| Many were surprised when Speaker-Designate Dean Cannon (R., Winter Park) proposed legislation to look at oil drilling in Florida, as the 2009 Session was winding down. It had the appearance of a clandestine move orchestrated by "big oil", but now that the sponsor has asked for public hearings around Florida, the tendency to is give Cannon the benefit of the doubt. But one cannot help but ask the question, why the move to oil drilling now? Some possible answers: 1. The anemic economy forces us to look at all options for relief, even something that has been sacrosanct. 2. The public is growing weary of "wars" in the Middle East (our current one is starting a new decade), which are, at least partially based on our need for oil. 3. The spike in gas prices during the 2008 campaign drew out many converts to switch on the issue, like Gov. Charlie Crist. More converts are expected with the next spike. 4. The introduction of alternatives to gasoline powered vehicles is real--from ethanol to hybrids, to power cells, the demand is off the charts. The Feds have put the 'pedal to the metal' on alternative subsidies. Arguably, the demand for oil will wane with the growth of alternatives, and perhaps the drill proponets know that--they see it as Now or Never. Keep in mind the lengthy time from concept to product--pro-drillers know that a political fight in 2010 is really looking at yield at least 10 years away. Will there still be the voracious appetite for oil then? Broke the code? |
