Florida Governor Calls for Legislature for Oil Drill Ban

July 13, 2010 - PRLog -- In the advent of the US's biggest environmental crisis ever, the BP Gulf of Mexico Deepwater crisis, Florida's Governor  has called a special session of the state legislature, in the hope of implementing a constitutional ban on the offshore drilling of oil in Florida waters. While offshore drilling is currently banned by Florida statute, legislative action could quickly turn it, a constitutional ban would require voter approval before being reversed.

The session has been arranged for July 20th, running until July the 23rd, and it seems Crist may will be having to convert many legislative leaders. While those on the panhandle, who have had their beaches and tourist industry strongly affected by the incoming oil, but legislative leaders in unaffected areas are resisting this amendment. The amendment would require 60 per cent of voter approval to be passed in November.

Crist's proposals are splitting political pundits down the middle, so easy to split, left and right. Crist has the general support of the left, who back his plight to preserve the environment, but more so Florida's tourist industry, while the right wing are preserving the rite to make money with abandon for concern about the planet.

Many have criticised Crist's plan as reactionary politics and knee jerkery towards concerns heavily on the US public's mind. That it impinges on Florida's chances to make money in the future, as a cheap technique to attract more voters.

Yet Crist announced in an interview with Shepherd Smith on Fox News's Studio B, that Florida's tourist industry will be seriously damaged if this measure is not put in to place. So Crist's dilemma is this: which is more valuable, the Oil or Florida's tourist industry?

The tourism industry in Florida attracts around 80 million visitors a year who spend over $80 billion dollars, and providing over a million jobs for Florida residents. As the situation has gradually exacerbated in the Gulf of Mexico, consistently spilling out 2 million gallons of oil a day, the Tourist industries of areas on Gulf coastline have suffered empty summers as visitors refuse to book holidays with tar ball beaches. This has resulted in losses for all factions of the tourism in Florida, locations across Florida's beach-laden panhandle have all felt the squeeze, vacation rental property owners in Destin have found their properties unoccupied, leaving many struggling to pay bills and mortgages. In a local capacity Crist's proposed amendments preserve these peoples' livelihoods, and prevents the Tourist Industry from finding itself in the same position, years later.

The beaches found with Destin vacation rentals and across the panhandle represent Florida's greatest natural resource, bringing in more money than oil from offshore drilling, and doing so consistently. So the proposed legislation serves to protect this sustained gratification, rather than squandering it on instant gratification. In a dollars and cents manner, it seems to preserve what is most important to Florida's economy, sustaining local business and employment, ensuring holiday homeowners are safe from potential crises. While the plan is described as short sighted, it is very much Florida's future it has in mind, it's economic lynch pin being guarded. Yet as the desire, the 'need' for oil grows and grows this type of action will always prove controversial.

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