2011.03.01
Griffith wants more mining and drilling to tackle rising energy prices
Morgan Griffith
Rep. Morgan Griffith, R-Salem, issued the following statement today regarding the continued increase in oil and gas prices:
“From trucking to manufacturing, and from mining to local government, the negative effects of high energy prices are being felt across the board. In February alone, the price per gallon of unleaded gasoline rose by 12 cents. Last week, for the first time since October 2008, the price of crude oil hit $100 per barrel. With many families already struggling to make ends meet and millions of Americans out of work, rising fuel prices are only making things worse. The cost of heating homes and filling up our vehicles is straining the pocketbooks of families and businesses across the 9th District.
“Recent turmoil in the Middle East, especially Libya, only reinforces the importance of tapping into our domestic energy resources. I support an ‘all of the above’ energy policy. This nation has been blessed with an abundant supply of natural resources – including coal, oil and natural gas – but excessive government regulations and moratoriums are preventing us from developing these assets. Yesterday, the Obama Administration issued the first deepwater drilling permit since last year’s Deepwater Horizon explosion. While a step in the right direction, this action falls short and is long overdue.
“If we want to increase our energy security and create good paying jobs, the Obama Administration must now remove barriers to domestic production. No source of energy should be off the table. We must decrease our dependence on foreign resources, prevent energy prices from soaring, and give our economy a chance to grow.”
According to AAA, the average price for unleaded gasoline in Virginia is $3.26 per gallon; diesel comes in at $3.61 per gallon.
Cemetery Boy supports total elimination of funding for Clean Coal technology research, and virtually total elimination of solar and wind powered energy production. Does he really pine that much for a return to the Pittsburgh type air quality of the 1920′s?
None of this surprises me, as I said before the election he would whore himself out eagerly for these goals, all while turning away from much more palatable objectives that would accomplish the same objectives.
Comment by abdnva — March 1, 2011 @ 5:30 pm
From the article.
“No source of energy should be off the table.”
crabbie abbie “1.Cemetery Boy supports total elimination of funding for Clean Coal technology research.
What article are you reading? I don’t get how you come to your bizarre conclusion from Congressman Griffith’s press release.
Comment by Cold n P — March 1, 2011 @ 8:08 pm
If Rep. Griffith really wanted to do something about high energy prices, he and his fellow Republicans would pass legislation reigning in rampant Wall Street speculation. I won’t hold my breath.
Comment by Art Hill — March 1, 2011 @ 10:43 pm
It is sad when people believe their own talking points. This is such a non-solution. How many more beaches, wetlands, marshes and habitats do we have to ruin before someone has the decency to acknowledge that even if they could manage to get every drop of oil this nation has under it, it would not be enough to meet our needs? I could respect him and forgive his bogus election if he had the courage to represent ALL of his district and the best interests of this nation but he has no such intentions. He is yet another symptom of Conservative blinder ideology. The ability to recover is lengthened with every feel good set back that will come to nothing.
Drill baby drill and see if they have a brain between them.
Comment by Sandi Saunders — March 1, 2011 @ 11:15 pm
Great Morgan. Let’s just turn the companies like Massey and BP loose,
drop all pretense at regulating them and watch the oil spills,mining
disasters, stream and groundwater pollution, poisoning of fish and
wildlife, and destruction of air quality run rampant. Griffith is in
Congress now so he can afford to drink the Evian and Perrier that he would like for us to believe flows out like milk and honey as a byproduct of the coal mines. Give me a break!
Comment by dave — March 2, 2011 @ 1:38 am
coldplay, I know you’ve got your Cemetery Boy tat and all, that you always defend him to the end. I guess you choose to ignore his support of the proposed GOP version of the federal budget that does exactly the things I mentioned – wipe out funding for Clean Coal technology research, and virtually eliminate all funding for solar & wind powered energy production.
See, coldplay, solar & wind powered energy production would help transition natural gas production away from commercial & residential heating into fuel production for vehicles. Clean coal technology would allow us to harvest domestic resources for residential & commercial energy production.
But Cemetery Boy chooses to oppose those avenues by supporting the elimination of funding for them. Instead, Cemetery Boy wants to follow the retarded approach of the early 20th century, when everybody was okay with poisoning the environment, especially the water and air. Why does he whore himself out so quickly to those causes? I’d bet it’s because his party bosses told him to do so, since I’ve yet to see an original thought emanate from his mind. Well, except for the whole Cryptkeeper thing…
All Cemetery Boy discusses is more domestic drilling for oil & unfettered mountaintop removal of coal with zero regulations concerning the pollutants that result.
