From C.Hiaasen (miamiherald)............
The names of the ones with the power have been posted... lets get on them...
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Hands Across the Sand-Join us to stop near shore Oil Drilling In Florida Waters
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awesome.. picture...
Sign code violation.
Walking on the dunes violation.
Parking on the dunes violation.
Hating on Houston Oilers logo violation.
Bring purell to the hand holdathon.
Walking on the dunes violation.
Parking on the dunes violation.
Hating on Houston Oilers logo violation.
Bring purell to the hand holdathon.
From Miami Herald a couple of days ago.
Lawmakers' love affair with Big Oil - Columnists - MiamiHerald.com
The mystery group trying to repeal Florida's ban on offshore oil drilling is winning converts the old-fashioned way, deploying a battalion of lobbyists and throwing campaign money at state legislators.
Florida Energy Associates, which is basically a front for Big Oil, has already donated about $125,000 to the two major political parties. Nobody turned down a dime, even though the firm won't reveal which oil and gas companies it represents.
That's what makes our legislators so special. They happily sell out without even knowing who's buying them.
Florida Energy Associates has hired about three dozen big-name lobbyists to peddle the idea that drilling in the Gulf of Mexico is perfectly safe, and that it will bring jobs, prosperity and a $2.25 billion annual boost to the state budget.
That dollar prediction is pure fiction, exceeding by sevenfold the maximum yearly drilling revenues from Alabama and Texas combined. But wildcatters are nothing if not optimists.
If you happen to live near a coast, and the majority of Floridians do, the notion of erecting scores of gas and oil derricks in a prime hurricane pathway might seem reckless, especially after what happened to the shorelines of Louisiana and Mississippi when Katrina struck.
Florida Energy Associates wants to assure you that their members -- whoever they are -- would never do anything to foul the beaches, poison the marine life and scare off tourists.
In Tallahassee, the two biggest cheerleaders for offshore drilling are both Republicans. Mike Haridopolos of Indialantic is the future Senate president, and Dean Cannon of Winter Park is the future House speaker.
That's fabulous news for the oil companies, but there's more.
One of the lobbyists hired by Florida Energy Associates is Claudia Diaz de la Portilla, who's married to Senate Majority Leader Alex Diaz de la Portilla, a Miami Republican.
Last month, Alex was named chairman of the Senate's energy, environment and land-use committee, meaning he is positioned to influence any legislation that repeals or weakens the current ban on offshore drilling.
It's not just an inside joke. A senator who will play a key role in the outcome of the oil-exploration controversy is sleeping with a lobbyist for the oil companies.
In a place where ethics actually mattered, this would be denounced as a flagrant conflict of interest. Not in Florida.
Sen. Diaz de la Portilla says he won't recuse himself from the drilling issue because he's open-minded, and he doesn't always vote on the side of his wife's clients.
And while the income she's receiving from Florida Energy Associates presumably benefits the whole family, including her hubbie, we're being asked to believe it won't affect his stance in the drilling debate.:roll:
Maybe that's true, but the appearance sure looks bad.
Last spring, the GOP-controlled House voted largely along party lines to end the drilling ban. That bill would have empowered the governor and Cabinet to take bids from energy firms seeking to put drilling platforms as close as three miles from shore.
The measure died in the Senate, where some of the toughest opposition came from other Republicans who weren't swayed by the oil-and-gas lobby's late-session blitz.
Those lawmakers remain skeptical today, and stand as the main bulwark against opening up Florida's offshore waters to energy development. Sen. Durell Peaden of Crestview, who once worked for Texaco, told reporters: ``Once you ruin those beaches, they're ruined forever.''
In 2010, the biggest problem facing Big Oil in Tallahassee is Senate President Jeff Atwater, a Republican from North Palm Beach. He's been unmoved by recent polls -- some paid for by energy interests -- suggesting that Floridians are increasingly open to the prospect of offshore drilling.
Atwater says the subject isn't on the Senate agenda for next year's session, and he wants an independent analysis of the potential risks and benefits before moving ahead.
And while Atwater currently holds life-or-death power over most legislation, Big Oil can afford to be patient. Atwater is running for state chief financial officer, and in any event the senate presidency is slated to go to the pro-drilling Haridopolos in 2011.
