The Gulf Coast Mayors Get To Tell Their Story: Oil Spill Commission Testimony

Just completed, the mayors from the small towns along the coast tell their story. Both Democrats and Republicans, they tell of the frustrations of dealing with the oil spill damage, an inept federal government, a clueless BP, hordes of outside contractors descending upon their towns (with no ties to the community, and no accountability). They remained remarkably calm, but it is easy to see how strained they are by the experience.

They ran for office to administrate small-town life--roads, sewers, police,parking, etc. None of them signed up for man-made disaster duty--hurricanes they handle, but this is another order of magnitude.

This isn't about politics. It's about life. The people who successfully navigate this particular vale of tears, in both the public and private arenas, will have much to offer the culture in the future.

The link is here. On lunch break at this hour, testimony resumes this afternoon.

Blessedly, the commission itself is under much scrutiny, as its composition appears to be a left-wing environmental 'hit-squad', an extension of 'The Chicago Way'. The Senate appears to have closed the checkbook on their demands for more money. Slowly, the reality of Obama's war upon the Gulf Coast is sinking in, and the push-back may finally be underway.

This from the Washington Post:

Several blog entries written by commission members before their appointments called for banning or delaying offshore-drilling proposals. Their comments have drawn criticism from the oil industry and some local officials worried about economic hardships caused by shutdowns.

As president of the Natural Resources Defense Council, Frances G. Beinecke supported the Obama administration's moratorium on drilling in deep waters after the explosion and on May 27 blamed BP, inadequate government oversight and "America's addiction to oil" for the disaster. Beinecke halted her blog after joining the commission.

That type of commentary left industry analysts, including Robin West, leery. West, chairman of PFC Energy, said "people in the industry are quite prepared to get to the bottom of facts on what happened" and restore confidence in offshore operations. But, he said, "will the commission be objective and informed about a highly complex industry?"

Again, smell for the moral hazard. Who has a stake in success? who has a stake in failure, creating the opportunity for litigation, harvesting of wealth, and growth of the governmental vampire-squid?

Testing on the new cap begins today. Admiral Allen giving a briefing now. Everyone keep a good thought. If the engineering is well-done, the flow of oil may finally be greatly reduced.

If memory serves, this installation was not expected until the end of the month. If it works, this is hopeful news. Let's see if the federal government will allow it to succeed.

Keep a good thought.