Three Years In: How Long will BP Spill Haunt Coastal Residents?

I have caught a lot of flack over the past couple of years over the BP oil spill. In fact, I’ve lost friends because of my stance (and this one too).  What I’m more worried about, though are the long term repercussions of the massive oil spill that annihilated the Gulf of Mexico and took 87 days to cap. That’s nearly three months of oil that poured into the waters that still feed countless Americans.

From the tumors found on several fish species to the questionable decisions of the EPA, NOAA and Coast Guard to support continued consumption of the seafood out of the Gulf, there’s not a time I’ve wondered if maybe I need to bite my tongue. These days, I’m even more convinced.

Remember, the Coast Guard allowed BP to continue dumping millions of barrels of those chemicals – Corexit – that were supposed to disperse the oil. That was insanity at its finest. Basically, BP was allowed to dump poison (dispersants) into a body of water with the support of the American government – that then encouraged people to eat from that well of poison.

Soon, though, BP had managed to buy some folks off. Many politicians and “everyday citizens” took to the airwaves to provide a degree of legitimacy to the claims that Gulf seafood was safe. From the then-governor of my own state, Haley Barbour, to business owners who’d lost nearly everything and were trying to rebuild, BP had ripe pickings of those willing to sell out. And yes – Barbour sold out.

This past January, a three day meeting of the minds was held. The Gulf of Mexico Spill & Ecosystem Science Conference was pulled together in an effort of better understanding the effects of the oil spill – both on humans and the delicate ecosystem in this region of the country. Robert Dickey, who is the director of the FDA Gulf Coast Seafood, continued to insist that the tests revealed following the spill shows commercial seafood is safe to eat, “The bottom line is that the seafood is as safe to consume now as it was before the spill,” Dickey said. “We’re back to background levels. We were in the fall (of 2010) shortly after the spill dissipated.”

Sounds fine, right? Well – only if you’re OK with that one bit of input. Consider this:

One month ago, Dr. William Sawyer, a Louisiana toxicologist, provided quite the argument that Corexit is deadly to both people and sea life. “Corexit components are also known as deodorized kerosene,” Sawyer said in a written statement for the Gulf Oil Disaster Recovery Group,   “With respect to marine toxicity and potential human health risks, studies of kerosene exposures strongly indicate potential health risks to volunteers, workers, sea turtles, dolphins, breathing reptiles and all species which need to surface for air exchanges, as well as birds and all other mammals.” He then explained that Corexit, when broken down, changes the makeup of crude oil and makes it “bioavailable”, meaning it’s easier to absorb by any living things.

Sawyer then conducted tests on much of the seafood we all consume – shrimp, snapper, crab and others – in an effort to see just how much PHC had been absorbed by this sea life. He then compared the results to samples taken before the oil spill. Before the spill, there was “no measurable PHC”. Following the spill, he found tissue concentrations of up to 10,000 parts per million, or 1 percent of the total. This, explained Sawyer, “shows that the absorption was enhanced by the Corexit.”

Here’s what’s so troublesome today and it’s what got me focused on this once again. First, though, take a look at this quick quote from James H. Kirby, III, director of the Department of Geology at the University of South Florida. The report, Findings of Persistency of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Residual Tar Product Sourced from Crude Oil Released during the Deepwater Horizon (and note the very last sentence):

Oil range organics (ORO) tests were done on 23 samples. Compared to the Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health (IDLH) or carcinogenic exposure limit for PAH analytes listed as coal tar derivatives, 90% of the positively identified analytes exceeded the IDLH limit. The use of ultraviolet light equipment in the field showed distinct fluorescent responses to illumination by a 370nm UV light source. UV light equipment was found to be very efficient in identifying tar product on the beach for evaluating the visual level of contamination on the beach. Fluorescent responses from tar product found in the field and laboratory created tar product were measured by fluorometry equipment. The collection area was between Waveland, MS and Cape San Blas, FL. Most sampling efforts centered on the AL and NW FL coasts.

Today, an article was published in our local newspaper. It reads, in part:

Two people have died and five more remain hospitalized after experiencing flu-like symptoms from a respiratory illness in Southeast Alabama, according to the Alabama Department of Public Health. The department, along with the Center of Disease Control and Prevention, are investigating the illness, which they described as a “cluster of respiratory illnesses of unknown origin.”  Among the symptoms displayed by the patients are fever, shortness of breath, and cough.

