Republican drilling proponent says proposed ban should wait
by Michael C. Bender | May 6th, 2010Republican state Rep. Seth McKeel doesn’t want anyone trying to score political points off the oil rig disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, and for good reason. Florida Democrats point out McKeel remaked in July about how odd it was that the state didn’t allow for the “safe” drilling.
“What we don’t allow for is the part that we know is safe,” McKeel says in the video above. “The production side of it. The extraction of the oil and natural gas.”
Democrats want Crist to call a special session to put a constitutional amendment on the November ballot that would ban near-shore drilling.
Here is McKeel’s response, which drew the rebuke from Dems:
“Right now it’s important that we focus on the disaster at hand and not be distracted by those looking to score political points off what may be an environmental and economic blow to our state. There will be plenty of time to address this issue when all the facts are in hand, but right now our focus must and should be on assisting the Floridians whose lives are going to be affected by this crisis.“Let’s not allow some partisan politicians and their pollsters looking to find a way to divide Floridians divert our attention from being united as a state in what we can do to prepare and appropriately deal with this crisis.”
Tags: oil spill
Where's the money? Use The Post's interactive database of who wants and who's getting federal dollars.
Use these interactive graphics to find and contact Palm Beach County and Treasure Coast legislators.
May 6th, 2010 at 4:43 pm
This is obviously a desperate attempt to distract people from the fact that his position on the issue is proved all the more irrational by this disaster.
May 6th, 2010 at 5:39 pm
DEMS do not have to try to score political points, almost all Dems have been opposed to Republican plans to drill in State and Federal Waters the whole time. Your greedy lack of foresight has caught up with all of you Republicans, and you should be rolled out onto our beaches and be tarred an feathered should the oil hit our shores. Our coastlines and state heritage needs to be protected to preserve our tourist economy and environment for future Floridians.
May 6th, 2010 at 6:23 pm
The sudden opposition of a Republican to drilling is indirectly proportional to the sum of the square of the amount of cash he/she receives from Big Oil.
May 7th, 2010 at 9:11 am
How about passing a renewable energy bill, you dolts. Set up Florida to use agriculture, biomass, biofuels and solar PV and thermal energy so that we dont need to keep burning fossil fuels.
Our Legislature is a bunch of idiots. Brazil, with their backwards government gets it right. Even China gets it.