Another view from the Gulf of Mexico

Michael H. Towle is no dreamer. His first person, pragmatic, hands-on account of BP's responses to all aspects of the terrible oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico should, but lamentably won't, stanch the get-it-done-now critics who will accept nothing less than a miracle to end the nightmare.

I would assume Mr. Towle is employed by BP, and therefor offers his meager attempt at whitewashing one of worst disasters to hit America in it's history. It should be apparent now the "small people", as BP calls them, can see who their Republican elected representatives REALLY represent: It isn't them!!! Is anyone shocked? I hope the lack of jobs, homes, and livelihoods, will help them decide to vote Democratic this time. WE are on THEIR side.

Congratulations to the Daily Breeze for publishing this informative article by a non-journalist. I have not seen this kind of information anywhere else.

I live on the west coast of Florida. We will be living with the results of the spill for a very long time.

I do not blame BP solely for this disaster. It has taken a group effort to create this massive of a cluster%&^$. Both Republican and Democrat politicians have repeatedly sold out their constituents (especially here in Florida) to the highest bidder (contributor).

I trust a politician like I trust a lounge lizard offering to buy me a drink.

Jim Brunner wrote:

I would assume Mr. Towle is employed by BP, and therefor offers his meager attempt at whitewashing one of worst disasters to hit America in it's history. It should be apparent now the "small people", as BP calls them, can see who their Republican elected representatives REALLY represent: It isn't them!!! Is anyone shocked? I hope the lack of jobs, homes, and livelihoods, will help them decide to vote Democratic this time. WE are on THEIR side.

One of the worst disasters to hit America in its history? Ranks right up there with WW2, Vietnam and 911! Must be Bush's fault! As Rahm Emanual said, don't let a good crisis go to waste. You have obviously learned a lot from him.

Thank you for publishing this very interesting and informative article on the oil spill in the Gulf. I've always suspected that the news was biased - as usual.

Jim Brunner wrote:

I would assume Mr. Towle is employed by BP, and therefor offers his meager attempt at whitewashing one of worst disasters to hit America in it's history. It should be apparent now the "small people", as BP calls them, can see who their Republican elected representatives REALLY represent: It isn't them!!! Is anyone shocked? I hope the lack of jobs, homes, and livelihoods, will help them decide to vote Democratic this time. WE are on THEIR side.

And by assuming, you fail. I work with Mr. Towle and we most definitely are not employed by BP. Though we do receive $ from BP for spill response paid through other entities, just as thousands of residents of the gulf coast now do. In fact, BP is now one of largest employers in the Gulf region. I suppose they are all schills for BP as well in your opinion? The article is not a whitewash, just a response to Yellow journalism (to continue you use of colors in reponse) by the mainstream media.

The spill is bad, things were done wrong, but to continue to say there is no plan or response is ludicrous, as is the continued left drumbeat of this is the Republicans fault". Dems have been in control of congress since 2006 - 2 years prior to Bush's ouster by Obama. Everyone has a fault in this, including the granolas who force offshore drilling in mile deep waters by stopping land based drilling, where I might add, a blowout like this would have been fixed in a day or less with complete cleanup easily accomplished.

Be intelligent enough to relaize there is more than one side of the story please.

I have worked for BP directly in the past. This account is very likely highly accurate. One of the largest oil companies in the world doesn't just poke holes in the earth hoping for oil. There is a plan to find that oil and there is a plan for action if something goes wrong. MOST UNFORTUNATELY something went very wrong! It's a mess!!!! But I agree that the federal government has got no business trying to "take over" the spill and it's cleanup. Look at how much other stuff the government gets involved with that gets screwed up. As far as the fist shaking and tough talking, really, just shut up and let them do what they say they are going to do, they will do it, it will be expensive, but the government couldn't clean up a wet noodle!!

If you are wearing the skins of animals that you killed by throwing rocks at them, then you have all the right in the world to hate "big oil". But if you are driving around in your car "doesn't even have to be a big luxury model" wearing polyester and enjoy your milk in plastic jugs...... then shut-up and get an education, figure out where that stuff comes from.

Used to be BP wrote:

I have worked for BP directly in the past. This account is very likely highly accurate. One of the largest oil companies in the world doesn't just poke holes in the earth hoping for oil. There is a plan to find that oil and there is a plan for action if something goes wrong. MOST UNFORTUNATELY something went very wrong! It's a mess!!!! But I agree that the federal government has got no business trying to "take over" the spill and it's cleanup. Look at how much other stuff the government gets involved with that gets screwed up. As far as the fist shaking and tough talking, really, just shut up and let them do what they say they are going to do, they will do it, it will be expensive, but the government couldn't clean up a wet noodle!!
If you are wearing the skins of animals that you killed by throwing rocks at them, then you have all the right in the world to hate "big oil". But if you are driving around in your car "doesn't even have to be a big luxury model" wearing polyester and enjoy your milk in plastic jugs...... then shut-up and get an education, figure out where that stuff comes from.

Numbskull, there was no plan in place at all for such a disaster. BP acknowledged that they had no plan in place for this type of accident.

BP [and Obama] has been beat up nightly in the media.

Of the 82% who disapprove of the handling what would they want BP to do?

BP has the top oil engineers from around the world, even from competitor corporations working on this. What more can they do?

