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.”…
[T]he 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…
“They promised us they were going to get it done as quickly as possible,” [Jindal] said. But “every time you talk to someone different at the Coast Guard, you get a different answer.”
Yep - I want the federal government have more control over my healthcare. More.
Once more the government does it's best to show who is in chrage!
ReplyDeleteIt's GovTastic!
Now, about those tens of thousands of feet of oil boom sitting unused in Maine.... The Coast Guard said they failed quality control tests. However, independent certified inspectors showed the material was better than the specs required and was a better material than what is presently being used. FWIW, It's the SAME material used to make containers to hold toxic waste.
The Head of the Coast Guard needs to resign. He's a national embarrassment, as is his staff.
ONe day the Prez is ripping BP a new one and reaching up in them and pulling out billions of dollars, the next: The USCG stops the collection of the very offending substance that got a personal invite to the White House.
ReplyDeleteI don't want them in charge of the clean up, health care, financial regulation, and a variety of other things they have already proven their incompetence in.: Like AW1 notes below, they can't even manage to scour the country for resoruces that are made to mitigate such disasters....yep, that's my kind of leadership: SEND IN THE LAWYERS!
Consider that is just what Congress dows (a bunch of lawyers): Run around demanding everyone come and bow to them, and then blame those, while the disaster is still out of control. YN1 in the 'Stan for Decision Maker-in-Chief. At elast he stopped the flooding without even thinking. Obama, he isn't even thinking...period, except about the polls, and that, I imagine, is why he walks around piSSed off and yellling at CEOs...oh, and that oil thingy...don't distract me!
You know... I see people falling all over themselves with workable products to mitigate this disaster. Their calls go unanswered. I see foreign nations offering help that goes spurned. Two months of inaction.
ReplyDeleteYou'd almost think this administration WANTS a horrible ecological catastrophe.
It's like watching the mayor refuse to let the fire department turn on the hoses while your house burns down.
Almost seems like it's on purpose.
The only other choice is mind-blowing incompetence. So which is he? Incompetent or malicious?
Both. Which is almost cognitively dissonant and even more frightening to contemplate.
ReplyDeleteI second that...and the combination is disasterous to America...not just the Gulf States...and don't forget...all those states have Republican Govs....I'm not much of a conspiracy guy at all, but I do know this: The WON seems to never talk with Republicans, he just lectures them and then takes no questions. That is another dangerous trait. Be it narcicism, or arrogance (a by product of same), or fear of "losing face" when an -R has a better solution, or just plain old rudeness, he never "reached across the asile," before and he certainly rejects the idea now. It's all about a man-child and his willing bunch of enablers...
ReplyDeleteOh, and he seemed to have falied to do much about the very bad winter in the Bible Belt, too. Lots of angry gun and Bible toters in those parts who tend to vote the R side of the ballot all too often for his likes....sorry, but there is a pattern as to who he helps: unions, not small business, Dems over Republicans...like in whose GM dealerships stayed, and which ones got taken over, by the people who were on his contributors list Manipultion of the economy to line the pockets of his supporters, to the detriment of all.
/rant.
God protect us if another 9/11 comes to this nation.
All this shows is the lack of planning for the "What Ifs." We have no proactive thought process any more. We react. We hope on percentage that X won't happen and then appear stunned when it does.
ReplyDelete9/11, we were not prepared. Katrina response was total failure at all levels of government. And now we have an enviromental disaster of epic proportion and the best we can do is blame everybody. A complete failure by industry and government.
This type ofbureaucratic BS is unbelieveable. This is like looking for ammo requisition when the enemy has already overrun the perimeter.
And to think we put people on the moon. Sad day in Mudville.
Too bad the USCG doesn't have anyone who could inspect the barges and see if they met maritime safety standards. Oh wait.....
ReplyDeletePlanning is fine, but no plan survives first contact with reality. No amount of planning will help if we are unable to cut the bureaucratic bs, stop thinking like lawyers and just get things done. It is the legalistic mindset that is killing us.
