DEMS OUTNUMBER REPUBLICANS SO FAR IN EARLY VOTING

By KEITH LAING, THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA

www.newsserviceflorida.com

THE CAPITAL, TALLAHASSEE, Oct. 28, 2008……An independent analysis of the two million votes already cast in Florida shows Democrats out-pacing Republicans so far in the race for the state’s 27 electoral votes.

The United States Election Project, operated by George Mason University professor Mike McDonald, shows that 44 percent of the 2,063,157 people in Florida who have already cast ballots either in-person or by mail are registered Democrats, while 40 percent are Republicans and 15 percent are independents.

So far, more than 1 million people have voted early in person at the 283 precincts open across the state, while another 1 million-plus have voted absentee. Early voting will continue through Nov. 2 and absentee ballots can be request until Oct. 29.

All told, the four-point Democratic advantage in early voting, which the party’s internal numbers also show, represents a clear reversal from the typical Republican early voting advantage in Florida. Democrats have amassed a wide 54-30 percent margin when it comes to in-person early voting, enough so far to overcome the traditional Republican advantage with mail-in absentee voting, much of which comes from military personnel. There, Republicans lead 50 percent to 35 percent.

McDonald said that Democratic advantage likely won’t be reversed.

“What’s happening in Florida is that early voting at polling places is coming in at a faster pace than absentee votes,” he said. “We can look at the (number) of ballots still out there and see that the Democratic advantage should persist.”

McDonald added that the Democratic advantage in Florida is also being seen in other states like Iowa and North Carolina, where Democrats hold 49-28 and 49-37 percent margins respectively. But the Election Project study found that in Colorado, where 80 percent of early voters so far have voted by mail, the Democratic early advantage was negligible. There, Democrats only lead Republicans by one percent in ballots cast so far.

McDonald cited the Florida numbers, as well as North Carolina and Iowa, as evidence that the much-ballyhooed turnout effort this year by Democrats might actually be as good as advertised.

“The Democrats seem to be really doing a good job with their ground game,” McDonald said. “It speaks to something about Barack Obama’s campaign.”

McDonald said that while the early voting in-person advantage for Democrats in Florida and elsewhere was impressive, it did not mean that the party should bank on winning the state’s 27 electoral votes just yet.

“Don’t count out the Republican campaign,” he said. “They (typically) concentrate on a 72-hour turnout campaign, so their get-out-the-vote will really kick into high gear over the weekend.”

McDonald said Democrats have seen early voting leads evaporate in the closing days of the election before. But banking votes now is a clear advantage for the party, he said.

“Every name that turns out to vote now is a name they can cross off their list, so they can concentrate their (late get-out-the-vote) efforts on people they believe to be supporters who have yet to vote,” McDonald said.

Democratic party spokesman Eric Jotkoff agreed the early voting turnout of Democratic voters did not mean the election had been won.

“While we are very encouraged by the turnout so far, we are continuing to make sure that our hundreds of thousands of volunteers across Florida are focused on turning out every eligible voter to vote for Barack Obama and Democrats up and down the ticket,” he said.

But Jotkoff said that the early voting Democrats have shown the enthusiasm gap that has favored the party throughout this long election cycle. In the party’s primaries this spring, about 37 million people voted nationally in the Democratic contest won by Obama, while 20 million cast ballots in the Republican contest won by John McCain, R-AZ. Of the 11.2 million Florida voters registered for the general election, nearly 660,000 more identified themselves as Democrats than called themselves Republicans.

“Clearly the record number of Floridians turning out to early vote shows that Floridians are excited to bring change to our state and nation by electing Barack Obama and other Democrats so we can rebuild our economy and get our nation back on track,” Jotkoff said.

With the large numbers of voters turning out at early voting sites, Gov. Charlie Crist on Tuesday extended the hours for early voting by executive order. Those sites will be open 12 hours a day the rest of the week instead of 8 hours a day, and 12 hours total over the weekend instead of 8 hours.

Republican Party of Florida spokeswoman Katie Gordon said the GOP was not worried that the Democratic early voting advantage would translate into a Florida win on Nov. 4. Gordon said the party wouldn’t release the numbers it has collected on the party affiliations of early voters, but believed its message would lure enough voters to the polls to win.

