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Politics : Formerly About Advanced Micro Devices -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Alighieri who wrote (577464)	7/22/2010 8:19:43 PM
From: tejek	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 1574685

Public support builds for Florida oil drilling ban Public support appears to be building for Gov. Charlie Crist's bid to ban oil drilling -- but the issue may be killed before coming to a vote. BY STEVE BOUSQUET AND MARY ELLEN KLAS Times/Herald Tallahassee Bureau TALLAHASSEE -- As Gov. Charlie Crist worked the phones Monday seeking legislative support for his proposed constitutional amendment to ban oil drilling, polls showed public favor for it may be rising. The four-day special session called by the governor begins at noon Tuesday and is expected to end a few brief hours later. But while the Republican-led Legislature prepared to squash the governor's plan and rob him of a victory he can use in his bid to win the U.S. Senate seat, they may take a political hit in the process. Protestors from oil-ravaged regions of the state are heading to the Capitol Tuesday and dozens of business owners, restaurant workers, defense industry contractors and hotel operators from Northwest Florida plan to sit in the House gallery as lawmakers reject the drilling ban. ``We want to make it clear that we are paying very close attention,'' warned Cathy Harrelson, a St. Petersburg environmental activist and one of the organizers behind a rally at the Capitol to support the constitutional ban. Eric Draper, of Audubon of Florida, said that legislators will be siding with the oil industry if they vote to keep the proposal away from voters. ``Put it on the ballot and let the voters vote.'' A Times/Herald review of campaign contributions to legislators and their political committees shows that between Jan. 1, 2009 and March 31, 2010, lawmakers received $278,452 from the oil and gas industry and their affiliated companies, including nearly $185,800 to the Republican Party of Florida and $77,000 to the Florida Democratic Party. The review of contributions did not include any of the funds received by lawmakers since the oil spill, or since Crist endorsed a drilling ban. Those contributions must be reported by July 23. Republican lawmakers say Crist is trying to score political points with independent and Democratic voters in his non-partisan bid to be Florida's next U.S. senator. ``It seems the only one really engaged in a special session right now is Charlie Crist,'' said Eric Fresen, a Miami Republican. He e-mailed supporters seeking feedback on the session and heard from only a few on the oil issue. ``Most of the feedback is job-related.'' But according to recent public opinion polls, Crist appears more in line with the public than legislators. A poll released Monday by Progress Florida, a liberal group supporting the oil ban, showed that 71 percent of Florida voters want the chance to vote on the issue and 50 percent of those surveyed oppose drilling within 10 miles of Floridas coast. The poll of 1,143 registered voters was conducted July 15-17 by Washington-based ISSI with a 2.8 percent margin of error. It reflects a dramatic shift from other surveys conducted before the April 20 explosion on the Deepwater Horizon rig that indicated strong support for more oil exploration. A Quinnipiac University poll found that on April 19, 66 percent of Floridians surveyed supported more offshore oil drilling in coastal waters. But a June 9 poll by the university found those numbers had reversed with only 42 percent support. Crist says he's being punished solely because of his decision to ``check out'' and renounce his Republican Party affiliation. ``You ought to give people the right to have their say. How can anyone say to them that we don't trust you to vote on this?'' Crist told the Times/Herald. Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink, the presumptive Democratic candidate for governor, scheduled a meeting Tuesday with Panhandle property appraisers and businesses demanding that lawmakers amend the session agenda to offer economic relief to Northwest Florida businesses crippled by the oil disaster. ``Those people ought to get their little heinies out there and talk to those small business people who are one step closer to bankruptcy every day,'' she told The Associated Press. There are more than 30 bills filed in addition to Crist's proposed drilling and House leaders say none of them are expected to get a hearing. The Senate scheduled a meeting of its select committee on the state's economy for Wednesday to continue a broader discussion of how to help the Panhandle cope with the effects of the Deepwater Horizon disaster. Rep. Adam Hasner of Delray Beach, the House Republican leader, said lawmakers will use their brief session to ``lay out a road map for tackling the serious issues'' regarding economic relief and streamlining the claims recovery process. People are hurting, he said. ``Unfortunately, the governor is making this about politics and photo-ops.'' Crist's proposal has more of a chance of getting a hearing in the Senate, where President Jeff Atwater plans to convene a meeting of the Select Committee on Florida's Economy. But the Senate's willingness to bring the proposal to the floor is threatened by the possibility that the House may send its members home without a vote. That would be ``immature and irresponsible,'' said Sen. Mike Fasano, R-New Port Richey and a Crist ally. ``... If they just ignore the special session, that's a slap in the face to every voter in their respective districts.'' Staff writers John Frank, Lee Logan and Cristina Silva contributed to this report. miamiherald.com