The President and BP
It has now been 3 days since the president went on National television, and told us that he was in charge of the oil spill, and that BP would be held accountable. Judging by the chairmen of their board referring to the Gulf residents as the “small” people, and the deliberate attempt to not answer questions when the CEO of BP went before congress yesterday, I would say that nothing has changed at all.
It sounds good to say that BP will put 20 billion into a clean up fund, or set a side 100 million for people, who are laid off because of the oil spill, but it is over 4 years, and people need relief now. What people need is for the spill to be stopped, and now, not later.
Now, there is a new wrinkle in the mix. Scientists say that the natural gas leaking with the oil may permanently make parts of the Gulf of Mexico dead zones for marine life. Apparently, the gas has the affect of cutting off oxygen in the water, and that is what keeps fish and organisms alive. Even if we get up the oil, the harm the gas will do will inevitably be just as bad.
I am especially concerned, because the gas is colorless and odorless, and will not be taken as seriously because it can’t be seen by the naked eye. If there is enough of a gas build up, their could even be a wild fire on the surface of the water. How scary is that?
The government and BP both need to move faster and do more sooner. They need to work together, not blame one an other for the problem getting worse. They both need to listen to the people on the ground that have generations of experience understanding the gulf region and way of life. It’s not just about the amount of money or resources you claim to throw at the problem, it’s about solutions, and answers, today, not five years from now.
Who Has The Oil Money
Have you heard? As of yesterday, the US geologic survey has estimated that their might be as much as 40,000 barrels of oil a day flowing up from the Gulf of Mexico. That is more then twice the amount ever reported by BP. If I wasn’t convinced that BP wasn’t telling us the truth before yesterday, I am now.
It’s all about the money, and BP doesn’t want to give it up, or pay it out in the hundreds of law suits it will inevitably be facing. In the few cases that have been filed so far, BP is all ready trying to have the cases moved from Alabama, and other Gulf coast states to more” friendly” states where they think that they would stand a better chance in the court of public opinion as well as the civil and criminal courts.
Instead of admitting the obvious, and honestly trying to help states and Gulf coast communities capture the oil as fast as possible, BP is electing to drag its feet on the clean up, and to run to what they consider to be safer havens. The morel and ethical neglect that BP is showing for the people, the environment, and even toward our government is not shameful, but down write disgusting.
Congress is now considering legislation witch would lift the cap of 75 million that a company has to pay for an oil spill clean up, and passing legislation that places no limit on the amount of liability an oil company can have. If it is passed, this might be the only way that BP will eventually step up to the plate, take full responsibility for the spill, and spend the billions it will take to get the mess cleaned up, and compensate the hundreds of thousands of people whose way of life and livings are effected by their negligence. Passing this new legislation is the hope of tens of millions of honest hard working Americans who believe more then ever, that big business should be held fully accountable for their errors and no longer be given a free pass, or simply a slap on the wrist.
The question then becomes, does the congress have the stomach to pass this kind of legislation, and if so, will the president sign it. Will the legislation be so watered down with loop wholes that it sounds good when put before the media, but have no teeth in the court of enforcement? Let’s not forget, that many states rely heavily on the investments of the energy industry to keep their economies growing. Let’s not forget that many members of congress receive and except healthy donations from the energy industry to their political campaigns. Lets not forget, that if congress doesn’t have what it takes to do the responsible thing, and pass legislation that is clear and fully enforceable, that they to can be easily replaced.
Oil War on our Home Land
The beaches of oil are a pun us, instead of shark sightings closing the beaches, its oil, and globs of it. All along our southern coast, pristine beaches and wild life sanctuaries are being affected by the oil now washing up on the white sand beaches, and seeping into our wild life preserves. When will it ever stop?
The fishing industry was the first to feel the affects of the oil catastrophe, and now its tourism. Beaches are closing every day, people can’t even swim in the waters, and hotels and restaurants are loosing big bucks. Many of these businesses are already laying off people as they try to survive, but the reality is, many of them will be forced out of business. Potentuley, hundreds of thousands of people could find them selves un-employed, and thousands of businesses will be forced to close their doors.
The timing for this man made disaster couldn’t have been any worse. Just as our economic recovery is beginning, along comes the oil. The clean up costs will be in the tens of billions, and the job and tourism losses will even be higher. This isn’t just your average oil spill, it’s an economic disaster.
Yes, all of the blame might fall on the lap of BP, but the losses to our economy and ecological system means we all pay in the end. Even if the oil flow is stopped by the end of August, the long term damages will last for deck aids, possibly even for generations.
Every day, it becomes more apparent that BP is still not giving government officials accurate information, and that government officials/agencies are not reacting fast enough to protect our invaluable resources. I don’t have any answers, I don’t even have any solutions, but what I do know is that (transparency) is not getting the job done. It will take an army, a rapid mobilization of people and resources. As hard as people are working to save our beeches, fishing grounds, and coastal communities dependant on the Gulf of Mexico to survive, this is a war, a war that we can only win if we throw every resource we have at it now, and not six months or one year from now.
Oil Oil Oil
Oil Oil Oil
Have any of you seen the pictures on television of the oil that is spilling out from under the ocean in the Gulf of Mexico? It’s disgusting isn’t it?
I ask you, how, in the year 2010 with all of our technology, with all of our laws, and with all of our theoretical over site could we allow this to have happened. I know, we put the cart before the horse. We put our trust in the oil companies, in big business, and look where it got us. Here’s a question for the government. If there is no one in the government, from any federal agency who has the knowledge to fix this thing, then how on earth could we have ever thought we had over site when it came to ensuring that an accident like this would never happen?
How could government inspectors ever be expected to ensure that every thing was safe, when it is quite obvious that they wouldn’t have known what to do, or what to look for to prevent this catastrophe from ever happening. What was our government thinking?
Share your comments, and tell us what you think.
Dear Friends and Family,
I recently signed up to run in the Vision 5K on Father’s Day-June 20, at Boston College and I am asking you to join my team. My daughter Emily will be my sighted guide, and I have committed to pushing her pace beyond her expectations. This is an exciting race that is for blind and visually impaired elite runners from around the world. They will be running along side weekend runners and walkers just like Emily and I.
This unique event raises money for four charities here in Massachusetts, that touch the lives of thousands of men, women, and children. The funds aid in supplying greatly needed services in literacy, daily living skills, mobility, and independent strategies to help blind people become contributing members of their communities. Emily and I, along with my co-team captain Alicia Caswell, will be running on behalf of the Carroll Center for the Blind located in Newton, Massachusetts.
As many of you know, I have been totally blind since 1988, and I left my position with the state in August of 2007. After leaving state employment, and un-sure of my future, I went to the Carroll Center for the Blind for eight weeks of unique intensive computer training by highly specialized staff. The training I received from the Carroll Center has widened my scope of possibility, enabled me to form my own company, and to design and manage a website, Directcomplaint.com.
As a member of my team, you can help me by making a tax deductable donation to my team (The Jonny G Runners), asking others to make donations, and/or signing up to join my team and run or walk along side me. If you have a family or children, please consider participating in this event, and asking your family to contribute to our team in the spirit of Father’s Day.
On behalf of my team, and the Carroll Center for the Blind, I would like to thank you in advance for your support and your tax deductible contribution.
If you would like to make a contribution or learn more about my team and this wonderful event, just go to http://www.vision5k.org/goto/jonathangale and learn more.
