Taxpayers Should Help Pay For BP Spill Cleanup according to Chamber Of Commerce

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You know, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce typically doesn't put itself out there as a big fan of socialism. But that all changes when we're talking about risk and liability. In those cases, they love socialism to death! And that's basically how Chamber President Tom Donohue is framing his call to put a greater share of the oil spill price tag on you and me:

"It is generally not the practice of this country to change the laws after the game," said Tom Donohue, the president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. ". . . Everybody is going to contribute to this clean up. We are all going to have to do it. We are going to have to get the money from the government and from the companies and we will figure out a way to do that."

To change the laws after the game? What did he mean by that? Is it required by law for american taxpayers to pay for the oil spill?

Honestly people, how can all of you americans tolerate this kind of behaviour?

[edit on Thu, 10 Jun 10 by Jazzyguy]

To me it sounds like he means something different. I think he is saying, we need to all help out. every last available body to get on top of this thing and stay on top of it.. we need to make our gov to make sure PB pays for this man power.. instead of just letting them do the cleanup as they want .. which as you see is not working.

There is a new video of a pilot flying over the area and he shows there are clearly no clean up crews.. surely not the armies of people needed.

see this shocking video here : www.godlikeproductions.com...

[edit on 10-6-2010 by JohnPhoenix]

[edit on 10-6-2010 by JohnPhoenix]

How many taxpayers would rather there was no more oil exploration in ever more diffilcult places?

Maybe we all are in some ways culpable?

This is preparation for when Obama finally acknowledges that BP is only responsible for $75 million.

Changing the rules after the game is referring to the maximum liability ceiling I believe. This was something I think Bush solidified, lowered really, while in office.

Obama is going to have a hard time proving criminal negligence which is what is needed in order to make BP liable for the whole boatload.

There are all kinds of rumors about both Bush and Obama watchdogs getting paid off to look the other way. I would imagine that pressing charges against BP / trying to prove they were deliberately negligent would bring this into the spotlight. Not something he would be smart to do with government trust at its current level.

However, I think this is a no win for Obama. The taxpayers are not going to be happy paying for this clean-up. We contribute money for natural disasters already, it's just that government keeps spending it.

This is one of those areas in my opinion that should have "X" amount of allotted funds that are completely unable to be touched except in the even of an emergency / natural disaster, etc.

Originally posted by lpowell0627

This is preparation for when Obama finally acknowledges that BP is only responsible for $75 million.

That's absolutely what this is about.

Get the ball rolling slowly so people don't get blindsided when it actually happens.

It's only a matter of time before the US has to assume total control over this because it is beyond the capacity of BP to manage. The bigger this mess gets the more likely it is that the Army Core of Engineers will have to be mobilized as a response. Once the US government steps in to contibute BP is off the hook; they can claim that government procedures hampered their abilities to react and therefore they are no longer responsible.

Having a hurricane wash this dozens of miles in-shore would help them out too.

Everything we have seen/are seeing is merely stall techniques.


[edit on 10-6-2010 by [davinci]]

See, this is why americans are fed up and pissed. its always US shelling out the money for someone elses, big businesses mess they broke they fix it with THIER moeny* this is just another attmept to see BP amocco dosnt go broke and remains competative. its not our fault, big buisness has supressed technology being made aailable and affordable instead fo oil* you suppressed it you PAY for it

I totally agree.

The tax payers have benefitted from the revenues, employment and industry the oil industry brings. The environmental impact will not last long - oil pollution tends to self clear as the oil is natural (unlike the heavy metals pouring into the Gulf from the Mississippi, but that's another issue).

Best pull together and sort it out. Stop blaming everyone. Let the lawyers get rich later.

Regards

It's the same with the bailout really. If loss is going to be spread out among the population, then how can gain not be spread out among the population? Comes down to greed. You win and make lotsa money, we're entitled to nothing. You lose and we're somehow convinced that it should be our problem. And the powerful are the only ones who can do this, fair.

If this has to bankrupt them, then so be it. Hope they have insurance to cover boo boos.

[edit on 10-6-2010 by ghaleon12]

reply to post by Jazzyguy


This is typical of the Corporate mindset running our country. Keep the profit under the banner of "The Free Market and Capitalism" but when that very market sends you a loss through normal risk/liability, all of sudden "We are in this together!". What a bunch of garbage.

I do not buy the argument that we all use oil so we all share the burden. Nonsense. BP is providing a product. That's it. That does not give them licence to destroy the Gulf of Mexico through negligence and greed trying to provide that product. Not only does that violate the rules of the market, it violates the regulations/laws we have in place to (hopefully) benefit all.

