President Barack Obama's plan to reverse a ban on oil drilling off most U.S. shores drew about 100 people to a protest outside The Vinoy hotel in St. Petersburg today.
Protesters said they would like to see solar power and other alternatives explored before more gulf waters are targeted.
"For every one oil industry job, from biomass, you would get 9 jobs per megawatt hour. And by the way, Florida is known as the Saudi Arabia of biomass," said Cathy Harrelson of the Suncoast Sierra Club.
Protestors chose the Vinoy, because former speaker of the house Newt Gingrich was inside, talking job creation at a town hall.
Gingrich applauded the president's actions, saying opening more areas up to drilling would lesson U.S. dependency on places like Venezuela, Saudi Arabia and Iran.
"It can be done safely. It can be done an environmentally sensitive way," said Gingrich. "It will help America economically by having jobs here at home. It will help America by keeping the cost of energy down.''
One of those at the town hall meeting was U.S. Rep. C.W. "Bill'' Young. Young said he favors additional drilling, with some precautions.
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