Bush has right idea on off-shore drilling

Shoulda. Woulda. Coulda.

How many times do we have to hear this in the world of politics? How many times do we have to hear we should have a better energy policy in effect in the United States? How many times do we have to hear the previous presidents would have done a great service to this nation if they had adopted a better energy policy? How many times do we have to hear about what could have been right now if a politician or two had better foresight about this awful energy crisis we're in?

Well, folks, we can shoulda, woulda, coulda all day long here, but that is not going to change the sheer reality that gas is too damn expensive in America — and that the average American is just dying for relief at the pump.

Enter President Bush, who today called on Congress to lift its ban on off-shore drilling in the United States and who today said he would lift the executive ban on the same when Congress lifts its ban.

It's not often we're in accord with Bush — but this is one of those times.

We're in a terrible economic situation right now, and Bush's desire to see off-shore drilling would have an immediate impact on the price of oil — and, as such, with the price of gas at the pumps.

Many Democrats say the plan is a short-term gimmick. But it's not. Sure, it's a stop-gap measure, but it's a measure that must be accompanied by future energy policies that don't rely on fossil fuels. In the interim, why not do what it takes to drive down gas prices until such a policy is enacted and reasonable?

It is our sincere hope Congress moves to lift its off-shore oil drilling ban and it is our hope Bush continues to put as much pressure on Congress to do so as is possible.

The average American can ill-afford for this measure to take time. We can only hope something is done quickly — so that we can all go back to paying prices that are reasonable to fill up a gas tank to and do something that seems so basic: Drive.

Lunchtime meeting = unfair scheduling

If you've read this site before today, you know that Monday, the Harrison Mayor and Council will have a special meeting Monday afternoon at 12:15. While we understand there are sometimes emergent situations that require odd scheduling, this meeting's scheduled start time is unfair to residents of the town who work and who might otherwise want to attend the meeting.

And this meeting is not just an ordinary meeting, either. The mayor and council are expected to vote to expand the town's redevelopment zone to include several more streets. So the stakes at this meeting are extremely high.

We believe the mayor and council have done a great disservice to the people of Harrison by scheduling this meeting for 12:15 p.m. There have been numerous instances where some who sit on the council have accused this administration of proffering an administration that doesn't appear to be transparent.

And scheduling a meeting in the middle of the day certainly supports that accusation.

We're not suggesting this is actually the case, but when there are instances of accusations that paint the administration's openness in a poor light, scheduling a meeting around noon certainly doesn't help.

It is our sincere hope this rare meeting is a one-of-its-kind. The mayor and council should not schedule any more daytime meetings — for any reasons — unless there is a matter of life and death to be attended to.

Otherwise, it's perfectly fair game for administration opponents to cry foul about transparency.

And without question, that would hardly be a matter of grandstanding.