Impact of the drilling moratorium? Impact on the recovery?
Since President Barack Obama first banned drilling for gas and oil in the Gulf in May:
36 rigs in the Gulf of Mexico out of work,
five rigs left for Egypt and Africa,
12,000 jobs have been lost
Ken Tanguis of Houma, Louisiana, with Diamond Offshore Drilling. Since Obama instituted the drilling ban, Diamond has laid off more than 300 workers. Tanguis works three weeks on and three weeks off.
Tanguis told NPR: "I don't want a handout from the government. I don't want a handout from BP. I don't want anything. I just want to go back to work. I want to go back to drilling."
"You don't buy anything because what's going to happen? Is he going to go back to work?" his wife asks. "You think about it all the time. That's what's the worst part ... it hangs over your head."
Everybody has asked the question. . ."What shall we do with the Negro?" I have had but one answer from the beginning. Do nothing with us! Your doing with us has already played the mischief with us. Do nothing with us! If the apples will not remain on the tree of their own strength, if they are wormeaten at the core, if they are early ripe and disposed to fall, let them fall! I am not for tying or fastening them on the tree in any way, except by nature's plan, and if they will not stay there, let them fall. And if the Negro cannot stand on his own legs, let him fall also. All I ask is, give him a chance to stand on his own legs! Let him alone!
Frederick Douglass
Posts
Yep, we should have let everyone keep drilling - a job is much more important than understanding why 11 people were killed or why BP wasn't ready for any emergency cleanup. I'm sure this was an isolated incident (read with severe sarcasm).
ReplyDeleteThen, if (or should I say when) there is another spill, the government can put even more people to work on cleanup crews.
Win-win!