Activist Judge Condemns Own Grandchildren, Sides with Big Oil

[charlabob]

I think JoB is right — if BP had followed their own documented procedures, and had not fired many of the people who reminded them of the procedures, this wouldn’t have happened.

As far as I can tell, the FAA is the only regulatory agency that hasn’t been gutted by the forces of free marketry. Watching planes fall out of the sky would be too hard to rationalize or hide.

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[HMC Rich]

It is true that we disagree quite often. I am happy the cap seems to be holding. This has been a failure by BP and the Federal Government. JOB, the Republicans have not held one party rule since Reagan.

Although Reagan and Republicans (at times) preach(ed) deregulation, you know yourself that some was started under Jimmy Carter. I ask you again to accept the fact that men and women from both parties are responsible for these current problems. Good and bad.

Now the Ugly, Mr. Obama promised in his campaign that nothing like Katrina would happen under his watch. Nothing like political posturing until it happens to you! He was wrong and his lack of Executive experience has shown. He deserves some blame as did Bush for post Katrina. I just don’t hear the lame stream media banging the drum so loudly. You must admit, they like Barry better than W. Although not as much recently. I am finished with my jabs.

Regardless, I know the Alaskans who suffered under the Exxon Valdez spill were gamed by the legal system. Mr. Obama understands that, I do believe he has people’s best interest in mind and I am glad he recognized that and “requested” that BP pay the people who have been devastated by this disaster.

The drilling moratorium is purely political but BP messed up once and could mess up again. It is unlikely but you never know. It is past federal government action encouraging and giving deep water drilling the OK which played a significant part in this. Obviously, whatever emergency plan they passed after the Exxon Valdez failed. Maybe they can get it right the next time. Foreign countries are going to be drilling off our shores even more. We have to be prepared.

Wind, Solar, etc will not supplant oil and coal for some time. The government needs to try and get it right next time until a “safer” form of energy is fully implemented. (Whatever that might be.)

Lets drop the partisan BS this time and help, hope, pray or whatever, that this doesn’t happen again or at least for a long time. Too much wildlife and people’s livelihoods have died or been hurt. Lets just be citizens helping each other and mother nature.

Or you can just blame Bush and Cheney…. LOL

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[JoB]

HMCRich..

i just don’t have the energy for a point by point here… too much thinking for one morning…

but i would like to point out that though his energy czar was champing at the bit to enable deep sea drilling… Obama did not gut the agency responsible for disaster response…

Bush gutted FEMA and put an inexperienced crony in charge and the residents of New Orleans are still paying for the damage from that one crucial decision.

when Obama realized the scope of the problem was bigger than he anticipated.. he took responsibility and took action.

Not Bush.

He didn’t even put FEMA back together.

nuff said.

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[HMC Rich]

You did. You just blamed Bush and Cheney. How deliciously predictable. Brown was as big a disaster as Katrina. As for neglecting the department, I have to wonder.

FEMA was changed to be part the Dept. of Homeland Security under Bush. The focus if you remember was terrorism. FEMA was and is mostly dealing with natural disaster.

Bush took a beating for Katrina and I doubt he wanted another disaster. Maybe they did gut FEMA and changed the way disasters are attacked. I don’t know. We do know Brown was a bad choice. I agree.

Mr. Fugate, the current director, was a great choice by President Obama. Jeb Bush did a great job of having him in charge of Florida’s emergency teams. He is a public servant that is effective and liked by all sides.

From the FEMA website:

The Major Disaster Process

A Major Disaster Declaration usually follows these steps:

Local Government Responds, supplemented by neighboring communities and volunteer agencies. If overwhelmed, turn to the state for assistance;

The State Responds with state resources, such as the National Guard and state agencies;

Damage Assessment by local, state, federal, and volunteer organizations determines losses and recovery needs;

A Major Disaster Declaration is requested by the governor, based on the damage assessment, and an agreement to commit state funds and resources to the long-term recovery;

FEMA Evaluates the request and recommends action to the White House based on the disaster, the local community and the state’s ability to recover;

The President approves the request or FEMA informs the governor it has been denied. This decision process could take a few hours or several weeks depending on the nature of the disaster.

As far as I can tell, FEMA was not fully utilized during this last crisis. Only History will let us know.

But, NOLA and people after Katrina were also responsible in part with Brown. Bush didn’t blame the standing Governor, or Nagin, (unlike another President who always blames someone else). Local, State and Federal decisions hurt NOLA and the Gulf. Your partisanship is blinding you.

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[JoB]

HMCRich..

the thing that keeps the US government services rolling in spite of the political seesaw of presidential politics is career employees.

when you fire career employees who know what they are doing and replace them with political appointees who don’t and bury a critical services department under another agency without giving even the bonehead you placed in charge of it authority.. you gut the department.

when you censure scientists for practicing science because you don’t like the results.. they quit and go to work for private agencies where they actually practice science…

since Bush/Cheny policies were responsible for the great exodus of career employees … yes.. i blame them for the decimation of those agencies.

it’s simple cause and effect… having nothing to do with the political blame game. i’d be as offended if it had been a democrat who played so fast and loose with critical government services.

if you listen closely.. i am not too keen on the hand in glove partnership currently in place between our government and BP oil…

in spite of the fact that a democrat is doing this slippery handshake.

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