Administration Hopes To Boost Economy With Oil Sales

Given the serious nature of the BP Deepwater Horizon oil well tragedy in the Gulf of Mexico and subsequent environmental damage happening as a result of it, I was taken aback this morning to read of how there are efforts underway to increase oil production to benefit the struggling economy.

I was especially curious as to why this effort is even being considered, given how often we hear in the media about how detrimental oil is and how we must get off it altogether and move to “green energy.”

We hear how the Obama administration is further banning oil drilling, plunging hundreds of thousands more people out of work here in America in the midst of one of the worst economic recessions since the Great Depression.

An administration official said in regards to the effort, “The oil here belongs to the people and the international community is doing its part to help ensure that every citizen benefits from its vast potential.”

He went on to say, “the United States and its international partners were looking to use the expertise of giants in the oil industry to generate growth in the oil sector.”

What strikes me most when hearing of this effort is also reading Lawmakers Plead With Obama to Ease Drilling Ban, Warn of Economic Blow, where we read that Obama is defending his moratorium on expansion of oil drilling “as necessary to give officials time to figure out what went wrong before the Deepwater Horizon rig.”

Obama says, “Until that happens, it would be irresponsible of me to lift that moratorium.”

But, from the article mentioned above, U.S. Ambassador Christopher Hill lets us know that “The international community is committed to propping up the Iraqi oil sector for the benefit of its people.”

No doubt the Iraqi people have been adversely affected with 7 years of war and ongoing sabotage of their oil industry. But, why is it that we help bolster their oil sector while issuing moratoriums on our own and increasing the misery of our own people with ever increasing unemployment?

Surely oil wells and pipe lines being sabotaged in Iraq present their own environmental impact as well.

The UPI article says, “Oil officials emerged from December oil auctions saying they could rival Saudi Arabia in terms of oil production.”

Couldn’t the American economy benefit as well from such increased oil production in areas known to contain vast amounts of oil as well?

We have massive reserves of oil sitting underground within America’s shores and it just sits there, drilling it banned by the very government that sees bolstering Iraq’s economy with increased oil production as acceptable.

Instead, we are treated to heart wrenching photos of an oil soaked bird and calls for Get Off Of Oil vigils from leftist groups.

If so called “green energy” is supposed to be such a boost to our economy, as claimed by environmentalists, shouldn’t it also be of benefit to the Iraqi’s?

The American Petroleum Institute has listed some of the estimates of the negative impact banning off shore drilling will have on Gulf communities, already struggling as much of the rest of the country is.

But, Obama and administration officials are adamant about maintaining the moratorium on drilling American oil.

Yet, at the same time “is committed to propping up the Iraqi oil sector for the benefit of its people.”

As we often heard on the 1950’s I Love Lucy comedy show, Obama “has some ‘splainin’ to do.”