Not a shell game

Sunday, Sept. 21, 2008 | 2:08 a.m.

Rep. Dean Heller gained attention last week for his shopworn criticisms of the House energy bill.

Reporters for Gannett News Service quoted the Nevada Republican as saying Democrats were engaging in “political games” instead of offering “real solutions.” He continued with his stock cliches, saying Democrats were playing a “political shell game in an election year.”

His snarly remarks did not entirely square with the way he spent part of Congress’ recess in August. He joined more than 100 House Republicans who returned to Washington. They made a show of themselves in criticizing the Democrats for refusing to consider the Republicans’ energy bill, which primarily sought to authorize offshore oil drilling in sensitive coastal waters that have been off-limits to this activity for 27 years.

The Democratic bill the House passed Tuesday by a wide margin, however, represented a fair compromise. Heller claimed he wanted more offshore drilling and the bill would allow it — all along the Atlantic and Pacific coasts.

But now Heller is in a snit because the bill would prohibit drilling less than 50 miles from shorelines. Mimicking the party line, he says this would limit the amount of oil that could be extracted. That argument is pure speculation.

Besides, how close to shorelines do we want drilling platforms? History has shown they can cause major spills.

Under the bill, states would have veto power over any drilling proposed from 50 to 100 miles offshore, and all royalties paid by the oil companies for drilling rights would go to the federal Treasury. The Gannett article said Heller believes states should share in the royalties as an incentive for approving drilling proposals.

It would be wrong, however, for states to approve drilling for any other reason than environmental assessments that show it would pose only a low risk.

In voting against the bill, Heller also opposed extending tax incentives for renewable energy — incentives that would almost certainly give a huge boost to Nevada’s economy.

We believe offering a compromise containing safeguards for the environment and incentives to produce the energy of the future is better than offering nothing other than self-serving cliches.