After watching Rachel Maddow's piece on the Minerals Management Service last night, I thought to myself that this just might be the best federal gig a guy could get, provided one isn't interested in any actual minerals management. So, I decided to read the Inspector-General's report. Wow. This has got to be the most rockin place to work in government. Talk about perks:
Go fishing!
These gifts reportedly included hunting and fishing trips from the Island Operating Company (IOC), an oil and gas production company working on oil platforms regulated by the Department.
Go to the ballpark!
During our investigation, a number of MMS employees at the Lake Charles District office admitted to attending sporting events prior to 2007 in which oil and gas production companies sponsored teams, as well as receiving lunches and accepting gifts.
Get high and watch porn!
Two employees at the Lake Charles office also admitted to using illegal drugs during their employment at MMS. We found that many of the inspectors had e-mails that contained inappropriate humor and pornography on their government computers.
Favorite team playing out of town? No problem!
In an e-mail dated January 3, 2006, to other MMS employees, the former MMS inspector at the Lake Charles office stated, "The 40 to 3 ass whipping LSU put on Miami was a lot more impressive in person. My daughter and I had a blast". The next day, the inspector sent another e-mail attaching pictures, including the plane on which he, and an oil and gas production company official, and others flew to Atlanta for the 2005 Peach Bowl game.
Best part? You can bring on your friends and family!
According to Williamson, many of the MMS inspectors had worked for the oil and gas industry and continued to be friends with industry representatives. "Obviously, we’re all oil industry," he said. "We’re all from the same part of the country. Almost all of our inspectors have worked for oil companies out on these same platforms. They grew up in the same towns. Some of these people, they’ve been friends with all their life. They’ve been with these people since they were kids. They’ve hunted together. They fish together. They skeet shoot together ....They do this all the time."
Nothing wrong with a little nepotism as long as you keep it in the family.
What the IG report indicates is a fundamental breakdown in the regulatory system. Not only in this agency, but throughout the federal government there has been a complete breakdown in regulatory supervision from the USDA, to the SEC, all the way over to the Mine Safety Administration. The Federal Government MUST begin to assertively regulate dangerous industries in this country. Not only for the benefit of the American people, but for the industries themselves.
This is what happens with years of Republican government. Their ideology requires, mandates, that the Government interfere as little as possible into the affairs of business. But since they do not have the guts to simply abolish these regulatory agencies, those agencies simply atrophy into things like the Minerals Management Service. The only place where Republicans believe in the heavy hand of government is when it comes to anything having to do with women or sex Democrats having sex.
The Obama Administration, to its credit, has revived the rulemaking duty of the Federal government after nearly 30 years of neglect. Only coupling that with vigorous enforcement will help prevent disasters.