Obama Not Coming Clean On BP Oil Spill

[dales]

Panel: Gov't blocked scientists on spill estimate.


The Associated Press

WASHINGTON — The Obama administration blocked efforts by government scientists to tell the public just how bad the Gulf oil spill could become and committed other missteps that raised questions about its competence and candor during the crisis, according to a commission appointed by the president to investigate the disaster.

Wayne Andersen, U.S. District Judge (Ret.), left, and U.S. Coast Guard Capt. Hung Nguyen listen to BP PLC contractor Nick Wilson, who was onboard the Deepwater Horizon oil rig when it exploded, as he testifies during joint investigation hearings held by the U.S. Coast Guard and the Bureau of Ocean Management Regulation and Enforcement in Metairie, La., Wednesday, Oct. 6, 2010. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky,Pool)

BP PLC contractor Nick Wilson, who was aboard the Deepwater Horizon oil rig when it exploded, testifies during joint investigation hearings held by the U.S. Coast Guard and the Bureau of Ocean Management Regulation and Enforcement in Metairie, La., Wednesday, Oct. 6, 2010. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, Pool)


In documents released Wednesday, the national oil spill commission's staff describes "not an incidental public relations problem" by the White House in the wake of the April 20 accident.

Among other things, the report says, the administration made erroneous early estimates of the spill's size, and President Barack Obama's senior energy adviser went on national TV and mischaracterized a government analysis by saying it showed most of the oil was "gone." The analysis actually said it could still be there.

"By initially underestimating the amount of oil flow and then, at the end of the summer, appearing to underestimate the amount of oil remaining in the Gulf, the federal government created the impression that it was either not fully competent to handle the spill or not fully candid with the American people about the scope of the problem," the report says.

Read More Here:
http://www.ajc.com/business/panel-govt- ... 63595.html

[Big RR]

This could be deliberate obfuscation or a legitimate difference of opinion as is common in the scientific community. My guess is it's a bit of both. I hope it's investigated further.

[Gob]

It could be just another bit of the right wing bias of your press too ,.

[Andrew D]

And perhaps a bit of selective quotation from the article as well. Leaving out, among other things, this:

While those figures were used as the basis for the government's response to the spill — they appeared on an internal Coast Guard situation report and on a dry-erase board in NOAA's Seattle war room — they were never announced to the public, according to the report.

However, they were, in fact, announced, as news stories from May 2 to May 5 show, though the figures received little attention at the time.

[Gob]

As kids in the UK would say; "suss!"

Oh, BTW,

The amount donated by the US to the Pakistan floods, (in which 1600+ people died/ 4 million were left homeless) $2 million.
The amount demanded by the US from BP following the oil leak, (in which 11 people died/none were made homeless) $220 million

[loCAtek]

Let's not forget the fishing industry- ruined.

The tourist industry- ruined.

The Ecology of the Gulf- To be determined.

That death count doesn't include the number of people who committed suicide in despair over this event.

[Gob]

Still, the lion's share of the money so far -- $337.3 million related to 12,989 claims -- has been paid out to the fishing industry.

The amount donated by the US to the Pakistan floods, (in which 1600+ people died/ 4 million were left homeless) $2 million.

"Fishing is phenomenal because the fish really haven't been touched for a year," said Jerry Andrews, captain of the 65-foot Entertainer. "They're chewing the hooks off."

However, the fishing story here isn't only about the voracious lunkers at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico about 30 miles offshore. It's also the tale of what got away: confidence that part of the Panhandle's lucrative tourism industry will be profitable again anytime soon.

"Here we are trying to snapper-fish on some weekends in October when people are watching football, deer hunting, NASCAR," said Mike "Sandbar" Salley, captain of a boat docked at the Florida- Alabama line. "This is not what we do this time of year in the Southeast. There's just not the interest. I'm thankful for this little bit of season, but I'd rather it would have been no season this year."

Captain after captain said they would have preferred to forgo what's left of this year's snapper quota. The fish has become tightly regulated in the Gulf and Atlantic Ocean because of concerns about overfishing.

"They told us, 'If you don't use it, you'll lose it,' " Andrews said.