When that happens, maybe the faces of Florida Energy Associates will finally peek out of the shadows. If the vote looks to be narrow, they can always pull the Diaz de la Portilla gambit.
Hire the spouses of reluctant legislators to do some one-on-one ``lobbying.''
Lawmakers' love affair with Big Oil - Columnists - MiamiHerald.com
The mystery group trying to repeal Florida's ban on offshore oil drilling is winning converts the old-fashioned way, deploying a battalion of lobbyists and throwing campaign money at state legislators.
Florida Energy Associates, which is basically a front for Big Oil, has already donated about $125,000 to the two major political parties. Nobody turned down a dime, even though the firm won't reveal which oil and gas companies it represents.
That's what makes our legislators so special. They happily sell out without even knowing who's buying them.
Florida Energy Associates has hired about three dozen big-name lobbyists to peddle the idea that drilling in the Gulf of Mexico is perfectly safe, and that it will bring jobs, prosperity and a $2.25 billion annual boost to the state budget.
That dollar prediction is pure fiction, exceeding by sevenfold the maximum yearly drilling revenues from Alabama and Texas combined. But wildcatters are nothing if not optimists.
If you happen to live near a coast, and the majority of Floridians do, the notion of erecting scores of gas and oil derricks in a prime hurricane pathway might seem reckless, especially after what happened to the shorelines of Louisiana and Mississippi when Katrina struck.
Florida Energy Associates wants to assure you that their members -- whoever they are -- would never do anything to foul the beaches, poison the marine life and scare off tourists.
In Tallahassee, the two biggest cheerleaders for offshore drilling are both Republicans. Mike Haridopolos of Indialantic is the future Senate president, and Dean Cannon of Winter Park is the future House speaker.
That's fabulous news for the oil companies, but there's more.
One of the lobbyists hired by Florida Energy Associates is Claudia Diaz de la Portilla, who's married to Senate Majority Leader Alex Diaz de la Portilla, a Miami Republican.
Last month, Alex was named chairman of the Senate's energy, environment and land-use committee, meaning he is positioned to influence any legislation that repeals or weakens the current ban on offshore drilling.
It's not just an inside joke. A senator who will play a key role in the outcome of the oil-exploration controversy is sleeping with a lobbyist for the oil companies.
In a place where ethics actually mattered, this would be denounced as a flagrant conflict of interest. Not in Florida.
Sen. Diaz de la Portilla says he won't recuse himself from the drilling issue because he's open-minded, and he doesn't always vote on the side of his wife's clients.
And while the income she's receiving from Florida Energy Associates presumably benefits the whole family, including her hubbie, we're being asked to believe it won't affect his stance in the drilling debate.:roll:
Maybe that's true, but the appearance sure looks bad.
Last spring, the GOP-controlled House voted largely along party lines to end the drilling ban. That bill would have empowered the governor and Cabinet to take bids from energy firms seeking to put drilling platforms as close as three miles from shore.
The measure died in the Senate, where some of the toughest opposition came from other Republicans who weren't swayed by the oil-and-gas lobby's late-session blitz.
Those lawmakers remain skeptical today, and stand as the main bulwark against opening up Florida's offshore waters to energy development. Sen. Durell Peaden of Crestview, who once worked for Texaco, told reporters: ``Once you ruin those beaches, they're ruined forever.''
In 2010, the biggest problem facing Big Oil in Tallahassee is Senate President Jeff Atwater, a Republican from North Palm Beach. He's been unmoved by recent polls -- some paid for by energy interests -- suggesting that Floridians are increasingly open to the prospect of offshore drilling.
Atwater says the subject isn't on the Senate agenda for next year's session, and he wants an independent analysis of the potential risks and benefits before moving ahead.
And while Atwater currently holds life-or-death power over most legislation, Big Oil can afford to be patient. Atwater is running for state chief financial officer, and in any event the senate presidency is slated to go to the pro-drilling Haridopolos in 2011.
When that happens, maybe the faces of Florida Energy Associates will finally peek out of the shadows. If the vote looks to be narrow, they can always pull the Diaz de la Portilla gambit.
