MSNBC reports:
In its first action to overturn Bush administration policies on energy, the Obama administration on Wednesday said it will cancel oil drilling leases on 100,000 acres near two national parks and other protected areas in Utah."I have directed (the department's) Bureau of Land Management not to accept the bids," Interior Secretary Ken Salazar told reporters.
The department will $6 million in bids on the contested parcels of land and will reassess the decision to open the lands to energy exploration, he said.
This means more people will lose their jobs and the price of oil and gas will go up. Another bad decision in a string of awful ones.
About The Author:Kim Priestap is a freelance writer, blogger extraordinaire, wife, and mom to three wild and wacky kids. In addition to blogging at Wizbang, she also writes at her personal political blog KimPriestap: No-nonsense conservative opinion.
You can follow Kim on Twitter at @KimPriestap.
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Comments (24)
All it would take to change... (Below threshold)1. Posted by Matt | February 4, 2009 3:59 PM | Score: 8 (8 votes cast)
All it would take to change the decision is for the oil companies to commit themselves to heavily supporting the democratic party and other liberal organizations.
1. Posted by Matt | February 4, 2009 3:59 PM |
Score: 8 (8 votes cast)
Posted on February 4, 2009 15:59
2. Posted by JLawson | February 4, 2009 4:11 PM | Score: 15 (15 votes cast)
"You can't solve the oil shortages by drilling - especially when we won't LET YOU DRILL!"
Well, hope and change and all that crap...
2. Posted by JLawson | February 4, 2009 4:11 PM |
Score: 15 (15 votes cast)
Posted on February 4, 2009 16:11
3. Posted by JLawson | February 4, 2009 4:38 PM | Score: 11 (11 votes cast)
Oh, I might also point out that a lease is something completely different from drilling - the oil company gets the lease, uses various techniques to determine whether there's exploitable oil, and then drills if they figure the reward is going to be worth the cost of drilling and the risk of a dry hole. If there's little chance of oil, the oil company lets the lease expire.
So - they aren't even going to let the oil companies LOOK for oil. Way to go! Let's keep shovelling out money to the ME!
3. Posted by JLawson | February 4, 2009 4:38 PM |
Score: 11 (11 votes cast)
Posted on February 4, 2009 16:38
4. Posted by hermie | February 4, 2009 4:40 PM | Score: 7 (7 votes cast)
Hey, he has to please Chavez and the Iranian Mullahs doesn't he?
Let's see...no drilling either on land or sea, no coal and yet he cranks up the WH furnace because he likes it just like Hawaii.
BTW...how the heck are we supposed to power all those electric vehicles the 'stimulus' package dictates, when we won't be able to provide power for our existing needs?
4. Posted by hermie | February 4, 2009 4:40 PM |
Score: 7 (7 votes cast)
Posted on February 4, 2009 16:40
5. Posted by kbiel![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://wizbangblog.com/nav-commenters.gif)
| February 4, 2009 4:43 PM | Score: 6 (6 votes cast)
Well I hope that if there is oil there, that some one is able to "drink their milkshake". Yes, it would have been nice for the federal government to make some money off of this, but let's face it, even if it did we wouldn't see one tax cut or see the money used efficiently. So screw'em. Let's see some slant drilling and drainage from privately owned land and create a few new millionaires along the way.
5. Posted by kbiel![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://wizbangblog.com/nav-commenters.gif)
| February 4, 2009 4:43 PM |
Score: 6 (6 votes cast)
Posted on February 4, 2009 16:43
6. Posted by P. Bunyan | February 4, 2009 4:44 PM | Score: 10 (10 votes cast)
Anyone one who didn't see this coming is as ignorant and uninformed as 99.5% of the people who voted for Obama, the man who promised that energy prices will "skyrocket" under his policies.
In the near future we will be looking back fondly at the good old days when gas prices were still under 5 bucks a gallon and unemployment was under 25%.
And the MSM will still blame Republicans.
