Okaloosa County isn’t taking oil spill orders any more knowing they could go to jail

I live in Walton County, which neighbors Okaloosa, and We said We would do the same. We too will be defying whomever or whatever stands in our way.
We (myself and the locals here) can guarantee you we will support whatever it takes to protect our waters and our delicate economy.

Another member mentioned about a rise in taxes. Let me tell you. I have no problem paying an additional .5%, even a 1% increase our local sales, bed and land taxes, if this is what it takes to prevent our way of life becoming extinct .

I am proud to finally see our local governments speaking out and I support them 100%. I pray and hope with everything in me they take this action and we see positive results.

I hope we as a community can come together through this and be stronger.

GO OKALOOSA AND WALTON!!!

Starred, Flagged and cheered like a first and ten at a high school football game.
We need more of this.

Sometimes, [too rarely], a person in a political office also happens to be a leader with the best interests of their constituents as priority one.

I am deeply encouraged by the actions of the Okaloosa County, Florida Commissioners.

I currently live in Gulf Coast Florida, and have been a resident here for most of 31 years. Aside from supporting leaders that are willing to make tactical decisions that could mean political suicide; I also support working within the system as it is but do not allow the chain of command to corrupt the primary overriding responsibility to the citizens.

Worry later and ask for forgiveness even later still instead of permission to do your job and honor your core values.

I received an email @ 2PM this afternoon from our NW FL US Representative [Jeff Miller] after he and FL Senator Senator George LeMieux met with President Obama in Pensacola, FL. In addition to most of the actions about which we have been clamoring for weeks, They also requested the following:

Miller and U.S. Senator George LeMieux (R-FL) both asked President Obama to waive the Jones Act which would allow skimmer vessels from foreign countries to participate in the cleanup.

“There are numerous reports that confirm offers by foreign corporations or governments to send skimmer vessels to the Gulf have been refused as a result of concerns arising from the Jones Act, which regulates the use of foreign-owned vessels between U.S. ports,” Miller said. “Every gallon of oil we pick up at sea is a gallon that doesn’t hit the beach or pollute a bay.”

In the final minutes of the meeting, Congressman Miller asked President Obama for a Gulf Opportunity Zone for the entire affected area, including Northwest Florida, similar to those created after Hurricane Katrina hit Louisiana in 2005. Businesses in the Opportunity Zone would be allowed emergency tax relief and residents would be able to apply for grants and reduced-interest loans to offset losses from the disaster.

Hopefully the other 3 States primarily affected by this disaster along with the remainder of FL Counties will follow the lead taken by Okaloosa County and exercise some State's Rights and a little backbone.

Perhaps this will begin a ground-swell that can shake loose some career politicians at all levels whose primary goal is the perpetuation of their own bureaucracy.

reply to post by slavenomore


Exactly right!

To me the majority of our government is like a bacteria that is allowed to grow without restraint in a limited medium; without external management, it inevitably will consume all the available resources and die in it's own poisons produced by that growth.

We the people are the outside management. Time for some pruning and antibiotic.

Originally posted by iamlizzyb
Another member mentioned about a rise in taxes. Let me tell you. I have no problem paying an additional .5%, even a 1% increase our local sales, bed and land taxes, if this is what it takes to prevent our way of life becoming extinct .

Raise Taxes?????

You shouldn't have to pay a thing. BP SHOULD PAY!!!!!!!

Geez, I wish our President would act like this. Maybe we would actually have some progress made in the Gulf of Mexico. God Bless these people and I wish them all the power in the world. God speed to all those in the county!!

AWESOME!!!! And I hope they know that they got the whole country to back them up!!!! Power to the people!!!

reply to post by FearNoEvil


I completely agree... BP is RESPONSIBLE 100%, and this ridiclous mess should not cost us anything. I was using the tax angle as a last resort incase BP wiggles out of paying up. I, in no way.. NO WAY endorse taxes or the raising of taxes. We pay enough taxes here to begin with.
I am sorry for any confussion.

I think it's great that they have taken the initiative and decided to try and tackle this problem but I fear they may be fighting a losing battle. If things are as dire as some predict it'll only be a matter of time before the oil wins the war. Until [if] things get fixed it may very well be like shoveling in a blizzard. This may explain the goverments lack of response.

Originally posted by slavenomore
Communitys all over are starting to realise that if you need to get somthing done, that you have to do it your self.
The Federal Government and its many branches is impotent, impotent and dangerous for it, our country is in choas and the Federal Government, in order to appear usefull, is going and making life far worse than it would be otherwise. In alot of ways it seems that making life worse is the actual mission of The Federal Government.
As more and more communitys wake up to the fact that you can no longer get help of any substance from Washington, more and more community will begin to disregard what Washington is telling them to do. This is what happens when you become irrelevant, and this is how civil wars begin.
The very fact that these people face criminal prosecution for defending their homes is all we need to know, to know that washington has gone the way of the old U.S.S.R.
Now its time we go the other way.

BRAVO!!! Yes, when in danger or in doubt- it is probably safer, to run in circles, and sing and shout, than count on help from FEDGOV!!
"The ONLY justice, on THIS earth, is what you get for YOURSELF!"- Me.

Awesome!
A leader with balls. Time for the dog to wag his tail. Let Obama learn that he is not in control that locals are and that the best position he can hope to remain is the ass end!

There are so many quotes that I can muster concerning these people standing up for their right to pursue happiness. "General Powell - "Sometimes being responsible means pissing people off".