Andrews, a 34-year veteran of charter fishing, echoed a belief among captains that joining BP to clean up the spill made up for charter-trip income lost as oil spread across the northern Gulf of Mexico. That means many of the nearly 75 charter boats docked from Pensacola Beach to the Alabama line will survive for this year, he said.

"They made more money working for BP than they could have working for themselves," said Andrews, adding that the oil company paid rent for boats, salaries for captains and deckhands and covered fuel expenses.

http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/201 ... at-captain

[loCAtek]

"We got our first check for the wrong amount and we went to tell them and they said we had to bring in all this paperwork, then we gotta wait two weeks for them to fix the check."
“My husband’s talking about finding BP CEOs and hurting them. He’s not thinking clearly. The oil spill has completely consumed him.”

In the meantime, the women's husbands are working for BP, doing cleanup. Boat captains make $36 an hour, $25 for deckhands, but BP's capping their wages at $200 a day. All around, it's far less than the husbands usually make in June. And there's a lottery for work. Those people who get drawn seven days a week? It's rigged, the women say. There are cliques.

Young, fresh-faced Julie with the toddler on her lap doesn't want her husband doing cleanup anyhow. She tells him to stop doing it because it's dangerous. He says, "How do you want me to feed you?" She says, "How are we gonna eat when we're dead from chemical contamination you're bringing into the house?" He says, "We'll live on the check."

At this point in Julie's re-creation of this daily fight, everyone yells, "But we're not getting the check!"

Mother Jones

[rubato]

And now, by the magic of misdirection, we can pretend that a problem caused by BP and by inadequate regulation (Bush + Republican ideology) is now the fault of President Obama.

And all we had to do was turn off our brains for just a short moment!

See how easy that was?

yrs,
rubato

[rubato]

"...
That death count doesn't include the number of people who committed suicide in despair over this event.

Is it cruel to say that people who commit suicide over a relatively minor setback like this are not that great a loss to the world?

It is, isn't it?

So I won't.

yrs,
rubato

[oldr_n_wsr]

Minor setback?
Living paycheck to paycheck and then all of sudden there is no paycheck and none coming for the foreseeable future and your whole way of life seems to be gone. Oh yeah, that's only a minor setback.

[loCAtek]

of course, I don't blame Obama, I blame BP.

[rubato]

Minor setback?
Living paycheck to paycheck and then all of sudden there is no paycheck and none coming for the foreseeable future and your whole way of life seems to be gone. Oh yeah, that's only a minor setback.

Relative to the response? Suicide? Yes, I think its minor. Most of us have been through something like that, more than once. And in this case a lot of money is being distributed to a lot of people to significantly soften the blow.


Maybe we should have all killed ourselves in despair after the 1989 quake destroyed most of downtown, and damaged or destroyed thousands of homes? Jobs were lost in the rubble, lives were changed, and many of us lost things we can't ever have back again. Time will take everything in the end. But in the meantime lets not make things out to be worse than they are.


yrs,
rubato

[loCAtek]

No, I have to disagree, having lived paycheck to paycheck for almost three years now. The stress is great, and unlike me, these men have families to support. Many of them did go through Katrina, but this is not a single traumatic event but a long series of struggles that they have yet to see relief from. Telling yourself, 'It can't get any worse' has a tendency to backfire, when things do keep getting worse. It's a higher rate there, but suicide because of financial stress is happening all over the country.

[oldr_n_wsr]

Relative to the response? Suicide? Yes, I think its minor. Most of us have been through something like that, more than once.

And most people do/did not commit suicide. A minor setback is when I got layed off. 10 weeks severence pay, 4 weeks vacation pay and 6 months of medical payed for. Plus I have a skill (EE) which was marketable to more than just the company I was working for.
For these people the only thing they knew how to do (fishing) and the only place they could do it was taken away with no end on when they could go back to it (if ever). On top of that they probably had little to no savings, a house mortage and a loan pay on their boat and it adds up to a major setback. Most people handled it as best they can, some didn't see any other way out.

And in this case a lot of money is being distributed to a lot of people to significantly soften the blow

And you know that those who did commit suicide were in line for this "bailout"? And softening the blow for what, continuation of no livelyhood? How long and how deep was this significant amount of money supposed to support these people? Sometimes people don't see the light at the end of the tunnel and sometimes the light they think they see is a train coming at them.