6. Posted by P. Bunyan | February 4, 2009 4:44 PM |
Score: 10 (10 votes cast)
Posted on February 4, 2009 16:44
7. Posted by GarandFan | February 4, 2009 5:04 PM | Score: 6 (6 votes cast)
Well that explains why gas just went up 4 cents this morning. Two days ago it dropped by 2 cents.
Mr Hope and Change and the rest of the Democrats in Washington aren't going to wake up until reality walks up and kicks 'em right in the balls.
7. Posted by GarandFan | February 4, 2009 5:04 PM |
Score: 6 (6 votes cast)
Posted on February 4, 2009 17:04
8. Posted by JLawson | February 4, 2009 5:21 PM | Score: 9 (9 votes cast)
Problem with that, Garandfan, is that we're ALL gonna get that impact - and they'll be wearing a cup, nicely insulated from the results of their 'wonderful ideas' for the restof us.
8. Posted by JLawson | February 4, 2009 5:21 PM |
Score: 9 (9 votes cast)
Posted on February 4, 2009 17:21
9. Posted by Pretzel Logic | February 4, 2009 5:21 PM | Score: 6 (8 votes cast)
We're F*%@%d
9. Posted by Pretzel Logic | February 4, 2009 5:21 PM |
Score: 6 (8 votes cast)
Posted on February 4, 2009 17:21
10. Posted by Marc | February 4, 2009 5:37 PM | Score: 6 (8 votes cast)
"We will take time and a fresh look at these 77 parcels to see if they are appropriate for oil and gas development," Interior Secretary Ken Salazar told reporters.
Well duh!
And just who does this nitwit think will conduct this "fresh look" if the most qualified experts in the field have just been prohibited from determining whether or not the formally leased areas are worth exploring?
"QUICK someone get me a [non-tax paying]Fresh Oil Field Look Czar," said Barack Hussein Obama.
10. Posted by Marc | February 4, 2009 5:37 PM |
Score: 6 (8 votes cast)
Posted on February 4, 2009 17:37
11. Posted by WildWillie | February 4, 2009 5:51 PM | Score: 3 (5 votes cast)
Screw the people. Politics comes first. Barry, 2009. ww
11. Posted by WildWillie | February 4, 2009 5:51 PM |
Score: 3 (5 votes cast)
Posted on February 4, 2009 17:51
12. Posted by Jason | February 4, 2009 5:51 PM | Score: 2 (4 votes cast)
This is very irresponsible. We're committing suicide in this country every day will allow Obama to continue running the show. I'm not one to make extreme sugggestions (very often), but we need to impeach Obama, STAT.
http://www.rightklik.net/
12. Posted by Jason | February 4, 2009 5:51 PM |
Score: 2 (4 votes cast)
Posted on February 4, 2009 17:51
13. Posted by Marc | February 4, 2009 5:56 PM | Score: 0 (6 votes cast)
jason, there's no other way to put this.
Your a lunatic.
13. Posted by Marc | February 4, 2009 5:56 PM |
Score: 0 (6 votes cast)
Posted on February 4, 2009 17:56
14. Posted by Clay | February 4, 2009 6:32 PM | Score: 3 (3 votes cast)
What a shocker. I'm only amazed that there were intelligent people in this country who believed his rhetoric about caring for people and keeping jobs. Here's an interesting article about Obama's view on outsourcing American jobs...he's for it.
http://www.eetimes.com/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=213001145&cid=NL_eet
Get ready for the worst president ever.
14. Posted by Clay | February 4, 2009 6:32 PM |
Score: 3 (3 votes cast)
Posted on February 4, 2009 18:32
15. Posted by JLawson | February 4, 2009 6:57 PM | Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
Jason -
Much as we may disagree with what he's proposing, it's LEGAL for him to do this.
Not SMART, mind you, but LEGAL.
I think he's finding out that his fantasies of being King of the United States aren't exactly turning out how he expected.
