Drill Here, Drill Now, Create Jobs

While the debate over global warming rages, the Obama Administration and other policymakers in Washington continue to make it more difficult to find and use home-grown resources. As Jon Basil Utley wrote for Reason recently, drilling in Alaska would have a positive impact both in terms of economic activity and lower prices.

Sound familiar? New Mexico has lots of resources that, like Alaska’s, could be used to grow the economy and reduce reliance on foreign energy sources, but our elected officials, specifically our Senators in Washington, continue to put those resources off-limits. This includes “El Río Grande Del Norte National Conservation Area Establishment Act” introduced by Bingaman and the “Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks Wilderness Act,” both of which will put millions of acres of New Mexico land out of production.

Hopefully these two will not succeed in their efforts to further hamstring New Mexico’s economy. Obama also needs to wake up and realize that he has a genuine opportunity to take proactive steps to increase employment.