Another day, another delay.
The Department of Interior is on a bureaucratic quest to ignore the
public and stop any development of American energy. The latest example
is Interior Secretary Ken Salazar's announcement this week that the next offshore drilling program will not begin until 2012.
The decision, made without voter approval and against the wishes of a
clear majority of Americans, upends the existing lease plan that was
set to begin this year, a plan that was crafted directly in response to
public outcry in 2008 over record high gas prices.
Ironically, it was that very energy crisis that forced then-candidate Barack Obama's hand in August 2008 when, as he campaigned tirelessly for the presidency, he declared support for offshore drilling. The left may have protested, but the decision was the right one.
What a difference a year and a half makes.
Of course, broken promises are a recurring trend for President Obama. We remember his promise not to hire lobbyists and his promise to conduct open and transparent health care negotiations. The administration even made promises about openness and accountability in accepting and assessing public comments on offshore drilling.
Still more broken promises. Through a Freedom of Information Act request, American Solutions discovered that the Department of Interior is deliberately hiding something from the American people that we already know -- the public supports offshore drilling by a 2-1 margin.
If the president tells the American people in his State of the Union
address that he is ready to make "tough decisions" on offshore
drilling, then why is his administration delaying responsible American
energy development while lamenting publicly that the United States is
too dependent on foreign oil? Foot-dragging only makes Americans more
reliant on dictators like Hugo Chavez and Saudi kings for its energy.
Despite the rhetoric of support, this administration opposes offshore drilling. Consider the following:
- Within a month of taking office, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar delayed the offshore leasing process by extending the public comment period for an additional six months.
- Just days before he delayed the leasing process, Salazar also voided several existing onshore drilling leases in Utah delaying the development of American energy.
- Last September Salazar announced that he could delay offshore drilling until 2012, or longer, depending on Interior's own internal analysis, which is at his discretion.
- Days after the end of the public comment period, Interior promised that it would take "several weeks" to review and analyze the 530,000 comments received. That analysis was delayed, as there has been no public announcement from Interior.
- Earlier this year Salazar announced a new layer of bureaucratic regulations for energy companies, which will further delay any kind of responsible energy development.
- Last month Salazar announced that offshore drilling in Virginia could be delayed until at least 2012.
- Senate Democrats wrote to Salazar last month that his delays on offshore drilling were preventing economic recovery and job creation in Virginia.
- Through a FOIA request, American Solutions uncovered a deliberate delay within Interior regarding release of the breakdown of public comments on offshore leasing, which they have known since October were 2-1 in favor of drilling.
- And just recently, the Minerals Management Service, which oversees offshore drilling, told the Justice Department that it would miss its own deadline for a court-ordered environmental assessment of drilling in Alaska. Without that analysis, all further drilling will be delayed in the Bering, Beaufort, and Chukchi seas.
Delay, delay, delay. Apparently there is no need for "tough decisions" on offshore drilling, as President Obama claimed. The administration can simply delay the decision, ignoring a clear majority of Americans who support offshore drilling in the process.
A recent study shows that existing restrictions on oil and gas drilling in America will cost the American economy $2.36 trillion over the next twenty years. Another study shows that offshore drilling can create 1.2 million jobs per year.
Simply put, every day that the Obama administration delays American energy development is another day of delaying economic recovery.
It's time for the administration to listen to the American people and stop delaying offshore drilling.
This piece was originally published at the Fox Forum.
This sharade reenforces my belief that this administration is bent on bankrupting our Nation.
Delay-delay-delay fits right in...
America could supply the world with oil, and reduce our debt to zero!!!!!! All we need now is a president and a congress. too bad we lost ours!
Incredible! The current administration will stop at nothing to circumvent the will of the people and the procedures that are in place to serve the citizenry. What are we being set up for?
Why is the gov't so intent on spending our money through all these so called stimulus bills and taking over business, industries, and health care yet not take any action on letting us make more money by accessing our natural resources (which would create jobs and wealth) that will just go to waste if we don't use them? Why don't they listen to the people whom they are supposed to be serving, not bossing around?
