Posted on 07/15/2008 7:48:30 AM PDT by SmithL
WASHINGTON – Fearing environmental damage to the state's coastline, California's top leaders made it clear Monday that they want nothing to do with President Bush's plan to lift the moratorium on offshore drilling.
Bush said his approach would reduce pressure on record gasoline prices, and he urged Congress to follow his lead.
"Failure to act is unacceptable," Bush said.
But as soon as the president made the announcement in a Rose Garden ceremony, California's Democratic leaders accused Bush of cozying up to oil interests. They said his plan would do nothing to lower gasoline prices.
"Once again, the oilman in the White House is echoing the demands of Big Oil," said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of San Francisco. "The Bush plan is a hoax. It will neither reduce gas prices nor increase energy independence. It just gives millions more acres to the same companies that are sitting on nearly 68 million acres of public lands and coastal areas."
Sen. Barbara Boxer, who heads the Senate's environmental committee, said Bush was "taking special-interest government to a new level" and threatening California's coastal economy, which she said is worth $12 billion and produces almost 270,000 jobs.
"President Bush is giving another gift to the oil companies that will do not one thing to lower gas prices for the American people," Boxer said. "This proposal is something you'd expect from an oil company CEO, not the president of the United States."
Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein said the president was "deluding the American public" into believing that new offshore drilling is a quick fix to $4-per-gallon gasoline.
"Nothing could be further from the truth," she said. "We cannot drill our way out of this problem."
Even California's Republican governor joined the chorus,
(Excerpt) Read more at sacbee.com ...
- President Bush walks to the White House Rose Garden on Monday to call on Congress to lift a 27-year-old moratorium on offshore oil drilling in the country's outer continental shelf. The president said Congress' failure to act forces families to spend more for gas instead of on food or their children's education.
Mere American demonstration of will would lower the prices. But okay, let the Rats have their way in California.
Let the pay and let the Rats offer them what they voted for: nothing.
And watch the prices rise.
Let’em fill their tanks with alfalfa sprouts, tofu and orgy butter.
Maybe fuel deliveries need to be cut to cali for a while, clearly the smog has effected their thinking.
Too bad. Just think about what all that added revenue could do for the state debt in California.
They are %*()^)^ to reject this.
Good thing Bush never said it would be a quick fix just like he never said Iraq would be quick. As a matter of fact he said the opposite.
Bush's plan is like a person getting out of credit card debt by paying more than the minimum with a plan to be out by a certain date. The Dems plan is like getting out of credit card debt by getting a loan from the bank.
Contact your Congress critters to let them know that you are tired of high gas prices.
U. S. House of Representatives
Especially the California ones!
Sen. Boxer is stuck on stupid. But that's okay...because she and her constituents will soon reap what they sow.
And (to the SacBee) THAT is considered to be a "wave of opposition".
The real opposition will come when these Dem. idiots hear from their constituents...and maybe again at election time.
Everyone already knew what these brainless pols thought about it (covering for their green donors) already.
The headlines sound as if the people opposed drilling but the story says “top leaders”. You can always count on those “top leaders” to do the right thing and stand by the party line, communist party that is. I wish we could get a referendum on the ballot about drilling and see what the people say. One big loud shout of “drill now” would resound around the USA. The a**hat politicians would then expose themselves in a big way as to who supports the people and who doesn’t. That would be most of the elected officials we now have.
The people of California (and the rest of the country) need to take a stand and let their voices be heard - enough is enough! Start drilling NOW!!
But it’s alright to foul the environments of others, while making them rich, while we go to the poor house.
Why Dianne will releasing the Strategic Oil reserves lower gas prices then? Because it will raise supply? I thought so.
Bush should agree to release the supply for short term relief if the Dems agree to drill for long term relief.
He Babs! Care to guess what will happen to your vaunted coastal economy and those 270,000 jobs once tourists stop driving and flying there because of $5.00 per gallon fuel?
Friggin moron!
Give Cal-ee-fornia they’re energy independence by cutting them off from the national grid.
OK coastal states. If you are not willing to share your off shore oil resources with the rest of America, then we will stop sending you our resources.
You will no longer be permitted to bring electricity or water from out of state. You are on your own.
How does it feel to want?
Amazing...the SacBee discovered this “wave of opposition” within mere minutes and yet they still haven’t discovered the fact that we are winning in Iraq and it’s been going on for months...kinda’ gives away their partisan focus.
Okay, then how about all these opposition to drilling bleeding hearts (who really don’t care about anyone else or how they may be struggling) start paying $10+ bucks a gallon so the rest of us only have to pay $2.00 or less.
Add to that - let’s force the Democrats in Congress to have to actually PAY for their gas on the way to work in the morning out of their own pockets instead of the ‘free’ congressional perks they get. And let’s eliminate the free shuttle that runs underground between the Senate offices and the Capitol building.
I’m really starting to favor the pitchforks and torches march on Washington!
Nothing could be further from the truth,” she said. “We cannot drill our way out of this problem.”....
Thank you Diane!....You and your environmental wacko numbnut friends can go to hell! Get off your butts and stop obstructing drilling!
Has anyone asked Barbara Boxarocks just how drilling of the CA coast threatens the coastal economy?
And how about Diane Frankenfeinstein ... we can't drill our way out of this problem? Really? And you know this how?
Here's the dirty little secret: the higher the gas price, the higher the state tax. These dirtbags WANT the price of gas to be as high as it is, or higher.
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