The number of people affected here in Louisiana is enormous. BP says they will pay legitimate claims but they have their own definition of legitimate. LOTS of small guys are going out of business because there is no business to be had because of the spill. Even areas not yet affected directly are shutting down because the media has them covered in oil too before it actually happens. Gentlemen, South Louisiana is in DEEP DOO!

c

The Harkonnens don't give a damn about south Louisiana but some of us do.

Around here there is a small fishing boat called a mullet skiff. It is designed to run in very shallow water. If they had a market for spilled oil, the mullet fishermen could surely collect a lot of it. Of course, if there was a market the recreational fishermen might be motivated to collect some of it.

Pete, I know you can't read this - but this is beyond the pale - even for you.

Quite frankly I'm astounded that you can think that me and people on my side of the aisle are so callous as to assume that we just don't give a **** about people. Nothing can be further from the truth - and you know it.

While we have different opinions about how to deal with this catastrophe, I think one thing that everyone can agree on is that the people of the Gulf Coast have taken it on the chin for far too many consecutive years and that this is the quite possibly the worst ecological accident in history. There's no denying that people's lives are going to be ruined through no fault of their own and that is tragic and my hopes and prayers go out to them.

i dont want to try and pick apart your idea, i am all in favor of any solutions! but, there is a serious difference between pumping gas for 4 minutes every week and going out and handling toxic materials for hours/days/weeks at a stretch.

The guys who change the oil in my car don't wear any protective gear at all. Raking up sand on an oiled beach is different than standing ankle deep in a pool of oil that might be many square yards in size.

then the guys who change your oil are risking their health. petroleum is a known carcinogen.

Is anyone going to blame Transocean for any of this?

I'm sure the common response to that would be: "Who the hell is Transocean?"

BP is a bigger name.

I'm more interested in getting it cleaned up.

I think everyone is, however you cannot demand that BP be fully responsible for all cleanup and reparations when they weren't fully responsible for the spill in the first place.

Another Harkonnen weighs in.

Jesus Pete, is that the only response you have to everything? Do you really think that there are any parties involved with this that are waving their pom-poms at every drop of crude that is being wasted? Come on man, try not to be so obtuse.

You're like the Queen of Spades from Alice in Wonderland.

BTW- Harkonnen? I had to Google it. Dune?

sure they are, just like the ceo's of a company is responsible in the end. Even if the CEO didn't know ... it's his head that rolls

There may be fault all around, all the players had a part in it, but its the responsibility of bp to make sure all operations are up to snuff.

but this was an accident and blame doesnt clean anything up. only money will clean some of it up...

Let bp sue halliburton and transocean and the oil after its cleaned up to recoup any costs they want...

So what you're saying is if you use something and it breaks, whether you're responsible for it breaking or not, you're always responsible for it breaking?
I'm not saying BP isn't responsible; I'm advocating for a fair and equal distribution of blame and cleanup responsibility.

Pete, I don't necessarily dismiss your suggestion, but I'm not sure of all the logistics.

So I find a tar ball on the sand. I scoop it up and put it in my sand bucket (no self-respecting beachgoer shows up without one, right), take it to a retailer (only BP? Why not any retailer?) who gives me a $ per pound of the goop?

And the fishermen somehow scoop up the sheen to return to the retailer for a similar fee/pound?

Sounds reasonable in principle, but just don't know if it'd work out on a large scale - we've got lots of coastline.

And it might be a good way to get rid of some leftover waste oil at my plant without having to pay a haz-mat disposal company

Speaking of waste oil, those quick-lube folks do wear gloves and other protective equipment. That stuf does have some nasties in it from combustion and wear of the metallic parts in the motor. But refined oil was put in there in the first place, which is "better" than the raw crude spitting out into the water, right? You chemists can chime in here...

I know of several retailers who are currently with BP. What I find strangely ironic was that the reason they switched to BP (some were with Mobil, one with Chevron, and one with Shell) was that BP was the only company willing to help them pay for underground tank replacement - so the fuel wouldn't contaminate the groundwater.... Who would have thunk-it?

Now that right there is funny!

http://www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com/go/doc/2931/542683

well thats not exactly what i said but:
yes, if you rent a lawnmower and accidentally cut off your neighbors foot...YOU are responsible. EVEN if there was a defect in the unit... you are gonna get sued.. you are gonna pay.. after that.. you can sue Toro to get reimbursed
sure, lets blame all the players, sure let them all pay, i could care less who/when/where.

the fact is.. this horrific mess will NEVER get cleaned up 100%

the fact is, i am thanking god every day i get to sail in my beautiful backyard. Saturday i sailed with a pod of 20 dolphins, sailed next to Ospry fishing, sailed with my closest friends ... and did it again yesterday.. and its all in jeopardy

the fact is i am just waiting for the black death to come and ruin my heaven on earth.. then what do i do? move to .... ???

i was spoiled with some of the most incredible sailing in the world.. and i was thankful every week when i got to sail in it (i have sailed 2-3 days a week for the past 4 years)..

and my life (along with evreyone elses) will be changed/crapped on because BP used shortcuts/ someone didnt check a battery in a blow out preventer / someone decided that relief wells were to costly / and other hardware wasn't in place that (admittedly are expensive) that could have helped.

I also blame myself and everyone else for demanding oil
i blame ronald mcdonald...

the us govt had to relaxed regulations.. etc etc etc...

none of that will help stop the 250,000 gal a day (or what ever the # is) pouring into MY sailgrounds