The rich and powerful rarely answer for their crimes....
By louisehartmann
Based on findings by President Obama’s oil spill commission – BP may get off the hook from some of the most serious charges regarding their role in the Gulf disaster last year. The committee cited systemic errors for blowout of the oil well – placing the blame on multiple parties alongside BP – like Halliburton – the company that was contracted to pour the securing cement around the well – and Transocean – the company that operated the rig. Because of this – BP will likely not face “gross negligence” charges for their role in the spill – charges that could have carried severe criminal penalties and much higher fines. After this announcement – BP stocks jumped higher – the company has regained nearly 2/3 of its stock value since the Gulf spill. Prior to the spill – BP held one of the worst safety records of any oil company in the world. And now – other than a PR hit – which is likely to heal over time – BP can return to business as usual despite 11 people dying and catastrophic damage to multiple ecosystems. Lesson learned? The rich and powerful rarely answer for their crimes in this post-Reagan plutocracy.
Comments
#2
The blame in all crimes should be those who cause the crime. Was this a "crime" or was this an accident. A blantant accident. It should be treated like involuntary manslaughter. But who's to blame when multiple people are at fault? Look at Enron. How many people went to jail? It should be the same here. A jury should decide who's to blame and who should be punished.
I think the top 5 companies who had the most investment in Deepwater Horizon should pay and continue to pay. But the people who are really paying is us. We pay for it at the gas pump with higher prices. And when gas prices go up, so does everything else. We pay in the end. So just throw them in jail, might solve more than a big fine.
#3
I don't know who is responsible. But since BP must have sub-contracted all those operations to Halliburton and other companies then BP should be the one that is responsible to the people of the U.S. They can sue those other companies if they want to, we shouldn't have to.
#4
How about bringing charges against the top execs of all companies involved in the disaster, particularly BP since they were already on Probation from EPA violations? This makes BP habitual criminals. Anyone who invests in BP is investing in Blood Money, money made from the deaths of BP employees. Since the Sexist Supreme Court Justice Scalia has determined that corporations have constitiutional and women don't... then Corporations should be held accountable to the same laws as the "ordinary" citizenry. And BP has killed and injured enough people.
Seize BP's multi billion dollar profits!
However, a 140hp steam engine that fits in a Volkswagen Beetle is being test-driven now! Cost per gallon? about 50c. Bye Bye Big Oil!!! Produced by an independent inventor. Google for it in Ridgecrest, CA.
Another inventor is working on an electric/battery car that will do more then 35 mph for more then 35 miles.
#5
Suprisingly good program put out by Jessie Ventura can be seen via the link below
Conspiracy Theory with Gov. Jesse Ventura Gulf Coast OIL SPILL Conspiracy
#6
I blame the American people. They're the ones who let the fox loose in the coop. They're the ones who didn't give a damn while Congress gave away the store to the corporations. They're the ones who are so easily manipulated by the plutocrats.
The American people are getting exactly what they deserve.
#7
This Land is Your Land, everyone. All parties to the environmental impact permits required by federal and state laws are required to be held responsible for mitigating millions of acres of environmental damage. This should be stated in the original permit conditions for the wetlands impacts awarded BP by each Department with jurisdiction.
The state and federal environmental permitting agencies governing the impacted areas of the Gulf region are employed to maintain federal and state laws for environmental protection. They are the PERMITTERS, the Land's Parent-protectors, for all activities which impact wetlands. Their files on BP et al. should be investigated with a fine toothed comb.
Supposedly, in their files, proposed impacts have been stated on an amount of pages comprising a metropolitan area phonebook, according to a phonebook of "rules of proposal format" as issued by The Department. The plans are then subjected to rigorous examination by Department engineers, hydrologists, ecologists, chemists, and geologists, provided the Permit Fees have been paid, and after so many days, approval is given and work may commence. Other fees are charged for The Department to monitor sites of permit activity, and permitees are required to file with The Department, quarterly monitoring reports of their own which must contain numerous tables of measurements and graphed technical data to be analyzed by The Department and found to be in compliance with the conditions of the permit.
