"Let's Drill for Oil in the Sound"

For a truly different point of view on how Long Island Sound should be used, check out this guy, James Faulkner, a Yonkers resident who is running for the New York State Assembly as a Republican:

Faulkner ... said the state can solve its money problems by immediately leasing oil rights in Long Island Sound and offshore.

"New York can lease those lands and we can get money, right now. Right now, we can do it. We have oil companies that want it. We have offshore oil companies that want it," Faulkner said.

So great is the wealth, Faulkner insisted, "we have a chance to be just like Alaska - we can actually give money back to the people and the residents of New York."

Later asked for evidence of oil under the Sound, Faulkner said there had been talk of such resources during the debate over whether to build a nuclear power plant at Shoreham, on Long Island, nearly three decades ago. He said a plan for oil drilling in waters such as Long Island Sound would not need a lengthy environmental review because it was not harmful.

"The environmentalists are basically a communist-socialist concept, and it's become a religion. And Mike has bought into that religion," said Faulkner, who also has Independence Party backing.

This sounds of course like what someone would say if he were trying to get voters to dismiss him as loony and vote for his opponent. I have no idea what his prospects of winning are -- probably not great, since his opponent, Michael Spano, at least has a recognizable name in the district. But I take some comfort in knowing that in his wish to drill for oil in the Sound, Faulkner is alone.

Kudos to my former colleague, Len Maniace, for keeping a straight face while reporting this.