Another Reason For Not Drilling in Alaska

A White House spokesman confirmed on Saturday that President Bush is deciding whether to lift a ban on oil and gas drilling in federal waters off Alaska's Bristol Bay. The Bay is home to endangered whales and sea lions, and to the world's largest sockeye salmon run. Leases for drilling were canceled in 1989 after the Exxon Valdez oil spill.

Of course, protecting the environment is a good reason for not drilling for oil in Alaska. However, as our President rushes to pay back some of his biggest supporters, the oil companies, he forgets what he claims to be his strength: national security. Once our nation's domestic oil and natural gas reserves are gone, they will be gone for good, and we will be that much more dependent on foreign oil. And how much oil is there in Bristol Bay? Only enough to replace what the United States imports in 16 DAYS! Yes, our dear President is willing to trade away a finite national resource to pay back his oil buddies, and the net benefit will be delaying our importation of oil for just over two weeks.

So come on, any true conservatives out there. Talk some sense into that President of yours. The oil and gas reserves are like money in a bank account with an interest rate that will just keep getting higher, except it's money that can't be replaced once it's withdrawn. Feeding SUVs today for 16 days is not a justification for trading away our future economic independence. So even if you could not care less about whales, please do something to protect our nation's security.