“We are confident in our strategy for winning Florida and in John McCain’s unique appeal to voters in this state,” she said. “Unlike Barack Obama, John McCain and Sarah Palin are committed to keeping taxes low for families and small businesses and do not believe that we should ’spread the wealth’ to solve our nation’s current economic crisis. On November 4, Floridians are going to vote for John McCain because he has demonstrated the experience and the leadership to bring real change to Washington.”

Gordon added that McCain would benefit from strong Florida surrogates like Gov. Charlie Crist and Sen. Mel Martinez, who are stumping hard for him in the state, hoping to counter Democratic heavyweights like former president Bill Clinton and Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-NY, who are both scheduled to campaign for Obama in Florida this week.

“Gov. Crist and Sen. Martinez are ramping up the campaign in Florida, grassroots is stronger than ever, and we are fighting for every vote,” Gordon said. “Republicans are out-spent, out-staffed, out-registered, and out-advertised in Florida, but Florida voters see through the Obama hype and embrace the McCain message of keeping more tax dollars in our pockets instead of taking more of Joe the Plumber’s hard earned money.”

–END–
10/28/2008

WEEKLY ROUNDUP – READY FOR OUR CLOSE-UP?

(Recap and analysis of the week in state government)

By KEITH LAING, THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA

www.newsserviceflorida.com

THE CAPITAL, TALLAHASSEE, Oct. 17, 2008…..Governor Charlie Crist has never been one to shy away from the camera. Some would argue the Gov is drawn to the bright lights and flashes like a moth to a flame.

But this week the photogenic governor may have been thinking a tiny bit about how he might avoid the camera’s glare on Nov. 5, or at least the things that he might have to explain once the cameras start rolling. Because with Election Day fast approaching, everyone in Florida was thinking this week about how the state might look after voters cast their ballots on Nov. 4.

So Camera-Ready Charlie – he of sky-high approval ratings and a prime position on the Republican veep list this summer – was in front of cameras again this week, responding to questions about GOP presidential nominee John McCain’s seemingly uphill prospects to win Florida’s 27 electoral votes.

Ever the good Republican, Crist said he was optimistic McCain would pull out a Sunshine State win – (perhaps out of the places where the sun doesn’t shine?) – because McCain is a “strong closer.” For his part, happy warrior McCain, who unveiled a new “fighter” persona on the campaign trail this week, planned to bring the battle back to Florida Friday with rallies in Miami and Melbourne. And a few polls showed McCain edging closer here.

But whether or not McCain ever finds his mojo in Florida, concerns about how the state will look on the day after Election Day go beyond the red and blue electoral maps. In some quarters, the real question is: will Florida be the last state colored in on those omnipresent maps, as it has been before? Yet again, the specter of the 36-day recount battle in 2000, which lasted longer than the days we have remaining in this year’s election, loomed large this week.

That’s why Secretary of State Kurt Browning was summoned to the Cabinet to offer reassurances that Florida could handle the expected turnout surge and protect the state against voting problems and possible fraud. It’s a message Browning has delivered before, but state leaders remember very well being the butt of national jokes – Flori-DUH anyone? – and have no interest in being this year’s rim shot.

So after hearing Browning say once again that Florida’s election mechanism is up to the challenge in 2008, Chief Financial Officer and Cabinet member Alex Sink said she hoped not to see Crist’s smiling face on TV Nov. 5.

“We all like media attention, but Governor, I’m sure you don’t want to be standing up in front of those cameras explaining a fiasco about voting issues in Florida,” Sink said to Crist during the Cabinet meeting.

Assuming Browning is right and voters don’t have undue problems and officials are able to count the votes right the first time this year, the Legislature that Crist will have to work with in 2009 will also be decided before the Gov’s Nov. 5 close-up.

But there’s not nearly as much drama in the legislative races overall as there is in the Election Day “will the machines work?” minutiae. At least two legislative race trackers this week proclaimed what most here already knew: the Legislature is safely Republican, both Stateline.org and the Florida Chamber said this week.

