Pop quiz: Who should pay the bill for the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico?
A) Oil companies*
B) Taxpayers
*Clicking here will add your name to this petition: “Oil companies, not taxpayers, should pay for oil spill damages. Congress should get rid of the limits on oil spill liability.”
Thanks for all you do.
–Steven, Kat, Adam, Ilya, and the rest of the team
Today, is National Bike to Work day, the 30th anniversary of Pac-Man and Star Wars is being celebrated as well.
The President has another win under his belt, Financial Reform, the biggest overhaul since the 30’s; though some feel the efforts to reform any and all parts of our govt just haven’t gone far enough. He also signed a Fuel efficiency Plan.
Why is Congress afraid of real Reform… Most of us know, not all of us practice it … all things in moderation … in some cases everything will balance itself out … It seems like our Politicians on the Hill are applying this concept to our Reform Bills and though it’s a start; moderation in reforming a system that took us down makes you wonder if the dirty little secret is that money still talks and ultimately controls the votes .
I want to know… where is the will, courage and power, which, the Democratic Party has but seems to fear. The Democratic Party of Yes We Can… have the power to make Health-Care , Wall Street/Bank/Aig, Climate Change, and Immigration Reform Bills stronger, they need to move stricter reform forward. The President and Congress have done great things to create a foundation for Reform and though it’s a start; the key statement from the White House … it’s a start. The hope is for stricter rules, regulations and policies when the House and Senate go into conference and as the President stated the final legislation will be “effective and responsive” .
The bill would have to be merged in conference with one passed by the House of Representatives in December. The Senate could move to final passage as soon as Thursday night, but Friday looks more likely. “That would then set the stage for a House-Senate conference in early June,” said Concept Capital
policy analyst Jaret Seiberg.
The truth behind the oil dump is slowly coming out each week; though some folks have stalled any and all video showing what the dump looks like, those have come to the light of day as well; according to tv over 200thousand gallons of oil leaking per day. A Bp Representative, Doug Suttle, spoke on tv today stating they expect to control the situation by late Sunday with a procedure called a TopKill and the relief Well would not be in place until early August. An update was issued and it looks like the solution will take more time.
It’s all very disturbing but the fault lies with the 3stooges =(BP, Halliburton and TransOcean) not the President; this is yet another first and on a major scale .. the BP operation was not prepared for such an event which is very telling and serves as a great warning before they start drilling anywhere else along the coast.
Other News …
**80% of assault weapons in Mexico are coming from America
**The Supreme Court confirmation hearings for Kagan are 6/28
**Target is recalling 350thousand swim trunks
**Pelosi states that the work on Bills in the House of Representatives begins on 6/8
**BP stockholders are suing company execs claiming gross mismanagement
**Secretary of State Hillary Clinton issued a tough warning to North Korea yesterday, “saying the Obama administration would work with regional powers in the coming days to punish Pyongyang” for sinking a South Korean naval vessel. “This can not be business as usual. There must be an international response,” Clinton said.
**Defense Secretary Robert Gates “expressed confidence” yesterday that President Obama would veto “the defense authorization bill over a backup engine for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.” Gates has “repeatedly” expressed his opposition to the engine as too costly, but on Wednesday, a House committee approved another $485 million for development of the engine that “the Pentagon and White House do not want.”TP
**Seattle,WA Green Festival happens on 6/5-6/6
C-SPAN …
Supreme Court Nominee Elena Kagan: Confirmation Hearing to Begin June 28 | Sen. Judiciary Kagan Completed Questionnaire | Senate Judiciary Cmte. | Sen. Leahy | Sen. Hatch | Senate Judiciary Cmte. | Solicitor General Questionnaire
LIVE Feed of Underwater BP Oil Spill
Hearing on Afghanistan Reconstruction
State Dinner Full Event Coverage
Joint Press Conf.: From Earlier Welcoming Ceremony: From Earlier
DNC Chairman Tim Kaine Remarks
COLP Conference: C-SPAN at 9:30am ET
As congressional leaders prepare to reconcile differences on financial regulation legislation (see below left), three federal regulators today outline recommendations on improving financial industry accounting and auditing standards. The House Financial Services Capital Markets Subcommittee hearing is part of a series of inquiries into the 2007- 2008 financial crisis.
House Hearing: C-SPAN2 at 10am ET
House and Senate leaders must reconcile their two different financial industry regulation bills before sending final legislation to the President for his signature. The Senate passed its bill Thursday in a 59-to-39 vote that split largely along party lines, with only two Democrats opposing the bill and four Republicans supporting it. The House passed its version in December.
Earlier Thursday, President Obama said he would work to ensure that the final legislation will be “effective and responsive” in limiting industry practices cited as among the causes of the 2007-2008 economic collapse.
Be a Seed for Change 
You must be logged in to post a comment.