The Obama administration is proposing to open vast expanses of water along the Atlantic coastline, the eastern Gulf of Mexico and the north coast of Alaska to oil and natural gas drilling, much of it for the first time, officials said Tuesday.
The proposal is intended to reduce dependence on oil imports, generate revenue from the sale of offshore leases and help win political support for comprehensive energy and climate legislation.
Actual drilling in much of the newly opened areas, if it takes place, would not begin for years. (New York Times, 3/31/10)
At first blush we were pleasantly surprised by the announcement that President Obama was promoting increased domestic drilling. If we want to reduce dependence on Middle East oil, this – along with new nuclear power plants – is vital. But as with all things Obama, it is never that simple. Reading further, it appears that he is dangling his proposal to win support for his wacky environmental plans, and maybe the drilling never really happens. The President must know that – after health care – he has a real trust problem with the other side and these overtures are going to be scrutinized very closely.
It Slices, It Dices....
And this legislation will create 4 million jobs over the life of the bill, hundreds of thousands almost immediately. (Nancy Pelosi, AOLNews.com, 3/30/10)
So now the health care bill is a jobs bill as well. We thought the stimulus bill was all about jobs. We’ll keep a close eye as the “hundreds of thousands” of jobs are created. Apparently it won't be long.
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