ReplyDeleteWe put people on the moon, when the nation valued an educational system that actually taught the RRR style of info, not the school system that spends it's time teaching how you don't have to compete and you deserve....no! it is your right to feel happy about yourself at all times.....oh, and not to teach history, economics, checkbook balancing, that authority figures are that for a reason, and yes, sometime, but certainly not all the time, they do stupid things and abuse their power....
ReplyDeleteAnd that brings up a point: This "generation" of voters, the yutes...widely accept the man, who would abuse anyone to make him feel good, or to derive more power...and he will not hesitate to shove you into the path of a moving, massive vehicle, if you aren't getting him to where he wants to go. The opposite of what they have been told about the "We are the World" life philosophy.
Thank you, teachers of America, who have adoopted the 60s-70s "Do you own thing/if it feels good DO IT!" style of formulating the mind set of the impressionable.
You'll get the output that you input, kinda like computers, huh?
/rant #2
Well, the pattern is there. Don´t be ashamed for mentioning the self-evident. And the same pattern is evident in foreign policy. Carrots for enemies, the stick for friends. Apologies to thugs, the finger to allies. Bowing to the Saudi King vs. his pathological (hey, it goes beyond childish) hatred for all things British.
ReplyDeleteJust have to wonder if Al Gore will be bitching about his charter jet fuel bill in a few months.
ReplyDeleteI know I will be bitching about my gas bill...
And will be wondering about the integrity of my paycheck yet again as fuel prices skyrocket due to his foray into more of his silly-ass Change
Of cousre, the Big O doesn't care about what it costs to fly that VC-25 around for his silly photo-ops....burning 6 tons plus an hour.
We get to pay for that.
Oh...and that Bushwhacker....
Wonder if Gibbs and crew knew about the chequered history swirling about that frozen concoction?
(Linda -then- Taylor knew me quite well...mainly because I used to bounce checks in her bar from time to time. Also knew many of the miscreants caught up in the sweep. The list read like a high school almni roster)
And will be wondering about the integrity of my paycheck yet again as fuel prices skyrocket due to his foray into more of his <span>silly-ass Change </span>
ReplyDeleteMeaning of cours Mr O and his side-kick, "No Crisis it too bad to waste", Fishead Rahm Emmanuel.
Poor Puddle Pirates
ReplyDeleteA caller to a radio talk-show in New Orleans said that: "If CG Admiral Thad Allen had been an Admiral in WWII we'd still have German subs in Lake Pontchartrain!" LOL!!
ReplyDeleteinteresting comments. obama, govvies, environmentalists, uscg, bureaucrats, rahm, al gore all getting the blame.
ReplyDeletedoes anyone besides me think that the oil companies had a major role in this disaster?
Mark, the oil company had the accident. Yes.
ReplyDeleteBut the regulations were or were not enforced by the governing bodies that may or may not have had campaign contributions from said oil companies.
And we're not talking about the disaster. Most of us know that sh#t happens. Sometimes it just does. We're mad about the 60 days where the gummint seems to have not only sat on its thumbs and done nothing, but seems to actively prevent others from cleaning up a littler mess before it becomes the oil blob that ate the Gulf of Mexico.
Now we have USCG people counting life jackets and ignoring the big picture... a president who could have but did not allow foreign oil tankers to come into our coastal waters and help using their tried and true technology, as well as a host of other people who may have been able to help.
The discussion has shifted...subtle, but...here's the meat of it: The spill continues, this is about how the very organization that gets in front of the cameras daily to demand the stoppage, are also the very ones, off camera, making sure we pull the effective resources off the playing field, or keep them in check by worries over issues of "environmental impact" on special species and the like.
ReplyDeleteSomehow, with a real and significant spill pumping millions of gallons a day into the Gulf is not mitigated for some concern over the correct amount of life jackets and fire extinguisher. If I were there, I'd make the Coasties go out to the scene and do their inspections, and if necessary, have the proper equipment brought out to ensure the safety standards are met...on station, so the capture and clean up can continue, as it needs to. But then, I believe in being effective, within a bureacracy, not a bureacracy justifying it's existence and demanding they be shown the proper respect...Somehow I'm thinking Cartman here.
