The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors is considering a misguided special interest motion to send a letter to Congress to continue the moratorium on offshore drilling. It is urgent that you help us DEFEAT THE MOTION and show the Board of Supervisors you do not support higher gasoline prices and higher county taxes.

With oil now reaching $140 per barrel and UCSB studies showing existing Santa Barbara offshore oil production has reduced our natural offshore oil seepage pollution, combined with the oil industry’s 38-year safety record, and California’s dire need for domestic oil, gasoline and money for renewable energy, a recent poll finds that 59 percent of Californians support offshore development.  However, the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors is considering a misguided special interest motion to send a letter to Congress to continue the offshore oil moratorium.

There are 2 billion barrels of discovered oil that can be produced NOW from existing offshore facilities plus billions more available for production safely, but forbidden under the existing moratorium.  Lifting the moratorium would result in as much as $300 million in county revenue PER YEAR — money that could fund a number of initiatives, including county tax reductions, Santa Barbara’s residential electricity needs through paid-for solar energy installations, electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles, and rebates of up to $10,000 per Santa Barbara household. California taking the lead to open its offshore areas to development would send a signal to the oil markets that would result in lower prices at the pump.

Judy Rossiter, executive director
SOS CaliforniaSOS California