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Is Bobby Jindal Smoking Crack!?

Wants More Offshore Drilling In The Wake of Largest Oil Disaster (Possibly Ever)

Governor of Louisiana Piyush "Bobby" Jindal thinks it would be a good idea to continue deepwater offshore drilling.

This coming from a politician whose state has already reaped the misfortune of having thousands of barrels of oil saturate the waters in the state he governs.

His idea is totally ludicrous.   It's like hearing that an alligator wrestler wants to return to wrestling alligators after having his arm chewed off.  It's like surfers continuing to surf after a shark has beaten off one of their extremities.  (Albeit, people go back in the water. But the risk is great.)

Yet Jindal (a nemesis to Obama since before health care reform) sent a letter to the White House stating that the six month drilling moratorium imposed by President Obama is hurting his state economically.

What?   And the millions of gallons of oil spewing into our nations waterways haven't?

Hey Jindal!   In case you haven't noticed, this is what your state's waterways currently look like.
 

Why would you want to risk the chance of this happening again somewhere else?

If it's jobs he's worrying about, I hear BP is hiring people to help clean up the oily mess.

Jindal, whose birthday is coming up in a just a few days on June 12th, must have gotten the birthday party celebration started a bit early.  Because there is no way a person in their right mind could warrant, explain, or even entertain the idea of risking yet another disaster happening like that of the BP oil spill.

I'll side with the environmentalist who say Jindal's argument just doesn't make any sense.

Here's a copy of Jindal's letter written to President Obama and Secretary Ken Salazar.

Dear President Obama and Secretary Salazar:

I am writing to express my grave concerns regarding the severe economic impact of a six-month (or longer) suspension of activity  at 33 previously permitted deepwater drilling rigs in the Gulf of Mexico. including and in particular the 22 deepwater drilling rigs currently in operation off the Louisiana coast.

Already, Louisiana has suffered severe negative economic and ecological impacts from the BP oil spill. Our seafood industry is experiencing huge economic losses that have only been partially mitigated by a frustratingly slow and inadequate BP claims process.   Moreover, our precious wetlands are suffering incalculable, permanent damages, while our tourism industry faces escalating losses.

--- That in itself should be reason enough to warrant a moratorium.  But wait, there's more. ---

The Louisiana Department of Economic Development estimates that the active drilling suspension alone will result in a loss of 3,000 to 6,000 Louisiana jobs in the next 2-3 weeks and potentially over 10,000 Louisiana jobs within a few months.   If the suspension of active drilling activity continues for an extended period, LED estimates that our state risks losing more than 20,000 existing and potential new Louisiana jobs in the next 12-18 months.

Obviously these losses would  come on top of those already generated by the spill and its related effects. Moreover, the announced moratorium of deepwater drilling activity creates a significant risk that many of these driIling platforms would be relocated to other countries -- along with the hundreds of high paying jobs that they each create.

-- You mean as in outsourcing?  Like many of America's high tech customer support jobs were? --  

Additionally, I fully understand the need for strict oversight of deepwater drilling. However, I would ask that the federal government move quickly to ensure that all deepwater drilling is in proper compliance with federal regulation and is conducted safely so that energy production and more importantly, thousands of jobs are not in limbo.

Thank you in advance for your swift consideration of this request.


Sincerely,
Bobby Jindal
Governor


President Obama must be laughing his head off in the Oval Office at this ludicrous imitation of a concerned United States governor.

President Obama, has in fact, been doing some considering, however.  He sent a $69 million bill to BP (and other responsible parties) for response and recovery operations relating to the BP/Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, and will continue to bill BP regularly for all associated costs to ensure the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund is reimbursed on an ongoing basis.

How's that for consideration, Governor Jindal?

Related
Jindal Not Alone In His Thinking

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