Job Killer Obama Imposes 7 Year Moratorium on Off Shore Drilling

[Wingnut]

Likewise, jobs appeared to be the least of President Obama’s concerns when he issued a drilling moratorium following the BP oil spill, even after a panel of 15 experts explicitly stated that a moratorium would do more damage to the economy. Eight of the 15 experts addressed a letter to the Interior Department indicating, “A blanket moratorium is not the answer. It will not measurably reduce the risk further and it will have a lasting impact on the nation’s economy which may be greater than the oil spill.”

http://www.thenewamerican.com/index....ing-moratorium

The truth is, this nation's economy will not recover so as long as Obama's in office.

[Mike]

Actually, the truth is more like this nation's economy will recover no matter who is in office.

[Wingnut]

I don't think that's true, especially if the president continues to push and pass business crippling legislation. There is nothing about this moratorium that is a benefit to the economy or to the environment for that matter.

[Mike]

I don't think that's true, especially if the president continues to push and pass business crippling legislation. There is nothing about this moratorium that is a benefit to the economy or to the environment for that matter.

OK, tell me what makes you say that. You could elaborate on how you think this moratorium hurts the economy or the environment. Or if you want to focus on the president himself or some other crippling legislation, go for it. Which direction do you wish?

[Wingnut]

It's not so much that I think it'll hurt the environment, Mike, but it won't help either and the impact it'll have on job loss, not to mention oil prices, will just serve to add to our current economic trouble.

From the article I linked earlier;

The United States is the only country in the world with potential major offshore oil resources that is not actively exploiting them. The Obama administration has decided that it is better for Cuba to bring in China, Russia, and Venezuela to drill a few miles off the Florida Keys than to allow American companies to drill in American waters.

While creating green energy jobs requires taxpayer subsidies and government mandates, producing more oil in federal offshore areas would create hundreds of thousands of high-paying jobs while producing hundreds of billions of dollars to the federal treasury in royalty and auction payments.

[Iron River]

OK, tell me what makes you say that. You could elaborate on how you think this moratorium hurts the economy or the environment

Let’s start with Mother Earth? A few years back I went down to Peru to run a special drill bit that my brother and I had designed and built for a friend that was drilling oil wells for the Peruvian government. Being a lover of the Earth and her creatures I was pretty surprised to see that there were no environmental regulations at the well site. The local trash was in a giant pile outside of town like we did it back in the fifty’s. At the well the toxic drilling fluid was not isolated in an impermeable tank like we do it here; it was going on the ground and running down the side of the hill and by the time I left the mud was running across the beach into the Pacific Ocean. Have you ever seen a picture of the pollution in China? They have gain areas that a totally dead zones where they have been bumping toxic chemicals. If we don’t drill the big oil reserves that we know are between Florida and Cuba China will drill them and deplete the whole zone and they will not care about spilling oil and nasty chemicals in the Gulf.

As for the economy; I guess you haven’t noticed that the price of gasoline has gone up $.10 per gallon in the last week. Oil is at $90 per barrel and still rising. The cost of fuel impacts every thing in our economy. This recession was triggered when the people on the edge had to decide whether to pay their house payments or buy fuel to get to work. Even without the housing crash the economy was taking a big hit as people stopped traveling. The airlines were hit hard and just about every thing that has to move to get to market went up in cost.

We need cheap fuel for every aspect of the American way of life. Half of the people that work in Austin Texas live in the country side. They drive to work and as yet there is no convenient way to use electric vehicles.

We also need the jobs as much as we need the oil. Berry is an idiot who doesn’t care about the American way of life. He hates it.

[Mike]

I guess you haven’t noticed that the price of gasoline has gone up $.10 per gallon in the last week. Oil is at $90 per barrel and still rising. ... We need cheap fuel for every aspect of the American way of life.

I've noticed the price of oil has gone up (and down) for the last 30 years. If and when British Petroleum (and other non-fully American oil companies) are allowed to drill in the Atlantic and Gulf areas doesn't mean the U.S. will have a cheap supply of oil. Even by 2030 offshore drilling wouldn't necessarily have a significant impact on oil prices because oil prices are determined on the global market. Disruptions to the global supply affect the price of every barrel of oil the U.S. purchases whether from Saudi Arabia or off the New Jersey Coast. You think the oil companies would sell to U.S. consumers at basement prices when the market dictates otherwise? Sorry, no. After all is said and done, it's not really about American way of life or independence, it's about business.

[Mike]

If we don’t drill the big oil reserves that we know are between Florida and Cuba China will drill them and deplete the whole zone and they will not care about spilling oil and nasty chemicals in the Gulf.

So, are you suggesting that when U.S. companies operate in countries with less stringent laws than those existing in the U.S. they take an American tradition of love for Mother Earth with them? And, likewise you're saying that Cuba and China are going to bring their disdain for Mother Earth to drill in U.S. waters? (I just want to be clear on what you're saying.)

[jazzmo413]

What about the impact on jobs when another spill occurs. Thousands and thousands of jobs were lost in the Gulf and people are still struggling to get their businesses back in business, and the enviroment was impacted immensely. I agree with Mike, it is all about big business.

[jazzmo413]

First off, the economy has recovered some. You know it will take some time to get on track again.Geez, we went right down a black hole. Can't recover overnight or even a couple years. It will take a long time to recover and we will. Even if Obama gets re-elected we wont' recover completely in four years. Just read that the banking execs are again getting a raise. Here lies most of the problems. Wall Street and the big investment banks. Obama was right to put down some regulations. Everyone and everything needs to have regulations,so as not to run rampant with abuse.