http://www2.highlandstoday.com/content/2010/jul/18/la-lets-step-back-and-pass-good-laws-about-offshor/

Highlands Today
Published: July 18, 2010

Drilling for offshore oil is a touchy subject these days, and rightfully so. The thought of more drilling and possibly more accidents makes most of us ill, considering the damage already done by BP’s recent spill in the Gulf. But we should hold off before making decisions about more drilling until everyone’s thinking rationally. This is important, and we must think it through.

Gov. Charlie Crist is calling a special session of the Florida Legislature to discuss banning offshore oil drilling in Florida’s waters. He wants a Florida constitutional amendment to make sure the Legislature doesn’t mess with the law once it’s in place.
We don’t necessarily disagree with Crist’s idea on this. We are as horrified as anyone about the disaster that’s happened in the Gulf and it is fouling our beaches and killing business and the environment. If passing a constitutional amendment fixes that, we’re all for it.

Truth is, though, the BP spill wasn’t in Florida waters. Other big offshore rigs are nowhere near us, but if they spill, it likely will affect us as much as anyone. And if we ban drilling in offshore waters, just one foot past these forbidden zones could be oil wells.
The bottom line is let’s try to calm ourselves a bit before making nearly permanent decisions. We must consider everything, and make sure decisions we make now in anger are really the right decisions for Florida.

Perhaps they are the perfect solution. And maybe with Crist in office for a few months more, this is the absolute best time to do this. But we must make decisions like this with a clear mind and considering every possible ramification. If we don’t, we might be making a bad decision while trying to fix a bad situation.

Special thanks to Richard Charter