The Times Picayune in its editorial opinion of September 2 under the heading "Seafood Image Is BP's To Fix" is another reminder how the newspaper, like many Louisiana elected officials want to pass everything off to BP and the federal government. This time they want BP to pay for fixing the image of Louisiana seafood being safe to consume.
Never mind that federal and state inspectors have found the seafood to be safe and we in Louisiana are eating it daily. (This writer had a catfish poboy just yesterday and President Obama had a seafood poboy last week) More area's of the Gulf have also been opened for commercial and recreational fishing but we are told customers out side of Louisiana do not feel comfortable in eating the seafood.
That means the state, the seafood industry in general (including restaurants) our tourist commission and yes even the Times Picayune has to be the ones to get the word out and pay for it. Leaving the problem up to BP won't cut it and neither will passing the buck and acting like cry babies. Louisiana's seafood industry is a $4 billion enterprise says the TP editorial and in this writers opinion it is up to Louisiana to take the responsibility to see it stays that way.
It is ironic that editorial editors of the TP don't blame BP for the moratorium, they blame President Obama, but they blame BP and want to hold them liable for the perception and image out side Louisiana that Gulf seafood is not safe to eat. I guess the TP realized it would be to much of a stretch to blame Obama for the perception and image so they looked to BP. The TP has adopted the methods of some of our political leaders, "pass the blame to some one else."
BP needs to be held accountable for the damage resulting from its rig explosion and the leaking of oil in the Gulf and the damage it caused and that is what should be pursued. President Obama and the federal government has handled the problem well and has been and still is engaged. It is time for the TP, Louisiana's elected officials and the seafood industry to do its part and assume the responsibility of getting the correct story out concerning Louisiana seafood to out of state customers.
Monday, September 6, 2010
The Moratorium On Deep Water Drilling In The Gulf Is Working
The Times Picayune of 8/27 carried a story concerning the above that hardly was noted and given little play. Probably because the story supported the moratorium and too many Louisiana loud mouths once again were proven wrong, including the editorial section of the Times Picayune.
The Bipartisan Policy Center issued a 21 page report that responded to a request by The National Oil Spill Commission. A part of their report said. The Department of Interior's drilling moratorium has served the productive purpose of allowing time for both industry and government to prepare for a safer, more vigilant and dependable future for U.S. offshore drilling. It also said: New, higher standards imposed by the Department of the Interior since the moratorium was imposed will achieve a significant and beneficial reduction of risks and will provide an adequate margin of safety to responsibly allow the resumption of deepwater drilling in the Gulf of Mexico.
The most important part of the report said: One value judgment we did make is that the need to impose an industrywide moratorium does demonstrate how profoundly unprepared the industry and government was for an incident of this magnitude.
If those industry representatives, elected officials and the Times Picayune had their way, there would have been no moratorium and safety issues involved in offshore drilling would never have been addressed. The death of 11 rig workers would have been only a foot note forgotten by those who support the status quo.
President Obama stood tall and showed his leadership and courage. Thanks for a job well done Mr. President.
The Bipartisan Policy Center issued a 21 page report that responded to a request by The National Oil Spill Commission. A part of their report said. The Department of Interior's drilling moratorium has served the productive purpose of allowing time for both industry and government to prepare for a safer, more vigilant and dependable future for U.S. offshore drilling. It also said: New, higher standards imposed by the Department of the Interior since the moratorium was imposed will achieve a significant and beneficial reduction of risks and will provide an adequate margin of safety to responsibly allow the resumption of deepwater drilling in the Gulf of Mexico.
The most important part of the report said: One value judgment we did make is that the need to impose an industrywide moratorium does demonstrate how profoundly unprepared the industry and government was for an incident of this magnitude.
If those industry representatives, elected officials and the Times Picayune had their way, there would have been no moratorium and safety issues involved in offshore drilling would never have been addressed. The death of 11 rig workers would have been only a foot note forgotten by those who support the status quo.
President Obama stood tall and showed his leadership and courage. Thanks for a job well done Mr. President.
Friday, September 3, 2010
The Con Game Is On To Pay To Clean Up Louisiana's Coast, Wetlands and Marsh
There are those elected officials in Louisiana who are looking for the federal government and BP to pay the cost of cleaning up and restore Louisiana's coast, wetlands and marsh that have been damaged and destroyed. Never mind that the oil industry operations in South Louisiana for the last 50 plus years is one of the major culprits as reported many times because of dredging canals and the laying of pipe lines.
