Letter writer disputes offshore settlement numbers.

2theadvocate.com | Opinion | Letter: Offshore revenue bill has problems: "

Published: Jul 7, 2006

Congressman Bobby Jindal’s, R-Kenner, offshore revenue-sharing bill, HR4761, geared toward giving Louisiana and other Gulf of Mexico states a bigger share of offshore oil and gas royalties, has passed through the House, yet two developments for this bill still stink.

Jindal’s original bill would have given Louisiana 75 percent of all royalties on oil and gas produced for up to 12 miles offshore. But the bill that passed the House will give Louisiana only 25 percent for five years and gradually 50 percent by 2016, NOT a fair share.

Roughly 80 PERCENT of the country’s oil and gas comes through Louisiana. One-quarter of the nation’s oil, domestic and foreign, comes through Port Fourchon alone. If a major hurricane were to hit Port Fourchon dead-on in the next 5 years to 10 years while our country is greatly dependent on oil, our economy and national security would be greatly threatened. Have the idiots in Washington thought about that?

Second, Florida’s senators are threatening a filibuster. Florida sees this bill as a way to open up drilling off its coast, and Florida doesn’t want its tourists to have to bear that “eyesore.” Florida’s oil supply should be cut, thereby causing gasoline to sell for $7 a gallon throughout the state. Then we will see how their precious tourism industry fares. For Florida to put its tourism industry above national security and coastal protection programs of the remaining Gulf States shows utter disregard for the rest of the country.

Louisiana should continue to fight until we do receive 75 percent of the offshore royalties. This is not a partisan issue. Every Republican and Democrat who cares about this great state should get behind Congressman Jindal’s bill.

Louisiana’s coast, especially Port Fourchon, is vital to the economy and the security of the United States."

I'm seeing a lot of different numbers being put out on this offshore settlement. I guess we won't know until after (and if) it passes the senate and goes through a conference committee.
Update: A similar letter has now appeared in the Lafayette Daily Adversity.