Clean Energy Missing In Florida’s First District
Congressional primary elections are scheduled across Florida this Tuesday. In Florida’s 1st congressional district, however, there won’t be any primary election. That’s because no Republican has stepped forward to challenge incumbent Jeff Miller, and no politician has sought the Democratic Party nomination either.
That’s not to say that Miller doesn’t have any challengers. He has independent challengers, but none of them fall very far from Miller’s ideological shadow. Their positions on energy show the sad lack of choice facing 1st district voters this autumn. Jeff Miller favors, in spite of the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico this year, expanded offshore drilling. He calls expanding offshore drilling an “all of the above” strategy, but Miller won’t actually support all energy policies. He’s against climate legislation that would encourage the development of sustainable energy sources. Miller doesn’t support serious regulation of risky offshore drilling, and he doesn’t support efforts to end big subsidies for oil and coal companies.
That makes Jeff Miller a terrible choice for voters who are serious about energy reform. Miller’s independent challengers, John Krause, Joe Cantrell and Jim Bryan, won’t take a stand for clean energy either.
Explaining his position on energy, John Krause declares, “I believe in exploring for oil”. Jim Bryan and Joe Cantrell don’t mention the issues of energy or the environment at all.
Hi and thank you for pointing this out. I sent an email tour organization this morning to clarify something.
however we are currently faced with the oil and coal technology due to it is the most cost effective energy sources we have. We need to provide tax incentives not taxpayer dollars to private industry for research and development into the alternative fuels. It will grow the development and jobs at the same time. So research and development is a win win for the nation and moves us closer to getting free of foreign oil from nations that would rather destroy us. But then owning our economy from our dependency on their oil is destructive in nature of itself, do you agree? I hope this will clear the air for you all? Thank you
I have never been contacted by your organization for any of my positions on this energy issue. So May I submit my plan?
1. I have always supported alternative energy such as, nuclear, bio diesel, etc., I would much rather smell french fries than gas fumes,
I’m sorry to say, Mr. Krause, that your message does not at all “clear the air”. In fact, your support for expanding drilling for oil, which you do not retract, will pollute the air further, making our problems worse.
Adding a small drop of “alternative” to the toxic brew created by fossil fuels isn’t enough, Mr. Krause. We need bold leadership to take our nation away from last century’s dirty energy economy. You are using present conditions as an excuse to avoid creating a better future. We need better than that in the U.S. House of Representatives. Your pro-oil position is just more of the same.
Excuse me but I would like to hear how you propose a nation to shut down all drilling and simply start up something new when nothing is in place. So how would you do it? I am looking forward to hearing your immediate fix. This nation has 30% of its energy in the Gulf, so we completely shut it down then what? Shut all oil drilling down immediately and see what happens. I’m sorry but I am a victim of the economic impact from the oil spill as is everyone in the Gulf Coast area, and we all understand that we can not do what you want. Think of the job loss, further crushing our economy. I look forward to your answer. Thank you
PS, How about someone interviewing the candidates before you put stuff out there about them? That was irresponsible reporting. It sounds by the way you are going with this that you are possibly on a different agenda that may not be so good for our nation. Remember the whole world has to get of oil and drilling also for it to be truly effective. Great debate Thanks
Mr. Krause, you made a statement. We wrote that you made that statement. What on earth is irresponsible about that?
It seems to me that you’re rather uncomfortable with your position supporting the expansion of offshore drilling. I’m inferring that from the fact that you’re expressing indignation at That’s My Congress writing that you said what, in fact, you said. Am I wrong? Are you comfortable with increasing the number of offshore drilling platforms along America’s shores, in the wake of the Deepwater Horizon offshore drilling disaster?
Mr. Krause, I hope you realize that you’re making an unnecessarily absolute distinction between extremes. You’re suggesting that the only alternative to expanding offshore drilling is to “shut down all drilling”. That’s not the case because:
1. Not all drilling for oil is offshore.
2. Reducing the expansion of drilling is not the same shutting down drilling.
You stated, “I believe in exploring for oil.” Exploration is for the purpose of adding to the amount of drilling that’s going on – not maintaining current levels.
As for job loss, Mr. Krause, any jobs lost on additional offshore drilling rigs are made up for elsewhere in the United States, where energy production will take place instead, or at a higher profit as a result of the transition. Also, you ought to be aware that the oil spill itself resulted in the loss of 100,000 jobs that analysts say mostly won’t come back to the region. The drilling of new oil wells like the Deepwater Horizon, which you’ve suggested you support, puts jobs at risk in the fishing and tourism industry.
You’re valuing oil industry jobs over fishing and tourism jobs. Why?
no no no you took it wrong but, I am in favor of alternative energy, I think if third world countries have tougher regulation then we need tougher regulation also. But we can not just shut down a large sours of energy. We need to have a congress that will look into what happen to fix what went wrong not be bought off by BP. As for the statement I also said we need to have tough requirements and protect our beaches at the November forum in Destin. So yes I am angry over the oil spill but angrier that our leaders have not done more to protect us. Other then that, I enjoyed our conversation. I am for free enterprise less government fairtax term limits and other energy if we can get it up and running affordable to the people who ultimately pay for it all. Its easy to say lets do this and that but I still do not see your resolution about the crisis only your wanting to argue and tell me what I am thinking and saying..
call or email me some time when you want to answer the question, I have. Goodbye
Mr. Krause, I can see that you’re not willing to grapple with the substance on this issue. You once again conflate an end to the expansion of offshore drilling with a “shut down”, though the problem with confusing those two ideas is exactly what I had written about in response to your demand for an “answer”.
You asked for me to respond about jobs, and I did, and now you’re beating a hasty retreat. You’ve suggested that it’s irresponsible for us to write about the very words that you yourself have spoken.
If I were one of your constituents, I’d be quite reluctant to vote for you, because you give the impression of a politician who has already come to an ideologically-based conclusion, and is unprepared to consider information that doesn’t fit with that conclusion.
[...] U.S. Representative Jeff Miller wasn’t challenged from within his own party either. There are two independent candidates, John Krause and Joe Cantrell, but neither of them offers a strong ideological alternative to [...]
I moved to this area because I am active military and am exrtremely dissapointed there is no Democrat running for this seat. I believe at least one of the independent candidates claims to have been a lifelong Republican that will caucus with that party, so that is not really a good choice.
I can honestly say that I have not found one issue that I agree on with Rep Miller, so maybe a change would at least bring something. I will definately not vote for Miller who only spouts anti Obama/Pelosi rhetoric and doen’t have an original thought in his agenda.