Do you want it stopped by BP and contained as best possible, or do you want to make sure no bureaucrat's position isn't endangered becuase they didn't have the right form filled out and reviewed and filed?
So, the discussion is about the Government hindering the response.
Now, let's play Deveil's Advocate: What if a real leader in the White House said: "I will not rest until I have personally made sure every resource at the disposale of the US Goverment is brought to bear in these circumstances. If that means I have to get on the phone personally and give the OK to someone, and accept that responsibility to bypass a normally credible process, get them on the phone...and bring me lots of coffee, it's going to be a long few weeks....This, ladies and Gentelement, is an emergency of epic proportions and I'm standing by to leave no stone unturned in getting it stopped. We'll worry about the other enviromental impact later, but as long as the well is not capped, we have a greater danger to consider. Chief of Staff, make it happen and don't let me catch you slacking off, or you're history. Chairman of JCS: Same goes for you. For everybody, I want a briefing on what regualtions and law we have to consider "
Fat chance we'll hear that, right?
If you'll all about finger pointing while your house is burning down around you, then you're a suitable candidate for the Government Officials who are mangling the response.
Note: Try to keep up witht he context of things...
See... if I were BP I'd be mad too. Here is the gummint demonizing them while it's tying everyone's hands keeping anyone from mitigating the disaster. And meanwhile.... the cash register is ringing up zillions of dollars in damages each day to the beaches and fishermen and tourist industry that will come out of BP's pockets.
ReplyDelete"But the regulations were or were not enforced by the governing bodies that may or may not have had campaign contributions from said oil companies. "
ReplyDeleteinteresting non-allegation allegation.
face it the regulations were gutted because we had two oil men in the white house
I viewed it as trying to get the oil company to do their job (because the private sector always does it better right?) now we are apologizing to the oil companies
sad
People can bad mouth the Coast Guard about this, but if one of those barges went down or had a fire resulting in loss of life and the CG had ignored the regs, most of the people now complaining about the run away bureaurocracy would be calling for Court Martials. Another wonderful loose - loose situation.
ReplyDeleteNow I know that one of those "oil men" was Barack Obama, who got tens of thousands of dollars in donations from BP for his campaign... and who gave the oil rig in question an award for safety. Was the other "oil man" Joe Biden?
ReplyDeleteno one is tying bp's hands. they just need to execute that plan they had for responding to the spill. the one that protects me and my kin!
ReplyDeleteSo tell us, Walrus, which sets of regulations were gutted? And by whom? And when?
ReplyDeleteHow about the USCG gets someone down there in a hell of a hurry to perform said inspections?
ReplyDeleteHow about pulling them off in shifts and keeping the work going and inspecting them one by one and then stocking them w/ the gear needed if they didn't have it. This isn't rocket science. I bet you could even have BP pony up the 5k for gear.
ReplyDeleteHow's about taking a Coast Guard vessek and insoecting those barges while they are at work? You don't have to be tied up in order to be inspected. It only takes two Coast Guard inspecters to do the job, one to act as coxwain for their boat, and the other to baord and inspect.
ReplyDeleteIt seems to me that the Coast Guard is trying to reclaim it's failed reputation by bullying and over-handed tactics.
If they want to stop you while fishing to check your tags and safety gear, they never force you back in until they find a problem. They board the vessel, perform the safety check and roll on.
ReplyDeleteYeah, Phib.
ReplyDeleteLet your health care, your education funding, your day-to-day existence, and your retirement income be handled by bureaucrats.
Yep...I gues a guy who had some of the large donations in the WH isn't swayed at all...well, then again, he is a guy who will take your support and money, unitl it loses him ratings in the polls, then you find out what the underside of a fast bus looks like.
ReplyDeleteQuit blaming every thing on two men. They're out of office now, and besides, I bet you still drive your car, use plastics and other petroleum based products...that means you're very much a part of the problem.
