While many Americans believe our government form to be a Democracy, the proper definition of our government is a Constitutional Republic which is a form of a Representative Democracy. The details of the exact differences are unimportant for this post. My purpose was to ensure that folks aren’t confused that I’m confused about the whole Democracy/Representative/Republic issue as I get to this….
Amidst the clamor for lower gas prices from nearly all corners of America comes a Senator with a unique vision. Senator Robert Menendez from New Jersey has initiated a bill that would not only retain the off shore drilling moratorium but make it permanent so that we would never be able to drill off shore, anywhere, anytime. Menendez’s bill is named The COAST Act.
Menendez uses a number of worn, easily refuted and alarmist answers to why drilling is the wrong way to go.
SurveyUSA today released a poll surveying people from the area, about their willingness to drill off shore of New Jersey. It’s bad news for Senator Menendez.
Amongst the findings of the poll are:
- 66% of the respondents are ready to drill. Even 62% of Dems are ready to drill.
- People are realistic about the results, 60% say prices will not go down immediately but eventually
- About 17% of the respondents say they would never, ever drill under any circumstances (cue PT Barnum)
The Dems are digging themselves a big hole! Nancy, Harry and company have decided that the “Do Nothing Congress” was going to finish the session doing what they do best, nothing. That means that barring any Obama flipflop, nothing will be done to address the need for additional drilling prior to the November election. I know there are some people who vote party above all else but with poll after poll showing the fuel prices are one of the top two issues and the Dems unwilling to do anything to help and in fact, proposing legislation that would compound the problem, is it really possible that there are enough “party only” people that will vote to maintain and possibly expand a Dem Congress?
One of Menendez’s reasons for not drilling off the New Jersey coast was:
No state on the West Coast will ever allow drilling, and since the Gulf Coast is excluded from the plan, the GOP is banking on the East Coast for production.
Menendez put out his press release on June 18, 2008. Ten days prior, SurveyUSA released a poll showing that 59% Californian’s agree that drilling should be expanded off the coast of California.
Has “The Big One” hit? Isn’t California still a West Coast state?
As for the time machine….It’s Menendez and the rest of the Dems that are trying to use the time machine….to send us back to the 18th Century!