Posted by
Rich on Sunday, June 22, 2008 11:18:20 AM
I
sent the following e-mail to Governor Crist, the Florida Cabinet and
Sarasota County Legislative delegation. Perhaps you will consider doing
the same. It is worth your time to ensure our economic future.
Dear Governor Crist,
As
a Floridian I commend you for your support of off-shore drilling. As
you prepare for your environmental summit I ask you to consider the
following:
As you know Florida, like the United States, imports
its oil, natural gas, and gasoline. Additionally we currently have a
significant electrical power deficit and buy power from other states.
Floridians pay dearly for our energy. Florida has the 13th highest
energy costs in the U.S. With the rising price of oil and natural gas
and 54.9% of Florida's power plants dependent on these two fuels
our energy costs will only rise, and rise dramatically.
I ask
that you continue your efforts to allow off-shore drilling because it
is best for Florida economically. Florida needs to become energy
independent. We can do this in an environmentally friendly way. We must
look at all forms of energy production, with nothing being off the
table. Wind, solar, coal, oil, natural gas, nuclear and biomass are all
worthy of study. Those that make the most sense for Florida should be
allowed to develop in a free market system and compete in that market
to provide Floridians with cheap and reliable power.
Florida and
America depend on cheap and reliable power and gasoline. That is what
makes our economy run. Without it our economy will collapse.
As
for gas prices, Florida needs to take advantage of our own resources
and stop importing refined petroleum products from other states. We
must drill and build refineries now for the economic future of our
children and grandchildren.
I was most shocked when Senator
Dennis Jones was recently quoted as saying there were "a hell of a lot"
of oil spills. There has been one major oil spill in Florida in 1976.
This spill was not from an oil rig but rather from a tanker. Tankers
carrying oil into the Gulf are a greater threat to our beaches and
environment than are off-shore oil rigs of which there are over 3,700
in the Gulf already.
Some in the Florida legislature have raised
concerns about our military having to fly around oil rigs in the Gulf.
In terms of the military flying around oil rigs off -shore, they can do
that. The Gulf is big with lots of air space. Its much better from a
national security perspective to drill for our own oil than to send
billions of our dollars off-shore to fund radical Islamist terrorists
and rogue nations.
I have provided below three of my articles [articles are
here,
here and
here] on drilling off-shore and the negative impact of recent "green" policies on our electrical power industry.
I hope you will take the time
to read these three articles and think about the future of Florida and
America and fight against the "green" lobby.
I will do all that I can to support you. I look forward to your reply to my e-mail.
Warm Regards,
Rich