Oiled and Spoiled

Your Jan. 18 editorial opposing offshore oil drilling probably reflects popular sentiment, but it also represents the height of NIMBY hypocrisy. We Californians drive our cars more than anyone else and we treat unlimited cheap gas as a birthright. Yet we insist on having our delicate sensibilities shielded from any of the dirty work that makes it all possible.

Offshore drilling should be permitted. Of course, there must be strict safeguards against spills, and conservation is also very important. But it is wrong to declare a vast source of energy off-limits because of environmental fanaticism.

Frederick Singer

Huntington Beach