that brush in his war-loving screeds. It's my subtle "Fuck you, Moran Jones."

The paper profiled him awhile back, btw, as pretty much just a regular guy but somehow forgot to mention that his own party committee kicked him out over allegations of misuse of funds, not to mention the assault charge filed against him when he allegedly shoved a woman whose business he was blocking with his pro-war signs.

http://www.freelancenews.com/news/235475-marvins-world

[EFerrari]

15. It's always something with these guys.

Shoving women, forcing boys, drugging while hypocrites. They should just burn a creche on Christmas Eve every year and call it even.