DU a poll: Do you think Congress should allow increased offshore oil drilling?

[Omaha Steve]

Bottom of page: http://www.omaha.com/

Do you think Congress should allow increased offshore oil drilling?



• Yes. (1556)

• No. (434)

• I have no opinion. (49)


Note: This question is for our site visitors' enjoyment only and is not a scientific poll.

Drilling full story at this link: http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=1117&u_mod=ap.online.headlines.washington&u_sid=10256977


Published Tuesday September 9, 2008
Democrats look to more drilling
By H. JOSEF HEBERT Associated Press Writer
The Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) - With public opinion shifting toward offshore drilling, Democrats are looking to defuse the volatile election issue by allowing oil companies for the first time to explore off the Atlantic and Gulf coasts from Virginia to Florida - but only if they foot the bill for new alternative energy programs.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who not long ago staunchly opposed lifting any of the offshore drilling bans, said Tuesday she now supports an energy package that would including drilling in federal waters off the southeastern coast. She is planning a vote that could come as early as Friday.

"If they (the oil companies) want to drill offshore, we'll say OK," Pelosi told reporters. But she said the bill also will require oil companies to give up $13 billion in tax breaks and agree to pay billions of dollars in back royalties that were avoided because of an Interior Department contracting error in deep-water drilling leases in the late 1990s.

The money would be used to subsidize investments in solar, wind and other renewable energy.

"If you oppose that, what are you saying. I'm for drilling and I want to subsidize Big Oil and I want all of the profits to go to Big Oil," said Pelosi.

Pelosi's proposal mirrors ones being pushed in the Senate - one by the Democratic leadership and another by a bipartisan group known as the "Gang of Ten" that calls for limited offshore drilling from Virginia to Georgia and off Florida's Gulf coast, areas that have been off limits to energy companies for decades because of environmental concerns.

The proposals would open federal waters beyond a 50-mile coastal buffer.

[MichiganVote]

1. No. Its all another big lie by big oil.

[Kerrytravelers]

2. From someone who lives on the Coast, a RESOUNDING NO!

Ugh. I can't stand the thought of all those oil platforms along my beloved shore. :cry:

[ColbertWatcher]

3. Kicked, rec'd, voted, n/t

Do you think Congress should allow increased offshore oil drilling?

• Yes. (1569)
• No. (455)
• I have no opinion. (49)

[Indenturedebtor]

4. NO!!!!!!!!!!!!! Man this country.... so many damn problems. How could anyone who doesn't work for

Shell/BP support this? Oh that's right, whoever supports this is neglecting their duty as a citizen. I almost forgot.

[spin]

5. Yes...

providing this is a short term measure to get us from on dependence on foreign oil and the oil we produce is to be used only for the U.S.

Taxes on this oil should be used to finance the development of alternative green energy sources.

Offshore drilling should only be a stop gap measure. There are plenty of alternative energy sources for the future, but we just can't implement them tomorrow.

Any commitment to develop alternative energy should be pursued despite the price of a barrel of oil. The foreign nations we are so dependent on will drop the price to $20 a barrel when they see we really want energy independence. They have us by the balls right now, but we can develop the technology to gain energy independence and sell it to the world. We can stop sending money to nations who absolutely hate us and we can save the planet from global warming.

[HughMoran]

6. If you think it will do anything for our dependance on foreign oil - you are extremely misinformed

Even T Boone Pickens - a Swift Boat supporter states that drilling won't help ween us from foreign oil.

Where do you get your news from a Cracker Jack box?

[spin]

7. I don't believe drilling will get us to energy indepedance...

Did you read my post?

It's a stop gap measure for perhaps ten years. And as I pointed out it may drop the price of oil to the point that our economy might survive for the short term.

If you have a suggestion that might resolve our problem in less than ten years, please post it.

Magic wands don't count.

[HughMoran]

8. "a short term measure to get us from on dependence on foreign oil "

YOU said that.


You do realize that hardly any oil will be to market in 10 years?

Are you a Democrat or Republican?? Your arguments are highly uninformed.

[spin]

9. Strange that some prominent Democrats agree with me...

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) will grant the Republicans' their big wish this campaign season — a vote on offshore oil and gas drilling — but only if the GOP accepts a few of her own demands.

Pelosi's decision to relent on the drilling issue, laid out with new clarity in Saturday’s Democratic radio address, illustrates the political pressure Democrats are feeling this campaign season. But the legislative menu Pelosi envisions includes a number of offerings that Republicans have considered unpalatable, a clear indication she will force the GOP to give up a lot in exchange for more domestic oil and gas exploration.

Her priorities include a repeal of royalty relief for offshore drillers and an end to other tax credits for the biggest oil companies, as well as so-called use it or lose it legislation forcing energy companies to relinquish un-used leases.
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0808/12573.html

ST. PETERSBURG — Long an opponent of offshore drilling, Sen. Barack Obama offered encouraging words for a bipartisan energy plan that would permit oil drilling within 50 miles of Florida's west coast.

In an interview with the St. Petersburg Times and Bay News 9's Political Connections this morning, Obama commended the self-styled "Gang of 10" senators who earlier in the day introduced a broad energy bill that also would funnel billions into developing renewable sources.

"My attitude is that we can find some sort of compromise," Obama told the Times shortly after talking with voters at Gibbs High School. "If it is part of an overarching package, then I am not going to be rigid in preventing an energy package that goes forward that is really thoughtful and is going to really solve the problem."
http://tampabay.com/news/politics/elections/article752490.ece

Ten years is the common estimate for new drilling to reach full production. If the drilling occurs in the Gulf of Mexico near where we already have existing infrastructure some experts cut the time to five years. If the U.S. commits itself to drilling and developing alternative energy sources, it's quite likely oil prices will drop (as they are now). Speculation is a major driver in this market and the oil prices are a bubble that may burst.

So a fair compromise on the length of time before new drilling would reach full production in the Gulf of Mexico might be five to seven years. If the ten year estimate is correct and we had started drilling ten years ago, we wouldn't be in the mess we are today. If we would have continued the efforts we started during the oil crisis of the 1970's we would be energy independent and using green energy today. We failed because oil became plentiful and cheap.

I'm still waiting to hear your ideas on what we could do to replace oil in the near future. All the alternate energy sources will many take years for full implementation and in some cases the technology might not work out. Ethanol looked like a wonderful idea but appears to have some unanticipated problems. Who's to say that we will come up with a viable alternate energy source in ten years. It might take twenty years or more.

Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)looks promising and the technology is available. Perhaps CNG would be a better solution then drilling if the government would provide incentives and tax breaks for the necessary infrastructure and vehicle conversion. For the long term I like wind, solar, geothermal and wave power. Nuclear energy has big drawbacks in my opinion. I feel that hybrid cars will make a big difference in the future, but we have a decade of gasoline powered vehicles on the road that still aren't paid off.

I prefer a shotgun approach where we try all possible solutions. Drilling for oil is just one part of the plan.

In case you're wondering I see a lot a value in the T. Boone Pickens plan. While I have a lot of suspicion about the man and his motivation, I feel he has started a debate that may benefit the country.

And for your information I have been a registered Democrat since 1972 and was an independent before that. I don't agree with all the views of the Democratic Party but I feel they represent the average person far more than the Republican Party.

[Kip Humphrey]

10. I'll certainly get a REALLY BIG raise but the U.S. won't get any more gas or oil for 7 to 10 years

I know. I build & manage deep water development project schedules for a living. I could use the money though.