Domenici to Nelson on drill'g:"We're going to pass it anyway, understand?"

[seafan]

The GOP overlords have spoken.


Senate deal would protect Florida's west coast from drilling -- but not east coast

By William E. Gibson
July 13, 2006


Sen. Pete Domenici, R-NM


Sen. Mel Martinez, R-FL

WASHINGTON · After months of contentious negotiations, Senate leaders announced a breakthrough agreement on Wednesday that would expand energy exploration in the Gulf of Mexico but create a 125-mile buffer against drilling along the west coast of Florida.
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It would not, however, extend the drilling ban to the Atlantic coast.
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"All this moaning, all this crying -- all gone," exulted Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., chairman of the Senate Energy Committee and Florida's foil during the negotiations.
"You've got great protection," he told Florida's senators. "And you can say that hundreds of miles away we are going to be producing natural gas and crude oil. Can't even see it. Won't even know it's there."

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Sen. Mel Martinez, R-Fla., struck the deal with Domenici and other Senate leaders -- a personal victory for a freshman senator who also played a key role in negotiations over a Senate immigration bill.

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But Rep. Robert Wexler, D-Boca Raton, strongly objected on Wednesday that it would fail to protect the east coast of Florida.
"What was Sen. Martinez thinking?" Wexler said. "The fact that he agreed to leave the Atlantic coast exposed is inexplicable. This is not just a debate about the west coast."
The debate has focused on the Gulf because that is where energy companies believe they can tap large amounts of natural gas by merely extending current pipelines and rigs. It would be far more expensive to drill in the deep waters off the east coast of Florida, where oil and gas does not appear so plentiful.
The Senate deal and the House bill would open up a portion of the Gulf known as Lease Sale 181 that is considered especially promising.

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"Senator," (Domenici) told Martinez, "when you go home you can tell that's enough to make sure that all the homes in Florida have natural gas for 10 years."

Brushing aside Nelson's remaining concerns, Domenici boasted that he has the votes. "We're going to pass it anyway, understand?"

Read: "And get out of our way, you sniveling little twit. We will take what we want, when we want."

[zonkers]

1. Florida is a treasure under constant attack. I have little faith it will

survive the developers, oil companies, tourists, and especially the mindset of its own citizens. VERY FEW FLORIDIANS GRASP THAT THEY MUST BE THE CARETAKERS OF A VERY WONDEROUS, PRECIOUS AND FRAGILE ENVIRONMENT, A WONDER OF THE WORLD THAT WILL SOON BE GONE AS WE KNOW IT. It is utterly irresponsible what is being done to it.

[skylarmae]

2. a treasure that bleeds our treasury every year becasue of the greed

of the developers of 'swamp land in Florida'. hurricane laden coastal lands.....Let the weather wipe florida off the map and put it back to its natural way, IMHO.

The state is out of control...who trained all the hijackers on 9/ll ?????? I've got real problems with BushcoFlorida...