I am NOT saying the two are connected – what I am saying, though, is there’s a reason and until and unless we’re willing to explore the possibilities, we’re serving no purpose whatsoever for those who could be affected in the future due to an unwillingness to accept certain truths right here and right now.

In April 2012, lesions and deformities described as “grotesque” were being reported by Louisiana State University’s Department of Oceanography and Coastal Sciences. In fact, millions of shrimp and crabs were turning up with no eyes and the belief of many is that it’s all due to the dispersants and oil. And did I mention the ONE media outlet that covered it was Al Jazeera? Meanwhile, BP – in yet another incredible act of stupidity – said  “such deformities were “common” in aquatic life in the Gulf” and that it was caused by bacteria or parasites, even as studies showed it’s all due to the spill. Read it here.

Finally, there are a couple of quotes in recent weeks that bear repeating:

This (read it here):

Six months after the spill ended, anglers began pulling in red snapper with ugly lesions. Tests by University of South Florida scientists verified that chemicals from Deepwater Horizon oil had clogged their livers, causing immune system problems.

And this (read it here)

David Hollander, a chemical oceanographer with USF, “Everywhere the plume went, the die-off went,” Hollander said. The discovery by USF scientists marks yet another sign that damage from the disaster is still being revealed as its third anniversary looms. Although initially some pundits said the spill wasn’t as bad as everyone feared, further scientific research has found that corals in the gulf died. Anglers hauled in fish with tattered fins and strange lesions. And dolphins continue dying. The full implications of the die-off are yet to be seen.

 

 

TX Congressman Jeb Hensarling Needs to Go – NOW

It’s no secret the way politics really work in this country. There are those tell-tale signs that show even the most removed soul where the priorities are. Right or wrong, it’s what drives this country we call home. In recent years, though, there have been decisions, actions and changes that have left many simply speechless. The latest move, courtesy of a Texas Republican, has even this die-hard Republican furious. It’s time for Jeb Hensarling to rethink his career options.

New Banking Laws

When the Obama Administration announced it would be taking steps to rein in the nation’s biggest banks, many were skeptical, but hopeful that any changes would finally shut those arrogant and narcissistic personalities down. Those like Jamie Dimon come to mind. He’s the outspoken, controversial and egotistical soul that runs JPMorgan Chase. Anyone who’s read anything I’ve written in the pat few years knows just how deep my distaste for this man runs. He is absolutely infuriating – but he’s just one of many.

Soon, Obama signed into law new financial rules that even Dimon was forced to play by. The laws were then – and are still now – controversial. Some I agree with, some I don’t, but there’s no denying the decision to put into place a consumer watchdog group will likely be the one good thing Obama will be remembered for (and y’all know how I feel about the Obama Administration). Soon, the Republicans cried foul and were adamantly opposed to the laws and the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Obama stood his ground though and while the Dodd Frank Financial Laws fall significantly short of serving their purpose, the 2010 CARD Act, which provides for the founding of CFPB, was a home run.

Congress refused to acknowledge CFPB Director Richard Cordray, even after Obama appointed him. Days following the swearing in by Obama, a federal appeals court ruled that the process used to swear him in was constitutionally invalid. This means Cordray has been going about the business of running CFPB without the legalities (albeit suddenly defined legalities) that make it proper. Now, Hensarling has latched onto that like a starving vegetarian who’s just discovered rib-eye steak.

This week, as Cordray prepared to testify in front of Congress about the state of his agency, Hensarling piped up and complained, “The court’s unanimous ruling makes it clear that there is no legally-appointed director of the CFPB at this time.” He went further and said, “By law, the committee can receive this testimony only from a director who is appointed in accordance with the Constitution and the Dodd-Frank Act, which created the bureau.”

Meanwhile, had Cordray been given the opportunity, he would have testified on a number of events that his agency – and his agency alone – has put into place to protect you and me and every other American consumer.

Among the accomplishments in the past six months:

• CFPB has secured $425 million in relief for more than 6 million consumers (and this the one agency that actually refunds consumers instead of calling them “fines” and adding them to government coffers)
• CFPB is successfully addressing more than 130,000 complaints on anything from credit card billing practices and banks to overpriced payday loans that often have interest rates of 300% annually
• CFPB also just announced new laws on how consumers will be treated when it comes to buying a house. Several of the nation’s biggest banks and insurance companies are gouging homeowners on private mortgage insurance (PMI). The banks are taking financial kickbacks and CFPB is the one kicking back – and putting a halt to it. There are already lawsuits being filed – and federal judges are allowing those homeowners to sue. It’s all because of Cordray and CFPB.

