Goodbye Redneck Riviera
Portrait, Robert Reich, 08/16/09. (photo: Perian Flaherty)
ust before his daily briefing Wednesday, Admiral Thad Allen, the President's military point man in the Gulf, had the BP logo removed from the podium. The White House apparently wants to distance itself from Bad Petroleum.
But confusion over who's in charge - BP or the White House - continues to reign. Questioned about whether BP can successfully shear off the well pipe in order to fit a cap over it, Allen answered "I don't think the issue is whether or not we can make the second cut. It's about how fine we can make it, how smooth we can make it."
As Tonto asked the Lone Ranger, "who's we kemosabe?"
"We" - that is, the American people and its representatives - are not in control of this. BP is in control. Yet BP has a long record of negligence, and it was BP's negligence that probably caused this disaster. So why is it in control?
If BP's attempt to cap the well fails again, BP says America will have to wait until August to stop the surge of oil into the Gulf, when BP says it will complete a relief well.
August is way too late. Since the explosion on April 20, the gusher has leaked anywhere from 21 million to 45 million gallons of oil into the Gulf. At that rate, the Gulf will be filled with more than twice that amount by August.
How do we know BP is using every possible resource to stop this? How do we know it's providing accurate information? How do we know it's properly weighing risks and benefits to America?
Politics is about to take over from policy in any event. Forecasters say the oil will probably start washing up on Florida's coast this Friday - not only threatening its fragile system of bays and islands, but also rendering miles of white-sand beaches unusable. The tourist destination that's been called the "Redneck Riviera" will be coated with thick black ooze.
If you think there's been a political firestorm so far, you ain't seen nothin' yet. Florida's beaches are crucial to its economy. In 2008, at least 60 percent of vacation spending in Florida occurred in beachfront cities. Florida's economy is central to its politics. And Florida's politics is - well, think back on the last several presidential elections.
The President is proposing to roll back billions of dollars in tax breaks for the oil companies. He's appointed a commission to find out why BP's well blew.
But unless or until he takes charge - putting BP's U.S. subsidiary under temporary receivership, forcing BP to use all its available resources and submit itself to full federal oversight and control - his own presidency is in danger of being tarred by the same thick gunk that's about to wash up on the Redneck Riviera.
Open Article On Originating Site
Robert Reich is Professor of Public Policy at the University of California at Berkeley. He has served in three national administrations, most recently as secretary of labor under President Bill Clinton. He has written twelve books, including "The Work of Nations," "Locked in the Cabinet," and his most recent book, "Supercapitalism." His "Marketplace" commentaries can be found on publicradio.com and iTunes.
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Comments
No other choice. You cannot ride the fence on this. To issue new oil drilling permit(s) in light of current circumstance is unforgivable. No one is going to care that it was for shallow water oil drilling. There is no nuance here. No shades of gray. President Obama!!! take charge or start packing.
And a question for you all: Just what is Obama supposed to do? Did the government have contingency plans for this type of disaster? Is there some agency in place that was designed to jump in and save the day in the event of a worst case scenario? Thanks to the republicans we have underfunded government agencies while kissing up to the corporations and NOW everyone is screaming for the government to act. Well the reason it is unprepared is because we never put funding into being prepared in the first place which is pretty sad if you ask me.
I agree Obama is not at fault. It does not matter. This oil is going to stick to him. The sooner he acts unilaterally and without hesitation, the sooner he will save his presidency.
Nothing else matters.
Let give you all one example of Obama-Salazar at-al failure to act: The San Antonio's zoo staff have offered to use their vast experience (tanker Valdez, etc.) and natural habitats to go to the gulf, help clean up pelicans and other birds and house them temporarily in our zoo's natural habitats. Yet, no one has contact them. Salazar puts on denim jeans and cowboy hat and walks around the gulf like a dummy saying BP is doing "everything possible." Obama tells the gulf families that he feels their pain.
Next we'll see Obama tell Salazar, "You're doing a great job, Sali!" (Remember Bush?)
Sad and pathetic.
I voted for Obama. Lately I really, really regret it.
Rodolfo Quijano
Why aren't we seeing the same thing in the Gulf Area. We see a lot of hand-wringing and wailing. We see tourists lolling and waiting for the great tide of oil. What I haven't seen are the efforts to set up volunteer training for clean up and reporting oiled wildlife to get rescued. Why? Why are those tourists helping out while they are there? Why are the fishing and pleasure boats all ready to put out booms to keep the gunk away from the shores?
