Stupidity in the World

J and I were talking last night about the oil slick heading for the Gulf Coast. I suggested that BP should pay the cost of everything--the booms, the chemicals, the Coast Guard, the National Guard, the cleanup, the salaries of the fisherpersons until they can be fisherpersons again. All of it. Every penny. J informed me that the liability of BP is limited to $75 million, thanks to the members of the US Congress, and that BP had lobbied for the limit.

I wonder at what point a campaign contribution becomes a bribe?

Not only that, BP lobbied against requiring a blowout cap that is required, yes required, on all of the oil rigs in the North Sea. It would have cost $500K.

Oh, I so hope that Obama is serious about lifting the liability cap and that they go after BP for the total cost of their slick. And not only the immediate costs, but all the long-term damage and costs. They could be paying out for 30 or 40 years.

And while I don't ever want to do this, I must, painful though it is, give the Governator credit for changing his mind. He may not have been paying attention the the Santa Barbara spill, but did note what could happen if an offshore rig blew up. And decided that he didn't want to be remembered for an oil slick when one of the proposed rigs blew up.