So why would Congress be opposed to an agency that protects its members’ constituents? I’ve asked that question a million times. It all comes down to the same thing:

The new financial laws prevent bankers and politicians from padding their pockets. The new laws mean oversight and that means the banks must follow by ethical and legal rules. They don’t like it.

Here are just a few of the ridiculous actions/comments Jeb Hensarling’s made in recent days:

“The committee intends to continue to conduct rigorous oversight of the CFPB’s activities, and will expect the CFPB’s cooperation in those efforts, including making other employees available to testify at committee hearings and responding fully to committee requests for documents and information.”

(It’s clear he wants complete control of CFPB so that he can put a lid on it. He has no interest in hearing from Cordray, but Hensarling wants CFPB employees to appear when he commands.)

Hensarling sent a letter to the lawyers for CFPB and said Obama’s appointment was invalid because Senate was in recess. He says that the laws dictate the only way he and his fellow politicians can hear testimony is if it’s “from a director who is appointed in accordance with the Constitution.”

(Cordray has testified numerous times in the past – and no one complained.)

Earlier this week, he sent Cordray a letter as well, in which he stated:

“Absent contrary guidance from the United States Supreme Court, you do not meet the statutory requirements of a validly-serving director of the CFPB, and cannot be recognized as such,”

Finally, remember that Senator Elizabeth Warren also caught hell from Republicans and has since taken a step back until it’s all hashed out. That’s a shame because she came with guns blazing, ready to work alongside Dems and Pubs – and CFPB. Instead, the Senate again refused to confirm her.

At a minimum, Hensarling needs to be stripped of his title as chairman of the House Financial Services Committee. It’s clear his priorities are not in line with the same folks who elected him into office. He has ulterior motives and appears to be doing very little to hide them.

 

 

 

Bloomberg’s Ethical Brouhaha

Michael Bloomberg – what can you say? First, he tried to place a ban on the personal choices of the citizens of New York City by imposing a ridiculous ban on how much Diet Coke they can drink. It came as little surprise, after that failure, that he opted to take on the national gun battle all by himself. I won’t go into arguments that are making the rounds on Facebook and all the national media outlets, the reasons why he should or shouldn’t – mostly because it’s been argued to death. And let’s face it – this man is as stubborn as a mule tied to a fence post. He doesn’t get it now and he won’t get it tomorrow – he’s too wrapped up in an ego that continues to propel him into the spotlight. This is a man who doesn’t back down, even if his efforts are falling woefully short.

Bloomberg announced over the weekend that he’s prepared to spend millions to keep the NRA at bay. I’m pretty sure he and Donald Trump share some DNA somewhere down the line because this falls into the category of that embarrassing announcement Trump made just before the elections that promised to change everything – and by “everything”, Trump meant it would keep Obama from becoming a two term president. The only thing it changed was the tolerance factor many of us already felt for him -another exhausting ego that forced itself front and center, if only for a very brief moment. The only thing worse for these two when it comes to American tolerance is the fear that either or both decide to run for president. Not that either would win (Bloomberg shows no loyalty to any party; he’s been a registered Democrat, Republican and is now an Independent), but can you imagine these two doing anything else other than pulling out all of the million dollar stops they have access to? The day they didn’t access those unlimited funds is the same day I dig deep and try to find any shred of respect for Jamie Dimon – which, ironically, is another public image who lacks ethics but makes up for it with his own brand of narcissism.

From a common sense angle, it’s curious that Bloomberg believes it’s money well spent, until you consider a few facts – one being he’s worth more than $17 billion. He also spent millions in his efforts of getting re-elected; in fact, it’s believed he’s spent more of his own cash than any other American politician in history. Bloomberg says his only interest is making sure universal background checks become part of the process any of us must go through before buying a gun. That’s a lot of money to spend on something that, if it were realistic, would already be well on its way of becoming law. Contrary to what the rest of the world believes, America is still home to plenty of folks with common sense. It’s not realistic because he’s wanting these background checks to be based on an imperfect system. The results of those checks, were they ever to become law, are only as good as the system providing the results.