I think people on the coast are starting to come to the realization that the government and BP are screwing them for money and to not create panic. There are some bad gases coming out of this thing. The EPA is not advertising the high levels of benzine and hydrogen sulfide that are continually spewing out. This is what is making people have headaches, irritated eyes etc....
Article on Gases!


Then there is the little thing of the ocean floor cracking and leaking oil now. Of course the media is not talking about this.
Floor Crack Video

Now, it is a matter of simple physics what could eventually happen with this "crack" in the ocean floor. Well, this is happening because the pressure under the sea floor is being reduced every day. Eventually, the floor will drop to offset the higher pressure above the seas floor. Remember, there is a mile of water above the floor where the leak is at. That is a lot of pressure pushing down.

Now, it all depends how far and how fast the floor drops to see what comes out of it. If it drops 40 feet in a matter of seconds, we could see a tidal wave at about 40 feet high hit the coast. I have no idea how long it could take for this to happen or it might not happen at all. I can say with certainty that it will take literally about a minute for the wave to reach Louisiana because it is only 100 miles off the coast.

I tend to be an optimist most of the time, but all of what I have seen from the government and BP has thrown a big red flag up for me. Therefore, I decided to err on the side of caution. Prepare for the worse and pray for the best!

It is my wish that TPTB here in Baldwin Co would follow this example....BP
apparently did not know that a sand cleaning machine even existed until
the Mayor of Gulf Shores showed them one that the city owned!!! Now
BP has bought 4 or 5 of them (on back order till who knows when I'm
sure!!) The machines can do the work of 5 people in a 10th of the time.

It's like the whole 'operation" is being run by The Three Stooges!!

I cry for my Gulf and all the Life at risk!!!!!!

The county website:

www.co.okaloosa.fl.us...

I actually sent them a message asking them if they had considered setting up an online donation drive as I am willing to bet that where the fed had failed to come to their aid, their fellow AMERICANS I am sure surely would!! Considering a $16.5k a day bill on stopping/collecting oil for a small town like that is not chump change, so I am sure they could use some $$$ assistance.

Anyways should they respond, I will post up. I did tell 'em GOOD JOB!! on telling the fed where they could stick it and standing by true patriotic/moral convictions ;-)

reply to post by Iamonlyhuman


Starred, and flagged. This is what Americans should be doing, and EVERY leader, and politician...

Those who are complicit in this disaster should lose their jobs, go to jail, and their money should be used to clean up this mess, and pay for the efforts of state governments, and individuals to clean up this mess, not to mention the fact that families and individuals are being affected for this, and those responsible, BP and politicians, should pay everyone, and anyone who has lost, or suffered from this...

Where are the lawsuits against BP, and the rest who are responsible for this?...

Even the president should respond for allowing BP to continue to use Corexit when they know damn well that it is toxic to every living thing....

Self-determined, independent groups are the ones who get the real work done

Reminds me of the impetus behind the waveland cafe after Katrina.

www.youtube.com...

Originally posted by FearNoEvil
reply to post by silent thunder

 

Originally posted by silent thunder
This is great stuff, like others in the thread I applaud the local leadership while the state and federal level sits stupified on its hands.

It is very sad that the higher levels of government cannot respond properly. Although its great to see locals showing initiative, one cannot but speculate on the slippery slope that could lead to Jericho-versus-New-Berg-style disputes (to use a semi-obscure reference some ATSers might get) in the face of a power vaccum at at last the state level.

Can you say that in Red Neck lingo?

My redneck is abit rusty these days (ha!)- but, Something like: It's great, but the idea behind it can potentially lead to vigilantey-ism as potrayed in the tv show "Jericho".

Originally posted by SWCCFAN
Thanks for posting that!
That is fricken awesome!
I wish the locals here in MS would do that. But Our Government here is Broke.

A movement starts with one man or woman. I know some of "the locals" have boats. Some others have equipment, but all have hands, feet and arses! Get em in gear!

If I waited for "help" to arrive when I was trapped in my burning truck that was struck by a drunk/coked up driver, @ 80mph, I wouldn't be here. My truck was rolled, door over door, 90feet and over a stone sign 6ft high, coming to rest on its passenger door.

While I listened to women screaming @ the "men" , when told to help me, reply that I was already dead, no one could survive that hard of a hit. I heard their fear with my own ears. And it pissed me off, so, with my foot lodged under my seat from the impact, and my 245lbs frame suspended from my seatbelt, I dislocated my ankle to free my foot, and somehow got out of my belt and crawled out then limped back onto the street.

Those same slackers, then commenced to tell me "oh, man, I was ABOUT to(insert whatever BS to sound heroic remark here) and get you out." ...when I recognized the voices of nay sayers turned reluctant heroes, I told each one, "I Pray, you never end up in the same position of mine, hearing men act like wimps as someone fights to live."

The personal lesson from that experience when I was 26, still screams loudly 5yrs later : when the chips fall, YOU are your first and last line of defense.

The same point is here with this spill, YOU GULF RESIDENTS KNOW WHAT'S AT STAKE IF THIS SPILL WIPES OUT YOUR AREAS......GET YOUR ARSES IN GEAR!

These fools that caused it are slackers, and greedy, the feds are spectators and slow and clearly suckling on the teats of the money holders, who are the same slacks that caused this mess, fight to protect what's yours, and bill their slacker arses later!!!!!

I say to hell with the goverment and do what you must. REVOLT!!! REVOLT!!!!!

reply to post by Gouzze


I say, we need to start over.