Patterico's Pontifications

7/12/2010

Senator Landrieu Responds to New Moratorium

Filed under: Obama — DRJ @ 4:41 pm



[Guest post by DRJ]

Louisiana Democratic Senator Mary Landrieu responds to the Obama Administration’s new offshore drilling moratorium [emphasis in original]:

About an hour ago, Secretary Salazar announced ‘new deepwater drilling suspensions.’ Unfortunately, this new plan does not address many of the concerns expressed by the experts, the court system, and families and businesses along the Gulf Coast.

“I am particularly alarmed by the Department of the Interior’s continued insistence that allowing deepwater drilling to move forward ‘would pose a threat of serious, irreparable, or immediate harm or damage to the marine, coastal, and human environment.’ That claim contradicts testimony given by drilling experts and ignores the history of oil and gas operations in the Gulf.

“If this Commission and our nation are to learn the right lessons from the Deepwater Horizon tragedy, we must put this accident into perspective. According to the U.S. Department of the Interior, more than 42,000 wells have been drilled in the Gulf from 1947 to 2009, producing 16.5 billion barrels of oil. It is important to note that in the last 10 years, non-hurricane related spills only totaled about 7,000 barrels. Right now, this rouge well in the Gulf is gushing an entire decades’ worth of oil spills every six hours. While more effective regulations and greater transparency are a must, the record is clear that the Deepwater Horizon accident is the exception rather than the rule.

“As residents of this working coast, we want – as much as anyone – for this drilling to be safe for our people and our environment. But we also know full well what a prolonged suspension of deepwater drilling until November 30th will mean for hundreds of oil service companies, other small businesses, and families across the region. In today’s announcement, the Administration has left the door open to resume drilling operations sooner, but Gulf Coast businesses and investors still lack the certainty they need to move forward with future plans.

“Whether you call it a moratorium, a suspension, or a pause, the result will still be a substantial loss of jobs. Even the revised moratorium will force thousands of hard-working Louisianians and others along the Gulf Coast into the unemployment lines.

“I strongly urge this Commission to take the quick and decisive action to recommend immediately lifting the moratorium to save our businesses, our economy and our way of life.

“Secretary Salazar’s announcement today seems to indicate the new suspensions require the collection and analysis of key evidence before deepwater drilling can start again. The work of your Commission will be a critical element of that process, which means the Commission must complete its work in a more expedited manner.

“We know what these suspensions will do to Gulf Coast families and to our economy. Yet, it seems that the Administration has ignored this data and failed to conduct its own economic analysis.

“Please consider that idling the 33 deepwater rigs currently permitted to drill in the deepwater Gulf would immediately impact employment for as many as 46,000 crewmen, deck hands, engineers, welders, ROV operators, caterers, helicopter pilots, and others who operate and service these vessels.

“That is the equivalent of laying off every firefighter and police officer in Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi.

“According to the Gulf Economic Survival Team, the drilling suspension is expected to result in the loss of between 3,000 to 6,000 Louisiana jobs in the first two to three weeks; 10,000 jobs within a few months; and some 20,000 existing and potential new jobs if this Commission takes longer than six months to conduct your reviews and write your report. Keep in mind that those figures only describe the impacts to Louisiana – neighboring states will also be impacted.

“In addition, according to the Gulf Economic Survival Team, long-term job loss in Louisiana could reach 120,000 by 2014. I’d like to repeat that: 120,000 people out of work in Louisiana alone. That is not something we can survive or tolerate. We cannot simply close down the offshore oil and gas sector without devastating economic impacts.
***
“I urge this Commission to consider the economic damage and irreversible consequences of this deepwater moratorium on the Gulf Coast. We all want to find out how something so tragic could have happened. And, we all want to ensure nothing like this ever happens again. We just cannot afford to cripple the Gulf Coast region’s economy to do it.”

Landrieu to Obama and the MMS, the short version: Your lies will cripple the Gulf economy.

— DRJ

35 Responses to “Senator Landrieu Responds to New Moratorium”

  1. Obama to the Guld Coast in reply:

    FOAD crackers.

    redc1c4 (fb8750)

  2. Landrieu doesn’t get to have it both ways I don’t think.

    happyfeet (71f55e)

  3. Well it’s good to know the DC Dems are all about Jobs Jobs Jobs!

    elissa (f370de)

  4. redc1c4 – It’s spelled craKKKas, I believe.

    daleyrocks (1d0d98)

  5. I can’t help but think of the infamous NYT headline:

    FORD TO CITY: DROP DEAD

    Ford never said that; he just refused to bail out NYC. However, Obama does seem to have that posture. Regardless of the consequences to our economy, regardless of how many people are hurt, regardless of what the courts have ruled, he will pursue this policy. Those who want a healthy energy industry can just drop dead.

    Anon Y. Mous (5ac901)

  6. You don’t think Senator Landrieu is worried about her job.

    PatAZ (9d1bb3)

  7. Not NYT…Daily News!

    AD - RtR/OS! (809c7f)

  8. Maybe Mary should admit how proud she was to have voted for Obama. Did she really think he would be good for the people of LA?