More importantly, Bloomberg has taken on the responsibility of speaking for all, whether they agree with him or not. Making the Sunday morning rounds, he said during an interview on Meet the Press, “We’re trying to do everything we can to impress upon the senators that this is what the survivors (of the Connecticut shooting) want, this is what the public wants,” he said.

And that’s the problem…that one declaration he muttered: “this is what the public wants”. I think a more accurate, across the board statement would be something along the lines of “the public wants accountability and ethical leaders who aren’t dictating their Diet Coke (or Sprite or Dr. Pepper) intake nor putting their own spin on the Constitution”. Not holding my breath on that one either.

I reckon it’s a combination of a lack of ethics and an oversized ego, not that he’d ever slow down long enough to see it.

If I live to be one hundred, I’ll never forget this quote from Hendrik Hertzberg in the November 2009 issue of The New Yorker:

The Mayor has ruled us well, but he has infantilized us…If Bloomberg had been satisfied with two terms, he would be leaving office a beloved legend, a municipal god. He’ll get his third, but we’ll give it to him sullenly, knowing that while it probably won’t measure up to his first two—times are hard, huge budget gaps are at hand—it’ll probably be good enough. The Pax Bloombergiana will endure a while longer. But then what? Will we have forgotten how to govern ourselves?

 

Before You Drink the Rubio Kool-Aid…I Mean Rubio Water…

It took about 12 seconds for the Rubio “get a drink of water” pause to go viral earlier this week. For some time now, he’s fared well as Golden Boy for the Republicans. Ah…but how soon they forget. It’s not been that long ago that he was just another excuse-making-responsibility-avoiding-shift-the-blame politician in Florida who got his hand caught in the cookie jar. And it was an expensive cookie. Here’s how it went down -

In 2010, a huge controversy involving several Florida politicians broke and before it was over, there would be no shortage of political dirty laundry that had been aired and a host of other state politicians who were no doubt losing sleep because of their own secrets that were on the verge of being spilled. Earlier this week, though, a surprise announcement was made that included a plea bargain with Florida’s former GOP Chairman Jim Greer. If you listened closely, you could have heard a collective sigh of relief coming out of Florida. As a result, no one will ever testify to allegations of prostitutes, theft or accusations that former Florida Governor Charlie Crist made sexual advances towards Greer. Instead, Greer will take the fall that includes admitting to five criminal charges – theft and money laundering being two of those charges.

Even Marco Rubio didn’t come away unscathed.

When the controversy first broke, Marco Rubio realized it was going to land partly in his lap, courtesy of a Republican Party of Florida American Express, which showed there was more than $100,000 in charges made by Rubio that were questionable at best, and unethical and illegal at worst. The charges were made over a two year period. Rubio defended the purchases, though he refused to present anything that would substantiate his assertions. He said his word should be enough to satisfy suspicious minds. Maybe someone forgot to tell him that when he stepped into politics, his trustworthiness cased to exist.

The $109,618 in charges, explained Rubio, were for “legitimate expenses…incurred while traversing Florida to raise money for the GOP, support its candidates and promote property tax reform”.

Rubio went on the defense and accused then-Governor Crist of leaking the information in order to take the heat off of himself and his own brewing scandal. Crist denied that, naturally, but he wasted no time telling any reporter who’d listen that many of the Rubio charges were “pretty disturbing”. And he was right. It matters little if it was ten dollars spent at some fast food restaurant or thousands spent on imported wine – there should be absolutely no doubt in any taxpayer’s mind as to how tax dollars are spent. Rubio said he used the Republican party-issued credit card for $16,053 in personal expenses, but that he eventually covered those charges from his own pocket, including close to $150 spent on a haircut at a barber shop in Miami. Here’s the problem: even if his calculations of more than $16,000 in personal purchases are right, he only repaid $13,900, which leaves more than $2,000 that taxpayers covered. Worse, Rubio was not consistent in his efforts, either. For six months, there were no payments made on the account, aside from the monthly scheduled payments made by the party.

A few of the charges were made to expensive restaurants, liquor stores, an electronics store for “music equipment”, Winn Dixie and a lumber store. Calls for a criminal investigation into Rubio went nowhere. Worse, some of his cronies were astounded that anyone would make a big deal out of “a few charges”.

And therein lies the problem. Our elected officials have found a sense of entitlement that they somehow deserve the finer things in life and that the America taxpayer should shoulder the financial burden of those refined lifestyles. When confronted, most seem to have perfected this incredulous look that really should be an embarrassment to them. Meanwhile, Florida Republicans accumulated an Amex bill of more than $3.1 million in 2008 alone. Access to the details are available…somewhat. There are no differentiations between who made the charges, which seems incredibly irresponsible. We’re talking $3.1 million of yours and my dollars, after all.