The Democrats hope they can pick up a few seats, partly because they’ve recruited more candidates and partly because the general economic malaise leads to an anti-incumbent feel. (Gov. Charlie Crist confidently threw water on Democratic hopes for one state Senate seat this week, predicting that Sen. Mike Fasano, R-New Port Richey, will beat Fred Taylor “going away.” Democrats hope long-time Tallahassee fixture Fasano will be the one “going away” on Nov. 4.)

Also to be decided before Crist faces the cameras on Nov. 5 is the state’s proposed gay marriage ban. Supporters and opponents of the proposal, known as Amendment 2, are still quiet on Florida television, but both Yes2Marriage and SayNo2, the primary for and against organizations, barnstormed across Florida this week to try to sway undecideds. SayNo2 held “Voter Speak Outs” in Jacksonville, Gainesville, Orlando, Tampa and Fort Myers this week, while Yes2Marriage held a “God’s Design for Marriage” rally in Jacksonville. And preachers on both sides were expected to be talking about the amendment this weekend.

And on Friday, Yes2Marriage said it was buying time to get ads up in the final weeks before Election Day. A state as big as Florida is hard to convince without television advertising. SayNo2 also launched one ad this week and Progress Florida, a left-leaning advocacy group, chimed in with another ad featuring Michael Schiavo – remember him? – talking about staying out of people’s personal relationships. But if a war for the hearts and minds of more than 8 million voters is being fought mostly without TV, and so largely in front of crowds of 50 or 100 folks, how hard is it really being fought?

Luckily for fans of televised political fights, there has been no shortage of ads for other races on Florida TV. And some of them are packing quite a punch. The biggest roundhouses on TV this week have come in a congressional race. The state Republican Party released an ad this week criticizing Rep. Tim Mahoney, D-Palm Beach Gardens, for his alleged affair with a former female staffer who he reportedly paid $121,000 to stay quiet. Mahoney, of course, was elected in the wake of former Rep. Mark Foley’s 2006 congressional page sex scandal. Clearly, there is something about that House seat that sets congressional pants on fire!

But are the big TV blows falling on blind eyes and deaf ears? Possibly, at least according to a national survey of 1,000 likely voters by Rasmussen Reports. In the survey, 54 percent say they pay at least “somewhat close” attention to political ads and 62 percent surveyed said that most of the ads simply attack opponents rather than promoting a candidate.

Thirty-one percent said that political advertisements on TV should be banned.

Of course, after seeing Obama and McCain’s mugs between every inning of the Gov’s hometown Rays improbable playoff run, banning political TV ads just may be the winning ticket.

And for those who didn’t stay up, the Red Sox came back Thursday night to keep that series alive.

THE ECONOMY IS STILL STUPID

Of course, just below the surface of all this campaign drama is the stumbling, bumbling economy, which will be waiting on the Nov. 4 winners like a bad cold. Are you guys sure you really want to win?
It’s too late to take your name of the ballot, but who could blame a would-be lawmaker – or president – for reconsidering?

This week, the economic picture in Florida continued to fade to black. Possibilities for balancing the state’s budget were outlined by several state agencies and they included a number of potentially ugly moves. Among them was a suggestion by prison officials that the state could save money by offering periodic gain time to certain prisoners. Other prospects raised included the closing of juvenile justice facilities and a return to the fight over whether universities can raise tuition.

Luckily, for now, the whole exercise was only a test. Executive agencies had to tell Crist how they might save as much as 10 percent if they were forced to, although the governor’s office emphasized that such large cuts may not be necessary across the board. Former Gov. Jeb Bush urged lawmakers to build up the state’s reserves and for several years they did, always saying that one day those reserves might be needed. Lawmakers can declare that this is that “one day” and avoid some difficult cuts.

It wasn’t all gloom and doom for the Sunshine State economy this week. While many state agencies are bracing for an economic pinch in Florida that could lead to budget cuts across the board – and telegraphing how painful that would be – at least one department said this week that it was loosening its purse strings. It was spending money that’s already in the budget, but in an economy like this, who’s splitting hairs? The Department of Transportation announced this week that it was moving quickly on $1.4 billion worth of previously approved road projects.

While no shovels are in the ground yet, 179 projects are on pace to begin between one and five months ahead of schedule and construction bids have already been accepted for $250 million of work.

