Way of Life Dying in Grand Isle, LA
04 June 2010 1:07 pm by Taylor Marsh
An email was forwarded to me by someone I trust who verified its legitimacy, which is posted below. It breaks your heart and personalizes BP’s marauding corporate malfeasance, as well the federal government’s flatfooted incompetence. It’s from someone living in Grand Isle, Louisiana, where Pres. Obama will make a stop to talk to residents today. It took our President 46 days to get there.
This is an environmental 9/11 for our nation. So, there is simply no other place Mr. Obama should be or should have been over these last 46 days and counting. In our globalized world, politicians have forgotten their primary responsibility. It is to this nation and the sacred land on which we live and share our habitat.
It got me rethinking many things.
I vote on foreign policy issues, especially for president. However, something is terribly wrong with the balance. It seems today that we are faster to give aid to countries around the world than we are to come to the aid of our own people. What we get from these nations that get our aid in return needs to be weighed more carefully. Watching and reading stories from people in the Gulf region, someone needs to start explaining why we’re spending so much money in aid to countries in place of our own nation. What’s in it for us? In many instances we’re not getting our monies worth. In fact, we’re getting insulted for the privilege.
Not even Mr. Hayward’s head on a plate would be enough. His op-ed in the Wall Street Journal is insulting. Nothing can make up for the criminal negligence of his lack of stewardship, incomprehensible greed, and the despicable tone deaf nature of his PR preening. If other BP executives have any heart at all they will get him off the stage and stick him in an undisclosed location for the duration.
The email below is being posted anonymously for privacy reasons. These people have been through enough.
As a result of the oil spill the town of grand isle is apprehensive to say the least. The mood of both residents and non- resident camp owners is sadness, fear, anger, distraught, helplessness, and the unknown factor. BP and our federal gov’t’s response has been casual and with a lack of urgency.local officials are frustrated with federal bureaucracy red tape in getting answers and assistance. many questions remain unanswered. how long will their lives be in turmoil?
The entire island community revolves around the seafood and tourist industry. Consequently the grand isle municipal tax base is eroding and property values are plummeting. the town is in a financial crisis. will the people affected be made whole by BP? what is BP’S definition of “making whole”. will they reimburse victims for their losses this year or perhaps 5 to 10 years for residual damage? This is the unknown factor. how do you place a price tag on our children and grandchildren being deprived from enjoying fishing and crabbing. the answer is no amount of money is adequate.
On a personal note i feel a sense of sadness for all the people who can not experience the joy of fishing and crabbing on Louisiana’s only coastal beach. many camp owners, myself included, have lost rental income due to cancellations as a result of the oil spill. …
Now we prepare for oil to make land in Florida. After that, we wait to see if it indeed travels up the Atlantic coast.
We need more people to help along the Gulf Coast and across into Florida. It should be all hands on deck, including Coast Guard, Navy, you name it. Anyone could help with absorbent boom placement and anchoring.
After 46 days, the federal government is still floundering. The sheer incompetence is overwhelming.
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“It seems today that we are faster to give aid to countries around the world than we are to come to the aid of our own people. What we get from these nations that get our aid in return needs to be weighed more carefully. Watching and reading stories from people in the Gulf region, someone needs to start explaining why we’re spending so much money in aid to countries in place of our own nation. What’s in it for us? In many instances we’re not getting our monies worth. In fact, we’re getting insulted for the privilege.”
Taylor,
You have just stated exactly how I have been feeling for a long time and I want to thank you for it. I am not a wordsmith like you, but, I definitely have thoughts and ideas to express, and in this case, you did it for me, beautifully. As I stated in an earlier post, we need to take care of ourselves, before we can take care of others.
I know we don’t agree on several issues, but, I respect you as a journalist. Sometimes, I think you go overboard a bit, but, we all do.
Anyway, I am in tears a lot lately. I feel like our country is falling apart sometimes, especially, with this BP catasrophe and I feel our President is in way over his head, and have thouhgt that way for a long time, and not just on this issue. I did not vote for him because I felt this way, that he is too inexperienced, incompetent and arrogant.
When he got elected,even though I was against him, I was willing to respect him and give him a chance, simply because he is the President of my country. Unfortunately, my fears have been proven correct, and I cannot offer this man respect.
I do appreciate that, really.