And now – in yet one more leap over the ethics line, Rubio has unveiled a new water bottle and encourages you to “send the liberal detractors a message that not only does Marco Rubio inspire you, he hydrates you too.” All you have to do is make a donation. I’m thinking I’ll pass. He’s already blown enough of my money.

 

Why Aren’t Heads Rolling?

Late last week, I was able to get a little bit of a head start on what was supposed to be a “bombshell” regarding the Obama campaign. After I got all of the information, I then had an obligation to sit on it until yesterday. I had a client’s interest at stake, so not only did I have to keep some degree of objectivity, but I couldn’t use any of it for my own use. Until now. As it turns out, the story’s big – but if I was worried about coming in late with it, I shouldn’t have been.

This “bombshell” that was supposed to annihilate not only the Obama Administration, but the political sector as a whole, is absolutely damning. Except the media’s not reporting it – with the exception of a brief report from Sean Hannity Monday night and one reference (that I saw) today on Fox. Why this hasn’t been blasted all over the airwaves is beyond me.

The Loophole

There is a loophole that’s being used that allows donations to be made to various political campaign websites from foreign interests. This “foreign donor loophole” is compromised when a site doesn’t require that three digit code on the back of our credit cards be keyed in. The security codes, or CVV codes, prevent the so-called robo-donors from fraudulently contributing to any campaign. When you donate online to the Obama campaign using a credit card, the contribution web page does not require the CVV – and I verified this for myself. But it’s what’s in the report that’s so disturbing – mostly because it’s clear there are those who know they’re above the law and who can bypass the criminal justice system.

So here’s what all of this is about -

A new report came out on Monday from the Government Accountability Institute. The U.S. Attorney’s office also played a role in putting together all of the information that’s been collected over the past eight months. The focus was on “potential influence of foreign online campaign donations in House, Senate and presidential elections”, although the in-depth information has to do with the current Obama campaign. There’s so much in this 100+ page report – and I strongly encourage you to check it out here (y’all know I’m all about doing the research and making decisions based on the facts – read it and come to your own conclusions).

Criminal Repercussions

According to GAI, it is the duty of the campaign to “ensure compliance with the law”. When that doesn’t happen, the door is opened for criminal prosecution for the conscious failure to do so. The Obama campaign raised $181 million in September. A mere 2% of those donations are required to be reported to the FEC. That means 98% of those donations were less than $200 each – and most were less than $50 each. None of these have the security codes – but if you buy an official Obama t-shirt or coffee mug, guess what? You have to use your CVV code for a $15 mug.

By contrast, the Mitt Romney campaign has raised $58,500 in contributions under $200. The difference, aside from the dollar figures is that with every single Romney donation, there exists a CVV code; in fact, you can’t make a contribution without that three digit number. And if you’re wondering, Barack Obama has raised more money online than any other presidential candidate in history.

The report reads, “Protecting against criminal campaign contributions is easily accomplished by requiring a CVV code on the campaign donation page.” Yes – criminal campaign contributions. Although it isn’t illegal to decline the use of a secure CVV credit card code for campaign donations, it is illegal to accept campaign donations from foreign sources. Campaigns are required under criminal code “not to solicit, accept or receive foreign donations in any amount”. The Federal Elections Commission does not require any campaigns to disclose the names of donors making contributions of less than $200, unless extreme circumstances are at play. In addition, FEC rules don’t require campaigns to keep records of any kind of those giving less than $50. These rules combined with the lack of a CVV numbers make it easy for campaigns to get away with taking foreign donations. This is illegal and there are criminal repercussions.

Exploiting Weaknesses

“FBI surveillance tapes have previously shown foreign governments understand and are eager to exploit the weaknesses of American campaigns,” the report says. “This, combined with the Internet’s ability to disintermediate campaign contributions on a mass scale, as well as outmoded and lax Federal Election Commission rules, make U.S. elections vulnerable to foreign influence.”

There are several revelations in this report, but there’s one more I want to include:

You may think obama.com is owned by Barack Obama, but it’s not. It’s a “branded, major third-party owned website” and it redirects 68% foreign traffic to a campaign donation page. This website was created in Shanghai, China, by an “Obama bundler”. Here’s the kicker: the registration and identification is hidden. The main website, BarackObama.com, sees 43% of its traffic coming from foreign IP addresses.

