BP’s oil spill in the Gulf topples Exxon Valdez and its effects are expansive, from Minnesota to Washington, D.C. On top of 11 lives lost in the Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion, the uncapped rush has disrupted the ecosystem, snapped fishing as an industry, and sent illness racing through the bodies of workers and residents. With summer fast approaching, it pains me to think that the out of control spew stands to jeopardize our beloved beaches, a family favorite for warm weather entertainment.
High Demand, Short Supply
Over time, I absorbed all of that, however, I didn’t get why my college roommate was so perturbed until she mentioned patronizing Fabian Seafood, a company that delivers the Gulf fresh delicacy in refrigerated trucks to her northern state regularly. Though connecting with customers via word of mouth and Wide World Web kept loyalists lined up until the protein bounty arrived, the disaster could slash the Galveston-based business’s base. Living close to where seafood originates, I never contemplated the extent of the northerners’ southern seafood dependency.
Since her last seafood stock-up in early May Minnesota, local chain favorite Pappas Restaurants Inc., and 10 other Louisiana restaurants and a distributor, according to Nation’s Restaurant News, have filed suit against the British energy powerhouse for revenue endangerment due to reckless contamination. This is definitely the last thing an economy staggering to recover needs.
Blame Game
What I also don’t get is why the media has been spit-quick to castigate Obama as the bearer of the same responsibility in BP’s Gulf oil spill as W bore in Hurricane Katrina. The conclusion runs contrary to evidence that clearly suggests the bushwhacked administration played a budget wielding role in the structural neglect of New Orleans’ unstable levees.
As far as I can see, President Barack Obama’s hand was nowhere in BP’s drilling. Plus, under Bush, the Minerals Management Agency was assigned oversight which it seemingly took cavalierly. Many things gone wrong have been chalked up to Obama but BP’s negligence to heed safety first does not belong on the presidential blame list no more than Toyota’s sudden acceleration issue.
Blame BP, not BO
Thanks to a soggy track record soiled by numerous accidents in the past, of two things we can be certain regarding BP: their well-oiled PR machine won’t be able to realign its bent reputation fast enough nor can we rest assured that the fix going forward will do what top kill didn’t.
Bottom line, the technological incompetence reflects more negatively on BP than BO. However, just as we learned in the Texas Board of Education’s highly contested social curriculum controversy, for some, getting and keeping it twisted is politics per usual.
Link up here to learn what could happen to The Big Easy:
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/orleans_faces_R73pgfxP3Oa1wxa23seSFO.
Thanks for the shout-out, 'Ris!
ReplyDeleteMN has lots of fresh seafood outlets (Alaska, Canada)that come in through our Lake Superior route (the nation's largest lake the size of an ocean located on our Northern border), but I love the sweet, fresh blue crab and shrimp that come in from your Gulf. Fabian's truck is making its way here one more time this week, but I must admit that I'm on the fence as to whether I'll buy with the possibility of oil in the back of my mind...
As for our President, I remain his staunch supporter, but must admit that he did himself no favors trotting off to a California fundraiser at the beginning of the crisis. His handlers should have sent him down your way wearing a workshirt and waders at the outset: Barack's non-profit vs. lack of corporate experience failed to remind that when you're Black and in a position of leadership, it's unfairly all about "perception." Didn't help him, either, that Communications Director Gibbs dropped the ball in preparing him for the press's question re: whether his Minerals Head was "fired or resigned"... unfortunately added to that, the MMA under the Black House Watch recently approved critical/related BP drilling procedural changes (i.e., corner cuts) with blind and unprecedented speed.
My prayers are with the entire region and our President... Didn't take me long beyond gastronomical selfishness to realize that BP has caused a heart-sickening disaster (both figuratively and literally) that we'll all feel-- no matter where we live-- for years to come. Thanks for your article!
Thanks backatcha, R, for pulling the bureaucratic layers back and pointing out BO's presidential fumbles on the oil slick field. I also appreciate the enlightenment with respect to Fabian's Seafood. I mean, who knew their market stretched so far north? Here's an interesting article from a Wisconsin paper with a Fabian angle:
ReplyDeletehttp://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/article_4b6e373c-6dd4-11df-9b6a-001cc4c03286.html
Insightful. Thought provoking.
ReplyDeleteYou nailed it. BP is destroying life, livelihoods and the way of life from who know where to who knows where along the Gulf coast, east or west. The comments by Anonymous of the effects the spill is having on her and others Fabian Seafood supplies flipped my grey-matter and set it spinning at the thought of the damage and ultimate cost of the BP spill will.
ReplyDeleteAlthough we are trending smaller and more economical, there is still a leaning toward bigger is better in vehicles and, in spite of the technological advances in operations, there are still some guzzlers on the road. Given that the cause of the desecration occurring in the Gulf region, it causes me to wonder if we understand this incident as a price we pay for dependence.
Is there that much resilience as will be needed to overcome the gravity of the damages caused by this blow? This area has received beating after beating over the last ten or so years. All have changed the way things were. What at Venice, is happening to some directly now, and is and will continue to ripple out to many others for a good while to come. Let us be prayerful that our greed is not our demise.
Thank you for your thoughts. You were both enlightening and I am appreciative.
You nailed it. --REVISED -- BP is destroying life, livelihoods and the way of life from who know where to who knows where along the Gulf coast, east and west. The comments by Anonymous of the effects the spill is having on her and others Fabian Seafood supplies flipped my grey-matter and set it spinning at the thought of the damage and ultimate cost of the BP spill.
ReplyDeleteAlthough we are trending smaller and more economical, there is still a leaning toward bigger is better in vehicles and, in spite of the technological advances in operations, there are still some guzzlers on the road. Given the cause of the desecration occurring in the Gulf region, it set me wondering if we all understand this incident as a price we pay for dependence.
Is there that much resilience as will be needed to overcome the gravity of the damages caused by this blow? This area has received beating after beating over the last ten or so years. Each incident has changed the way things were. What is happening at Venice to some directly now, is and will continue to ripple out to many others for a good while to come. Let us be prayerful that our greed is not our demise.
Thank you for your thoughts. You were both enlightening and I am appreciative.
June 9, 2010 10:50 PM