The Big Government Talking Point And The Exxon Oil Spill Disaster
The Point: "I'm sure the big spill would never have happened if BIG GOVERNMENT were in charge."-
My view is that they violated state laws and federal laws that constitute gross willful negligence. Having a known alcoholic as a captain was the least of these. They legally agreed to certain safety requirements. We required them to use double-hulled tankers to prevent a spill like we had. They were also required to have a containment barge in the water and ready to respond anytime they were in the area. They broke the law just by leaving port, because the barge and all its gear were in dry dock, and buried under ice.
Their special radar for navigating this area was turned off, the crew members were not trained in its use, and its maintenance was not up to date.
Let someone you know who is an alcoholic borrow your car, have some safety equipment disconnected, and not check to see if he has a license to operate the vehicle. They crash into someone's home and/or business; Now, see how easy you get off.
Entire natural stocks of fish that were genetically adapted to the area were wiped out, collapsing local economies and ways of life. The collapsed fish stock and the seasons they were unsafe to eat put many of our fishermen and those who supplied them in bankruptcy...loosing their boats, property, permits and more.
The amount the jury awarded was only 2 and 1/2 days of profit for this company. That is .069% of a years profit for destroying these people's lives and a major source of our food and economy. It would have worked out to an average of about $75,000 each. How many will trade their way of life for that. It was already a token payment.
You can find another way to heat your home before I'll see my neighbors go with out food because we trusted a greedy corporation again by not enforcing our rules to protect us.
For what? So some insecure ??????? can have the gas to ride around LA in a Hummer? It's not worth it--Nor is stealing it from the Iraq's at the point of a gun. If Alaska wasn't already part of the U.S., they would probably come up with and excuse to attack us.
They can drill, pump and ship our oil with out blessings. Reagan said it. "Trust, but verify." Too much depends on it. At this point, they have to earn our trust back. Along with our legislature, since some were owned by the oil companies. Employees that spoke up, including state inspectors, were smeared, spied on, and had their sources smeared.
I'm tired of having the air I breathe, the water I drink, and the food I eat contaminated with toxins that destroy me and those I love along with the natural life around me""all for GREED. The object in a mine is to keep the canary alive...then you are safe. When the canary is sick, you respond and fix the problem.
Our founding fathers did not include corporations in the Constitution for good reasons; based on their own experience as colonist under the thumb of British Companies.
Fool you once, shame on them.
Fool you twice, shame on you.
Fool you thrice, Helloooooooo?
I'm a 61 year old, married and work in sales and marketing. I'm originally from the Atlanta, Ga area. The USAF sent me to Alaska in '67 and I've been here ever since.
The local media respone was generally negative. There are those who think we should leave the poor corporations along, since the fines could cost the share holders. My thought on this is so be it. Maybe they will pay closer attention to how the high paid CEO's are putting their investments at risk with their neglect and short cuts. Isn't that how the free market works. That's what they tolds us when our 401-k's went south.
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WhichTruth (2 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 4 comments)
on Saturday, June 28, 2008 at 2:57:16 PM
From what I read in yesterdays paper, of that measily 500 million they were ordered to pay, 100 million was paid to themselves for settlements reached with commercial companies back in the early 90's!
In answer to Ms. Bassett: It was not unexpected but was none the less exceptionally depressing for many folks who had struggled just to survive these last 14 years, throughout all of Exxons legal shenanigans. Many had lost it all and in little towns like where most of us live, it is not easy to regain.
And we also know that there isn't any protection from the legal system - State or National. I read an appropriate quote about this just the other day: "You know your country is dying when you have to make a distinction between what is moral and ethical, and what is legal." -- John De Armond
We're survivors - have to be to live here but heaven help any politico that deal lightly with, or gets in bed with Exxon in our lifetimes. We still have to deal with them but all good will is long out the window.
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Christopher Wright (16 articles, 2 quicklinks, 2 diaries, 29 comments)
on Saturday, June 28, 2008 at 3:17:30 PM
I recall an article some time ago about an Alaskan native who found himself unemployed as a result of the Exxon debacle and he took up carving shame poles. They were full sized totems that sold for $5,000. He carved one about the Exxon debacle and from what I recall, the corporation really didn't appreciate it very much.
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Dave Kisor (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 123 comments)
on Sunday, June 29, 2008 at 11:02:59 PM
I am a Sourdough. We were raised as trusting people who were not naive. There were consequences for your actions or inactions that were usually harsh. Below is a link to an article Greg Palast writes concerning his disgust for Exxon and the court. Some may read this and think what a bunch of ditz to have trusted a 'corporation' .. but, that was the way.. your word was honoured and your breaking your word was met with harsh consequences. I may not see it - but the souls of those who look on the natives as bugs to be squashed and the environment to be raped - well, I believe they will meet their mirrored reflection and it will be ugly.
Alaskan natives ultimately agreed to sell the Exxon consortium this astronomically valuable patch of land -- for a single dollar.
The Natives refused cash. Rather, in 1969, they asked only that the oil companies promise to protect their Prince William Sound fishing and seal hunting grounds from oil.
In 1971, Exxon and partners agreed to place the Natives' specific list of safeguards into federal law. These commitments to safety reassured enough Congressmen for the oil group to win, by one vote, the right to ship oil from Valdez."
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M. Yeager (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 9 comments)
on Monday, June 30, 2008 at 10:57:08 AM