Yes Americans need to help each other out in times of peril such as now. Agreed. However, there is no way a sane person should confuse this admirable sentiment/action with blindly assuming everyone who calls for help (BP, The Chamber of Commerce, the Government) does so from the same heart felt desire. In this situation, those calling for help are doing so out of the same greed, ignorance, and need to pawn off losses on the taxpayer that got us here in the first place.

Unfortunately, the oil will not stop gushing while we work this out. People are going to have to help out even if they know they are being raped in the long run by their corporate backed government.

reply to post by Jazzyguy


I think it's the principle of thing. While I don't like in the least BP's response to this whole mess. To all of sudden make a law retroactive would be a bad precedent to set. You can change the laws remedy this in the future, but I don't think you can or should change laws to effect things that have already happened. Exxon paid over 3 Billion in cleanup and claims, I would expect BP's cost to be well over that, that will translate to years of BP's annual profit, probably 2- 5 years worth.

reply to post by pavil


Um... the cost of the $1 Billion in clean up thus far has amounted to 1.2% of BP's profit in the last four years. That is "profit", not operational cost. The first quarter of 2010 before the rig explosion BP pocketed $6.1 Billion.

www.thedailygreen.com...

There is also a difference between cost of clean up (non-capped) and damage claims (currently capped at $75 million). That $75 million, by the way, is a twenty year old gift to the oil industry in order to stay "competitive". With a profit margin in the BILLIONS they sure must be competitive. Oh, and another thing, you and I do not have that liability cap. If you or I were responsible for the oil gusher, the sky is the limit.

Last one. The Coast Guard who has borne a lot of the clean up burden is now running out of money to do so. They have been operating from an emergency trust fund established through our taxes on gasoline. That trust fund is $100 million or about 1.5% of BPs last quarter profit.

www.allheadlinenews.com...

That cap was put in place as a sweetheart, back room deal to the oil industry on the backs of the American taxpayer. I think lifting the cap might set a great precedent for reclaiming the voice of the American Citizen.

U.S.A PULLED OUT THE BIG GUNS ON BP. KEVIN COSTNER AND HIS INVENTION. ON FOX NEWS NOW. A MUST SEE.

reply to post by ABNARTY


Read my chart wrong. I would imagine it would end up being at least a years worth of profit (16B).

I still think retroactively changing laws is a very bad idea.

reply to post by Jazzyguy


%$*_#^*%^*% B^*N B*^ *B * B%^_*%^))^&(^_(#&**@!)*%*!^)_%*!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Translate that any way you like and then pass it on to butthole of the century A###@#WIPE in the chamber of commerce!!!!

I have a greased barbecue spit ready for poking & frying this piece of meat on.

Communist, Socialism for corporations EVERY SINGLE TIME they SCREW UP,
over & over & over again,

and slavery capitalism for taxpayers & unborn babies to pay for all this CORPORATE WELFARE.

We pay the taxes, they get represented & profiteer from 'our' government.

That is corporate tyranny.

When will Americans FINALLY rise up against corporate tyranny?

I guess we don't have the spine & conviction of our forefathers & foremothers.

They changed the telephone wiretapping laws [FISA]

RETROACTIVELY,

so there is NO PRECEDENT ISSUE involved whatsoever.

Please try to keep up with reality, folks, ok?

The corporations did it to us already,

we can & should in any kind of sane, responsible world,

expect BP to pay to clean up its own, catastrophic, ungodly messes.

[edit on 11-6-2010 by slank]

According to Alxandro, taxpayers will indeed help pay for the cleanup.
They don't know it yet but it's going to be a real ass kicker.

www.huffingtonpost.com...

House Minority Leader John Boehner cosigns this call for collective responsibility:

In response to a question from TPMDC, House Minority Leader John Boehner said he believes taxpayers should help pick up the tab for the clean up.


REPUBLICANS love corpoate welfare

Originally posted by slank
I have a greased barbecue spit ready for poking & frying this piece of meat on.

Communist, Socialism for corporations EVERY SINGLE TIME they SCREW UP,
over & over & over again,

and slavery capitalism for taxpayers & unborn babies to pay for all this CORPORATE WELFARE.

We pay the taxes, they get represented & profiteer from 'our' government.

That is corporate tyranny.

When will Americans FINALLY rise up against corporate tyranny?

I guess we don't have the spine & conviction of our forefathers & foremothers.

This is a Republican IDEA
vote Democrat and things will get better

Here's a copy of the letter sent by the Department of the Interior to
BP:

abcnews.go.com...