The Obama administration represents the consummate politician; Looking after its’ own best interest and those who will further their cause. The special interests rule this Administration. This Administration doesn’t want “Energy Independence” or sustainable clean technologies-- they want “Cap & Trade.” Yet, “Cap & Trade” is not a solution to Global Warming, but a means to generate revenue for those who support their agenda. “Cap & Trade” is a false commodity, where the ones positioned to benefit-- profit by a policy, not a true product/commodity. The American people will be taken advantage of by this “Cap & Trade” policy-- that will fail to produce real solutions or jobs. I would rather have the T-Boone “Pickens Plan—“ that creates American jobs and produces products from our own natural gas reserves than give some corrupt organization “Cap & Trade” credits to sell to the highest bidder. Abraham Lincoln chose the same route, by choosing to buy inferior American made trains at the beginning of the Civil War instead of the more advance trains made in France. He determined that America would benefit by keeping the jobs at home, developing its’ industry and technology. By wars end, America had the best train system in the world! At very least, the “Pickens Plan” would produce a commodity we can all use… the “Drill Here, Drill Now” initiative would do the same. The reason this Administration is not funding these programs is because the special interest that control this Administration want “Cap & Trade” and a “New World Order” where America is no longer the hope to the world, or a world power.
My last statement may seem extreme, but just do the math… We represent 10% of the world’s population and yet consume 25% of the World’s energy production. How is this sustainable? What makes anyone think “Cap & Trade” is the solution? Good stewardship of our resources and self sustaining societies are the directions we should be pursuing-- not exploitive policies. “Drill Here, Drill Now” and the “Pickens Plan” are grass roots efforts to pursue viable solutions. The politicians in Washington and their special interest are blocking these efforts. The have not funded the “Pickens Plan” nor instituted the “Drill Here Drill Now” initiative because they are beholden to these special interest and not America’s interests, nor the will of the people. We are witnessing this with Health Care. It is not about doing the right thing, it’s about control… they can profit the most when they control the agenda… and our lives. They represent the 20th century mentality that has exploited the world’s resources for the benefit of a few. Do we want to continue, or be a part of this agenda? There are better solutions; I’ve seen the science and the technologies that offer real solutions. We need leadership who will institute these solutions. We must be proactive and take back our country and the hope America offers to the world…
C.L. Ross
This is old news. The DOI, DOT, DOE and the rest of the alphabet soup "establishment" have been ignoring us for decades. Broken promises on the part of the Obama Admin. is also old news - what else can we expect from the Chicago Machine? It should have been obvious when G.W. rescinded the Presidential ban on offshore drilling, Ms Pelosi declared it would have no effect on oil prices, and the next day oil dropped 10% that this was a good idea.
Where are the exploration companies that were saying they could have new oil flowing in less than 6 months? We need them to stand up, if they have not been destroyed by the Left, and get into play. Reference Sarah Palin's move in Alaska to create a public ownership rule for natural resources, cancel all the old leases that were being suppressed by Big Oil and issue new ones to firms that would get the job done.
This is another item we need to put in the forefront this November. This is the best shot (2010 election) we have had in a long time to "fix things" - I hope and pray we don't blow it again.
RE: Domestic Energy Development
Tell me something I don't already know!
Somebody with political knowledge - tell us how we can remove/terminate/recall/control-alt-delete politicians like Salazar.
Clearly Washington is NOT listening to America. It has its own agenda and the citizenry can go take a flying leap...
Allowing access to domestic oil and natural gas resources as part of a comprehensive energy strategy would significantly reduce U.S. reliance on imports, improve domestic energy security, diversify supply, increase economic development and generate local, state and federal revenue. We should support a national energy policy that provides a comprehensive, long-term solution to help the United States meet ongoing and future global energy challenges by ensuring proper development of all available energy resources, long-term price stability for consumers, enhanced national energy and economic security, and a consistent regulatory structure for industry.
They have accomplished negating this problem by focusing on healthcare. Keep the people busy on one thing and continue as usual on others. Until we get actual representation in DC this will continue unabated. This is another example of the arrogance that is unfortunately in charge for the time being. It's going to take a revolt at the polls in 2010 and 2012 to try and get back to some semblence of order. Hopefully we won't be tooo far gone by then.
Just another example of how the lack of leadership in Washington is crippling the country. As for broken promises, well, Diogenes was just seen leaving the White House, lantern in hand, still looking for an honest man.