15. Posted by JLawson | February 4, 2009 6:57 PM |
Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
Posted on February 4, 2009 18:57
16. Posted by bill-tb | February 4, 2009 7:04 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Buy electric cars ... hmmm
16. Posted by bill-tb | February 4, 2009 7:04 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on February 4, 2009 19:04
17. Posted by gracecurl![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://wizbangblog.com/nav-commenters.gif)
| February 4, 2009 8:10 PM | Score: -10 (10 votes cast)
Like I've said Wizbang= carbon paper+8 tracks.
You people are so far in the dark, so propagandized by oil company bullshit.
Maybe learn a little about the future of energy and quit being a dupe,a sap, a sucker.
17. Posted by gracecurl![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://wizbangblog.com/nav-commenters.gif)
| February 4, 2009 8:10 PM |
Score: -10 (10 votes cast)
Posted on February 4, 2009 20:10
18. Posted by Zelsdorf Ragshaft III | February 4, 2009 8:39 PM | Score: 4 (4 votes cast)
Grace, the sap was the individual who marked the ballot for Obama. They believed the lies he told. He is a communist who hates America. His first mentor (Frank Davis) was a communist, his grand parents were leftists, all of his associates are leftists of the radical kind. Saul Alinski was one of his heros and the fool believes in global warming. He is a one term President. Hopefully he will do less damage than that fool Carter.
18. Posted by Zelsdorf Ragshaft III | February 4, 2009 8:39 PM |
Score: 4 (4 votes cast)
Posted on February 4, 2009 20:39
19. Posted by Mac Lorry | February 4, 2009 9:12 PM | Score: 6 (6 votes cast)
Sounds like good advice; you should take it.
19. Posted by Mac Lorry | February 4, 2009 9:12 PM |
Score: 6 (6 votes cast)
Posted on February 4, 2009 21:12
20. Posted by JLawson | February 4, 2009 9:53 PM | Score: 4 (4 votes cast)
Gracecurl -
You seem very knowledgeable about the future of energy here in the US - what are your views?
Well, I say you seem knowledgeable, it's basically just a ploy to see what you think you know as compared to the reality of the situation facing us.
So what are your thoughts on it?
20. Posted by JLawson | February 4, 2009 9:53 PM |
Score: 4 (4 votes cast)
Posted on February 4, 2009 21:53
21. Posted by kazz | February 4, 2009 10:52 PM | Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
wow, I guess I never realized that creating even MORE unemployment could help the economy.
I'm so sick of this bs. We've got a long term ahead of us, kids. Obama hasn't even been in office a month yet, and he's already ruining peoples lives.
21. Posted by kazz | February 4, 2009 10:52 PM |
Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Posted on February 4, 2009 22:52
22. Posted by JB | February 5, 2009 2:50 AM | Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
I guess Drill Baby, Drill will come back big time in the 2010 campaign.
After all, oil prices can only go higher in the next 18 months.
Maybe then we can get more natural gas as well. It's an excellent source for electricity generation.
22. Posted by JB | February 5, 2009 2:50 AM |
Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Posted on February 5, 2009 02:50
23. Posted by JB | February 5, 2009 2:56 AM | Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
Gee, Grace we know what the "future" of energy is.
The problem is that "the future" isn't here yet. We need massive advancements in energy storage to buffer non-baseload sources, a smart grid to hook up to all those wind and solar farms for when they reach grid parity, and a charging infrastructure for vehicles to replace the current gas station infrastructure.
The problem is it would be nice if the country didn't sink into a depression while getting there.
We need oil, natural gas and coal NOW. Any radical shock like O is attempting could kill the patient before he is cured.
23. Posted by JB | February 5, 2009 2:56 AM |
Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
Posted on February 5, 2009 02:56
24. Posted by Dan | February 5, 2009 8:53 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
As a Canadian from Calgary, I am very happy about this. Obama will increase the price of oil, and bring more prosperity to Calgary.
I'm so glad we have a Conservative government up here!
24. Posted by Dan | February 5, 2009 8:53 AM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on February 5, 2009 08:53