Today is the fifty-fifth day oil flows unabated into the Gulf now effecting four states. The politicians, president, local leaders, residents, Congress, and Tony Haywood CEO of BP have weighed in on the enormity of the spill, the lasting effects on the environment and wild life, and the extinction of people's way of life. President Obama is returning to the region next week to visit the states involved. Congress invited the families of the eleven people killed during the oilrig explosion to testify, and they stated BP was making it difficult coming to an equitable compensation for their loss. Tony Haywood is spinning the disaster with TV commercials detailing the amount of equipment, booms' deployed, skimmer boats, tankers, number of workers cleaning up; BP will be here for the long run, and he could not wait to get his life back.
Local leaders and officials are constantly complaining about BP's incompetence and they can do a better job. A Florida official wants BP to put 20 billion dollars in a trust fund they can draw from to begin the cleanup in the Panhandle. The national news reported BP is one of the richest companies in the world, holding eight billion dollars in cash reserves, and will not be ruined by this disaster. The president's moratorium on offshore deep drilling has closed down a number of oil wells resulting in more unemployment filings.
The people in charge have forgotten the citizens in four states who depend on the Gulf for their livelihood - fisherman, oilrig workers, and all support services for the oil industry, tourism, and their ancillary services. Their suffering has just begun; the media has pushed them to the wayside, and all they want is their lives back. BP should compensate them for their lost wages now, instead of blowing smoke up their butts, telling them they will be here no matter how long the cleanup takes. When the well is capped, BP will drift away and the affected citizens will be forgotten. Washington's press secretary can hold up a bill for 2 billion dollars, which is going to be sent to BP, but what guarantee do the citizens have it will be paid? The oil is spreading like the Black Plague affecting people daily, while the government and BP continually give them rhetoric. People cannot live on words: they need the resource called money, which will enable them to keep going till they can decided how, and if necessary where to go to get their lives back - as their way of life is gone forever.
With kindest regards, Judowolf
Wayne LeBlanc is a professional blogger maintaining http://www.theolderman.com andhttp://www.judowolf.com. Judowolf is not a wolf. It is a combination of the nickname I gave my wife Judy and my love of wolves. I am 60 years old. Under penalty of death I cannot divulge her age. She has MS. It has been our third wheel for 20 years. |