Permit modifications are subjected to the same process, except with extra-scrutiny in the event the permitee is trying to go around the rules or previous agreements.
Local Departments enjoy the power of stalling a developer or getting privileged characters through the gate immediately. In my territory, we actually call them "the gatekeepers." That is the way the everglades and gold coasts have been worked since 1917, the year the Florida legislature passed a law mandating the draining of the everglades with taxpayer money, a necessary step in Florida's becoming America's "breadbasket of the future."
Payment is owed to the public now in mitigation for the number of wetland acres which have been impacted by BP. These are the terms of dredge and fill permits. Generally mitigation designates multiple acres be restored per one acre disturbed.
Mitigation for wetland impacts is typically performed by creating new wetlands, and or restoring existing disturbed wetlands. The mitigation plan itself will have to be approved by The Department. Permit terms call for long range success in mitigation projects, which have to be maintained and monitored with quarterly reports delivered to The Department.
Failure to perform or fulfill mitigation results in Enforcement Action by The Department with fines per day which would reach almost up to infinity for an impact as large as that of BP.
XXXXX
#8
Make BP pay. Since BP was the lead, they should be held responsible. Let them be the ones to go after Hallburton and the others. BP should pay.
#9
As a non-lawyer, non-politician: The starting point would be to hold BP as lying to federal agencies and hold individuals to the full extent of the law, based on their knowing and they should have known [universal engineering standard], plus criminal actions of neglect [even indifference to licensed responsibility]. Convict the officers of the corporation as committing environmental terrorist actions. Let them then fight with sub contractors as to pointing out their share of a world record costs with no dollar limit [equal to the national debt?] for the destruction and endangerments of public safety, and the fiduciary responsibility. Then jail the upper level directors and officers of all the companies involved as perpetrating criminal acts.
But that is just my two cents.
#10
And, we wonder why our citizens are so cynical. The more that things change, the more that they remain the same. There is a mentality in our country that praises people who can get away with shell games, Ponzi schemes, and fraud. That is the American way!!! If our criminal American federal government would indict the CEO crooks in most of our corporations, white-collar crime would go down. Prosecuting Rummy, Cheney, W, and Rove for mass murders and war crimes would also be a step in the right direction.
#11
BP said they were responsible and they said they were going to pay to get things right. They have been paying and they are still paying. BP is not a new ATM for businesses, municipalities, governments, etc to attack and drain. You cannot calculate the damages yet because they are not finished cleaning things up. I understand how BP is very cautious about making some payments because of the fraud factor. For those who are inpatient, what would you have done if this was a huge hurricane or earthquake? A disaster is a disaster. That is why you have insurance.
#12
It's probably a long way off but governments need to get a handle on corporations. I'm more hopeful that Latin American countries will take the lead on this issue. We need to have a 3 strike policy relative to corporate malfeasance. Strike 3 and there goes your charter. Go ahead, stay in business without the socialist protection of limited liability. You then can truly call yourself a "private" business at that point. Move to Amend!!! Thom's book Unnatural Protection should be required reading in High School American History classes.
#13
someone has to say it...
Persons cannot own persons.
Persons are not property.
Persons can own property.
Persons can own corporations.
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Property cannot own persons.
Corporations cannot own persons.
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Property are not persons.
Corporations are not persons.
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logicical example: If corporations are persons then they cannot be owned, bought, sold or traded by any of: persons, property or other corporations. clearly coprorations are owned, bought, sold and traded by all of the above therefore corporations are property.
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Property is not a stakeholder in our society; it is a stake to be held.
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People are responsible for their property. The people at fault are the owners.
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Is there any truth to the rumor that Darrel Issa is going to look into the fraudulent HAMP program,run by Geithner.I say good news.Democrats or progressives for that matter should not be defending corruption by Democrats.This is good news if Issa does.Obama was elected to change or challenge the corruption.instead he did nothing.