Maurice Ferre for US Senate - Florida Democratic US Senate Candidate

We see the images all over the news. Brown pelicans drenched in oil, dolphin carcasses and seagulls gasping for air. The coastline and marshes of Louisiana stained with thousands of gallons of oil, while a broken well -5,000 feet below sea level- continues to gush out oil into the Gulf of Mexico. As of today, close to 26 million gallons have polluted our ocean.

It’s now a race against time and the next State to be affected by this environmental catastrophe is Florida.
I saw it with my own eyes. The Pensacola beach, peppered by these chocolate colored tar balls shocked me. It looked as if the white sands of the Gulf suddenly had freckles. But I went to Pensacola not only to see it with my own eyes, but talk to people of Pensacola.

I met people like Maria and Dennis Diaz, owners of “La Bondega Hondureña,” a small Latin-market in Pensacola. Dennis drives once a week to Miami just to buy merchandise. He doesn’t mind the 10 hour trip, back and forth, to cater to his community, which includes military servicemen. But he’s worried, like many local businessmen who depend on a healthy local economy and environment. Recent headlines predict that the cost to Florida from the Gulf oil spill could be $10 Billion.

Three things I would like Floridians to keep in mind as we face this environmental catastrophe:

First, it’s time to get off our oil dependency. It’s time to switch to liquid natural gas. T. Boone Pickens is right. It might take years, but we have to start NOW. It’s time to get our electricity from wind and solar power. If China can do it, why can’t we?

Second, as your Senator, I will revisit the Exxon-Valdez legislation and eliminate the liability cap. I will investigate the Deepwater Horizon explosion and oil spill which involved BP, Transocean and Halliburton. Out of a 126 people out on the rig flying a foreign flag, only six were employees of BP. They bear ultimate responsibility, but they outsourced the work. Companies that are engaged in the practice of oil drilling must have prevention and contingency plans in place, as well as adequate response measures to handle any damages. As Senator Durbin stated yesterday, ” If you cannot accept that liability, stay the hell out of the business.

Third, as your Senator, I would push for a crisis management team with the most brilliant minds in both the private and government sectors. No excuses. A team that will take care of the long term effects of this disaster. A team that knows how to make decisions and deliver results.
Help me become Florida’s next U.S. Senator so we can bring sound principles and good government to all the people. Support my campaign by becoming a volunteer or making a donation.

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Thank you for helping me protect Florida’s environment and our future.