[rubato]

"...
For these people the only thing they knew how to do (fishing) and the only place they could do it was taken away with no end on when they could go back to it (if ever). On top of that they probably had little to no savings, a house mortage and a loan pay on their boat and it adds up to a major setback. Most people handled it as best they can, some didn't see any other way out.

And in this case a lot of money is being distributed to a lot of people to significantly soften the blow

And you know that those who did commit suicide were in line for this "bailout"? And softening the blow for what, continuation of no livelyhood? How long and how deep was this significant amount of money supposed to support these people? Sometimes people don't see the light at the end of the tunnel and sometimes the light they think they see is a train coming at them.

1.
I don't know of any cajuns who 'only know fishing'. All of them have a wide range of skills. Further, no one is entitled to work only in the area they already know. Ever. Things change and the skills which we need as a society change and thus all of us have to learn new things. Suck it up. I have to learn new things every year. Its not easy, but it is necessary.

2.
Many have little or no savings but housing in S. Louisiana is dirt cheap to compensate.

3.
Most of them have been cheating on their taxes for decades and not declaring income. If you heard the NPR stories there was a netmaker who had "no financial records" for income from the prior years so he couldn't demand reparations from BP. It is impossible not to have financial records if you are paying income taxes. Sorry kids, cheating the rest of us and sucking up services without paying for them does not engender compassion. He fucked himself. Too bad.

Yrs,
rubato

[rubato]

No, I have to disagree, having lived paycheck to paycheck for almost three years now. The stress is great, and unlike me, these men have families to support. Many of them did go through Katrina, but this is not a single traumatic event but a long series of struggles that they have yet to see relief from. Telling yourself, 'It can't get any worse' has a tendency to backfire, when things do keep getting worse. It's a higher rate there, but suicide because of financial stress is happening all over the country.

Life is difficult.

It is supposed to be.

If it were not then it would not be the work of an adult to overcome the challenges. It would be only given to lazy and stupid children.

At the end of the day the thing we needed most was the challenge and the suffering that went with it. Because those are the measures of value. That is what makes human life something to cherish.

yrs,
rubato

[oldr_n_wsr]

1.
I don't know of any cajuns who 'only know fishing'.

How many Cajuns do you know? and did any of the ones you know commit suicide?

All of them have a wide range of skills.

And many of those skills have some conection to the water, which had been polluted. Some may fish, hunt in the marsh and build boats. All things they can't do anymore.

Further, no one is entitled to work only in the area they already know. Ever.

Entitled? hardly, this was ripped out from under them.

Things change and the skills which we need as a society change and thus all of us have to learn new things. Suck it up. I have to learn new things every year. Its not easy, but it is necessary.

I'm an electrical engineer, tell me about learning new things every year.

Many have little or no savings but housing in S. Louisiana is dirt cheap to compensate.

Show me that house you can buy with $0.00 (total, not just the down payment) and where is that place with $0.00 property taxes, I've been looking for that area.

3.
Most of them have been cheating on their taxes for decades and not declaring income. If you heard the NPR stories there was a netmaker who had "no financial records" for income from the prior years so he couldn't demand reparations from BP. It is impossible not to have financial records if you are paying income taxes. Sorry kids, cheating the rest of us and sucking up services without paying for them does not engender compassion. He fucked himself. Too bad.

So you know the Cajun(s) who commited suicide, that he/they had other skills to ply (or could have learned them) cheated on their taxes thus were inelligeable for BP funds. Got a name or two?

I'm not arguing about what these people did or didn't do in the past was right wrong or indifferent. I am saying that losing ones livelyhood for who knows how long (possibly forever) is a major, life changing event. Some chose suicide, most didn't.

You have said in the past you are a chemist. Imagine that whole industry/research/teachings disappearing. That wouldn't be a major event to you?

[loCAtek]

Read all about it;

This month's Issue

[rubato]

Well if all of those who are useless and cannot learn new skills have killed themselves then the rest of us can get on with it.

And the whingers can shut up.

yrs,
rubato