Friends, one thing is quite clear: Don't Expect The Calvary with this bunch. It doesn't happen under republicans, and it hasn't happened under Obama.
There is a disconnect between the Bubble in Washington and the Reality in South Louisiana. and it is Real.
The disconnect between state and federal governments was clear as [Secretary] Salazar [speaking in Houston on Sunday] trumpeted 1.73 million feet of boom and more than 1,000 vessels deployed on the front lines, while Jindal complained [in a press conference in Venice, La on the very same day] that during a boat tour of oiled coastline Sunday he saw only two vessels trying to protect the shore.
Jindal said 143,000 feet of boom sat in staging areas while oil damaged 65 miles of Louisiana coastline. It has been 20 days since the state asked for 5 million feet of hard boom, but only 786,185 feet of hard boom has been delivered so far, he said.
Link to full Times Picayune Article 5/24/10
I posted this diary yesterday. Which ellicited a surprisingly number of responses of the "Screw them, they voted for Republicans" comments. I might have to start feeling that way about California giving us Reagan and Nixon.
While I find that electoral widening strategy quite intriguing - what a better way to win hearts and minds of a region burned by Bush in Katrina. Yes, contrast that by sticking it when it's the Democrats' turn at the helm. Absolutely Brilliant!
Regardless of the political persuasion of oyster beds, blue crabs that made up 60% of inventory in Maryland and mid-atlantic restaurants (yes), the principal supplier of blue fin tuna across the nation (yes sushi lovers) - this isn't just about republican voters. For the sake of argument: Orleans Parish is blue. We rely on seafood as the backbone of the entire convention and tourism industry in New Orleans. The restaurant industry in New Orleans is completely in peril: most have less than 1 week of inventory left in their kitchens. This affects convention business, weddings, and then all of the other feeder businesses that are meshed in: florists, stationery shops, delivery workers and all on down the line.
Bob Delgiorno, a local radio announcer, went on vacation in early May up in the northeast. One of the restaurants he ate at put a sticker on the menu "We Do Not Serve Any Louisiana Seafood" This put the holy scary shitballs in to each and every Louisiana citizen. Including me! My small business relies on hospitality business, it's a little further down the trough - but if Louisiana food can't be served or sold, then events aren't getting booked, and then parties won't be arranged, so then there is no need for the services by my business and I'm out of work here. and I rebuilt my flooded business after Katrina. this sucks!
Louisiana fought Katrina, we continue to fight cheap Chinese imports by slave labor and farm raised seafood (which tastes like garbage), but this is getting done in by people who are supposed to be on our own team.
I know you don't like to hear this, but the facts on the ground are that Obama is acting like the mother at the grocery store trying to discipline an unruly child: "I'm going to count to 5 and then I'm REALLY going to get mad. You'll see!" and then continues the same lame threat while the child laughs back.
The feds want BP to hold liability, The feds claim that only BP has the resources to handle the disaster, So meanwhile We Are Held Hostage to BP. Obama administration points to BP, BP continues to do nothing, Our coast line continues to die. This is the craziest experience as an American I have ever had, and I survived Katrina. We are waiting for our General Honore to show up and start kicking butts around. WHERE IS HE?
From today's Times Picayune article:
"One frustration is the amount of time it's taking them to respond, " said Jindal, who said that parish presidents would report oil coming ashore, but at times had to wait 24 hours for BP to respond because they needed to get higher-ups at the Coast Guard on the case.
"The parishes may get a sympathetic response from their liaisons at the (Unified Command Center), the Coast Guard liaisons, the BP liaisons, but those liaisons don't have the authority to get things done."
Yesterday, there was a diary revealing all of the tweets allegedly from the area. I'm not sure where they are exactly, but we don't see it. My friend Brittany went down to Grand Isle herself yesterday and walked along the oiled beach without seeing anybody out there.
For Thirty-Three Days (33), we in Louisiana have watched this oil creep up on us. Everybody from Kevin Costner to former Saints Players have attempted to maze their way around the spider web that BP has been allowed to create by the Feds in the response and try to offer solutions.
Municipalities who are now in the trenches are watching their communities die, toxic oil seeping into the fisheries, chasing out their citizens. Imagine the Mayor of Chicago watch his city burn down again, all the property, all the people leave and he's prevented from using the fire department because of bureaucratic bullshit.
WHERE are our APOLLO THIRTEEN engineers working around the clock to bring astronauts home safely? We need them! If a decent response is not available to us in Louisiana: think about how the response will be for YOU wherever you are.
Sunday morning WWL television crews captured 3 - THREE - municipal fire boats from Grand Isle with a handful of local firemen working the entire coastline while the entire BP crew of skimmers and boats sat idle.
On Saturday Jefferson Parish commandeered BP's idle boats.
Representative for Jefferson Parish Emergency chief, Deano Bonano said they requested immediate action after oil moved into the marsh passes and onto the beaches in Grand Isle.
He said more than 40 boats were sitting idle while he watched the oil rush into the passes
One of the reasons BP provided about idle work crews and boats: It's Hot Outside. Well, then, we wouldn't want you to break a sweat or something. God forbid.
This one is from today's Times Picayune Article
In a crowd of angry parish leaders, no one was angrier than [Billy] Nungesser. He said he wasn't buying Allen's explanation of why the federal government couldn't take charge of the whole response immediately. He called out Allen personally for what he called a lack of leadership from federal authorities.
"He needs to step up to the plate and be a leader, " Nungesser growled. "How has he not enacted every option at this point?"
As frustrated as local leaders have been with the federal Stafford Act that governs FEMA's response to hurricanes, they are even more bewildered by the response structure created by the Oil Pollution Act.
They say their response plans have been stymied by a circuitous command structure that makes it difficult to get their ideas and concerns to anyone with any authority.
The response announced today from Coast Guard Rear Adminral Mary Landry is that "the federal agencies would double their oversight teams in hopes that more people will be able to push BP to muster resources in the right places as oil comes in."
We're left down to HOPE? are you kidding me?
Attorney General Buddy Caldwell has issued a stern letter to the US Army Corps of Engineers: Get Out of The Way. The Feds Cannot Withhold Assistance in a State of Emergency.
Caldwell's Letter
Caldwell advised Lt. Gen. Robert L. Van Antwerp, commanding general of the Corps, that under the U.S. constitution the federal government does not have the legal authority to deny a state the right to conduct such emergency operations to protect its citizens and territory.
So Kossacks, I am sorry to burst your bubble about Obama's response. IT HAS SUCKED. Back in week 1, Obama addressed the issue before talking to science teachers and students at the White House. He gave some brief remarks about the severity of the spill and that this was being monitored seriously blah blah and then he acknowledged the science folks in the crowd and jokingly said "If you have any good ideas about handling this let us know" and LAUGHED and the audience laughed back. I remember sitting in my car absolutely shell shocked. I think the radio announcers were more shocked than I was because when they cut away from Obama, it was silence and then a meek call for the commercial segment.
The local news radio was already in 24/7 oil spill coverage mode and had broken away to hear Obama's address. On a normal day, it would have been dismissive of Obama, but in our "moment of peril" the station dutifully and patriotically broke away from normal Oil coverage for some encouraging words from the man holding FDR's office. and. we. got. a JOKE.
and it's been a joke ever since quite frankly.