Hire the spouses of reluctant legislators to do some one-on-one ``lobbying.''
I would like to issue a challenge to all those who are computer illiterate as I am.
The "talking telephone book" lists the numbers of all our House Representatives and Senators.
Please take a few minutes to call them and express your views on drilling of the Gulf Coast of Florida as I did today. If I had the numbers of those cited in the above articles, I would have called them as well.
I realize that some will say it will do no good but it certainly can do no harm.
Here are the numbers listed in our present directory:
House of Representatives:
District 1 Evers, Greg 983-5550
District 4 Sansom, Ray 833-3928
District 5 Drake, Brad 892-8431
District 7 Coley, Marti 718-0047
Senate:
District 2 Peaden,Durell Jr.689-0556
District 4 Gaetz, Don 897-5747
Go SoWal!!!
The "talking telephone book" lists the numbers of all our House Representatives and Senators.
Please take a few minutes to call them and express your views on drilling of the Gulf Coast of Florida as I did today. If I had the numbers of those cited in the above articles, I would have called them as well.
I realize that some will say it will do no good but it certainly can do no harm.
Here are the numbers listed in our present directory:
House of Representatives:
District 1 Evers, Greg 983-5550
District 4 Sansom, Ray 833-3928
District 5 Drake, Brad 892-8431
District 7 Coley, Marti 718-0047
Senate:
District 2 Peaden,Durell Jr.689-0556
District 4 Gaetz, Don 897-5747
Go SoWal!!!
DEAN CANNON
850-488-2742
407-623-5740
(407) 647-2501
Claudia Diaz de la Portilla
Mailing Address:
150 S Monroe St Ste 206
Tallahassee, FL 32301
Phone Number:
850/224-1002
Mike Haridopolos
District Office:
3270 Suntree Boulevard
Suite 122
Melbourne, FL 32940
(321) 752-3131
Tallahassee Office:
420 Senate Office Building
404 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1100
(850) 487-5056
Email:
haridopolos.mike.web@
flsenate.gov
Alex Diaz de la Portilla
District Office:
1481 NW 22nd Street
Miami, FL 33142-7741
(305) 643-7200
FAX (305) 643-7202
Tallahassee Office:
330 Senate Office Building
404 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1100
(850) 487-5109
850-488-2742
407-623-5740
(407) 647-2501
Claudia Diaz de la Portilla
Mailing Address:
150 S Monroe St Ste 206
Tallahassee, FL 32301
Phone Number:
850/224-1002
Mike Haridopolos
District Office:
3270 Suntree Boulevard
Suite 122
Melbourne, FL 32940
(321) 752-3131
Tallahassee Office:
420 Senate Office Building
404 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1100
(850) 487-5056
Email:
haridopolos.mike.web@
flsenate.gov
Alex Diaz de la Portilla
District Office:
1481 NW 22nd Street
Miami, FL 33142-7741
(305) 643-7200
FAX (305) 643-7202
Tallahassee Office:
330 Senate Office Building
404 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1100
(850) 487-5109
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Correct unless it is a privately owned lot and said owner allowed this or erected it themself.
It is nice to see that this community can jump to it at a moments notice for environmental purposes. I remember well the efforts we put out with the "Trust" working tirelessly to protect the State Forest lands from development, (I don't know we have won that one yet). I have a few contrary ideas on this one though. There is an amazing amount of misinformation that gets passed around as fact in this internet age, and often it gets so distorted that people act on it as if it were absolute fact. There are many facts regarding the effort to allow drilling in the offshore areas of Florida that are totally ignored and may cause us in rushing into erecting protests that are not pertinent.
Fact:
The targets for POTENTIAL drilling in the eastern Gulf of Mexico are the Jurassic Norphlet formation, 200 million year old sand dunes. This formation produces off Mobile Bay and is at a depth of over 25,000' there. These wells cost in the neighborhood of $100 million to drill. The projection of that trend eastward would put it over 60 miles out, undetectable from our beaches, and in a high temperature and pressure environment which in plain physics could only produce Gas.
Fact:
There is an enormous "Resource" play going on in the interior parts of the US that has unlocked an enormous amounts of natural gas previously thought to be unproducible. This gas is a clean burning fuel that hopefuly will displace some very expensive imported oil. Some estimates are in the order of 100 years of reserves at current rates of consumption, making the economics of drilling 5 miles down for gas very questionable.