And at least the unemployment rate didn’t get worse. Figures out Friday showed the September jobless rate in Florida was the same as in August. That’s probably the best that could be hoped for, and that’s the good news. The bad news is that it’s still at it’s highest since 1995.

AN ENERGETIC DEBATE ABOUT ENERGY

Another big issue sure to face lawmakers after they’re done getting themselves elected is renewable energy. Whether a proposed Public Service Commission rule for greenhouse gas emission reductions will stimulate or stunt the Florida economy was up for debate this week.

PSC commissioners wrestled for the first time this week with standards they could enact early next year, but they couldn’t be pinned down on how aggressive and ambitious they’ll be. Still, the PSC heard from environmentalists, who balked loudly at early recommendations as not bold enough, and from utility companies, who would have to implement any changes and said it’s more important for the state to be realistic in trying to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions than is it is to be quick.

The PSC voted unanimously to wait until December to decide, but did acknowledge criticism from several quarters, including the governor, that the early draft didn’t go far enough fast enough.

While the PSC punted for now on deciding on a renewable energy standard for utilities, the Governor’s Action Team on Energy and Climate Change did not. The team, established by Gov. Crist earlier this year, called on the state to reduce carbon dioxide production by 82 million metric tons by 2017 with the goal of reducing emissions to pre-1990 levels by 2050. Scurrying to make an Oct. 15 deadline, stakeholders finalized more than 50 recommendations on how the state can reduce carbon dioxide emissions and foster alternative energy. The panel’s findings are expected to become grist for legislation in the next few years as lawmakers respond to Crist’s request to create a long-term, sustainable and home-grown energy policy. Leading a list of recommendations are requiring private sector manufacturers to reduce carbon dioxide emissions that have been linked to increases in earth’s temperature.

STORY OF THE WEEK: Anytime the specter of the ugly 2000 recount battle between Al Gore and George W. Bush is raised – and not by an award-winning HBO movie – Election Day must be near, right?

QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “Thank you for being prepared like a scout.” Gov. Charlie Crist to Secretary of State Kurt Browning during a Cabinet meeting in which Browning assured the governor and Cabinet that everything is being done to make sure Election Day works in Florida.

–END–
10/17/2008

GAY MARRIAGE FIGHT BEING FOUGHT IN PERSON RATHER THAN ON TV

By KEITH LAING, THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA

www.newsserviceflorida.com

THE CAPITAL, TALLAHASSEE, Oct. 13, 2008………While the fight over whether Florida should ban gay marriage has been surprisingly absent from most Florida residents’ media diet, a battle to sway voters on the issue is being waged on the ground during the stretch run to Election Day.

Neither opponents nor supporters have been very visible, particularly for such a high profile national issue. But the organizations were barnstorming across Florida this week to try to sway undecideds.

SayNo2, the primary opponents of the ban, planned “Voter Speak Outs” in Jacksonville and Gainesville on Monday, as well as Orlando on Tuesday, Tampa on Wednesday and Fort Myers on Thursday. The organization is also planning events in West Palm Beach and Miami for Oct. 20 and Oct. 21.

Similarly, Yes2Marriage, which supports banning gay marriage in the state constitution, planned a “God’s Design for Marriage” rally in Jacksonville on Monday and plans additional events in Orlando, Tampa, Okeechobee, and Pensacola.

With just three weeks to go before voters decide the marriage ban’s fate, SayNo2, began airing a television commercial for the first time last week on cable networks, at a cost of $1 million. The organization said the spot will also be added to the over-the-air broadcast channels in Tampa, Orlando, West Palm Beach, Miami and Fort Myers.

As of last week, Yes2Marriage, had yet to run any television advertising.

Yes2Marriage grassroots coordinator Nathan Dunn said the organization was focused on a door-to-door approach because that is how Amendment 2 ended up on the ballot in the first place. The initiative was added to the November ballot by a signature collection campaign that garnered the required 8 percent of the votes cast in the most recent presidential election, with support from enough voters in at least half the state’s congressional districts.

“We’re focused on a grassroots effort because this is a citizen-initiative,” Dunn said. “The people of Florida started this because they recognized the need to protect marriage, which they have seen under assault in other states.”

