Dan Fagan, republican opinion writer for the New Orleans Advocate and a ditto head ally of Trump's blame game, made a fool of himself in a article dated 5/10 titled, "Oil Industry Fights a Pandemic and Thousands of Lawyers" represents the fairy tale talking points of the Oil industry that is so stale no one pays attention to any more except republicans and industry executives.
Fagan blames the oil industries slowdown and falling oil prices on lawsuits brought against the industry by local governments for damage to Louisiana's environment and as an after thought also blames Saudi Arabia, Russia and the coronavirus. But the facts remain, the real reason for the industry's downturn and falling oil prices resulted from the global economic slowdown, a glut in oil on the market and the manipulation of prices by the industry in general and the over production of oil, including by the United States. And all that took place before any one even heard of the word coronavirus.
Then Fagan makes the silly statement that the state and not local governments are the place to sue but never lets his readers know the state legislature and other state bodies already have that option but just sits on their hands year after year and do nothing to hold the Oil industry responsible. That is why local governments took actions themselves. Fagan quotes the Louisiana Oil and Gas Association who have no credibility because they are an ally of the industry and just repeats the industries talking points.
And when it comes to Louisiana and the industry operations, the people of the Pelican state should remember this: The Oil and Gas industry has had its worse years in Louisiana and nation wide during republican Presidential administrations, and it is now taking place again with Trump in the White House. And just a month ago, Trump even bragged about falling oil prices and said it was good for the economy. Louisiana lost over 25,000 jobs in the Oil industry in Reagan's very first term in office. The average yearly count of rigs working offshore Louisiana was greater under President Clinton than it was under President George W. Bush who claimed to be an oilman. And nothing that is happening now with the industry took place on President Obama's watch despite the BP Oil spill that took the lives of 11 rig workers and caused billions of dollars of damage to Louisiana's environment. Democrat's in the White House have economic policies that allow not only a more even price in the price of crude. but a more evenly rig count operating offshore and onshore which provides more stability.
Republican administrations are toxic to the economy and the people and Trump is keeping up with that tradition. That is why Fagan and his republican opinion writers can not write about republican accomplishments, they do not have any. Trial lawyers have no affect on the oil industry's down turns or crude oil prices. Oil industry greed drives their fairy tale and at this moment they are talking to Louisiana legislators to continue to do their bidding. Dan Fagan just happens to be one of their ditto heads.
This commentary written by Joe Lorio
This commentary written by Joe Lorio
