Posted on 08/04/2008 5:15:11 AM PDT by Reaganesque
There are many good, valid reasons to expand off-shore drilling in the US. Many have been and are being discussed here and in the media. But one reason seems to have been overlooked, one that really shows just how empty and hypocritical Liberal rhetoric is and I wish to point that out here.
In the aftermath of Katrina, we were told that the Bush Administration's slow response was many things. Incompetent. Heartless. Racist. Cruel. Whatever. Which brings to mind a question, if not responding quickly enough is all those things, what can be said of a deliberate refusal to help?
Some quick facts about Louisiana and the New Orleans area:
(Source: The Louisiana Economic Development Department)
"Including offshore production, Louisiana is the number one producer of crude oil and the number two producer of natural gas among the 50 states. The oil & gas industry is a giant economic engine for Louisiana's economy, supporting $70.2 billion in sales for Louisiana firms (Louisiana Mid-Continent Study, 2007).
The oil & gas industry also provides an enormous number of jobs for the growing Louisiana workforce. Through direct and indirect multipliers, the Louisiana Mid Continent Oil & Gas Association reports the extraction, refining and pipeline industries generated over $12.7 billion in household for Louisiana and supported 320,280 jobs in 2005. Energy jobs are found in all of Louisiana's 64 parishes.
From the first well in the early 1900s, to the first offshore platform in the 1940s, to the deepest sub-sea production system in the world in 2002, Louisiana has been at the forefront of technical innovation in the energy business. Further technical advances are expected to improve Louisiana's position as one of the nation's leading hydrocarbon producers.
Oil & Gas Quick Facts:
Louisiana has the second largest refining capacity among the states (16.7% of the total U.S. capacity)
88% of U.S. offshore rigs are located in Louisiana's Outer Continental Shelf (LDNR, 2007)
Louisiana has 19 operating crude oil refineries
Louisiana's 41,320 miles of distribution pipelines move natural gas, crude oil and refined products both in and out of state
More than 5,700 oil and gas platforms in the Gulf of Mexico - 2,300 are active (Minerals Management Service, 2006)"
And this from New Orleans Online:
"The energy industry employs 20 percent of all workers in the New Orleans region...
What does this mean for New Orleans? Forty percent of Louisiana's oil refineries are located in this region, almost half of the refining capacity in one of the largest players out there."
So, given that one of Louisiana's biggest employers and sources of revenue is the oil company, you would think that those who were so passionate about helping New Orleans and, by extension, LA itself would welcome the opportunity to help them grow economically and replace many of the jobs that were lost. But, no.
After years of complaining about how inadequate the Bush administrations efforts to help New Orleans have been, Speaker Nancy Pelosi has a real opportunity to substantially help the economy of LA and New Orleans by allowing one of their biggest industries to expand. But Ms. Pelosi refuses to even consider the idea. Indeed, Ms. Pelosi has threatened to punish the oil industry for high gas prices and surely that would be another blow to an already feeble LA economy, wouldn't it? And the Speaker of the House just recently felt so outraged that the Republicans would want to discuss off-shore drilling that she shut Congress down, turned off the cameras, the microphones, the lights and tried to have reporters ousted from the building. That certainly doesn't seem like the actions of someone who recently told New Orleans business people "We're here to renew our partnership with you." (Times Picayune, 7/21/08. Posted at Speaker Pelosi's Website)
But this never was about New Orleans. It wasn't about any mistakes that the Bush Administration may or may not have made. This isn't even about the oil industry. This is about politics. Speaker Pelosi's actions are governed 100% by her drive to gain and maintain political power for herself and her party and NOTHING ELSE. Were she and her cohorts the "defenders of the little guy" as they claim to be, their words would be followed by consistent actions. But their/her actions speak vastly louder than their/her words.
She could help out LA and New Orleans (and the rest of the nation for that matter) by dropping the Mussolini impression and allowing for debate and votes on the issue. But, no. Her politics are more important than actually solving the problem. So, the little guy, who is finding it harder and harder to pay for gas for his car that he/she uses to get to work will just have to suffer. Ms. Pelosi's "let them eat cake" attitude not only doesn't help anyone in New Orleans or elsewhere, it hurts. And quite obviously, she doesn't care.