But it’s not just Pres. Obama, but the entire federal government has been proven incompetent.
Part of the problem is that MMS, through Bush-Cheney, was made into a corrupt crony operation. Additionally, deregulation, which began in earnest under Reagan, has not been checked by any president, so that when disaster hits our tax monies are proven to have been wasted on paychecks, with no infrastructure to show for it.
I’m as critical as anyone on Obama, which he has earned on the BP blowout, but no one should be under the impression that McCain-Palin would have handled this any better. In fact, likely worse, because not only are they in bed with BP, like Obama, but they have no respect for government’s function.
Our GOVERNMENT is broken, from Executive Branch to Legislative. We are inept. The big two parties basically the same, except for nagging details, which don’t make any difference, because either way the government doesn’t function.
“But it’s not just Pres. Obama, but the entire federal government has been proven incompetent.”
Yes, that’s it in a nutshell. I know McCain/Palin wouldn’t have done any better, and probably worse, but who would have thought it would be this bad? One can’t tell the difference between R and D anymore. And the political ads running now just make me hit *mute* and we’ve got months to go. I don’t think any Dem is going to do well in ND.
The Big Two political party elites don’t deserve anyone’s vote.
Check out the renegades on the left & the right, one of them Sestak, though he’s still an insider-centrist of sorts, but also Halter in Arkansas.
“Our GOVERNMENT is broken, from Executive Branch to Legislative. We are inept. The big two parties basically the same, except for nagging details, which don’t make any difference, because either way the government doesn’t function.”
I am in total agreement on that statement also. That is why I want new blood in the Government and I really don’t care if the people are Repubs or Dems, as long as they listen to what their constituents want.
That is why I call myself a Tea Partier, I want change and I want government fixed. although some issues have gone down and things have been said by Tea Party members, that make my eyes pop out. So I guess really I am just a Centrist.
There is no evidence that Tea Party candidates have a clue on what’s needed inside government. Additionally, most Tea Party candidates are far right. See Nevada, see Rand Paul’s wackiness, with his loyalty to ideology not solutions.
The real issue is getting REPRESENTATIVE government, not simply politicians that protect their own party against what the people who elected them want.
It’s one reason I’m secretly rooting for Charlie Crist. An insider turned independent, with name ID, is a start in the right direction IF he can win. He won’t be beholden to party, but only to issues and Floridians. THAT’S what is needed.
Me too on Crist.
Everything for me depends on whether he signs this bill:
http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/news_politics/2010/06/mccollum-pressuring-crist-to-sign-abortion-ultrasound-bill.html
Taylor Marsh says:
04 June 2010 at 2:11 pm
**The real issue is getting REPRESENTATIVE government, not simply politicians that protect their own party against what the people who elected them want.**
Ah! If only it were that simple nowadays. What does the Democratic party stand for? Nothing. Obama is plotting right now to privatize social security. Abortion rights? Climate change? More and more the positions of the two parties are almost a blur as the DEMS compromise so much.
No, if we cannot have public financing of elections, it’s getting politicians to protect the people rather than the monied interests who fund their campaigns.
You got that right. I can’t believe the Democrats would even talk about privatizing social security, but it looks like this phony presidential deficit commission has been created to cut s.s. benefits. In this economic environment?? They’ve got to be kidding. The monied interests are destroying the country.
They’re not going to privatize SS.
Even if this bipartisan commission suggests cutting benefits, which isn’t certain, they are most certainly going to suggest higher taxes as well. That’s a given.
Will anyone listen to either of those suggestions in this economy? No.
But we’ve had a number of Independent candidates with mixed results over the years; some good and some not so good. I don’t believe disavowal of party affiliation is a panacea for all that ills our political system.
Lieberman comes to mind as someone who represents the less ideal end of the independent candidate spectrum. He also ran a campaign claiming his position outside the two major parties made him a better representative. I think all independent candidates do.
Of course Crist is actually a good guy and Lieberman’s a piece of, well…. Crist is from the part of Florida where I’m originally from and I’ve known him since he was a state senator.
I feel he will still caucus with the Republicans when all is said and done, and probably run for reelection as one assuming they haven’ gone extinct by then.
I think McCain/Palin would have handled it better. McCain appears to have a keener sense of what his constituents want and is willing to change his position to suit them. I don’t think he would have waited 46 days to visit or react.
