Was the call for off-shore drilling just election year hype?

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terry

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Analysts have said for the last year that additional off-shore drilling would add only a tiny percentage to US production - and not for at least five years. Today, after the Republicans pushed through a removal of the Congressional ban, we get this statement from one of Bush's own departments:

"The government agency that regulates offshore drilling, the Mineral Management Service, says it needs until at least the middle of 2011 to conduct the necessary environmental reviews and public hearings before it can issue any permits in areas currently closed to drilling - which include almost every mile off the east and west coast."

So there will be no new leases until at least 2011, then the oil companies say it will take 'at least five years to investigate and develop new fields' - taking us to at least 216 before any oil makes it ashore.

So was the hype just a plan by Republicans to get more votes and a final means to give their Big Oil friends more control over the US natural resources before Bush leaves office?
 
The GOP wasn't pushing for a removal of the ban -- the ban is expiring in a few days, and the Democrats have been trying to keep some version of the ban in place.

And yes, it will take years to see the results, but that's not a reason to not do it. I mean, 15 years ago, the Democrats blocked drilling in ANWR saying that it would take 15 years to see results.

Kinda wish we had that extra supply now to drive down the price of oil, doncha?

We can't just look to tomorrow, we have to look to ALL of the tomorrows.
 
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