Florida legislature considering offshore drilling as close as 3 to 10 miles from coast.

[madfloridian]

The Florida legislature seems on a rampage with bills that make no sense and that would harm the state irreparably. Trying to do away with Florida Forever to preserve lands, giving developers free rein over the state, trying to pass that devastating elections bill which would be of harm nationally as well. It is like a no holds barred effort on their part to see how much harm can be done to the state in a short time. They truly scare me.

Their latest is the effort to cater to oil companies by permitting drilling as close to land as 3 to 10 miles.

Legislator's proposal backs oil drilling off Florida's coast

TALLAHASSEE -- A top House Republican will unveil legislation Tuesday that could open the door to the first oil and gas drilling off Florida's coast in decades.

Rep. Dean Cannon, the Orlando Republican who is slated to become House leader in 2010, will ask the House Policy Council on Tuesday to pass a bill that lifts Florida's ban on oil drilling off state waters.

If lawmakers agree to pass the bill, it would be a complete reversal in state policy since the state imposed a virtual ban on drilling nearly 30 years ago. But after years of resisting oil and gas drilling off Florida shores, the state's fiscal straits have made it politically practical for Cannon to pursue the change.

The measure, which drew howls of protest from environmentalists, would replace the ban with a plan to allow the governor and Florida Cabinet to charge $1 million per application to explore state-controlled waters that stretch between three and 10 miles offshore.

Never let a good crisis go to waste, they always say.

Senator Bill Nelson is now a Twitterer, and he is critical of this proposal.

Nelson tweet: Is the Legislature nuts?

Sen. Bill Nelson used his Twitter account today to register disbelief at a state proposal to allow drilling within 10 miles of the state’s beaches.

In two tweets, Nelson wrote, “I can’t believe some Florida lawmakers might actually be serious about allowing oil drilling within ten miles offshore.” And, he wrote, “They even want to ‘expedite’ permits for refineries in coastal communities.”

Nelson's office says his tweeted came as oil industry representatives were appearing before a state House committee in support of a new proposal to allow rigs just offshore and to speed up permitting for oil refineries in coastal communities.

Nelson -- and much of the state's congressional delegation -- has long opposed drilling off Florida's coast. Nelson says "there's not enough oil there to justify the risk of ruining the state’s $65-billion tourism-driven economy or to make a dent in the price of energy."

Nelson has not been consistent over the years about the offshore drilling, but at least he finds the 3 to 10 miles ridiculous.

Even a tourism group got in the on act recently, for some reason coming out in favor of drilling within 30 miles of the coast. Gotta wonder whose influence is showing here.

Florida tourism group endorses 30 mile offshore drilling as healthy for tourism.

A Florida tourism group has endorsed an idea that politicians and environmentalists have been trying to prevent for decades: the exploration and production of oil and natural gas in the waters off Florida's Gulf Coast. State tourism officials long have opposed drilling off Florida's shores, but the Florida Association of Convention and Visitors Bureaus now says drilling will help preserve the state's No. 1 industry.

"Changes in global energy markets have affected the price and supply of oil and natural gas and subsequently may have a future impact on Florida's tourism industry," the association said in a three-page position statement.

The association said it would support offshore drilling and production, but the operations must be at least 30 miles from the coastline. Florida's $65 billion-a-year tourism industry employs nearly 1 million people.

The legislators, mostly Republicans, are getting increasingly less concerned about the people and more concerned with ramming through bills to benefit themselves. That is seen in the fact that they have tried to push through the massive elections bill with almost no discussion. I see a Democrat is finally speaking out on it.

Fast-tracked elections bill draws fire

TALLAHASSEE - An elections bill introduced by Republicans that could make it more difficult for thousands of Floridians to vote was condemned Monday by public interest groups and legislative Democrats who decried the measure as "draconian" and "unconscionable."

Democrats were further angered by how the House version zipped through its first committee stop on Friday, only hours after it was written and without any public scrutiny.

"I look at it as group of folks who do not want to accept the fact that a Democratic president won the election in Florida," said Rep. Audrey Gibson, D-Jacksonville. "That is the bottom line. Get over it. Get over it."

The Republicans have had total control here so long they are not even caring about sending a message of trying to do the right thing. They are showing signs of desperation, and they are hurting our state.

[napi21]

1. How do Floridians feel about this? I don't think it matters if they're Dem or Pub,

especially any who live close to the shore, or visit the beaches frequently. I honestly think this might become another NIMBY issue there.