You cannot just charge into the wetlands and marshes, soaking up oil and further trampling a damaged environment. How would you send volunteers out into the current attempting to scrape the oil off animals and the surface of the water, fully knowing the chemical dumped on the oil have caused it to sink and the toxins from the chemicals are being spread throughout the area?
There ARE volunteers, fishing boats, and "pleasure boats" out there trying to pull booms into place, dump sand to protect beaches, and all else that might be possible.
What makes you think there are all that many tourists?
We are the Government and the pressure brought to bear by the people at the Bay Bridge eco-disaster is taking our country back in a meta sense.
The complexity of the situation would be best handled by having Gov ppl organize the public efforts - doing something even if it's wrong would not be propitious.
Many people are cleaning--just without the resources required.
Just like the financial crisis precipitated by Goldman Sachs, etc. (a cancer on our economy), this is a much bigger attack on the USA than 9-11, but do you think Obama should send troops to bomb BP's UK headquarters?!
Fundamental structural change is needed for the long term - who has the authority to outlaw multinational corporations and eradicate these cancers?
In the short term, perhaps Obama can rally the international community of scientists/engineers/environmental activists to find and implement a solution and (like Apollo 13) this will be "our finest hour" and not our biggest disease/disaster.
WELL! Maybe this is the opportunity to get BP to put millions of Americans back to work- creating various ways to handle the present problem and all those that are bound to follow. Build plants near the Gulf coast and make EVERYTHING imaginable to use in the water and along the coast.
The CARLISLE GROUP & the Cheney-Bush OILMEN knew this was bound to occur, just like everything else that has happened under the cheney-bush cabal.
Lets not forget that republicans candidates & their
mouth-pieces frenetically chanted "DRILL BABY DRILL" during their attent to remain in office. It didn't matter where; inland, off-shore or way deep 25.000 feet in the ocean.
Forget not their failed wars' secrets! Even before that, that same bunch wanted to LEASE our ports to the arabs...IMAGINE these terrorists' producing countries managing the store?
BP stands for "bad politics, bad politicians, bad policies
& bed politicians.
Drastic Measures are needed NOW to create energy alternatives for Americans brfore we are forced to change the red, white & blue for gunk, sunlight, fire & candles.
It does not matter who caused this. The only thing that matters is what happens now. The general impression is that Obama has not acted soon enough or decisive enough. Obama is opening himself up to criticism that he will not be able to defend.
To Dorothy H. Yes, it would help immensely if Obama would put on some work trousers and start personally mopping up that mess. Symbolism and the right words are everything. Read what Churchill and Roosevelt did. It would also help if he would declare this a disaster; mobilize the USGS, he should be mobilizing a national guard unit to help, he should begin receivership or seizure of BP assets, he should already have arranged for thousands at the shores of Florida's west coast (and of course other places). There is much to do. I could print a laundry list of things he should do. They do not each have to succeed. It is action that these communities cry for. I will say more in a few minutes.
It does matter who's at fault... what are you saying ... "move along folks - there's no story here just keep looking forward" ...
Without Accountability, all is lost.
The rule of Law must be primary and it must prevail in this critical catastrophe.
Capitalism is at fault first and foremost; Then comes the 'Dirty Cops' known as MMS Mineral Management Services. Dirty Cops are worse than the filth they succor and sleep with.
Nationalize the Energy Industry/Cartel NOW.
...but when you get into the Mix of Carlisle or British Petroleum or Bilderbergs these slime balls all sleep together. Neo-Liberals and Neo-Cons - Neo Libs are so much more insidious.
And BP is short for Chernobyl.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BP
Truly a new paradigm...making the idea of the US as a nation of the people, by the people, for the people kind of quaint and ineffective. However, what we've moved into is direct access, as with the internet. With worldwide recognition that oil is killing us, massive boycott - not just as a temporary protest, but a permanent abandonment of oil dependency - seems to be the best solution.
Thank Obama for recognizing this and championing the move to develop non-petroleum sources of energy.
Of course some of them HAVE suggested using a bomb on the oilwell to cap it!!!
Imagine!
Your attitude, expressed "oil disaster is ... best thing to happen", is no doubt shared by many of the radical staff within the Obama administration. How many of those in charge have made your same calculation and decided to let this catastrophe grow in the mis-guided belief that Americans will suddenly reject oil. Maybe the Obama Administration’ s failure to respond is not incompetence but instead Machiavellian calculation. I won’t put it pass them to employ such eco-terrorism.
