[spence]

Originally Posted by detbuch

Financial benefits is the point of drilling ANYWHERE. Alaskans are no different in that respect, nor should that motive be considered negative.

The Alaska State Constitution provides that the full time residents share in the oil revenues gained by the state, at times this has meant a $5,000 check to a typical family.

There is no other state in the Union that shares such an entitlement, and to think this wouldn't bias the citizens isn't being negative, it's just common sense.

The underwriting referred to in this thread was supposed to be about American jobs--financial benefits to Americans. And the financial benefits to those immediately involved in the drilling process, and delivery process, and refining process, and distribution process, and the use of the product, financially benefit the entire American economy.

You're also talking about underwriting corporate earnings.

Hell, if I didn't know better you seem to be advocating government stimulation of the private sector.

And wasn't that your point about drilling being accepted by various states--if the trade-off was worth it? That different states may or may not accept drilling if the financial benefit was worth the trade-off?

The point really was just that there are tradeoffs.

As far as legitimate environmental concerns, ALL drilling evokes "legitimate" environmental concerns. From what I've read, the Caribou don't have that much to fear from well done ANWR drilling. And if ethics and hypocrisy in our face to the world are a concern to you, I would think that the double standard of restricting drilling here because of the environment, while funding drilling elsewhere might well be looked at by the rest of the world as hypocritical.

There are various environmental reasons, but ANWR is a bit different in that it's one of the last places on earth with a perfectly balanced ecosystem. I would think that even with minimal disruption to the environment some would reasonably argue that the oil companies are not a natural part of that ecosystem and hence it would be spoiled to some degree.

This is a more unique example than most other environmental concerns which are founded on the possibility of an accident.

As for being hypocritical...is there concern that the drilling off of Brazil will cause great environmental harm?

-spence