he acronym “NIMBY” is quite notorious in suburban America, standing for a “Not In My Back Yard” attitude. It is also an accurate description of America’s anti-energy extremists, though “not in anybody’s backyard” more closely describes the current jihad against any steps towards energy independence.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, currently masquerading as a Republican, has recently gotten his posing thong in quite a bunch concerning energy independence, and this inspired me to create a new acronym for him and his fellow multi-millionaire energy obstructionists. Please welcome “NISOMPB,” the “Not In Sight Of My Private Beach” crowd.

NISOMPB certainly applies to the governor’s opposition to offshore drilling, as the oil platforms would be many miles offshore; however, they would possibly be visible from the private beaches of the governor’s plutocrat friends.

Our governor’s been a busy “post-partisan” guy, denouncing his party’s presidential nominee for supporting oil exploration on the continental shelf; denouncing his party’s president for supporting oil exploration in Alaska; and announcing that he’d be “thrilled” to serve as energy czar in the cabinet of Democrat nominee Barack Obama.

Anytime Soon?
Along the way, Schwarzenegger said, “Anyone who tells you offshore drilling would bring down gas prices anytime soon is blowing smoke.” A well-known cigar puffer, the governor is clearly an expert at blowing political smoke as well. His statement is absurd. Are the only solutions worth pursuing immediate ones? If so, why did he sign AB 32 in 2006, a bill straight out of the old Soviet Union central planning playbook, which aims to reduce greenhouse gases and the “carbon foot print” of California? Some of AB 32’s goals are to be met in 2030 and 2050. Is this “anytime soon”?

In 1995, the Republican Congress passed and President Clinton vetoed a bill that would have started drilling in Alaska. Clinton used the same faulty logic to justify his veto, saying that drilling in ANWR would not provide oil anytime soon. Well guess what? Had Clinton signed that bill in 1995, Alaskan oil would have been available to America by 2003 at the latest—1995’s anytime soon would have become “now” in 2003. As for the outer continental shelf, most oil experts will tell you that 2008’s “anytime soon” could become “now” by 2012 or 2013. Full oil production from just these two sources would produce millions of barrels each year. Any chance that would come in handy?

The governor and the anti-energy zealots are like folks sitting in a restaurant who refuse to order anything from the menu and then complain that they’re starving. The food – and America’s energy – is there for the taking, but to do so, somebody has to show backbone and courage, two qualities sadly lacking from our governor in this debate.

The NISOMPB folks strike both coasts, denying America ever more sources of energy. The environmentalist answer to our energy situation is no oil, no gas, no hydro, no nuclear, no coal and, by the way, no wind if the turbines will “steal the stars and nighttime views” of rich liberals.

William E. Saracino is a longtime political analyst. Read more of his work online at the California Public Policy Foundation’s Web site, www.cppf.us.