by Tina Grazier
I’m sorry but there is just no excuse for what is happening in the Gulf. We have someone in charge with the power to override bureaucratic red tape in an emergency situation, particularly the Jones Act and rules governed by the EPA, Coast Guard, and the Corps of Engineers. That very powerful man is the President of the United States, Barack H. Obama. Why has he repeatedly failed to act? What could possibly be motivating him when clearly his inaction is only making matters much worse for the people in the area and the environment? I have to say it, the man has finally demonstrated that he’s good at something other than speaking from a teleprompter…he’s very good at maintaining and sustaining a crisis situation.
ABC News reports from the Gulf…here’s an excerpt:
Eight days ago, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal ordered barges to begin vacuuming crude oil out of his state’s oil-soaked waters. Today, against the governor’s wishes, those barges sat idle, even as more oil flowed toward the Louisiana shore. ** “It’s the most frustrating thing,” the Republican governor said today in Buras, La. “Literally, yesterday morning we found out that they were halting all of these barges.” ** Sixteen barges sat stationary today, although they were sucking up thousands of gallons of BP’s oil as recently as Tuesday. Workers in hazmat suits and gas masks pumped the oil out of the Louisiana waters and into steel tanks. It was a homegrown idea that seemed to be effective at collecting the thick gunk. ** “These barges work. You’ve seen them work. You’ve seen them suck oil out of the water,” said Jindal. ** “We are all in this together. The enemy is the oil,” said Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. Dan Lauer. ** But the Coast Guard ordered the stoppage because of reasons that Jindal found frustrating. The Coast Guard needed to confirm that there were fire extinguishers and life vests on board, and then it had trouble contacting the people who built the barges.
Follow the link to continue reading “BP Oil Spill: Against Governor Jindal’s Wishes, Crude-Sucking Barges Stopped by Coast Guard,” by David Muir and Bradley Blackburn – ABC News
Fire extinguishers…FIRE EXTINGUISHERS!!! This exercise in inanity jerks us back to the original question. Why does the President not act? It’s as if he wants this crisis to continue! It’s as if he doesn’t care and that can’t be the reason…can it? Well, just for fun let’s look at five important steps in maintaining and sustaining the gulf oil crisis:
1.Ignore the problem by acting officious and in control while doing nothing; play a few rounds of golf. (check)
2.Quietly refrain from overriding red tape and bureaucracy (Fish and Wildlife and the Corps of Engineers were asked by Louisiana officials on May 11th for permission to construct berms. (Still waiting)
3.Change policies and methods. (Louisiana sent a letter to BP and the EPA on May 8 begging BP not to use dispersants below the surface of the water. On May 13, EPA overruled the state and permitted BP to use dispersants 4,000 feet below the surface. After BP released 55,000 gallons of dispersants below the surface, EPA ordered
BP to stop using the dispersant and to “find a less-toxic” one.)
4.Talk a lot and make use of all important emotions; be sympathetic, encouraging, confident, angry, and tough. and don’t forget to threaten!
5.Blame and demonize the easy targets and excuse oneself.
Remember, a successful endeavor will inevitably lead to an envious congress chomping at the bit to climb aboard the crisis train. You’ll know when that happens…they’ll hold a congressional grilling…er…hearing!