Good grief. People like you will say anything to avoid having to confess that the Republican drive to deregulate everything and the persistently irresponsible attitude that conservatives have toward the environment might have more to do with this crisis than anything Obama could have done. Obama's biggest mistake so far is that he keeps acting like a Republican plant than a Democratic President.
BP paid workers $12-per-hour to show up for Obama visit, be props for the photo ops
By: Mark Tapscott
Editorial Page Editor
05/29/10 7:05 AM EDT
Has it really come to this? Yahoo News' Brett Michael Dykes reports that BP paid busloads of temporary cleanup workers to show up as stage props for President Obama's visit to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill cleanup operations on Grand Isle.
Dykes quoted Jefferson Parish councilman Chris Roberts who said "the overnight contingent of workers was there mainly to furnish a Potemkin-style backdrop for the event - while also making it appear that BP was firmly in command of spill cleanup efforts. New Orleans NBC affiliate WDSU reports that the workers were paid $12 an hour and came mostly from neighboring Terrebonne and Lafourche parishes."
HT: Examiner contributor Glenn Reynolds at Instapundit.com.
--
Here's a fresh article from Pop mechanics on the spills. And they forgot to mention Torpedo Alley, right off the NC coast during WWII. 452 tankers sunk in 4 months.
http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/energy/coal-oil-gas/biggest-oil-spills-in-history?click=main_sr
And you worry about our so called "socialist headed economy"? You should get on your knees right now and pray that this becomes the case...though of course, it is not...because what our corporate capitalist system has done and is doing is killing us all, literally. This crisis and the economic melt down didn't happen because of a bunch of wacked out socialists. It happened because of the reckless runaway corporate greed machine that is determined to squeeze the life out of us, as long as that will bring a profit.
They are aiming for cutting down their dollar amount for accountability as this thing goes off the publics' radar--as was done with the exxon disaster--and eventually politically limit (bribe) their liability via the courts (check up on how much the "settlement" on the Alaska mess was actually whittled down to!).
Your missing the whole point. The criticism on Obama is based on his not putting BP into receivership or seizing their assets in order to make sure they were doing the job...using those assets to bring the brightest and best minds in the world into this. BP has stood in the way of enormous expertise simply because they are more concerned about covering up their liabilities than they are in solving the problem. Don't think so? Well how can anyone really know if the government remains ignorant of exactly what BP is up to?
didn't make that name up. Where have you been?
We here on the Redneck Riviera call it that. It's a term of endearment.
So ask a redneck sometime if he or she is offended. If so, maybe I'm wrong myself. Me, I'm a Yank and you can call me that all you want.
What do you suggest that he do?
What resources does he have at hand to better deal with the problem than BP?
Someone tell me how you would suggest that Obama stop the flow of oil within the next two weeks!
Well glad you asked. You should read the article by the way because a remedy IS suggested, although I don't recall a 2 week deadline being mentioned.
First, by Executive Decree he can direct that BP be placed in a receivership or have their assets seized and sold to pay for repairs.
Second, by putting BP in receivership, he can force BP to permit the vast wealth of expertise that BP is locking out, in, so that the problem can also be involving the best and brightest globally.
We should NOT have to take BP's word for it that they are doing everything they can to protect the best interests of the public. They, as a corporate entity, are not made for this purpose and probably wouldn't know how.
Even now, I use sunscreen.
I'm not sure I believe this. But, that was the news report
Obama could appeal to a lot of the younger people out of work to sign up for working in the golf region. He can inspire people. Why not make it a national cause. It IS for it will certainly affect all of us in many ways.
It is too easy to get people worked up against something or somebody. We should try to be FOR SOMETHING and get together about rescuing our precious resources, our people, land and ocean. Let's do it
ab, they were CAPPING this well. Drill Baby Drill is an oxymoron. Oil, no matter where it's pumped from is the same price per barrel. Drill Baby Drill is the epithet of power not of necessity.
There is much more OIl in the Bakken and Willetson basins of Eastern Montana and Western North Dakota than all of discoveries in the US... Enuff Oil by some analysts to last 100 years at current consumption... Even if that view is 1/2 right - why aren't the Oil companies on the Red Neck high plains 'Doing the Drill Baby'? Where the land is not nearly as fragile as all the worlds Sea Water?