Get rid of your oil based life, then come back and toss such accusations around..and yes, the MMS under The WON did tell that rig they were looking mighty fine. Bush didn't do that. It's now Obama's watch. Man up and smeel the coffee.
Jibber Jabber! We stop Oil Recovery vessels, but let Pirates go? MAYBE THEY SHOULD JUST FLY JOLLY ROGERS!!
ReplyDeleteLOL!
ReplyDeleteSomething to ponder. The claims that will be filed are most likely going to be filed by the federal government against BP on behalf of the people impacted. Problem. Tort law 101, which a great legal scholar like BO should know...includes the doctrine of mitigation. A wronged party has an affirmative duty to mitigate their own damages. I con't see that happening here.
ReplyDeletedoes anyone besides me think that the oil companies had a major role in this disaster?
ReplyDeleteOne company in particular...BP.
They've had known safety issues since the '05 Texas City Refinery explosion which have never been fully addressed.
Tarring the entire indusrty, and putting many thousands out ofwork, while at the same time putting a double fiscal whammy on the states most affected by the spill ...all for some more of Mr. O's Great Change Experiment... is the most egregious act of Presidential misconduct since Watergate.
That said, all the breathless histrionics from the right about how this is such a never recoverable disaster...which we all know is payback for the (largely undeserved) drubbing Bush got over Katrina...is not helping things either.
My Boat is sitting on my trailer pulled from my dock. The Entrance to the Bayou is tripled boomed and the oil creeps closer. We dont have enough skimmers and the sense of the loss of proportionality is mind numbing... 80 BP "workers" in 100 degree weather on the beach in jeans and hazmat gear to surround a tar ball and put it in the hazmat bag... reminds me seriously of the Caddy Shack pool scene and Bill Murray....
ReplyDeleteFools
Is that Bayou Grande Mr. T?
ReplyDeleteWhat about Grand Lagoon and all those scallop beds?
And....tongue only kinda sorta in cheek....
ReplyDeleteWait until the tropical situation sparks up in a few (8-12 *) days with a possible named storm in the Gulf.
The media will be in a record breaking frothy panic.
Heck, Al Gore may even join a Monastery (or Convent or Mosque)!
(* according to my proprietary, Sid's Hurricane Ersatz Ensemble - Initial Track model. Its good enough to put a beer bet on the table...)
From a more reputable ensemble source...
ReplyDeleteThis is a 216 hour graphic from the 20 June 12z ECMWF Ensemble Model Run.
(I like my Ersatz Ensemble better because it runs on beer or tequila)
"VT" stands for Forecast Valid Time: Tuesday 29 June 2010 12Z
Will be an interesting couple of weeks.
Sid, I am up in Perdido Bay on Heron Bayou.
ReplyDeleteGrand Lagoon has not recovered since Ivan. now... who knows.
Pretty up in there...
ReplyDeleteNow anyway.
When I first moved to P'cola, the paper plant had that region looking like a dead zone.
So I suspect whatever misfortunes may come will heal in time....
Sorry...forgot to add this...
ReplyDeleteWhat's maddening is technology like this seems to be ignored:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71l_rJDMMyE&feature=related
May want to make sure your yearly storm preps are spooled up Mr T....
ReplyDeleteJust sayin'
As for the potemtial harm to some of the most picturesque estuarine systems this planet has, be glad you have Robert Turpin on the job...
I knew him back in a more "bohemian" era when he lived on a Columbia 26 behind the Sandshaker (before Little Sabine turned into yet another Florida condo canyon).
Nobody cares more about those waters than that guy.
Sid,
ReplyDeleteI hear you. Had an email exchange with Bob this last week about the operations of boom in our area. Good man for sure.
thanks for the info. Perdido Bay is recovering, dolphin are seen as far north now as Bayou Marcus.
Of course BP had the major role. That is because oil isn´t pumped by "obama, govvies, environmentalists, uscg, bureaucrats, rahm, al gore". They can never fail. Nothing is ever their fault.
ReplyDelete