IF BP said 2X as much oil will spill before the well is capped, would you leave BP in charge?

[Blackhatjack]

This is ridiculous. BP is destroying tens of thousands of square miles of ocean, beaches, sounds and estuaries --and they won't allow the Government experts to see the sight of the oil spill?

It is time to tell BP to post a damages bond in the billions of dollars, and to open all the records and the spill site to Government scientists so that we can get an accurate reading on this disaster and mobilize the appropriate resources.

[stray cat]

1. Would it be better to call Joe the non-Plumer?

[Blackhatjack]

5. IT would be better if we mobilized the amount of Government Resources needed to meet this disaster

... and don't pretend that the Coast Guard deployed is the full extent of the Government's resources available to meet this disaster.

Contrary to what some people believe, Government scientists know as much about the business of oil drilling and spills as BP's people do. Otherwise they would not be able to effectively regulate certain processes and procedures in carrying out their permitting function.

[marions ghost]

11. We HAVE "mobilized:

Deepwater Horizon Unified Command:

http://www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com/go/doc/2931/541571

[damntexdem]

9. Great idea! But is he big-enough around to plug the pipe?

;-)

[lonestarnot]

2. It's a month overdue!

[LakeSamish706]

3. I agree, it's way past time for the Government to take this thing over. n/t

[Individualist]

10. Absolutely!

[kenny blankenship]

4. Oh you liberal activist types like to borrow trouble! Let's just take it 1 day at a time

for the next 6 months.

See how it goes.

[DURHAM D]

6. Its time to NATIONALIZE the oil companies and take over the

equipment and personnel.

[Blackhatjack]

7. Mark my words...One day soon BP will say it has paid more than the $75mil they are required to pay

... and they are done!

I predict they will also say the clean up is complete, even though it will take decades for the environment to even approach the condition it was in before the spill.

[alc]

8. If you have another option that is certainly better, then take it.

If not, BP needs to remain in charge. Because when (if?) the penalty phase comes after this is over BP will be responsible for the entire process. If someone else takes over now and it takes 2 more months to cap, BP will claim that they would have had it taken care of a week after they were replaced, so they should not be penalized for the last 7 weeks of leaking.

[Blackhatjack]

13. That argument is flawed ... stopping the damage is more impt than the penalty imposed on BP

Let BP argue all they want, they caused the spill.

We need to do what we can right now, with the most resources possible to stop the leak and the damage it is doing.

Keeping Govt scientists from even inspecting the site of the spill has to end.

[notadmblnd]

15. I think BP assets should have a lien placed on them and the government take over

As I've posted here the past few days. I think the government should place all lien on all BP, Trans ocean and Halliburtons assets. Take over the cleanup and use this as an opportunity to relieve some of the economic hardship we've all been experiencing the last 8 or 9 years. The clean up could employ hundreds of thousands from summer jobs for teens to, farmers, to small and large business people.

I don't know why people these days defend large corporations whose only agenda is making money for their stockholders (usually themselves) while the little guy gets screwed, but you sound like you're one of them.

[ShortnFiery]

18. +1

Hell yes! Why do corporations have MORE RIGHTS than human beings and/or citizens?

[flamingdem]

12. Martinez focused on the lifting of the liability cap. I guess it's not for sure nt

[notadmblnd]

16. There's a bill being taken up in congress on it.

[notadmblnd]

14. Nope. too much has already spilled from the ocean floor to leave them in charge.

[amborin]

17. Not only is BP left in charge, but gov't agencies are complicit in suppressing data

downplaying the true magnitude of the catastrophe

[ShortnFiery]

19. BP, Federal Government & Coast Guard = Larry, Curly & Moe.

[WeDidIt]

20. Yep, absolutely I would

because any effort to ramp up a government response would take at least twice as long as BPs response. The government is in no way equipped to handle the situation whereas the law required BP to be equipped to do so.

AFTER this crisis has been resolved, though, I would expect our lawmakers to alter the law by requiring all oil companies to kick into a kitty for a government response team (sorta like firemen on the local level) whose sole responsibility is to respond to this sort of failure in the future and train to correct the problems. Basically a rapid response team of well trained professionals that do nothing but fix these problems. It should be a new cost for all oil companies currently leasing drilling rights from the government and it should be an ongoing cost so long as wells are operative.

Obviously, the current system that has been in place since the Santa Barbara spill is no longer functional and a federal level Oil Spill Rapid Response team is what is required. Furthermore, the feds can leverage assets already in place in the Coast Guard and Military to support such a team, tacking the cost of actually using those resources in an emergency on to the bill the oil company who experienced the failure has to pay after all is said and done.

[Blackhatjack]

21. Not true... the Government could take control of BP's assets on the site and make decisions...

WHICH is the problem here. BP is not demonstrating they are making the right decisions, and the Government would not have a conflict of interest like BP does in making those decisions.

Police and Fire personnel marshal the private assets of people in times of disasters. Do the same here and start making the decisions which are right for everyone, not just BP.

[WeDidIt]

22. Not without an act of Congress, a court order, or a declaration of Martial Law

None of those are forthcoming and plus, the knowledgable people would still be under no obligation to work for the federal government under any of those three conditions.

BP basically has the government by the balls on this one because past governments bent to their every whim.