Comment by abdnva — March 2, 2011 @ 6:18 am
Crabbie Abbie. Please source your material and you might have more credibility. If you think you can just spout the DNC talking points of the day and expect me to buy into anything you say, well, you would be wrong.
Comment by Cold n P — March 2, 2011 @ 8:38 am
He drolls on and on about coal for now. However, when Salem and other parts of SWVA get pulled into his district, he’ll have to change his tune. Salem and Roanoke County don’t give a hoot about coal and coal jobs. He’ll have to choose whether to continue to pander to the coal industry or to other entities he’s surrounded by in his hometown. One region will not be represented well. The upcoming redistricting will demonstrate who the real losers were in November.
Comment by Rick — March 2, 2011 @ 9:31 am
Congressman Griffith is RIGHT…we do need to do more exploring for energy here in the US!
Why do we hobble ourselves with NO DRILLING policies while our enemies get stronger by exploring everywhere???
Just on looking at his policies, I would swear Obama either hate’s America or just wants to weaken us.
We need to stop listening to enviro-weenies and let them set energy policy.
Time to find energy IN AMERICA and create AMERICAN jobs, not Arab or Chinese jobs like US policy is currently doing…..
Comment by jbm — March 2, 2011 @ 11:16 am
coldplay, I know how you like to ignore any data that doesn’t fit your teabag agenda, but seriously, come on. It’s all from earlier posts on here – this very web site – that detailed how the GOP plan to eliminate so many items was the goose stepping orders for folks like Cemetery Boy.
As for ‘DNC agendas’? I couldn’t name a single one, as I wouldn’t even know where to find them, unlike you, who has his TV preset to FauxNews 18 hours a day.
I could tattoo it on your forehead, and you’d still deny it, so I’ll let you attempt to stretch your mind by skimming back to about two weeks ago on here. Yeah, I know you’ll refuse, because you always refuse to observe any truth that doesn’t match the teabag mantra.
Hey, stay the Cemetery Boy path, keep voting him in for the next few decades, and keep wondering why Pulaski sucks so bad. You can always do the teabag thing, and blame it on the Democrats, whether true or not, it doesn’t matter with you folks!
Comment by abdnva — March 2, 2011 @ 11:25 am
Rick, that’s when Cemetery Boy will start to recite the mantra his GOP bosses give him about the productivity of train supported freight. That’s when he’ll get involved in the Montgomery county debate about the intermodal facility, and he’ll be pressing for increased rail freight traffic. Oh, yeah, Cemetery Boy is a whore for his political contributors, all right. The funny thing is, he whores himself out way more than he even needs to. They’d support him even if he didn’t abandon every single principle he might have held, but he is ‘All In’.
Comment by abdnva — March 2, 2011 @ 11:29 am
How about they stop shipping all of our coal to China…now there is a thought. All those N & W trains you see piled full of coal…all going to China. Why not check out whose political interests are tied up in that venture? I think you will be surprised to know the majority of them are republicans.
Comment by belle — March 2, 2011 @ 1:46 pm
Some country (most likely China) is going to corner the world market for solar, wind, and other “green” technology that will replace oil after it either runs out or is no longer affordable. If Griffith has his way, the U.S. will not be competitive, so we’ll have to import everything we need to survive. We have the brainpower and more than enough willing workers, but no support from the GOP to prepare for the future…it’s all about making big bucks right now; to heck with tomorrow!
Comment by Say What? — March 2, 2011 @ 3:08 pm
Man, if we could just harness the gas bag known as crabbie abbie our energy problems would be solved. She blows enough hot air to supply half the 9th district every time she opens her mouth.
Comment by Cold n P — March 2, 2011 @ 11:24 pm
coldplay, are you too afraid to even address the real issue of energy production? You are so consumed with your idolatry of Cemetery Boy while your teabag party takes us right over the edge that it is pretty hilarious. Talk about how Cemetery Boy ignores solar & wind powered energy production. Talk about how Cemetery Boy fights against natural gas production as a fuel alternative.
Talk about any of the relevant topics that Cemetery Boy ignores as he goose steps to his masters’ wishes concerning energy.
Or… just doing what you’ve always done – parrot the teabag party line.
Comment by abdnva — March 3, 2011 @ 10:12 am