McCain appears to have a keener sense of what his constituents want and is willing to change his position to suit them.
McCain has no intellectual or moral compass any longer. If you don’t like his position on an issue, wait until the political winds shift and so will he.
I was in a conversation with a fellow today,a lawyer,long time Dem,very liberal. He too is disgusted and he used a great metaphor for tea party/Repubs. He said they are like 16 year olds who wake up in a warm home where food and clothes and education are provided for them and start complaining about the “stupid rules” and who can’t understand why in the world they need to contribute something to the family.
HA! Oh, if that isn’t just precious, LLady.
I was watching tv and Louisiana Senator Mary Landrieu was on mad because the moratorerium. I had to change the channel !!! It seems they just don’t get it !!!
the moratorium is a big deal here in houston. they expect we will lose 90,000 jobs here bc of it and likely more. on the gulf there are 2 ways to mae profit- work for oil or seafood. she is under tremendous pressure to show outrage eventhough she cant really do much about it. she will be a serious threat tot he cliate bill sadly
I have relatives in TX, as most of you know, so I realize this is tough, but it’s going to get worse.
We cannot sustain offshore drilling, so people are going to have to re-tool.
This has been our problem. No one wants to ever start the painful process, so we ended up where we are today.
Too many of us have looked the other way because of jobs, etc.
IT MUST STOP NOW.
http://nyti.ms/c6GH0o
Clap—clap—clap—clap—clap—clap……Peace
If you REALLY want to get depress think about THIS…
The BEST we can hope for is three more years of this term and then 4 more of Odickless.
I am running for an obscure office in Nevada — State University Regent. The Board of Regents is responsible for the entire state higher education system — both universities, several colleges, and the Desert Research Institute. Today is the last day of our two-week early voting period, during most of which I have been out to several early voting locations talking to voters before they get within 100 feet of the poll entrance. I have never run for office before — and that is turning out to be a major advantage, at least among the people who will stop to talk. I’ve never before seen such deep and vocal animosity toward incumbents. It transcends issues and party labels, and appears to be the dominant factor in this cycle.
“deep and vocal animosity”…..probably because “we the people” have finally realized that the entire system has collapsed into a stinking pile of rubble. Peace
Taylor, this is a very good post. I am beyond outraged about what is happenning to the environment in the Gulf. When I think of all the wildlife that is dying because of man’s greed and all of the people whose livelihoods are just ruined – well, there are no words. As an aside, I know people who own beach condos on the Gulf Coast of Florida. They need the rental income from tourism to pay the mortgages on their investments. With tourism and property values down, I think there will be more foreclosures. This disaster is going to have so many consequences in so many directions it isn’t funny. It’s crazy.
“Drill baby, drill. Mine baby, mine.” To hell with global warming lets’ burn it all. Peace
It’s called crony capitalism Taylor and you have been soaking in it since Ronald Regan if not before. This it the end result of privatizing profits while socializing loss.
The system is broken. It is broken because we allowed big money interests to corrupt our government. It is broken because we decided that we would fight each other on trivial social issues while ignoring the destruction of the Middle Class.
Bill Clinton said it best; its the economy stupid. More to the point it is how a greedy and selfish elite managed to hijack the government for its own narrow purpose. It is how that effort was aided and abetted by our two party system. It is how we allowed both Republicans and Democrats to be taken over by corrupting corporate dollars. Until we get smart and rebuild our public sphere, until we rebuild the commons we are just going to see more and more of this. Corporate power needs to be checked and rolled back. We have to rebuild and believe in the common good again.
Our government does not function because we bought the Reganite lie that government does not work and only the market knows best. We have to put a stop to the deregulation and the privatization of the nation. It has got to be We the People, to form a more perfect union once more.
BP is going to act like the robber barons they are, they are going to maximize profits for their shareholders. They don’t care about anything else; that is why you need a strong counterweight to the blind greed of BP and other corporations. It is a shame that the true face of corporate malfeasance had to be shown once more, that we had to see the U.S. Gulf Coast ruined by a oil slick from hell to get the message. Large transnationals are at base a-moral in the best of times. It is not all that hard for them to become immoral. It is not that hard for them to become deeply and banally evil. It is just their nature. It is inevitable that any politician who is corporate friendly, will in the end become hostile to the public good. It follows as night follows day.