[madfloridian]

2. Well consider what a leading anchor said about it....propaganda.

John Wilson of Fox 13 is considered an icon by many. Here is what he said recently on air.

I heard him, and I was just stunned.

Apparently he meant off the shore of Florida. I sat there enthralled because it really hit me. They have already won this issue of offshore drilling.

It was amazing, really. He gave the percentages showing that most people favored more drilling, and the ones who did not favor it were not sure what was going on.

I don't even know where to begin to debunk that. They say the bigger you make the lie, the easier it is to swallow. That was a whopper.

I have tried to find anything else about what he said, but I heard it and saw it. He said we have as much or more oil than Saudi Arabia. He said everyone was in favor.

I would think it would be NIMBY issue, but Florida is different.

[imdjh]

11. I'd want to know more about it

Philosophically, I have to be open to the idea of drilling in Florida because I am open to drilling in Alaska. I think that Florida is a bit different, of course, what with the attraction of the beaches and the fact that 3 miles might be close enough that these platforms would have visual impact on the beach experience. But as you said, NIMBY means that I need to be open to drilling.

Now if we could just do something about those obnoxious advertising planes....

[Warpy]

3. Much of the coastline is already walled off

by high rise condos, overbuilt and largely empty but depriving Floridians of access to the beaches.

It's not like there's much of a view to be destroyed, in other words, Jebbie and his developer cronies saw to that.

The clueless and totally out of touch Florida GOP seems to want to finish the job, making sure the beaches get so fouled with oil nobody will ever want those condos.

[flvegan]

4. Associated Industries of Florida

Enough said.

[madfloridian]

7. I found this AIF rating of FL politicians. Sure tells their agenda.

http://www.votesmart.org/issue_rating_detail.php?r_id=4147#

[FLAprogressive]

5. Nelson is usually just a "twit" but he's right in this case.

[madfloridian]

6. They are also trying to deregulate phone services for land lines.

http://www.news-journalonline.com/NewsJournalOnline/News/Headlines/frtHEAD01POL042109.htm

"And with millions of Floridians turning to cell phones and other technology to make calls, state lawmakers are considering proposals to reduce regulations on telephone companies such as AT&T and Embarq. The bills, which are moving through the House and Senate, would relax or eliminate state oversight of rates and customer service for many residents who use land-line phones.

Marshall Criser III, president of AT&T Florida, said the bills do not raise rates. He and other supporters say reducing regulations will help boost competition in the industry -- and ultimately will be good for consumers.

"Historically, when we've done real deregulation, costs have always gone down," said Sen. Carey Baker, a Eustis Republican whose district includes part of western Volusia County. But the senior advocacy group AARP is fighting the proposals, arguing they could lead to future rate increases and leave consumers with no place to turn with complaints about service issues.

AARP said older residents are more likely to use land-line service than younger consumers who often rely on cell phones as their primary phone service.

"We don't see this as pro-consumer," AARP lobbyist Leslie Spencer said.

[Dappleganger]

8. so typical

take advantage of us while we are out of work, scrambling to save our homes, no health insurance. The last thing people in distress think of usually is where someone throws up an oil well.

"Oil? If it'll give me a fucking job, bring it on!"

/s

[ddeclue]

9. Dean Cannon is right next door in the next district about a half a mile from here.

I think I should move and run against this idiot, even though I'll have to take a 60% pay cut to do it. I've had it up to my eyeballs with teh krazee and teh stoopid in Tallahassee this year.

:argh:

[tosh]

10. Well, this just sucks.

I'm already setting aside a fund so I can contribute as much as possible to any dems who run against these boneheads. It just gets sicker and sicker. Like Bushie, they are intent on leaving a path of destruction.

[jberryhill]

12. Palm Beach is a Great Refinery Site

We should definitely get behind refineries in Palm Beach and Ft. Lauderdale.

[Divine Discontent]

13. GRRRRREEEEEEEEEEEEEEDDDDDD

and when you are against greed, you realize they don't care what may be hurt or killed, just like an addict or a drug dealer - you must stand against them and state why they're short-sighted and GREEDY.

[downindixie]

14. Can you just imagine the entire West

coast line of Florida covered in oil? The tourism loss would be staggering!

[Union Yes]

15. Imagine an oilslick approaching the Eastern shores or Gulf.

More oil rigs in hurricane prone areas is scary.