Dunn said that while Yes2Marriage has not taken to the airwaves, they have blanketed the state with volunteers.

“We have grassroots volunteers in every county in Florida,” he said. “We’re utilizing networks like churches (to get the word out).”

On the other side, SayNo2 deputy campaign manager Michael Kenny said the campaign events will help his organization reach voters who are often confused or intimidated by amendment language – which can be hard to do in short sound bites.

“The importance of us going around the state and having these events is that this is a complex issue,” Kenny said. “(By traveling), we can have the people who will actually be affected speak out – the seniors, the firefighters and the teachers. That’s who’s participating in this.”

“When voters understand this issue, they say they don’t want their state constitution used in this way,” Kenny said.

The ground campaigns for and against Amendment 2 will take place as polls show the battle very much up in the air. A September poll from Connecticut-based Quinnipiac University showed 55 percent of Florida voters supported defining marriage in the state constitution as occurring only between a man and a woman, down from 58 percent approval in an earlier survey in June, but still within striking distance of approval. A proposed amendment must be approved by 60 percent of the electorate.

But Democratic strategist David Beattie said Amendment 2’s poll numbers could very well remain unchanged between now and Election Day, despite the advocacy organizations’ direct voter contact efforts. Campaign rallies are typically only effective in Florida if they support concurrent television appeals, he said, because of the state’s sheer size.

“When there are going to be over 8 million people voting in Florida, television will be an important part of the communications,” said Beattie, president of Hamilton Campaigns. “If it is ‘being fought on the ground,’ it is not really being fought, just keeping it at the status quo.”

And right now, with polls showing more than 40 percent opposed to banning gay marriage, the status quo slightly favors Amendment 2 opponents.

Ironically, Beattie said that the cause of the low-profile gay marriage debate in Florida this year may be a previous battle over a social issue in the state – the life-support battle over Floridian Terri Schiavo that became a national issue. The low-wattage gay marriage campaign in Florida in 2008 is a direct contrast to both the Schiavo case and to many states that have previously tackled the gay marriage issue and been subjected to high-visibility television campaigns.

“After the 2004 election, many conservative voters became disenchanted with moral issues becoming politicized,” Beattie said. “In Florida, the Terri Schiavo coverage exacerbated disenchantment among conservatives.”

If Amendment 2 is not approved, Florida would join Arizona as the only states to reject marriage bans at the ballot, though Arizona’s vote came in the 2006 midterm elections, when fewer voters typically go to the polls than do in presidential elections. The issue is back before voters in Arizona this year. It’s also up for a vote in California and Arkansas.

–END–
10/13/2008

GAY MARRIAGE AMENDMENT HAS BEEN MOSTLY QUIET CAMPAIGN

By KEITH LAING, THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA

www.newsserviceflorida.com

THE CAPITAL, TALLAHASSEE, Oct. 9, 2008………In 2004, proposed same-sex marriage bans in several states were widely credited with helping Republican George W. Bush hold on to the White House. So with a hotly contested presidential race in Florida this year between Sens. Barack Obama, D-IL and John McCain, R-AZ, and an amendment to traditionally define marriage on the ballot, observers could be forgiven if they expected a dose of 2004 deja vu this election cycle.

But with just 26 days left before Floridians go to the polls, same-sex marriage isn’t the lightning rod issue here the way it was in other states four years ago. Although Floridians see Obama and McCain on their televisions everyday and are frequently visited by the biggest surrogates, opponents of the Florida marriage ban – political action committee SayNo2 – announced their first television ad campaign Thursday.

The organization will spend $1 million dollars between now and Nov. 4 on cable and broadcast spots in Tampa, Orlando, West Palm Beach, Miami and Fort Myers.

Yes2Marriage, the primary supporter of the ban, has not run any television advertising yet, a spokeswoman said Thursday.

The Republican Party hasn’t been pushing the issue much this year, though that party’s base is generally in favor of the amendment, and base turnout is important for a McCain campaign that’s behind in the polls.

“Each election cycle is unique and every year we have to evaluate our races to see how to best allocate our resources,” Republican Party of Florida spokeswoman Katie Gordon said. “There is a great deal of support for the marriage amendment here in Florida. We continue to applaud the efforts of Florida 4 Marriage for collecting enough petitions to gain ballot access and also for their continued efforts to pass the amendment.”

