Weather | Sports | Forums | Comics | Classifieds | Calendar | Movies
A Times Editorial
President Bush is sending a message to his brother by the Interior Secretary's decision to drill for oil off the coast of Alabama, still off Florida's coast.
© St. Petersburg Times, published April 20, 2001
No one should be surprised that Interior Secretary Gale Norton, miscast as a steward of public lands and resources, would choose to drill for oil and gas off the Florida Gulf Coast. Since her controversial appointment, she hasn't seen a beautiful vista she doesn't want to drill, log or mine.
The only intrigue in Norton's decision to auction off 6-million acres of Gulf of Mexico seabed for oil and gas exploration is in the message President George W. Bush is sending to his brother, Gov. Jeb Bush. It is inconceivable that Norton would have acted without her boss' permission. During the campaign, President Bush said he opposed oil drilling off Florida's coasts, but he left himself some wiggle room. The lease area is technically off the Alabama coast, even though it comes within 30 miles of Perdido Key in the Panhandle and within 200 miles of Pinellas County beaches.
President Bush could reject or modify Norton's decision, giving a much-needed polishing to his brother's tarnished environmental record. But that would be hypocritical, considering the president's desire to plunder even the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for whatever oil it might contain. One can almost hear the argument from other states: If drilling isn't appropriate off Florida's shore, then why would it be safe in our coastal waters and wilderness areas?
The conflict was evident, as well, in Gov. Bush's effort to defend his brother's oil drilling initiatives while condemning the leases. In a letter to Norton, he praised her role in "designing a comprehensive national energy strategy," understandably mistaking her for the Energy Secretary. But, the governor added, Florida has opposed oil exploration within 100 miles of the coast. "My position has been that there should be no such activity in the entire Eastern Gulf," Gov. Bush wrote.
That would rule out large potential reserves of oil and natural gas, but it is the right decision. An oil spill could devastate Florida's beaches, tourism industry and fragile environment. Gov. Bush himself referred to the recent collapse of a drilling platform off Brazil's coast to illustrate the reality of the threat. Americans would be better served by an emphasis on conservation and alternative fuels before squeezing the last drop of oil out of our vanishing natural places.
Even if President Bush approves the eastern gulf leases, Congress could still prohibit the drilling, as it has done in other areas. Rep. C.W. Bill Young, the powerful Largo Republican and leader of the House Appropriations Committee, has supported a ban in the past, and he should be encouraged to do so again, if necessary.
Maybe the Bush brothers already have a scenario worked out that allows both to save face . . . and Florida's coastline. Or maybe, as Florida Democratic Chairman Bob Poe said: "We all know blood is thicker than water. Unfortunately, for Floridians, the Bush oil is thicker than blood."
If that's the case, the political waters for Gov. Bush's 2002 re-election bid will be roiled, and large amounts of oil aren't likely to calm them.