Fact:
The moratorium on drilling in the eastern gulf has extended all the way to the Canadian border on the east coast. There is development of gas fields in the Areas of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. The US has no idea what we have out there as no remote sensing of geophysical surveys have been performed since 1975.
Fact:
Cuba is leasing blocks of its offshore to foreign governments to evaluate its northern coast. South Florida already has oil fields on the west coast in the "Sunniland Formation", a Cretaceous limestone about 100 million years old.. There is a very good chance that additional hydrocarbons could be found off the west coast of southern Florida.
I can't help but feel we are preaching from a fragile pulpit when you project images of oil spills and rigs in the surf, ignoring the excellent environmental record of the last two decades when we have tough environmental laws with sharp teeth, and the courage to enforce them. When the price of gasoline reaches $5 a gallon and the weekly visitors that support most of our economy do not appear who are we going to blame? The oil companies!
I am a Professional Geologist licensed in Florida having been in the area since 1980, I have worked in the Oil and Gas business as well as in the environmental side both as a volunteer and as a professional and have sat quietly for a long time here watching ignorance of coastal geological processes lead to "Beach Renourishment " insanity, and the building on top of primary dunes and then being surprised by erosion. It occurs to me this fanatical response to drilling offshore is not our immediate need in South Walton. The need of the panhandle region for a stable economy that can survive the ups and downs of the tourist industry and offer jobs more rewarding than cleaning houses and bussing tables to our youths and allow them to live here as professionals after graduation should be considered with attention to facts rather than fancies.
I really do not believe the offshore drilling effort would impact our area in any event, but we should be considering more than a new Publix as economic development!
Fact:
The targets for POTENTIAL drilling in the eastern Gulf of Mexico are the Jurassic Norphlet formation, 200 million year old sand dunes. This formation produces off Mobile Bay and is at a depth of over 25,000' there. These wells cost in the neighborhood of $100 million to drill. The projection of that trend eastward would put it over 60 miles out, undetectable from our beaches, and in a high temperature and pressure environment which in plain physics could only produce Gas.
Fact:
There is an enormous "Resource" play going on in the interior parts of the US that has unlocked an enormous amounts of natural gas previously thought to be unproducible. This gas is a clean burning fuel that hopefuly will displace some very expensive imported oil. Some estimates are in the order of 100 years of reserves at current rates of consumption, making the economics of drilling 5 miles down for gas very questionable.
Fact:
The moratorium on drilling in the eastern gulf has extended all the way to the Canadian border on the east coast. There is development of gas fields in the Areas of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. The US has no idea what we have out there as no remote sensing of geophysical surveys have been performed since 1975.
Fact:
Cuba is leasing blocks of its offshore to foreign governments to evaluate its northern coast. South Florida already has oil fields on the west coast in the "Sunniland Formation", a Cretaceous limestone about 100 million years old.. There is a very good chance that additional hydrocarbons could be found off the west coast of southern Florida.
I can't help but feel we are preaching from a fragile pulpit when you project images of oil spills and rigs in the surf, ignoring the excellent environmental record of the last two decades when we have tough environmental laws with sharp teeth, and the courage to enforce them. When the price of gasoline reaches $5 a gallon and the weekly visitors that support most of our economy do not appear who are we going to blame? The oil companies!
I am a Professional Geologist licensed in Florida having been in the area since 1980, I have worked in the Oil and Gas business as well as in the environmental side both as a volunteer and as a professional and have sat quietly for a long time here watching ignorance of coastal geological processes lead to "Beach Renourishment " insanity, and the building on top of primary dunes and then being surprised by erosion. It occurs to me this fanatical response to drilling offshore is not our immediate need in South Walton. The need of the panhandle region for a stable economy that can survive the ups and downs of the tourist industry and offer jobs more rewarding than cleaning houses and bussing tables to our youths and allow them to live here as professionals after graduation should be considered with attention to facts rather than fancies.
I really do not believe the offshore drilling effort would impact our area in any event, but we should be considering more than a new Publix as economic development!
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