    MU789 (aae7a9)

  9. I had an interesting exchange over at Real Clear Politics.

    The article is here.

    The exchange is here.


    sirkulat [Moderator] 2 days ago

    It’s useful when citing FDR recovery programs to highlight how they were more than jobs for jobs sake, though that was enough to earn widespread gratitude and political support. Those programs built a new economy based on universal electrification, water supply, containment and treatment, education and medical care facilities, roads and highways to deliver new services and access to restored scenic areas and national parks, new housing development patterns that would spur the construction industry as long as cheap oil remained available.

    During the 1980’s, the Reagan economy IMO was carried by Carter energy policy. Too soon did we abandon energy conservation efforts that 20 years later finally produced 60mpg hybrid vehicles and rooftop solar photovoltiac systems, a perfect technological match that will be left behind if car-related business interests continue the sales-generating practice of planned obsolescence.

    Hybrid vehicle longevity can be expected to average 50% more than standard drivetrains with less maintenance and repair. They have a predictably lower accident rate which among many safety features justifies a legislative mandate. Combined with rooftop solar photovoltiac system, households gain the means to survive grid failure emergencies and back-up power wherever needed. Also gained is the choice whether to drive or cut utility bills.

    We need to adopt a view of the future that employs technology to further energy conservation. The household that reduces routine trip distances enables development patterns that allows more trips to be made without having to drive; walking and bicycling become viable travel options, and mass transit more practical to arrange. These kinds of economies are more locally and regionally oriented than dependent upon the dictates of global corporate imperialists.

    PS: The ideal high-speed rail technology for US application is non-electrified Talgo-type trainsets. Electrification is at least 30% of the total cost for high-speed rail. The electricity is needed for light rail to solve our much worse inner-city traffic problems, rather than address the problems of air pollution, costs and inconveniences of luxury inter-city air travel. Stick that in your pipe and smoke it, corporate America.

    Reply

    MichaelKennedy [Moderator] 11 hours ago in reply to sirkulat

    Do you know where that electricity comes from ? Here is a clue; it is not from solar. PV panels are fine for home use but they do not supply the basic load of power. Spain proved that by going broke with subsidies. Everywhere else in the world is building coal fired plants. We have the worlds largest coal deposits. France built nuclear power plants in the 70s. Both these sources are barred to us by environmental politics. That will be the source of our decline unless we revolt and throw out the political left from power.

    This might help you understand.

    http://chicagoboyz.net/archives/14129.html

    Reply

    sirkulat [Moderator] 2 hours ago in reply to MichaelKennedy

    It’s doubtful I’ll read anything credible or learn anything useful from a hothead fanatic like you, pal. So, just don’t bother me.

    There you are. The classic left wing response to uncomfortable facts. “Inconvenient truth,” if you will.

    They think you can plug in an electric car with no thought of where the juice comes from. It’s just “there.”

    MIke K (0ef8c3)

  10. MMS and Obowma we don’t care, it’s the plan don’t you see?

    Destroy the USA oil industry. In the name of the global warming lies of course.

    bill-tb (541ea9)

  11. What a pathetic response he gave you, Mike K. He might as well cover his ears and say he can’t hear you — at least it would be honest.

    DRJ (d43dcd)

  12. Obama is destroying America because he is not an American.Barry bowed to the King of the House of Saud because that is who he works for.

    highpockets (fe389c)

  13. sirmeerkat not too
    bright so it make sense he not
    know source of power

    ColonelHaiku (9cf017)

  14. Interesting find, Mike K., among which I found this unicorn fart and fairy dust most amusing:

    Hybrid vehicle longevity can be expected to average 50% more than standard drivetrains with less maintenance and repair. They have a predictably lower accident rate which among many safety features justifies a legislative mandate. Combined with rooftop solar photovoltiac system, households gain the means to survive grid failure emergencies and back-up power wherever needed. Also gained is the choice whether to drive or cut utility bills.

    Pure hilarity. As noted by MichaelKennedy above.

    SPQR (26be8b)

  15. They think you can plug in an electric car with no thought of where the juice comes from. It’s just “there.”

    Priceless! The problem is they *don’t* want to understand nor be enlightened nor learn. Critical thinking? Not even on the radar. And here we are.

    Dana (1e5ad4)

  16. meerkat on drugs like
    nitwit congressman Jerry
    “the Hat” McNerdney

    ColonelHaiku (9cf017)

  17. AD – RtR/OS!: Right you are! I’m too used to using the NYT as a whipping boy.

    Anon Y. Mous (5ac901)

  18. #14 SPQR:

    Pure hilarity.

    I wish.

    That kind of stupid strikes me as dangerous.

    EW1(SG) (edc268)

  19. There is that, EW1(SG).

    SPQR (26be8b)

  20. She should start voting with the Republicans until something changes. Killing the Wall St bill would be a good start.

    Kevin Murphy (5ae73e)

  21. Well, you can’t charge your car overnight with solar, for fairly obvious reasons.

    But I know people who have installed solar for their homes and pay no electric bill. Was it economic? Depends on how you count and what you expect electric prices to do (clue: they aren’t going down).

