It seems that Chairman Gov. Tim Kaine and his merry band of Democrat obstructionists in the General Assembly and on the campaign trail are quite content to not do a thing regarding energy production in Virginia and for the nation.
“A pattern seems to be emerging when it comes to developing America’s offshore resources – delay,” said Jack Gerard, president of the American Petroleum Institute. “We saw it earlier this month when Secretary Salazar extended by six months the comment period on the upcoming five-year plan for oil and natural gas development, and we’re seeing it now from Governor Kaine, who is asking for a postponement of an offshore Virginia lease sale, scheduled two years ago after extensive public comment and environmental review.”
And we saw it manifested a couple of weeks ago when Sen. Mary Margaret Whipple called Del. Chris Saxman’s bill to designate any potential revenue from off-shore drilling to transportation “premature” because the feds were going to delay a decision on determining what to do. With “His Excellency”, the governor, writing Secretary of Interior Salazar a letter that said, effectively, “Thanks, but no thanks” to drilling off-the-coast, it’s no wonder then that the Dems killed Saxman’s pretty cogent proposal.
“The Senate’s failure to act regarding any future distribution of off-shore drilling revenues demonstrates not only how out of touch the Senators have become with the will of the people they are supposed to represent, but it also demonstrates an alarming resistance to long-term planning for the Commonwealth,” wrote Saxman in an email to Bearing Drift. “Inaction is not an acceptable answer. Virginians, and indeed the majority of Americans are sick and tired of relying on foreign energy production, and they are demanding change to occur here at home. For the Commonwealth to not prepare itself for the potential of off-shore drilling is short-sighted and does a disservice to all Virginians.”
This is pretty much the sentiment of GOP gubernatorial candidate Bob McDonnell too. He called upon all his Democratic opponents last week to sign a letter to Secretary Salazar that repudiated Kaine’s request to “further delay the sale of a lease for exploration and development of energy resources” off the Virginia coast.
But Sen. Creigh Deeds, former Del. Brian Moran, and the former DNC Chairman Terry McAuliffe didn’t sign it, effectively advocating that millions of dollars and jobs for Virginia float away at ebb tide.
But Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling did join former AG McDonnell in trying to convince Secretary Salazar:
“While I respect Governor Kaine’s prerogative to request this delay, I did not want you to be under the impression that he speaks for all statewide elected officials in the Commonwealth. He does not,” wrote Bolling. “The development of our offshore energy resources could help Virginia address a number of critical challenges that exist across the Commonwealth, including our desperate need for improved transportation infrastructure.”
But delay and obstruction seem to be the order of the day from Virginia Democrats. Instead of moving forward on comprehensive energy solutions, which includes drilling over 50 miles from shore, in an environmentally safe manner, Democrats have turned their backs on Virginia families…but delay really isn’t an option.
“Our nation must deal now with its critical energy challenges,” said Gerard. “A full 70 percent of Virginians in a July poll supported increased offshore development. It is time to start listening to the wisdom of the American people and stop putting off until tomorrow what we should be doing today.”
Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like Democrats care to listen at all.
