Commentary: No drilling in the Everglades
The Miami Herald
In search of money to help pay off Miami International Airport's expansion, officials want the county to consider drilling for oil and gas at an old jet port that's now part of the Big Cypress National Wildlife Preserve as one potential way to get money.
Other options on the table: rock mining at the 23,840-acre site between Miami and Naples or allow a park for off-road vehicles that tear up the terrain.
As desperation moves go, these options are the mother of all dunderhead schemes.
Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Alvarez pulled the jet port option proposal from the county commission's Tuesday calendar, according to his spokeswoman, Victoria Mallette, because the "mayor is not comfortable with it."
Wise call, Mr. Mayor.
Mr. Alvarez -- already under tremendous pressure to raise funds during this recession when county workers are facing pay cuts or the unemployment line and taxpayers already feel overburdened -- has his work cut out for him. But drilling is not the easy "fix" that some folks would like to make it seem, and the mayor is right to hit the brakes.
To read the complete editorial, visit The Miami Herald.
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