Finally:

“As GAI points out, if a campaign is truly seeking to do all it can to prevent illicit contributions, there is no reason not to employ these basic fraud prevention tools. First, these tools are easily installed, and once set up, operate with a minimum of administrative oversight by the vendor. They are fully automated, but can be easily re-calibrated as called for. Under these circumstances, a campaign’s decision to turn off either of these systems despite the increased fees raises legitimate questions as to a campaign’s knowing failure to use its best efforts to comply with the laws prohibiting foreign contributions. Indeed, it’s reasonable to ask why any campaign would ever opt to pay card issuers more for less information and less security. More importantly, why pay card issuers more when doing so lessens a campaign’s ability to comply with the law? It’s hard to imagine any campaign would pay extra for less security and marketing intelligence, unless it stood to benefit in some way from doing so.”

Let me be clear – do not take my word for it. Read the report, do your research and come to your own decisions. Remember, there are some of the biggest changes in this nation’s history coming our way as a result of this election. Regardless of who’s elected, things are going to change – they’re going to change fast and it’s going to be significant. I don’t care who you vote for and I’ve been the first to admit it when someone questions my own motives: I do NOT think either of these candidates have a place in the White House. My vote is simply based on who I dislike less. I’m OK with that too – I can live with it. But each of us needs to be OK with whatever we decide and that can only happen if we’re moving forward with the information that ensures it. 

 

Just When I Thought I Was Finished

I admit – the political goings-on over the past year had grown tiresome even to me. I’d decided that the upcoming election would bear no winners with the exception of the actual candidates. We – as in the American taxpayer – have nothing to celebrate in terms of the outcome. I swear, I think both parties are counting on folks to just throw up their hands and say, “Do what you’re going to do – you’re going to anyway.” Remember how, as a kid, you’d end up getting your way sometimes simply by exhausting your mom? She’d throw up her hands and give in, but you’d always hear her say, “OK – now get outta here and let me catch my breath.”

The DNC, as we all know, is wrapping up today – and not a moment too soon – and believe me, I say that because BOTH conventions are over with.

This week could not have been a more nightmarish week for the Obama Administration. It was day after day of bad news on top of more bad news. Here are a few of my ledes from this week:

• As the Democratic National Convention roars on, news broke that a record 46.7 million Americans — or roughly one in five adults — used food stamps during the month of June.
• It just wouldn’t be a holiday weekend if gas prices didn’t jump higher. This time, though, a new record’s been set. Gas prices, up by 9.4% in August, are higher than they’ve ever been in U.S. history, beating the record set in 2008.
• On Thursday, economists were expecting 150,000 new jobs to be added to the employment rolls. Admitting it wouldn’t really affect the unemployment rate, those economists were hopeful that at least the number wouldn’t be any lower. On Friday, we’re wondering what the economists are saying with the paltry 96,000 jobs that were added in August.
• The national debt hit the $16 trillion mark today. When Obama took office four years ago, it was $10 trillion and Congress continues to spend as though nothing is at stake. Unfortunately, each American’s share of the federal debt now rests at $37,437 – there’s definitely a lot at stake.

The worse part of all of this is knowing Obama has still managed to keep pace with Romney – the polls still show them at an even split. The only thing thing that makes sense to me is that everyone is voting for their candidate not because they necessarily support him but rather, they dislike the other candidate even more. Somehow, that just doesn’t sit right. It wasn’t supposed to be this way. Our nation wasn’t built on the premise of choosing presidents based who we dislike less. And yet – there it is. Which leads me to…

There has been a shift, I’ve noticed, on all of the social networking sites. Folks threatening to “shut down” their Facebook pages and close their Twitter accounts. They say they’re tired of the political rhetoric. I get that – I got burned out too before this week got me fired up again. Here’s the thing, though – for the first time in our history, Americans are able to come together in an unprecedented and rather casual way. Even the last presidential race didn’t include as many Facebook and Twitter users. I don’t even think I had even considered any kind of social networking presence four years ago. At any rate, some of the nonsense is just that – nonsense. I’ve had a lot of “tags” of ridiculous photos and images that trash talked one candidate or another. I eventually had to change my settings so that I could control what was being posted to my wall (I’ll do my own trash talking, thank you very much). My point is it would be a shame that anyone would choose something like politics as the reason for bowing out. Every now and then, something comes along that absolutely goes against everything we believe – and then we actually take a minute to consider it and it’s in those moments change happens. It’s rare – but weeding through the nonsense becomes worth it when it does happen.

