Solutions To The Oil Spill Exist But Bureaucracy Not Helping (Huckabee, healthcare)

[LauraC]

Has anyone been watching all of the demonstrations of ways to clean up the oil mess offered by various Americans and Europeans, all of which have no detrimental environmental impact and involve no chemicals? Some of them are even re-usable, that is, they soak up the oil, reject the salt water, the oil can be extracted and then the method can be re-used to sop up more oil.

Huckabee had a whole show on it this weekend but Hannity has been on top of it, too. It may be on other news shows and I just haven't seen those. This has run the gamut from, for example, hay to hair.

Did you know a government committee is making the decisions? The governor of Alabama says:

"decisions were being stalled because each government agency represented on the 'unified command' running the response has a veto on decisions advanced by other government agencies. As an example, he said a Coast Guard plan for protecting the Alabama shoreline has been held up for 45 days because another member of the committee is reviewing it."

Alabama governor blasts oil spill response leadership

The various average people/businessmen that have been on TV demonstrating American ingenuity and solutions for cleaning up the mess all say they have either been brushed off with an "I'll get back to you" type of response or they have had no response.

European help (I believe it's the Dutch with oil skimmers) have been sitting around since week 1. Meanwhile more wildlife is dying and the economies of the Gulf states are being threatened. This better not turn out to be politically motivated. It's bad enough it demonstrates the ineptitude of the government we're so eager to let manage our healthcare.

And if it's the Jones Act (foreign help), why won't Obama waive it? Other presidents have. Is it the "union" reason?

The Greenroom » What Is the Jones Act, and Why Won’t Obama Waive It?

[delusianne]

I have no contention about this, but

"Section 27, also known as the Jones Act, deals with cabotage (i.e., coastal shipping) and requires that all goods transported by water between U.S. ports be carried in U.S.-flag ships, constructed in the United States, owned by U.S. citizens, and crewed by U.S. citizens and U.S. permanent residents." - wiki

Before anyone is suckered too far into Hot Air's misleading statement that "Bush waived it during Katrina," let me point out that he waived it for 18 days only, "for foreign vessels carrying oil and natural gas." - also wiki