Enough already! Do exit your car and stop pointing fingers at everyone else. As it stands, thanks to our plasticized, gas-guzzling all-American lifestyle, the oil industry is fresh out of "easy oil" worldwide. Now it's untested technology boldly going where consumers demand and Government enables (what politician doesn't know you'll get your cheap gasoline "fix" or run him/her out of office?) If you still want to throw punches at the White House, though, aim at the "DRILL, BABY, DRILL" de-regulating Republicans from Reagan through the Bushes. Fellow Americans, YOU are the the oil-a-holic champions of the globe. You're #1. China, at #2, uses one fourth the oil we do per capita. USING LESS CAN BE DONE. And why should you "suffer" such a drastic change? To save one bird. One earth. Overconsumption of oil products is the real story here, isn't it.
The shame of it all is that we could consume energy just as much as we do with only a fraction of it coming from oil, and more, but you won't get this truth in the media.
Look folks, it was Bush, Clinton, Bush and drill baby drill. The fact is that NOBODY KNOWS WTF TO DO! Three simple rules for life on earth for all citizens:
1. Don't "do" what you can't "undo".
2. If you violate rule one, get out of the way.
3. If you violate rules 1 and 2 then you should go to JAIL CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY!
Let's face it folks, it's one big system and if you screw it up here, it's gonna be screwed up everywhere! Where are the other countries? March BP to the world court and try them with the rest of the human beings that act with callous disregard for their fellow humans.
The sooner we start boycotting oil in every way, shape or form that our resources permit, the sooner we stop being part of this ongoing murder of our peoples and our planet.
All those hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of thousands of human beings killed just this decade, for oil, haven't woken us up. So will this?
But what can we do? ...take the bus...eat and buy locally produced items...conserve energy...but it is hopeless, we are so dependent on our vehicles...what can we do to really get away from oil? I'm sure joe six pack still wants to drive his hummer, but I'M READY! NO MORE ENSLAVEMENT TO OIL!
We are desperately in need of leadership.
I'm not sure we want college kids from wherever out there "volunteering', even at $12/hr. That goo is TOXIC, and kills life forms. Its already made many very sick. There are lots of boats out there already, Skimmers and recovery boats from around the world should be asked to converge in the Gulf, as should scientists and free journalists.
This has become an event of international proportions - so any "control" becomes spotty.
It does go back to BP exec's over ruling the drill crew and insisting that they press forward when the bad incident (explosion) occurred. From there the liability began. Read the reports from a month ago.
How many innocent lives lost this decade...for oil?
Our system is set up so that we are literally enslaved to oil. Most of us have no way to take mass transit to work, or to boycott oil in any way.
But we must. We must find a way to boycott oil. We need renewables now, but even more than that, we need to stop the wars and killing, stop the madness.
holier-than-thou condescending little man
he typically tends to be. Like the very
people in government he now critiques, he
believes himself to be better than other people, and sets himself upon a pedestal.
There is precedence for this. In the summer of 1950 Harry Truman had the Army take over the railroads threatened with a crippling strike, and later that year did as much for the Steel Industry, in order to protect National Interests, most particularly the "police action" in Korea. This took guts, especially as he was close to labor, and helped cement his reputation as a "near" great President.
I am afraid gut check time for the Obama Administration has come and gone. Unfortunately our Emperor has no clothes.
There is no way that anybody other than BP can deal with the actual leak. The government does not have the equipment or the experience with leaks in oil drilling equipment a mile deep in water.
We do know that Steven Chu and some of the best engineers in this country are trying to figure out how to stop the oil. If it can be done, they will figure out how.
In the meantime, STOP BEATING UP ON OBAMA! He's doing the best anybody could do.
This is a horrible state of affairs. However, as a journalist, I would hope RR could find the answers to these questions by interviewing people who have this knowledge, instead of spreading fear and frustration. Go to the chairman of a university's petroleum engineering department and find out the answers and help to education the American people and the world to the difficulties, dangers and time lines involved in drilling deep water oil wells.
So many reactions........................................................................................................how should we react, how should we feel, have we no indignation?
This disaster has global consequences. Geologists have known since at least the 70's that fluid displacements under the earth's surface have the potential to create shifts of soil and rock and even tectonic plates, contributing to increased earthquake and volcanic activity.
We have technologies that can be used both in the capping the well and cleanup; however the will to use them is either lacking or thwarted. When I asked a friend, (retired military) why the oil eating microbes weren't being used for the clean up, he suggested that although proven effective, there is fear they would invade and destroy our oil reserves stored in the salt mines in LA. But all that oil would only last about 45 days. That seems a paltry amount compared to the unending Gulf gusher
This catastrophe is a wake up call to each of us to do whatever we can to work for the good of the planet and all creatures living on it.
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