Florida's US senators have vowed yet again to fend off attempts to drill off their state's coast. Towards that end republican Mel Martinez and democrat Bill Nelson have created a bill to keep rigs 260 miles from Florida's Tampa Bay and 150 miles from the northwestern section of the state known as the Panhandle. (This may come as something of a shock to Fidel Castro as his country's coastline lies just 90 miles south of Key West.) While environmental groups have predictably endorsed their plan, criticism of the proposed legislation is coming from all over, including from some fellow Floridians in the House of Representatives. Not that those worthies object to the proposal because they understand the nation must mine more of its own oil and gas, but only because they don't think the bill has a snowball's chance in Miami.
展开▼
