California’s Budget Plan Includes New Offshore Oil

The deal to close California's $26 billion budget deficit included a plan to drill for offshore oil, drawing allegations that the fiscal crisis was used for a backroom deal following rejection of the idea by state regulators earlier this year. Democrats agreed to Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's request to expand drilling from an existing platform off Santa Barbara to generate a one-time $100 million advance royalty payment this fiscal year and an estimated $1.8 billion in royalties over 14 years. It would be the first new offshore oil drilling on state lands in four decades since a blowout on a platform off Santa Barbara coated miles of ocean and shoreline and galvanized opposition...AP

Arnie, who lobbied nationally against offshore drilling, is now a proponent and the Dems are going along?

Funny what politicians will do when their lifeblood (tax revenue) is on the wane.

Energy independence wouldn't do it, sky-high gas prices wouldn't do it, but threatening their ability to control and spend will do it.

These Politically Superior Ones would not take positive action to protect the average citizen, but they certainly will to protect their powerbase - the government.

Hell, they are even starting to allow beer tastings.