BP has said from Day 1 they will pick up the cost of the leak. They have NEVER waivered from that. Yet nightly they get demonized by an ambulance chasing media.

It really is disgusting. And a dumbed down American population doesn't get it.

Thank you

Great article! Common sense and reason are abundant from beginning to end. People like you give the human race a fighting chance.

you think the earth cares???...in 100,000 years this will be a bug on the earths windshield.....arrogant humans.......

As all sides point finger at who is to blame for this disaster ,and take credit for the great job they are doing afterwards.
Noone has looked to the Dept of Energy , if they would have done their job since 1977 this may not have happened .
History
The Department of Energy was formed after the oil crisis on August 4, 1977 in order to end the United States dependence on foreign oil by President Jimmy Carter's signing of legislation, The Department of Energy Organization Act of 1977.

Karlheinz wrote:

They started that railroad actually in 1888, and in the same year our smart Steinberg in New York bought the "Daimler Patent."
Energy and Transportation.
Rockefeller knew about that too.
To make it all work for our corporations, we needed to focus the people's attention on entertainment. And that was easy, said Hollywood. And Schmuel Gelbfisz from Warsaw delivered the proof; or Sam Goldwyn, as he was known later. And then came Anschutz too, now sitting comfortably in Jim Dear's Carson.
To make sure the road is clear, James Goldstein came into the picture too. Nobody really knows where his money came from.
But why would that interest us, when we have to worry about that devilish Hallmark card. Not even Assemblyman Furutani got any attention, when he pointed to BP and Shell. Two of the partners in that original great deal [1914].
<quoted text>

Wow, do you guys keep a picture of Ida Tarbell hanging in your living rooms?

I might remind you that Rexford "Rex the Red" Tugwell wrote in The Brains Trust he explained to FDR as he was going into the 1932 election that when the anti-trust laws were ignored (during and after WWI) productivity soared in the decade of the 1920s greater than in any century, and "in any millennium except for the last".

Reading Henry Morganthau's Diaries, I think Schumpeter, teaching at Harvard at the time, would have described FDR this way. It was the end of economic development, as far as FDR was concerned. Now, the task was to organize the circular flow to achieve technical and economic efficiency. It will take some time, but I think I can find Morganthau's description of FDR to support that point (not that anybody cares, or should - just for my own gratification). My point, obviously, is merely that you guys miss the point.

Couldn't agree more. Remember that the Media only reports Bad News. At the end, the goverment will take the credit. I live in a city that will exist no longer, if BP left. The Media should be ashamed of itself.

Captain Towle,

Thank you, thank you, thank you! As I am a BP employee working 80 hour, 7-day weeks for the last two months to repond to this incident, it is a great relief to know that not everyone has been snowed by the mass hysteria and "half-truths" the media likes to create in order to make a good story and attract viewers/readers. To be sure this is a crisis, but we will be succeed in stopping the well, and we will repair and restore the damage done. I am incredibly impressed with the tireless efforts and teamwork of my fellow co-workers, our contractors, and the rest of the industry that has stepped forward to help. Thank you to you and your co-workers at MSRC for all you've done, and thank you for helping to educate the public on what is really happening down here. All the best,
Jeff

rent wrote:

<quoted text>
Numbskull, there was no plan in place at all for such a disaster. BP acknowledged that they had no plan in place for this type of accident.

BP was required to have an oil spill and emergency response plan in order to be allowed to drill in the first place; do a google search for "OPA-90".

Thank you!

If you don't think that nothing could ever be worse than this well then chew on this:

An earthquake under the sea happens in a remote area of the sea. A natural oil bed is exposed. This natural disaster is close enough to land to cause environmental damage in a month or so if it is left exposed. Try guessing the time taken and damage done as everyone fights over who will stop it and how since it is a rip in the seabed and not a blown out pipe, clean it up and then profit from it. Not even the UN could handle this in a timely manner.

The point is there always could be something worse. So quit complaining as you drive your gas and oil guzzlers every day whining about your kids cannot sit next to each other and they need that DVD player to watch while you drive and get real.

It is sad what happened. 11 people lost their lives. Stop the blame. Wake up and realize there is a lot being done to try to resolve this. I guess Mother Nature needs to go knock on God’s door and ask him to go perform a miracle. Stand on the water after for a photo opp. and ascend back into the Heavens. It would be after all great publicity for the big guy. Then maybe people will know that “man” is trying their best with what they are working with and trying to do.

Mel wrote:

Couldn't agree more. Remember that the Media only reports Bad News. At the end, the goverment will take the credit. I live in a city that will exist no longer, if BP left. The Media should be ashamed of itself.

The media ashamed, are you kidding?

They are proud of it, since Pulitzer and Hearst. They got us [Teddy] into that "splendid little war," can't you remember?

And then America became great. And don't forget all the great propaganda, before the Great War! What an event, and America became even greater. We are grateful for our "media"!

"For millions of people," said Ambrose in 1995, "World War II was the greatest catastrophe in history. But for most Americans, the war was a boon."

Did we forget about that success also? We are proud of it, and why should the media take the blame? We want to hear stories, the truth is too awakening. Just ask GM, or what's left of it. Keller warned them, in 1989, but did they listen? Of course not, just like our fine City of the Angels, they loved to slide downhill, it's effortless and simple. That's how we like our things.

And now we're complaining about the media and Hahn?

Come on, we asked for it, we got it.