Oilspill-Unemployed Fishermen Forced To Give Up Their Pets
posted at 1:32 am on June 10, 2010 by Laura Curtis
It’s difficult to overstate how hated BP is around here, though the Mineral Management Service and the Obama administration are giving BP a run for their money. The economic catastrophe of the oil spill is coming home to people in a very personal way. Many can no longer afford their pets.
Billy Nungesser, President of Plaquemines Parish which is very hard-hit by the spill, spoke for a lot of people when he begged to know who “they” are with the red tape: “Give me somebody to put my hands around their neck!”
With the foot-dragging on allowing Louisiana to protect the wetlands with sand berms, the inexplicable failure to supply much-needed boom and accept help, the “what did he know and when did he know it” questions, and the politically motivated drilling moratorium, a lot of people – as they bring beloved pets to the pound – are wondering if the person Nungesser is looking for is the President. The vacuum barges designed and operated by the Louisiana National Guard are now pending approval and funding by BP. Can’t the man who promised his election would be “the moment when the rise of the oceans began to slow and our planet began to heal” at least clear out some red tape?
Blowback
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This is just horrible! I can not tell you how I detest this bho and his team for the way they are dealing with this oil mess.
L
letget on June 10, 2010 at 8:55 AM
Unacceptable. I couldn’t stand to take any of my dogs to the pound, I’ll eat dogfood with them first. Take your arugula and put it where you are trying to kick, Obowmao!
Mini-14 on June 10, 2010 at 9:22 AM
Hmmmm.
And this isn’t even the beginning. Once the oil hits the saltwater marshes it’s going to separate and drop into bottom … where the shrimp fry live. You won’t see any shellfish or even fish come out of those areas for years.
And really that parish president has it right. What was, is, needed is the appoint a single person to be in charge. To have that person given a cellphone with one single number on it … that goes directly to the President so that red tape can be cut.
But now you’ve got a complete and utter clusterf**k. You’ve got the DHS, EPA, US Army Corps of Engineers and God only knows who else involved. Each of them busily interfering with one another, carving out little fiefdoms of bureaucratic bullcrap.
I really feel for the people down there. They’ve been getting it on the chin for the last decade and it’s not going to stop. And the next, or one of the next, big things to hammer them will be health issues coming from handling and dealing with this oil while not sufficiently protected.
Those fishermen should be given and using at least a minimum level of hazmat gear when dealing with oil. Lots of very nasty chemicals in oil including a lot of stuff that’ll evaporate into the air and get breathed in. Lots of lung and heart issues from inhaling this crap in the future.
A lot of those men are going to die early trying to earn money to feed and house their families.
memomachine on June 10, 2010 at 9:43 AM
The biggest change is that you shouldn’t be allowed to open a well unless you have a workable plan in case this happens. It shouldn’t have been running.
tomas on June 10, 2010 at 11:24 AM
From the American Thinker:
Options to plug the BP oil spill available, but Obama ignores them
Tom Rowan
Consider;
-Natural oil eating bacteria was successfully used to clean up the ocean and shores after the Exxon Valdez accident. To date, the company which produces up to 200,000 gallons a day of the oil eating bacteria has not had their phone calls returned by Obama’s White House or BP.
-Kevin Costner has a small fleet of oil cleaning centrifuges at the ready. This device actually recovers lost oil. Again, Obama’s White House is dithering and BP will not return Costner’s appeals. Costner testified in front of Congress that he was ready to help on day one of the spill over 50 days ago.
-The Dutch government offered to help with the spill on day one. Obama and BP told them “no thanks” over 50 days ago. The Dutch have fleets of oil recovery barges and sand berm protection floats at the ready. Over 50 days of dithering.
-BP’s first attempted fix was to drop a 4 story tall steel & concrete box on the leak. The siphon on the top of the box froze and would not take up the oil. Okay…so??? How bout leaving the damn 4 story concrete box on top of the leaking pipes?
-A 1920 maritime law prevents the US Navy from deploying any assistance to the scene. Obama could wave this relic law of the sea and use the Navy’s expertise in deep waters. Obama will not waive the law. Why not? If Ted Kennedy can call in the US Navy to find JFK Jr’s downed airplane, how come Obama cannot call in the Navy? What is stopping him?
-Governor Jindal has been begging Obama for supplies to shield his state’s beaches. Over 50 days after the request Obama is still dithering.
-Obama declared a State of Emergency for the non-existent threat of Swine Flu. Governor Jindal declared a State of Emergency…how come Obama has not?
These are but a few of the many things Obama could be doing. Instead, he is looking for someone’s “ass to kick” and feigning anger.
During the Iraq War, President Bush sent in Red Adair’s oil capping company into Kuwait. Red Adair’s private company capped 628 sabotaged, booby-trapped, and blown up burning rigs in less than 9 months.
Obama has capped exactly 0 oil wells in almost 2 months.
How’s that government boot on the throat of BP working out for ya?
Sam Adams on June 10, 2010 at 2:15 PM
Heartbreaking and appalling.
Cylor on June 10, 2010 at 4:03 PM
Yeah right, what a crock. Cats and dogs will gladly eat table scraps. I bet these same people somehow manage to still find the funds for their cartons of cigarettes, cases of beer and scratch off lottery tickets. Some people shouldn’t be allowed to own pets in the first place. I can’t wait till this oil spill is over and these fat, whining fisherman douches are off my TV.
Bill Brasky on June 10, 2010 at 11:23 PM
Teh Obamanable One is out to destroy the nation, 5 states down, 45 to go.
Archimedes on June 11, 2010 at 2:16 AM
Bill I am not poor and have never suffered being poor or unable to do only one or two things to make a living, but in the course of work in my life time I have been in many of those homes and know how hard they work just to survive with what they know how to do and hope they can provide for their famlies. Their dogs and cats were probably already surviving on table scraps, and if the animals are going hungry, their kids are too. Think about that as you watch your programs.
While you are doing that, think about why this has become a problem. Maybe a few less parties, less hanging out with the sports pro’s, less golf and working instead of vacationing and talking to the asses he needs to kick on day one, we may not have this situation. Did I mention some real experience at making decisions?
As for that last nasty part of you comment; try just one day out on a working boat. You will be doing more than whinning in the first half hour. Call one a douche to their face… they may just happen to find a plug for that well.
Franklyn on June 11, 2010 at 3:13 AM
Bill, most folks in these communities are living paycheck to paycheck. When you miss three of them, it hits pretty hard. In past times, fishermen could often find work in the oil industry – driving a crew boat, working for suppliers, etc. – if fishing was off season or impossible for one reason or another. Now there simply are no jobs. This is generally a proud community, forced onto the dole thanks to Obama’s insane moratorium – and that’s if you can GET on the dole, with the ridiculous amounts of red tape.
What table scraps? Six weeks into this, people’s pantries have been emptied. Food banks have been emptied. Winn-Dixie has generously donated truckloads to local food banks but that only alleviates, not solves, the problem. And when families are short on food themselves, the family pet also goes hungry.
Laura Curtis on June 11, 2010 at 8:40 AM
Ugly. The pressure cooker of discontent has just got a Hugh-Jass log thrown on the fire underneath…a log coated in gasoline.
This won’t be over physically for years, for reasons quite well explained, and the grudges being formed may last much longer.
Dark-Star on June 11, 2010 at 2:38 PM
This second video is fine. It should be on the main Hotair site. It summarrizes the issues with clarity.
seven on June 11, 2010 at 9:06 PM