The State of Louisiana regulates the on shore drilling in South Louisiana, not the federal government and our elected officials have done nothing to hold the industry liable for the damage they caused. Louisiana officials now want the federal government and BP to pay for it all. Former Governor David Treen saw what was happening years ago and supported legislation called CWEL. (Coastal Wetlands Environment Levy). It was and is a sound way to levy a fee on the companies responsible for destroying our lands. But Louisiana did not and still does not have the leaders with the courage to enact CWEL, or any other remedy.
Those so called leaders want the federal government to use the majority of what ever fines are levied against BP in violation of the Clean Water Act. Make no mistake, BP should be held accountable for all its spill responsibilities and the federal government should do the same but the oil and gas industry as a whole needs to be held accountable for their damage caused over the last 50 plus years.
The BP explosion and resulting oil spill has brought out the worst in some of Louisiana's political leaders. They have jumped on the money bandwagon and as of this writing are still receiving political contributions from the oil lobby and the industry. If they had their way, there would be no moratorium and it would be business as usual with no accountability. That says it all.
The State of Louisiana regulates the on shore drilling in South Louisiana, not the federal government and our elected officials have done nothing to hold the industry liable for the damage they caused. Louisiana officials now want the federal government and BP to pay for it all. Former Governor David Treen saw what was happening years ago and supported legislation called CWEL. (Coastal Wetlands Environment Levy). It was and is a sound way to levy a fee on the companies responsible for destroying our lands. But Louisiana did not and still does not have the leaders with the courage to enact CWEL, or any other remedy.
Those so called leaders want the federal government to use the majority of what ever fines are levied against BP in violation of the Clean Water Act. Make no mistake, BP should be held accountable for all its spill responsibilities and the federal government should do the same but the oil and gas industry as a whole needs to be held accountable for their damage caused over the last 50 plus years.
The BP explosion and resulting oil spill has brought out the worst in some of Louisiana's political leaders. They have jumped on the money bandwagon and as of this writing are still receiving political contributions from the oil lobby and the industry. If they had their way, there would be no moratorium and it would be business as usual with no accountability. That says it all.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
The NFL: A Regular Season With 18 Games
Peter Finney, sports journalist for the Times Picayune in his article of August 29 seems to think so and indicates that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell thinks so. A twenty game full season is nothing new, it has been around for over 30 years in the form of 6 and 14 and 4 and 16, the latter being the case at the present time.
Every one knows that preseason games were established to put more wealth in the owners pocket but Mr. Finney and other sport journalists have really been silent on the matter over the years just like they have been silent concerning the millions of dollars of taxpayers money that the state has used to give Corporate Welfare to multi millionaire owner Tom Benson. Sport journalist keep their mouth shut concerning such matters because their livelyhoods are interwound with NFL sports.
It should be noted that Mr. Finney in his article never mentioned Mr. Benson's name or indicated he asked Mr. Benson to vote against the proposed 18 game regular schedule. As for the fact that preseason games cost the fans the same as a regular season game, that has been a rip off since day one, but you will not hear sport journalists make that statement.
The cure for the NFL and other sports is for elected officials to tell pro sports owners to go take a hike when they ask for Corporate Welfare. If the game can not support itself, let the owners figure that out like any other business. You will not hear sport journalists make that statement either, they are too embedded with pro sports. That is a sad chapter in pro sports. The players are just as bad as the owners and deserve no pity if they do not stop the NFL from implementing a 18 game regular schedule with two preseason games. Players have become greedy, just like the owners.
Every one knows that preseason games were established to put more wealth in the owners pocket but Mr. Finney and other sport journalists have really been silent on the matter over the years just like they have been silent concerning the millions of dollars of taxpayers money that the state has used to give Corporate Welfare to multi millionaire owner Tom Benson. Sport journalist keep their mouth shut concerning such matters because their livelyhoods are interwound with NFL sports.
It should be noted that Mr. Finney in his article never mentioned Mr. Benson's name or indicated he asked Mr. Benson to vote against the proposed 18 game regular schedule. As for the fact that preseason games cost the fans the same as a regular season game, that has been a rip off since day one, but you will not hear sport journalists make that statement.
The cure for the NFL and other sports is for elected officials to tell pro sports owners to go take a hike when they ask for Corporate Welfare. If the game can not support itself, let the owners figure that out like any other business. You will not hear sport journalists make that statement either, they are too embedded with pro sports. That is a sad chapter in pro sports. The players are just as bad as the owners and deserve no pity if they do not stop the NFL from implementing a 18 game regular schedule with two preseason games. Players have become greedy, just like the owners.
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