Al Amendariz, EPA's 'Enforcer' For The Oil Fields Of Oklahoma And Texas

The news spread pretty quickly about the video of the speech given by EPA Region 6 Administrator Al Armedariz. The YouTube video carrying the speech has been stuffed down the Memory Hole already, but not before being viewed many times, and its content noted in the Congressional Record by Senator Inhofe. Oops.


So, in fairness to Mr. Armendariz, OS looked him up on the EPA website. The first sentence is most informative. He is Obama's man.

Al Armendariz was appointed by President Obama on November 5, 2009, as the Regional Administrator for EPA’s Region 6 office in Dallas. He is responsible for managing Agency activities in Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, and 66 tribal nations, under the direction of EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson.

Dr. Armendariz has brought a deep commitment to environmental issues to his work at EPA. He has made working with communities a priority across the Region, frequently engaging directly with those most vulnerable to harm from polluters. This was especially evident during the Agency's response to 2010's Gulf of Mexico oil spill, during which he worked tirelessly with area residents, local governments, and community groups. As he continues his tenure, he brings the same passion to the Region's work on air quality, wetlands protection, climate change and other environmental goals.

Let's think back a bit to what the Obama Administration did in response to the BP oil spill. They proceeded to shut down the oil industry in toto, and impoverished large swaths of the US Gulf Coast. Guess what happens to states that don't vote for Obama...

That word 'passion' is descriptive, because on the now disappeared video, in his speech given before a friendly audience, he said:


EPA’s “philosophy of enforcement is kind of like how the Romans used to conquer little villages in the Mediterranean: they’d go into little Turkish towns somewhere, they’d find the first five guys they’d run into, and they’d crucify them.”

“That town was really easy to manage for the next few years,” Armendariz added.

Sweet--he's an historian, too!

Let's repeat that final phrase a few times...

“That town was really easy to manage for the next few years."

“That town was really easy to manage for the next few years."

“That town was really easy to manage for the next few years."

“That town was really easy to manage for the next few years."

Does it make you wonder if your town, your business, your school, your church, your family is next?

Happy Earth Day, everybody. This is our future under Barack Obama.

   

The Great Louisville Orchestra Food Fight May Possibly Pause For A Truce

At least the musicians are announcing news to that effect.

What seems to be in place will be a one-year contract with a mediator hired to see if a longer agreement can't be worked out.

This whole episode resembles one of those really nasty divorces in which former spouses decide they'd each rather spend 50k on lawyer fees than allow the other to keep the patio furniture.

Simultaneous to this announcement, news that Louisville Fund for the Arts has appointed a new executive director.

The two events are unrelated, but may create some sort of synergy. It seem the Fund was also involved in its own airborne transport of nutritonal products.

OS scratches his gray head and wonders out loud:

Did it occur to anyone that the orchestra debacle, with its nastiness and name-calling, would deter people from buying tickets and donating what dwindling amounts of discretionary money may yet remain?

No one wants to buy tickets or give donations to a food fight. Even if they go back to work, it will still be a food fight for the musicians and concert goers. Musicians hate management, which is completely out of patience. The board (the people who give money) has been vilified by the people who are the direct recipients of the money the board raises...and much of Louisville would rather go to high school and college ball games on Friday night than hear a punch of pissed-off unhappy musicians go through the motions of playing a Brahms symphony.

The food fight isn't over, just put on hold. Rather like a divorcing couple, each seeking to prove itself the injured party, willing to burn everything down just to take possession of the ashes and declare victory, the war will flare up once more.

If everything goes well, and everyone behaves, it will require at least five years to rebuild the band, the brand, and the organization.

Tick, tock, ya'll...