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Nicely done.
And, excellent thoughts they are, too. Thanks for the observations.
I heartily agree. The issue is nothing but the DhimmiRat chase for more and more power over our daily lives.
SanFranNan’s despicable display of political arrogance, this past week, is a fine case in point.
Keep spreading the word.
Those stats you listed show what happens when you allow drilling, like it already is allowed off the Louisiana coast.
Opening up the Offshore of Florida & California or ANWR is not going to help New Orleans or Louisiana.
Pray for W and Our Freedom Fighters
I assume that TOURISTS will be allowed in.
Hmmmmmm.....what an opportunity...
“Speaker Pelosi’s actions are governed 100% by her drive to gain and maintain political power for herself and her party and NOTHING ELSE.”
Or maybe she really is a kook? “I'm trying to save the world.” So she runs up, hits the light switch, and shuts down the C-Span cameras with a cape whirling behind her. I just wish she wore a mask as well.
Great to hear Friday’s heros are continuing to fight.
Sent a thank you to each and every one.
Speaker Email AmericanVoices@mail.house.gov
Ironic email address considering Nazi Pelosi has a deaf ear to what America is saying
Last week I called Queen Nancy an "ego-maniacal, power-hungry bitch".
I was wrong.
She's actually an ego-maniacal, power-hungry stupid bitch.
Queen Pelosi— feel her power. But her book sales have been pretty darn low in Amazon— 1200 last I heard.
[Those stats you listed show what happens when you allow drilling, like it already is allowed off the Louisiana coast.]
It is my understanding that NEW wells are not being permitted.
That is not correct. Lease sales and drilling permits have not been stopped or banned from the Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi or Alabama coasts.
For more information go to:
Offshore Energy & Minerals Management (OEMM) of the MMS
http://www.mms.gov/offshore/
Please explain how bringing jobs and infrastructure to New Orleans wouldn’t help the recovery.
Because opening up drilling off Florida and California doesn’t help New Orleans. Drilling and production is already ongoing off Louisiana. Nothing proposed by either party changes things for New Orleans.
Further more, lower gas prices mean lower transportation costs, therefore the costs of doing business in LA (and elsewhere) would go down which would benefit everyone from the average commuter to local businesses to the interstate trucker who is bringing in reconstruction materials. The new wells need not be in LA to benefit their economy.
No, with expanded drilling comes less imported oil going through our refineries. We could nearly triple the rate of our existing oil production before we reached the existing capacities of our refineries.
Further more, lower gas prices mean lower transportation costs, therefore the costs of doing business in LA (and elsewhere) would go down which would benefit everyone from the average commuter to local businesses to the interstate trucker who is bringing in reconstruction materials. The new wells need not be in LA to benefit their economy.
I agree more domestic drill will help lower our fuel prices. But that is quite a convoluted stretch to use this specific agenda directly to New Orleans.
As for this being a stretch: Its far less of a stretch than blaming George W. Bush for what happened there. That's basically the point. Domestic drilling would benefit everyone. Everyone includes LA. The Dems complaint against the President has been that he acted too slowly in LA. The Dems are refusing to act at all. If its bad to be slow to aid the people, wherever they live, is it not worse to do nothing at all when a practical, common-sense solution is readily available?
Democrat support of New Orleans is/was nothing more than a political tool and the oil situation clearly highlights this. Helping all of us with increased domestic oil production would help us and LA but that doesn't fit into the Liberal agenda. Party of the "little guy?" No way. This isn't your father's Demcrat party. Unless your dad was Karl Marx.
The refineries would not triple their rate of production.
They would have the same rate of production. We could just exchange the OPEC oil they currently process for domestically produced oil.
You should submit this as a letter to the editor of the New Orleans Times Picayune and see if they have the nerve to print it. I’d love to see the reader reaction, if they did.
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