Over two hours Wednesday, the question of allowing oil and natural gas drilling off the Florida coast will get a more honest debate than the issue got last spring over several days in the Legislature. With two weeks left in the session, supporters sought to rush through Tallahassee a fundamental change to this state by abolishing the ban on drilling in Florida waters - up to about 10 miles offshore. The drive, led by two dozen lobbyists and flashing the usual impressive-sounding, bought-and-paid-for polls and studies, succeeded in the unquestioning House. The Senate refused to take up the issue, but everyone knew that it would be back next year. In June, Senate President Jeff Atwater, R-North Palm Beach, told the Forum Club of the Palm Beaches, "We need to have a much deeper, more thorough conversation on how far out and how thoughtful, careful and safe can we begin the research as to what's there and when and if we should go after it."
Supporters, though, didn't want a deep, thorough conversation six months ago, and there's no indication that they want one in 2010. Their simplistic argument remains that lousy economic times demand dumping outdated ideas like protection for the coastlines that drive the tourism industry - Florida's largest - and that it's patriotic to find more oil and natural gas here rather than pay countries that coddle terrorists. From 7 until 9 Wednesday night, however, the state can get more of a truly honest discussion. Florida State University and The Tallahassee Democrat have organized a forum that will include three supporters of drilling and three opponents. The public can submit questions in advance, and Internet users can watch at www.Tallahassee.com or wfsu.org.
Two of the three supporters are a lobbyist and an economist who are being paid to favor drilling. The third supporter is a petroleum consultant affiliated with a group whose Web site backs domestic drilling as a response to 9/11. Two of the opponents work for environmental groups. The third is a Pinellas County commissioner. The beaches in Pinellas, west of Tampa on the gulf coast, are key to the county's economy.
Floridians need lots of answers before any drilling vote, but we'd like the forum to focus on the biggest question: How much money and how many jobs could Florida reasonably expect from placing our coast at such risk? From Florida Energy Associates, the group leading the charge for drilling, the answers are roughly 20,000 jobs and $1.5 billion a year. Those numbers come from Hank Fishkind, an economic consultant who will be on the panel. A Leon County commissioner, writing in the St. Petersburg Times, is just one person who has done the research and concluded credibly that Dr. Fishkind's estimates are wildly exaggerated. Supporters also have claimed that the Legislature can require that any drilling money go only to education. Wrong. Money in the budget can go anywhere, as the Legislature has shown the last two years.
The more money involved, the less honest the debate. On drilling, Floridians should hold that thought between now and next spring. Original article at Palm Beach Post.
