BP Busing & Scam Photo Ops… the scandal that wasn’t

Flopping Aces ^ | 05-31-10 | Mataharley

[Starman417]

As Herculean efforts to stop the Deepwater Horizon oil flow, and stay a'top the clean up using heavy bureaucratic red tape, pundits and media have had to content themselves with finger pointing, pointing out the finger pointing, and deciding who was the best villain to demonize that day. The favored culprit to assassinate in the media has been BP. So it comes as no surprise that prolific yellow journalism, evidenced by poor (or lazy) research, does the proverbial hit and run - splashing the headline that “BP Buses in 400 Workers During Obama’s visit”, then ignoring the facts and follow up.

Fueled by Jefferson Parish Councilman John Young and Chris Roberts, the local officials insisted the presence of what they claim (by hearsay) was 300-500 workers at the Grand Isle beach when Obama shuffled thru on his rare appearances was all BP smoke and mirrors, and some sort of conspiracy theory/photo op. Leftist and right wing blogs alike jumped on the same "scandal" headline. The left used it to further bash the image of BP, and by proxy, big oil, for their green agenda. The right used it to slyly suggest it was Obama, himself, orchestrating the scam.

Everyone bought eagerly into the hype, and virtually no one cared enough to check up on the timeline: when the oil first washed ashore at Grand Isle, who had been there prior, who was doing "the hiring", the mandatory training involved for the volunteers, how many local volunteers *are* trained and ready, or even the legality of bringing "posers" to a hazardous area for even a day's faux work.

The extra workers were brought in for Friday only, at a rate of $12 an hour, [Jefferson Parish] officials told WDSU. They were mostly from Terrebonne and Lafourche parishes.

Jefferson Parish Councilman Chris Roberts didn’t buy into the cleanup effort. "They must think we're all fools," he said. Roberts called BP's efforts "shameful."

"The level of cleanup and cooperation from BP in the last week in no way compares to the effort shown on the island today," Roberts said. "This is a total shame that a mockery has been made of this visit by the executives of BP."

Talk about “shameful” and being the fool… neither councilman did a lick of homework before getting their face time before the cameras. And perhaps it would be more credible if they weren't sticking their political necks out based on hearsay.

BP Chief Operating Officer and spokesman, Doug Suttles, attempted to explain to an unwilling press that the events were coincidental. No one apparently wanted to believe him.

But the fact is, BP subcontracts tasking needed volunteers and workers to the locations. And in the specific case of Grand Isle, that contractor is Environmental Safety and Health, Inc.

Read more at floppingaces.net...

[bitterohiogunclinger]

Hence the well deserved tag “drive-by media”.

[UglyinLA]

Okay, I read the story that was posted.

DONALD NALTY, CONTRACTOR, ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH AND SAFETY GROUP (via telephone): We had 200 — approximately about 250 workers working there prior to — for the past two and a half to three weeks.

FACT: the oil only started washing ashore last weekend at Grand Isle.

and how about this doozie from the spokeshole claiming the had no idea the pres was going to visit...NALTY: Absolutely without a doubt, no. I had no idea about the President. Whether it’s the President or whatever dignitary that’s coming into the area, it makes no difference to us.

Yeah, sure Nalty...you had no idea the President was going to stop by.

So, if the oil only started washing ashore last weekend, why would ESHINC have people “working the area” for the last two and half weeks or more.??? Is Flopping Aces okay with the fact that ESHINC had 200-250 people standing on the shore for over two weeks waiting for the oil to come ashore? and that ESHINC says they had no idea that the President was going to visit Grand Isle?? If Donald Nalty says he didnt know the president was going to visit, I am calling him a LIAR. and whomever buys Nalty’s crap I am calling an IDIOT.

Who you gonna to believe, Donald Nalty, spokeshole for ESHINC or common sense logic.

[AwesomePossum]

I sure hope this is satire, for Mataharley's sake. The folks living in the area said what they saw. BP and the sub-contractor (who wants to keep the contracts coming) saw things somewhat differently...........

Actually, both sides were pretty close on most items, the big difference being whether it was a photo-op or not.......

The real test will be the first and second week of June......will there be the "much needed" 850 workers in the area, or, will the numbers go back down to the pre-Obama visit count of about 250 workers?

Kinda funny how this all happened just before the long Memorial Day weekend holiday........

IMHO, Mataharley has a little more research to do on this one........

:}