Likewise, Democratic activists, and the Democratic Party, also haven’t made a whole lot of noise about the issue publicly.

The Florida Democratic Party said Thursday that it does not take a stance on constitutional amendments.

Connecticut-based Quinnipiac University randomly surveyed 1,427 Floridians last week and found 55 percent supported defining marriage in the state constitution as occurring only between a man and a woman, down from 58 percent approval in an earlier survey in June.

A proposed amendment must be approved by 60 percent of the electorate. If Amendment 2 falls to reach that threshold, Florida would join Arizona as the only states to reject marriage bans at the ballot, though Arizona’s vote came in the 2006 midterm elections, when less voters typically go to the polls. The issue is back before voters in Arizona this year. It’s also up for a vote in California and Arkansas.

Of the 10 states to vote on marriage amendments in 2004, a few of which were targeted by both Bush and Kerry, none voted it down. And more importantly for supporters of that year’s Republican presidential ticket, Bush carried all but two of those states. But with polls showing Obama edging ahead of McCain in the race for Florida’s 27 electoral votes this year, McCain has not yet benefited from a Bush-like marriage amendment electoral windfall in the state.

That’s because in the wake of the national economic crunch, which has consequences for both Florida’s home construction and tourism industries, Obama has pulled ahead in Florida and nationally, Peter Brown, assistant director of Quinnipiac’s polling institute, said. Quinnipiac’s last Florida poll, conducted after Obama and McCain’s first debate in September, showed 51 percent of Floridians supporting Obama and 43 percent supporting McCain.

“Simply put, in a close race, the ability of things like this to drive turnout matters,” Brown said. “When the race is not close, it’s not as important. If you believe Obama is up eight points (in Florida), a marginal turnout increase won’t change things much.”

Unlike say, Ohio in 2004, when President Bush bested Sen. Kerry by just 118,000 votes out of 5.6 million cast and Ohio’s 20 electoral votes put Bush over the top and secured his re-election. Ohio’s marriage ban was approved by an almost 2-to-1 margin.

But going into election day 2004, polls in Ohio showed a race well within the margin-of-error, Brown said, enabling supporters of its same sex marriage ban to swing the state. Unless McCain closes the gap with Obama before Nov. 4, supporters of Amendment 2 won’t be able to do the same here, even if the ban passes, which explains the issue’s lower Florida profile, Brown added.

–END–
10/9/2008

TOURISM DILEMMA: CHEAP GAS TO SPUR VISITS OR WORRY ABOUT BEACHES?

By KEITH LAING, THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA

www.newsserviceflorida.com

DESTIN, FLA, Oct. 2, 2008………….Against a backdrop of the Panhandle’s sugar-white beaches and the serene Destin Harbor, supporters and opponents of drilling for oil off areas along Florida’s Gulf Coast – like this one – gathered Thursday to debate its impact on the state’s economy and environment.

The debate about whether America should “Drill Baby Drill,”a popular summer refrain for proponents, along the untapped areas of the Gulf Coast – much of that in Florida waters – is a huge topic in the tourism-dependent state, leading the Florida Association of Convention and Visitors Bureaus to call for this summit with oil and gas industry officials in Destin.

For the industry, the quandary is essentially this: if the economy is bad because fuel is expensive, luxuries like travel tend to go by the wayside for many families. Expensive fuel means high air fares and prices at the pumps. But one spill, and the beauty of areas like this one may no longer draw visitors.

Speakers at the summit included representatives of the Florida Petroleum Council, the drilling advocacy group American Solutions and environmental preservation group Gulf Coast Environment Defense, as well as Shell Oil.

Rick Tyler, founder of Renewing American Leadership, tried to make the case that tourism is dependent on cheap fuel just like every other business.

“People have to get here and have to have air conditioning most of the year,” said Tyler, who is also a spokesman for former U.S. Speaker Newt Gingrich of Georgia. “We have to have lights in the hotels, so we need energy.”

The best way to produce that energy, Tyler said, was to drill for oil, at least for now.

