BP makes the rules now?

[paranoid1123]

Apparently BP (with the backing of the US Coast Guard) is arresting people who are trying to film the gulf oil disaster. I didn't Know thet BP had that kind of authority.

[jeebus]

Speaking of our FEDERALLY regulated Coast Guard: http://abcnews.go.com/WN/bp-oil-spil...ry?id=10946379

Eight days ago, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal ordered barges to begin vacuuming crude oil out of his state's oil-soaked waters. Today, against the governor's wishes, those barges sat idle, even as more oil flowed toward the Louisiana shore.

Louisiana Governor Jindal frustrated over decision-making red tape.

"It's the most frustrating thing," the Republican governor said today in Buras, La. "Literally, yesterday morning we found out that they were halting all of these barges."

So why stop now?

Coast Guard Orders Barges to Stop

"The Coast Guard came and shut them down," Jindal said. "You got men on the barges in the oil, and they have been told by the Coast Guard, 'Cease and desist. Stop sucking up that oil.'"

A Coast Guard representative told ABC News today that it shares the same goal as the governor.

"We are all in this together. The enemy is the oil," said Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. Dan Lauer.

But the Coast Guard ordered the stoppage because of reasons that Jindal found frustrating. The Coast Guard needed to confirm that there were fire extinguishers and life vests on board, and then it had trouble contacting the people who built the barges.

Louisiana Governor Couldn't Overrule Coast Guard

The governor said he didn't have the authority to overrule the Coast Guard's decision, though he said he tried to reach the White House to raise his concerns.

"They promised us they were going to get it done as quickly as possible," he said. But "every time you talk to someone different at the Coast Guard, you get a different answer."

After Jindal strenuously made his case, the barges finally got the go-ahead today to return to the Gulf and get back to work, after more than 24 hours of sitting idle.

If the President had any military training, or at least had an advisor with military training who would tell him what to do, things would not be this bad. This is an EMERGENCY situation, and they're handling it with total bureaucracy.

[paranoid1123]

Remember none of this clean up is our responsibility. BP should be doing all of it, or the president should take control of the situation and then sent bp a bill. If they wont pay just take some small UK territory like England. That should pay for it.

[myjohnson]

Ahhh, the good O' gov-ment.

You can always count on them to screw something up.