    I don’t laugh at solar, I’ll probably install a system in the medium term. I DO laugh at bureaucrats who order up solar plants without knowing what they’re doing and end up wasting everyone’s time and money. But that doesn’t prove anything except that bureaucrats are idiots.

    Being an engineer, I tend to run the numbers rather than get all ideological on this stuff. It’s not hard. $100 for 240 months, adjust for present value and adjust the other way for the energy inflation factor and is the cost of a 3-4KW system that will zero out your bill too much, or not? Money has no ideology.

    Kevin Murphy (5ae73e)

  22. Landrieu to Obama and the MMS, the short version: Your lies will cripple the Gulf economy.

    …Landrieu could show her constituents she really cares by giving these oil workers a big chunk of that 300 million dollar kickback she got for her Health Care vote.

    Baxter Greene (af5030)

  23. Question to Sen. Landrieu: How’s that loyalty thing going with Obama? He got his Obamacare… and now your state gets the shaft. He couldn’t care less about you or your constituents. That’s the Chicago way: Arrogance, bullying, tone deaf.

    mbabbitt (424211)

  24. Wall Street Regulation…
    If Landrieu’s vote switches to against, that leaves Reid with only 59 to break a filibuster, as it seems he’s got Snowe and Brown…no word as yet on Collins…

    AD - RtR/OS! (809c7f)

  25. Obama figures he can energize his leftist anti-capitalist base with this, and the Gulf states were never going to go for him in 2012 no matter what, so let them suffer! And if America has to suffer, too, to improve his reelect numbers, well we deserve it!

    Adjoran (ec6a4b)

  26. I’m still hoping those small nuclear generators come into production.

    Every single time you watch a newscast about electric cars, at least locally, you get treated to a breathless “journalist” gushing over how it’s FREE!!!!! because they didn’t stop at a gas pump and how carbon neutral it is.

    Also, there were unicorns.

    Vivian Louise (eeeb3a)

  27. Landrieu, reminds of that character in the Stand, who’s hanging around with Randall Flagg, and too late realizes she’s lost her soul

    ian cormac (93d17d)

  28. “They have a predictably lower accident rate which among many safety features justifies a legislative mandate.”

    WTW?

    Someone might want to explain this to the Prius owner I saw on the 405 last week.

    The semi looked fine.

    Em (017d3c)

  29. Mike K – THanks for showing us that exchange. It caused my free-range mocha to squirt out my nose.

    JD (08bae5)

  30. Sure, it’s petty, but I’d like to know why the color of the well (“Right now, this rouge well in the Gulf is gushing. . .”) is such a big deal.

    (Rouge, rogue – what’s the difference, right?)

    Michigansahd (677aa8)

  31. Crocodile tears from Mawy from LA – save it for later, your constituents ain’t buying that act.

    Dmac (52f1e4)

  32. Well, well, well…another whore of the administration tries to pretend she cares while she has her nose so far up Obama’s butt she has lost depth perception.

    Guess what? WE DON’T CARE WHAT YOU SAY WITH YOUR LYING PIEHOLE, Landrieu. When it made a difference, this political whore sold us all out.

    Hoping we’ll forget, little dim? NEVER. WE WILL NEVER FORGET.

    Why believe a word that she says? She lies with every breath she takes while selling out the people to whom she OWES HER JOB. Coward and scum.

    And we see how effective our POTUS is with all that oil in the gulf stuff (day 92 is it?). WHAT A DOOFUS!

    We’re coming to clean it up in November. She is toast…..

    Charlotte (dad663)

  33. The fact is, when it comes right down to it, Sen Whore will continue to fall in lockstep right behind Barcky.

    JD (08bae5)

  34. No problem, we’ll just throw them onto unemployment and they’ll have to vote Democrat to stay afloat. It’s not too different than a protection racket run by the mafia. Shoot up the store (crush the job market), explain to the owner that he has a “security problem”, and extort votes from him in exchange for “protection”.

    Seriousy though, is there any problem that Democrats can’t fix with an enormously expensive, top-down, one-size-fits-all “solution”? A moratorium does nothing to help the environment, as whatever amount of oil we consume will have to be drilled for somewhere, sometime. Despite what they teach at the Obama School of Economics, demand will not decrease along with supply just because Democrats want it to. The oil we consume here will now need to be shipped across an ocean or two in rickety tankers, many of which will ,ironically, traverse the Gulf of Mexico. Our energy policy seems to assume that oil is an optional prong of our approach, as if we have the solution already and are just waiting for the right time to unleash it. Hey Dems, we love what you’re trying to do, we really do. We don’t love oil anymore than you do. In fact, the only difference between us is that we deal in grim realities while you deal in hope, change, wings, and prayers. Here’s an idea, instead of spending all your energy trying to determine how to fairly redistribute the fruits of other people’s innovations, try innovating yourselves!! Try creating value yourselves – you might be surprised how difficult it can be. It would be refreshing if one – just one – of your “solutions” didn’t in some way involve higher taxes or higher consumer prices for working people.

    stout77 (c2d8fe)

  35. nice web, creative researched post

    Gulf Jobs Vacancies (9720d7)


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