 

Will Isaac Churn up the Gulf’s Secrets?

I know there are a lot of people who don’t want to think about the repercussions of the BP Oil Spill of 2010. There’s lot of money at stake – there are generations of shrimpers who rely on the Gulf of Mexico’s bounty and, of course, at the core of the controversy is an oil conglomerate that’s already put billions into the problem but doing very little in terms of disclosure or owning up to its mistakes – including admitting to taking shortcuts that likely led to the loss of eleven men. It’s debatable over whether those billions of dollars were spent fixing the problem or ensuring the Gulf holds forever holds those problems and proof in the deep waters. There’s no denying the entire Gulf region was severely impacted and for many, it can still be felt.

It’s really tragic in that those of us raised along the Gulf Coast were forced to face a truth that things will never be the same. Our kids and grandchildren will never know the generosity of that body of water and the sense of safety that came with each shrimp haul. One of my son’s favorite memories is going “crabbing” off the piers in Pascagoula. He was a little thing, but he loved going and I loved taking him because those were days that were just ours. It was before cells and texting and girlfriends. He just loved pulling those nets up that we’d baited with chicken to lure the blue claw beauties. The more crabs in the cage, the more excited he’d get. I don’t know that he will ever get to experience that with his own child.

Now, we’re nearing the peak of hurricane season and all of the controversy has settled. Or, at least it’s temporarily settled until the right storm comes through the right area and is the right size to uncover all of those secrets oil companies and big governments are hoping the Gulf will never betray. Make no mistake – it’s just a matter of time.

It should also be noted there’s a new complication. An announcement by the Gulf Islands National Seashore less than two weeks ago that it would be closing part of the beautiful barrier islands due to the discovery of mustard gas is more than upsetting.

So is Isaac the tropical system to make that happen? Only if it gets bigger than a category 2 hurricane. It’s just not powerful enough to really churn those deep waters in the Gulf. Still, being on the east side has never been more dreaded. Most people in this region know that the east side of a tropical system is what brings all the water and storm surge. These systems turn counter-clockwise, so the winds are coming from the south – or some variation – southwest, south-southwest, etc. – depending on where one is in relation to the eye of the storm. Also, keep in mind, there hasn’t been a hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico since the explosion and dumping of millions of barrels of oil. There were two hurricanes in 2010 that briefly were over the Bay of Campeche. By briefly, I mean mere hours – and both went into Mexico. One – Karl, I believe – didn’t hit hurricane status until it was coming ashore along the Mexican coast.

Of course, BP says all is fine and good in the Gulf of Mexico. Tests by many parties with no ulterior motives tell a different tale. And never underestimate the collective worthlessness of a nation’s government when monetary considerations are at stake. “Across the board, we are disappointed with Congress’s lack of action. Two years have passed since the explosion” and “Congress has yet to enact one piece of legislation to make drilling safer,” said Democrat Bob Graham, former co-chairman of the National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill created by President Obama in 2010.

And a final note – if you’ve seen any of those commercials that are little more than disgusting efforts to play on our sympathy with abused dogs and cats, you probably know how difficult they are to watch. These commercials break my heart; so much so that I either mute the volume or change channels. I won’t be posting any photos of the oil-drenched birds and fish, nor will I post any photos of the fish that should be nourishing us, but instead are washing ashore with burn holes and no eyes. They’re all available if you want to search them out, but for me, it would seem hypocritical to post any of these thousands of photos.

And now, I’m back to tracking Isaac and hoping he keeps south Mississippi out of his line of fire.

 

I’m Not Saying There are Parallels…But

The school year for folks around here got underway this past week. Teachers and parents are teaming up to ensure the little ones receive a quality education. Or maybe they’re not.

Each year, I find myself wondering who makes the decisions when it comes to what teachers can and cannot do for their students. Seems like educators are finding their hands being tied on the most bizarre levels. I’d talked to my best friend today about how the first week of school went for her daughter. I suspected it was harder on my friend than it was her little girl – and I was right. She told me she’d spent some time helping her five year old loosen and tighten the big cap on her thermos because the teachers aren’t allowed to touch a student’s food or utensils. After I asked her to repeat it a few times – just to be sure I understood, I was speechless.