“Oil is not a panacea,” he said. “If we can figure out tomorrow how not to use any oil, I’d be for it. But that’s not the reality. My car runs on gas and you tell me yours does too.”

Tyler said the energy crisis, crystallized by $4 a gallon gas prices this summer, affects every aspect of American life.

“Energy is one of those issues, like health, like education, (that’s) going to permeate all of the economy, in every aspect of it, from the pizza delivery guy to people who drive for Meals on Wheels who can’t find volunteers because its simply too expensive for them to volunteer.”

“Everything that’s delivered to the store, from Wal-Mart to Home Depot to Publix is delivered by fuel, so everything has a surcharge,” Tyler said. “Police patrols, ambulance services, school buses, air travel, the boating industry. In Florida, a lot of industries have been impacted by energy.”

But Enid Sisskin, director of Gulf Coast Environmental Defense, countered by running down the harmful affects drilling has had along other states’ coastlines. Among them, she said, were reduced water and air quality, disruptions to coastal animals and to tourist beach attractions.

“Tourism is Florida is a $90 million to $100 million industry,” said Sisskin, who is also a professor at the University of West Florida in Pensacola. “Tourism is all about perception. Our perception is sugar white sands, emerald green waters and clean environments. Most visitors to Pensacola beaches come from the oil producing states of Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi. They don’t go to their beaches, they come to ours.”

Citing previous accidents in Gulf Coast oil refining, Sisskin said even the most cautious oil company could slip up and harm Florida’s environment.

“Stuff happens,” she told attendees. “In spite of regulations, accidents, human errors and non-compliance happens. Do we want our economy to suffer for years while oil companies say ‘oops, I’m sorry?’”

Sisskin added that drilling off Florida’s Gulf coast would distract the state from ambitious alternative energy exploration, which has been championed by many, including Gov. Charlie Crist. Like many Florida politicians, Crist in the past hasn’t favored drilling off Florida, but in recent months has changed his mind because of high gas prices. Still, Crist is a strong proponent of development of alternative energy sources.

Sisskin said that research is threatened by easy access to cheap oil.

“By continuing to drill at present or increased rates, we’re going to decrease the urgency for alternative energy researchers,” she said. ‘We’re going to be behind the curve on alternative energies the same way we are on fossil fuel extraction and we are going to be buying alternative energy from other countries instead of doing it here.”

But David Mica, president of the Florida Petroleum Council proclaimed himself a fan of alternative energy and defended the oil industry’s environmental record.

“This is an oil guy who feels very, very, very strongly that (renewable energy) is a critical part of our energy security and we need to progress in those areas for our energy future,” he said.

But Mica said the oil industry has a good environmental record and he was confident it could co-exist with those who want to keep beaches and habitats clean.

The competing perspectives on drilling drew the attention of Rep. Nick Thompson, R-Fort Myers. Thompson, whose district does not include any coastline, said he attended the Destin summit because energy was going to be a crucial issue.

“Other than the economy, energy is going to be one of the leading issues going into next year’s session, especially off-shore oil drilling and its potential impact – either for the benefit or detriment of Florida – is something that I have to consider as a legislator,” Thompson said. “It was important for me to come and listen to the competing sides.”

“The real value in coming here is to be able to actually sit down and talk to these folks during the day, where you don’t get that time in Tallahassee during a committee meeting,” he said.

Robert Skrob, executive director of the visitors bureau, said Thursday’s summit would prove beneficial to local bureaus across the state, especially those along the coast.

“We heard the environmental concerns, we heard from the oil companies about the precautions they take, as well as how important oil production can be to our energy security,” he said. “We created a great consensus that our members can take back to create a consensus across the state.”

Skrob said the visitors bureau hopes to be able to present a united front to the incoming Legislature from the tourism industry on the drilling issue, but admitted he remains where many Floridians likely are: on the fence.

“I’m very concerned that accidents happen,” he said. “I’m very impressed with the precautions the oil industry takes, but there’s still apprehension over the worst case scenario and how it will impact our beautiful beaches.”

Having spent the day considering the impact of offshore drilling on Florida’s natural beauty, Skrob and other members of the visitors bureau planned to take some of it in Thursday evening by taking a cruise around Destin Harbor.

–END–
10/2/2008