Drill, baby, drill: atlantic edition - fitsnews

BIG PUSH FOR OFFSHORE DRILLING COULD MEAN BIG BUCKS FOR SOUTH CAROLINA || By FITSNEWS ||  Offshore oil rigs could be coming soon to the South Carolina coastline – assuming the U.S.

Department of the Interior’s upcoming “five-year plan” for drilling leases is authorized.  The agency’s proposed plan – released last week – would allow limited offshore drilling from

Virginia to the Georgia/ Florida state line. Of course it would simultaneously exempt 12 million acres in Alaska from drilling – part of U.S. president BARACK OBAMA‘s apparent effort to

appease both the business _and_ environmental lobbies in Washington, D.C. U.S. Rep. JEFF DUNCAN is leading the push for expanded offshore drilling, which he claims “could mean billions of

dollars in economic activity and revenue for South Carolina.” “North America is poised to become the world’s leading source of energy production, and by producing energy in the Atlantic we

can strengthen America’s energy security and lessen our dependence on Middle Eastern sources of oil,” Duncan said. “Prosperity shouldn’t be a partisan issue, and I hope that the Obama

Administration will continue to heed the wishes of the citizens of South Carolina and fully open up these areas for energy production and exploration.” We agree … Unfortunately, offshore

drilling faces opposition from radical environmentalists in the Palmetto State, most notably Conservation Voters of S.C. leader ANN TIMBERLAKE. “Drilling is simply not worth the risk to our

coastal communities like Georgetown, Charleston and Beaufort,” Timberlake told _The Greenville News_ this week. Really? Where is Timberlake’s math on that claim?  Because last time we

checked, the state’s economy stood to reap an estimated $3 billion a year from the industry – of which roughly $850 million would flow into state coffers. In fact that’s the deal Duncan is

reportedly working on right now … What math does Timberlake have to counter that? _(Crickets)._ This website has a very simple energy policy: We support w_hatever keeps the lights on at the

lowest possible price for consumers._ If expanded offshore drilling helps to do that, then in the words of our good friend RICK MANNING at Americans for Limited Government – “Drill, Baby.

Drill.” ***