A secretive group of Texas oilmen is greasing the Legislature to open Floridas coastline to oil rigs, pipelines, storage tanks and processing.  Florida has long banned oil leases in state waters.  Now, armed with scores of lobbyists and barrels of political money, the oilmen have persuaded some state legislators to go along with their plans to open our coastal waters for oil and gas production. 
  The threat to Florida's beautiful beaches, seagrass beds and coral reefs cannot be overstated.  If the drillers get their way our coastal environment will give way to the largest industrial assault outside the third world because we have no rules in place to guard against the environmental impacts of extracting crude oil from the beneath our coastal waterways.

  Florida's coasts and coastal economy are too valuable to sacrifice for the limited benefits that may come from oil drilling. Proponents of drilling claim that there will be new state revenue, lower gas prices, and energy independence. They are wrong on every count, yet some legislative leaders seem bent on pushing this proposal without careful consideration of all the facts and all the risks associated with oil and natural gas drilling. 
  Please take a stand on behalf of our coastal residents and business owners who depend on tourism and clean water.Thank you for listening.