Chortling with glee, Bill Nelson is just so very proud of this bill.
http://www.theledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061210/NEWS/612100427/1039"This is a huge day for Floridians," Nelson said. "Not only were we able to get needed protections from drilling, we also got a major tax break for the state's residents."
And Landrieu got what she wanted for her state. It was such a lopsided vote...we were sold out again on the eve of a Democratic congress.
The clearest winner is Louisiana, which accomplished a long-sought goal of tying offshore drilling to expensive plans to restore the state's disappearing wetlands. The bill shares 37.5 percent of federal royalties from offshore leases with Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama based on proximity and using maps that favor the Pelican State. Sen. Mary Landrieu, a Louisiana Democrat who made revenue sharing her personal mission, said she didn't know what pleased her more: the prospect of being in the majority next year or winning the drilling deal.
"It's great victory," she said. "There is no economic future in the Gulf of Mexico, particularly in south Louisiana, without securing a permanent revenue stream dedicated to wetlands restoration."
EXPENSIVE BUFFER
The price of Florida's wide 15-year buffer zone was exclusion from the revenue sharing that will funnel billions, possible tens of billions, to Louisiana alone in coming decades.
This did not have to happen. It opens 8.3 million acres in the Gulf of Mexico beginning 125 miles south of Pensacola and 234 miles west of Tampa bay, a buffer that would last until 2022.
It passed so easily, just like there had never been any controversy. We got sold out on this so casually. "The 79-9 Senate vote at about 1:30 a.m. followed a similarly lopsided 367-45 decision in the House."
In another article Bill Nelson implied that he had to save the rest of the Gulf from Jeff Bingaman, another Democrat.
Bill Nelson and Mel Martinez seem determined to bring up drilling off Florida again.Something is wrong with this picture. We get the okay to drill off Florida just as the Democrats are taking over, and the vote is not even close. :shrug:
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