LETTER: A fact check on Big Oil backers

In a Nov. 7 local perspective column, Mr. Swiercz demonstrates the problems in discussing the facts about offshore drilling.

He is talking about drilling beyond 15 miles, yet the proposed bill would allow drilling as close as three miles — easily visible from any shoreline. He indicates that natural gas will be the target of the drilling, yet the bill does nothing to guarantee that. 

He discusses the high-tech and blue-collar jobs that would come to Walton County, yet he ignores the fact that the vast majority of jobs in the county are from beach-related tourism and that any disruption of that by a drilling accident would quickly wipe out any benefits — assuming there would be any local jobs at all.

He speaks of the billions of dollars that Florida might earn from oil revenues while neglecting to mention that Florida earned $58 billion last year from tourism.

I cannot speak to the “great fishing” argument, but I believe that there are far better ways to get artificial reefs than by building oil platforms. 

Mr. Shaffer’s Nov. 14 letter also ignored the facts and instead resorted to name calling. Then he compounded his mistakes by arguing that this is only a NIMBY attitude; however, it is a much larger issue.   

Florida is the No. 1 destination for travelers in the world. Each year Florida and Hawaii split for the highest number of beaches on the Best Beaches Lists — while Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi beaches make none of the lists. 

Florida has a huge tourism industry to protect and our local flavor of tourism is heavily beach related. Everyone in Florida should be concerned about any risks to tourism. And all of us in Walton County — Republicans, Democrats and Independents — are no different.   
 
Fred Buehler
Seagrove Beach