After I got off the phone with her, I spoke with another friend who also has little ones in another school zone who started school this week – one is in kindergarten and she also has a third grader. Turns out, these days, the first week of school is spent with educators and parents clashing over everything from which teacher is assigned to their little darlings to what time they eat lunch. One parent wants her little ball of sunshine put with another teacher while another parent is hell bent on keeping his own little gem out of a “stricter” teacher’s classroom. I don’t envy the teachers. Since when is being strict a bad thing – especially when it’s a child whose parents give in to their every whim – up to and including kaboozling Mom and Dad to march up to the school and demand a different teacher? And what happened to a parent saying ‘Get over it. You’re going to have a lifetime of “strict teacher” moments’?

Some of these parents have the whole community up in arms – and it’s just the first week! I always thought we

The Little Darlings

sent our kids to school to gain an education while growing into responsible adults who don’t demand changes on a whim, who act responsibly and who recognize that we don’t always get our way.

Now, far be it from me to parallel one dynamic with another – but have you heard about some of the changes in our social welfare programs? Aside from the regulations being relaxed for serial welfare recipients who find looking for a job entirely too traumatizing, there are now other changes that will only cement some folks into continuing what’s worked so well for years. – which is, well – nothing.

The traditional paper food stamps have been replaced with EBT cards and according to a new study, the monthly funnel of money added to these government credit cards is simply too tempting. In many states, these EBT cards can be used for anything – even withdrawing cash from an ATM. And make no mistake: that taxpayer money is being used for liquor, concert tickets and shopping sprees at some of the nation’s most prestigious department stores.

The study was conducted in Tennessee by a consumer watchdog group. It included a review of more than 150,000 transactions made via EBT cards. The study was focused between October and December 2011. The study found the majority of transactions were being used exactly as intended, but there were many that left the researchers boggled. Here are a few transactions “charged” to these government aid cards:

• Tickets to tour Graceland in Memphis
• A $500 shopping spree at the mall
• A night out at a nightclub for $60
• Waffle House visits by one card holder that totaled more than $100
• $100 purchase at Dillards

As I mentioned, most welfare recipients may use their EBT benefits to withdraw cash from ATM machines. One EBT recipient made a withdrawal of $790 from an ATM at a Memphis liquor store. The state’s Department of Health and Human Services officials who oversee the program admit they cannot trace where the cash goes after it’s been withdrawn. These people are free to do with it as they wish with no accountability to anyone.

But maybe these people had parents who were willing to go to bat for them when they were in elementary school. Maybe they were allowed to swap strict teachers for those who were more lenient in the classroom.

You can see more of the report here: watchdog.org. You can see how the parents and teachers are clashing in just about any school across the country these days.

 

Cher the Hypocrite?

Why can’t celebrities leave politics alone if they have no concept of what they’re even talking about? Before y’all start emailing me that celebrities have voices, too – you should know I get that. And I absolutely, positively agree. But celebrity or no, they’re just as accountable for the things they say as anyone else. And Cher’s just dealt us a doozy.

I have no idea where some artists (or stars or celebrities – take your pick) get the idea their foul-mouthed antics serve any purpose. And I might be wrong, but if I were the president, the last person I’d want going to bat for me is Cher. Then again…considering the president….

Did anyone hear her interview with Randi Roberts this week? Ugh….disgusting. And clueless. And classless, too.

She was speaking with Randi Roberts about the grief she believes President Obama suffers as a black president:

Roberts: Why do you think there’s so much hatred? Is it because he’s black?

Cher: I definitely think there’s a component of racism in it. I think the Republicans thought they were gonna be in office forever and they weren’t and they got thrown out by a black man. Where are the people? The real people? The Latinos, the Asians…where are the black people? I’ve never seen such disrespect for a president. There has never been such disrespect for a president.

Really, Cher? Perhaps you’ve forgotten your past interviews. I can assure you there’s been such disrespect for a president:

Immediately following President Bush’s election in 2000 Cher told an Associated Press reporter:

“Has everyone lost their f–king minds? Doesn’t anybody remember the illustrious Reagan-Bush years when people had no money and no jobs? What has happened to people’s memories? It’s like they have Alzheimer’s or something! I don’t like Bush, I don’t trust him. I don’t like his record. He’s stupid. He’s lazy.”

Yeah, in my book, that counts as disrespect for a president.