Tony Hayward's description of the Deepwater Horizon Spill as "relatively tiny" is simply appalling. How anybody can stick up for BP now is beyond me. Apparently Hayward believes that since this oil slick is small compared to the entire Gulf of Mexico, it isn't that big a deal. Kind of like if we cut a one-inch slit in Hayward's jugular, the bleeding gash would be "relatively tiny" compared his entire circulation system, so it isn't worth calling a paramedic.
At the beginning of this, I think some Americans saw BP as victims to a certain degree. Executives did have to call 11 families, after all, to say their loved ones had accidentally been burned to death by boiling oil set aflame in the middle of the sea. Not that I felt sorry for Tony Hayward right then, but I am sure someone did.
Hayward said his company wasresponsible for the oil but not at fault for the explosion. Then we learned the company didn't even file a "scenario for potential blowout." And they had leaky safety valves. And they were fighting regulations to prevent this. And the back-up plan for having no back-up plan was a stupid dome that didn't work. But now they feel bad. But they won't pay more than the $75 million liability cap.
Certainly there is blame to go around. Halliburton and Transocean more than likely bear some. And never mind the lack of regulation. President Obama admitted as much today, and reemphasized the need to separate oil regulators and those collecting the leases for drilling. "For a decade or more, there has been a cozy relationship between the oil companies and the federal agency that permits them to drill," Obama said.
The more time passes, the more clear it is the the major culprit in all of this is BP. So stop protecting them, Sen. Lisa Murkowski. And please, Gov. Rick Perry, stop calling this an "Act of God." Officials who at this point are apologizing, and even advocating, for BP spit in the eye of justice. You want a free market? This is it. BP screws up the Gulf of Mexico, and nobody helps them until they have spent every last bit of capital they have making this right. If the company goes bankrupt before then, screw them. Get every last drop out of that slippery rock, and then we'll spend taxpayer dollars to finish the job, if necessary. Drain this company dry.
There is no public good served by helping BP. Oil companies, including BP, enjoyed record profits in the past decade. They reaped enormous benefits from drilling oil, and now must shoulder the cost to fix this disaster. Caps shouldn't apply because BP didn't make good on their end of the bargain by maintaining proper safety protocols. If there was any decency in Hayward's soul, he wouldn't even try and have that cap enforced.
But obviously, BP doesn't feel the need to take care of this themselves. The company makes billions in profits every quarter, and can't muster as much as $100 million for this problem. I think it is time we take action.
When you need gas and are coming up on a BP, keep driving. Go to the next station. If you live in the Southeast United States, recognize you may be paying for this disaster your entire life because BP will not. Don't give them another cent at the pump. Go to 7-Eleven. Go to Shell. Just don't go to BP. If the gas station next door charges four more cents a gallon, pay the extra pennies and know that BP is losing the cost of the whole tank.
If Hayward feels no great need to clean up a beautiful part of the world damaged by his company's carelessness, then I have no need for his company's fuel.
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