In a column published over a month ago (May 3), I made a mistake.
I was sure I would never make another one — but I did.
My critics missed it so I have to acknowledge it myself.
Everyone
has been asking, “who said, ‘drill baby
drill?’” and there was much confusion over the
author of that statement. I actually credited the President
as saying it in my column.
The
famous statement belongs on the other side of the aisle with
Republican Party spokespersons Sarah Palin and RNC Chairman
Michael Steel. Although I remain non-partisan, I apologize
to the Democrats and President Obama and the Republican
Chairman
and Sarah Palin for improperly crediting the statement
(now on everyone’s lips) to the wrong party/person.
I must say at the date I write this column, June 4, it appears
our President can do nothing right. Apparently he made appointments
to a group of which he had no awarenes: Minerals Management
Service (MMS). When it crumbled, he admitted he had no idea
how the head people departed.
I have read statements and heard reports that many elected
officials in Washington had never heard of MMS. When the agency
was credited with possible responsibility for the Horizon oil
explosion disaster in the Gulf, within hours, news broadcasts
told of its many faults and omissions of duty.
MMS has since been credited with many oversights involving
inspections and delivery of permits to oil drilling sites.
It
appears the public and most of the news media feel it is
necessary to point a finger of blame at the President
and believe
he is not showing enough concern about the problems
related to the spill. One commentator remarked, “The President
had a blank look on his face when asked how he felt about the
spill.” What is to be expected? Does everyone
want to see a grown man, our President in tears?
It seems to me there has been enough crying, on all of our
parts, to go around.
There
is widespread public reaction saying the President is not
doing his job. Some say he should
step in
and take over
control of activities in the Gulf and push BP
out of the way. Why would anyone believe our President
would
know
more about
how to handle petroleum problems than those in
the industry? There are those who claim the President
is caving in
to the demands of BP. I have not heard the President
say, “I
want my life back,” yet when BP’s CEO was interviewed,
that is what he said. I have not heard Tony Hayward, BP’s
leader, say he will forgo his golden parachute or give up his
huge raise of last year to contribute to the clean up. He just
wants “his life back.” Just think
about this, perhaps because of an objective to
save a
few dollars
by using inferior
materials, 11 men will never get their lives
back. They are gone forever. Hundreds of jobs
are gone
affecting hundreds of families whose livelihoods
will probably
never come
back.
When
the President responded to request for a moratorium on offshore
drilling in the Gulf,
it halted work
on many rigs.
There were immediate protests from many workers
who rely on work on the rigs to pay their bills
and feed
their
families. This is evidence of the President
being caught between
a rock
and a hard place. He is damned if he does,
damned if he doesn’t.
I
believe the President when he says he is “furious” about
the way the spill has been handled. I also am confident Coast
Guard Adm. Thad Allen is the very best man the President could
have put on the job to oversee clean up efforts and continued
attempts to stop the leak. There is a very large workforce
whose needs change daily. The sand berms being built should
be helpful to control the oil’s flow.
The vessels with skimmers require manpower
to capture
the loose
oil on the
surface. Persons on shore shoveling oil into
bags to be hauled to disposal
sites represent a very large workforce.
I
would like to know why BP ordered workers they hired not
to talk to anyone other than
BP representatives.
What is
gained by these directives other than an
appearance of guilt for the
situation? BP should realize there is enough
blame to go around. The birds, turtles, fish,
crab, otters
and
other
Gulf wildlife
have no voice, they can’t complain
to anyone. Their cries go unheard.
We can all be grateful for the volunteers who are working with
great diligence to gather and clean the critters, alleviating
their suffering. These folks are angels of mercy, perhaps saving
some species from extinction. If people want to see tears,
just show up at one of the clean up sites as the workers lose
one of the oil coated animals.
As the oil continues to gush into the Gulf it may change the
food chain and life as it was known in and around the Gulf
forever. As I see it, it appears the accident could have been
prevented. What is being done now to ensure another similar
accident does not occur?