Santa Barbara Board Votes To Support Off-Shore Drilling

Wall Street Journal ^ | August 26, 2008 | Ben Casselman

[Lorianne]

The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to support increased oil production off its coast, a move supporters hope will add to growing pressure to lift bans on offshore drilling.

The 3-2 vote, which was expected, has little practical significance because offshore drilling is banned by both state and federal moratoriums. California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, a Republican, opposes new drilling.

Drilling supporters hope the move will have symbolic value, however, because of Santa Barbara's longstanding opposition to oil production. A 1969 oil spill off the Santa Barbara coast helped launch the modern environmental movement.

Drilling opponents note that the Board of Supervisors represents the entire county, including the conservative, pro-oil northern region. They say the majority of residents of the city of Santa Barbara itself remain against new drilling.

The supervisors approved the measure -- technically a letter to Gov. Schwarzenegger -- after an all-day meeting in which they heard from experts on both sides. In a nod to environmental concerns, the board amended the letter to call for research into alternative energy sources, not just oil drilling.

[Lorianne]

Say what?

[nmh]

Good!

[SmithL]

Previously posted story for those of us without a Wall Street Journal subscription: Santa Barbara County votes for offshore drilling

[GOP Poet]

This Santa Barbara resident is for new drilling and I am very proud they passed this.

[dalereed]

No Californian that went to the beach in Southern California 60 years ago would be against oil drilling off the coast.

It’s the off shore rigs that made the beaches habitable and not totally covered with tar!

[svcw]

Way to go home town!

[svcw]

OMG, I remember being covered with that black tar.
It would take days to get that crap off your feet and if it got on your swimsuit forget it, never came off.
I love oil rigs.

[WilliamofCarmichael]

Congress Needs an Oil Change this November

[VOA]

Santa Barbara Board Votes To Support Off-Shore Drilling

Amazing.
Bloody Simply Amazing.

Living in Southern California during 1995-2005...if you told me
that the powerbrokers of Santa Barbara would come out for off-shore
drilling...I'd say "You need a CAT scan, a rigourous work-up
by some world-class neurologists...and drug testing for whatever
some right-wing-conspiracy-wacko must have poured into your drink!".

Too many times I've heard nothing but the oil companies getting
slimed by Californians.
And hear folks from the Ventura/Santa Barbara area griping
(well, actually b-tching in profane terms) about seeing those
off-shore derricks.

As they drove their SUVs, bloated Mercedes and other fuel-hogs.

Especially amongst the self-described academics I have met at
major research univerities in So Cal.
Yeah, the ones that drove SUVs, bloated Mercedes and other fuel-hogs.

They didn't even have convictions in their positions to occassionally
use public transportation instead of their Royal Chariots.

[Foolsgold]

P> If you are tired of paying high prices for fuel, These 2 people as "leaders" of congress, Are blocking the vote from coming to the floor. We need to send Mail, good old snail mail, mountains of it, so when they return in September the voice of the people will be heard.
Please send this to all in your email list.

             
Cut fuel prices Drill 4 oil now

[Proud_USA_Republican]

Pierce Brosnan and the other self annointed environmentalist leaders of Santa Barbara aren’t going to like this.