Perdue and offshore drilling

Now let me get this straight. Governor Bev Perdue supports offshore drilling even though:

• North Carolina’s coast is almost entirely dependent on tourism.
• Governor Perdue comes from New Bern, a coastal town.
• The Outer Banks make up a sensitive ecosystem which supports a huge variety of wildlife.
• Any oil spill would be devastating to our beaches, ruin tourism for years, and cost the state millions if not billions of dollars.
• The Gulf of Mexico will take years to recover from last year’s BP oil spill, if it ever does.
• North Carolina would not be entitled to royalties from any oil found more than 3 miles off the coast, the most likely location of any oil.
• There is no evidence that any significant oil deposits exist off North Carolina.
• The state’s own report states that drilling off North Carolina’s coast will have no effect on pump prices.

Hey, let’s gamble away our Outer Banks, out state’s biggest tourism attraction and the main economic engine for our folks Down East, for the dubious chance of finding oil! Sounds like a plan to me!

“We need an energy policy that creates jobs, lowers costs for businesses and generates revenue for our state,” Perdue said in a statement. “I expect the final report to provide sound advice on how North Carolina can move ahead responsibly in developing offshore energy resources.”

It might create a few jobs, but it won’t lower costs for businesses nor generate revenue for the state. Instead, it will likely wind up costing us dearly.

Honestly, Bev Perdue should know better.