Obama to offshore oil drill in on East Coast of US...is he a Republican or Democrat?

[woody60707]

I have a smoking habit, I smoke about 4 packs a day. Luckily, I am a tobacco farmer, and produce about one pack day, meaning I only have to buy 3 packs a day at a price.

While taking a stroll in my farm, I realize that I have enough space to produce an additional 1 cigarette per day.

While looking at this new space, I gaze out at the encroaching desert that will destroy my tobacco farm.

What should I do?

Why weren't you already using that soil??? Still haven't seen any facts on the dangers of offshore drilling. There are a lot of scare tactics being used, very republican of you guys.

 

[sourboy]

Sounds like a ploy to kill 2 birds with 1 stone: 1) alleviate fuel crisis, 2) gain a 'favor' from Republicans to be cashed in for a later pro-Democrat bill.

 

[Cutlass]

That was a ship not a pipe. How frequent are oil spills anyway?

But pipes fill ships. So it can be as much oil. And while serious spills may not be common, the effects are devastating. The reason that there was a ban on drilling in places in the first place was because the risk was too high. Drilling is safer now, but the risk still needs to be managed. And in the US, the oil companies are weak at controlling risk.

 

[Oerdin]

Honestly we should be drilling every where. It can be done without harming the environment as long as it is properly regulated with meaningful oversight and it creates a hell of a lot of jobs. I can't think of another field where it is very common for an 18 year old kid with only a high school diploma can still make $100,000 per year right out of high school but that's pretty much standard for rough necks. Further more each platform you build is like building a very large ship so it creates lots of high paying unionized jobs in the construction field as well as lots of jobs at steel mills and other suppliers. Then both the state and federal governments get automatic royalty checks for all the oil or gas recovered which helps to pay for the services we all want and need. It's a win all around.

I can remember touring one of the platforms off the coast at Santa Barbara, CA when I was taking a petroleum geology class and believe it or not the rigs act as artificial reefs attracting a heck of a lot of sea life plus with modern computer controls and triple redundant systems the platforms are very safe.

 

[bhsup]

Oh, I forgot about the union aspect of it. No wonder Obama did this. Now I am torn as to whether to support this or not!

 

[Karalysia]

My main problem with this is that he is going to allow private companies to profit from this. The oil belongs to the American people, and the revenue should go to benefit them. A government run oil company should be set up so the oil revenues can be used for the betterment of society.

 

[Oerdin]

Oh, I forgot about the union aspect of it. No wonder Obama did this. Now I am torn as to whether to support this or not!

Wow, you are a pretty partisan person. The guy does something good for the country which even Republicans advocate and you're still finding fault with him? Honestly, union jobs tend to be some of the best in the country making sure workers get a fair shake, yes, unions can cause problems but over all they can be an immensely positive thing. Just like oil drilling can be an immensely positive thing.

 

[Oerdin]

My main problem with this is that he is going to allow private companies to profit from this. The oil belongs to the American people, and the revenue should go to benefit them. A government run oil company should be set up so the oil revenues can be used for the betterment of society.

There are some very successful government run oil companies (SaudiAramCo, PetroBras, and PetroMex come to mind) which do bring a lot of money to the government though that also opens the door to a lot of corruption and misuse (think of Venezuela's state oil company and how Chavez has used and abused it) plus the state owned companies tend to not be industry leaders. If the state oil company was totally walled off from government to assure independence (like the Fed is) then it could work but given all the corruption in government you just know politicians of all stripes would be tempted by that much money. I'm not sure the risk of increased government corruption is worth the trade off of increased money going to the government even if it is used to buy services we really need.

A better option, in an ideal world, would be to simple write better contracts specifying royalty rates which go up or down with market prices and require companies to actually test drill all plots with in a certain amount of time or they lose their leases. That would insure the people get a larger cut if prices go up but if the market goes down then the royalty rate would also go down to keep drilling a market viable industry in the country. Critically, it would also solve the lease and hold problem where big companies buy up all the good areas but deliberately don't develop them until they need to because profits wise it is better to hold onto that until existing fields are deleted and prices rise. We do need a use it or lose it clause to prevent such artificial constriction of supply especially since there are lots of medium sized and even small companies which could be developing these fields (either alone or as a group) right now thus increasing supply and increasing government royalty income per year.

 

[bhsup]

Wow, you are a pretty partisan person. The guy does something good for the country which even Republicans advocate and you're still finding fault with him? Honestly, union jobs tend to be some of the best in the country making sure workers get a fair shake, yes, unions can cause problems but over all they can be an immensely positive thing. Just like oil drilling can be an immensely positive thing.

I was kidding I wholeheartedly endorse more oil drilling. We NEED more oil until alternative energy sources come online in four to five decades. Which, btw, I do wholeheartedly endorse massive R&D (led by private corps) into alternative energy as well. What I do not support at all is corn based ethanol. Actually, I long for the day of Mr Fusion on every car.

 

[GoodGame]

He has to be joking. I thought I voted for a Democrat not a Republican but I guess not.

His plan appears very moderate. I doubt there is anyone who values the nation having a stockpile of petroleum who would not endorse it.

 

[Cutlass]

From what I've heard of it, I wouldn't hold the Mexican national oil company up for much praise.