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Jones Act of 1920 hinders best response to gulf oil spill in 2010
Personalmoneystore.com ^ | June 11th, 2010 | Thomas Hart

Posted on 06/12/2010 9:25:40 AM PDT by balls

The Jones Act, a federal law passed in 1920, is making headlines in 2010 thanks to (what else?) the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico 2010. The Jones Act was passed 90 years ago to give U.S. shipping companies an advantage over the rest of the world in U.S. waters. Today the Jones Act — which requires that all goods transported by water between U.S. ports be carried in U.S. ships that were constructed in the United States, owned by U.S. citizens and crewed by U.S. citizens — is preventing the rest of the world from helping the U.S. clean up the BP oil spill with state of the art technology. If the Obama administration wasn’t previously aware of the effect the Jones Act is having on the disaster, chances are it is now. Instead of talking about passing a law that amplifies BP oil spill claims, perhaps a simple executive order suspending the Jones Act would be more productive.

Jones Act slows oil spill cleanup

The Jones Act prevented foreign companies from offering the U.S. assistance in the oil spill cleanup soon after the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded, killed 11 people, sank, blew out the well and started an undersea gusher that has dumped up to 30,000 barrels of oil a day for the past 53 days. The Heritage Foundation reports that within days of the oil spill, several European nations offered the Obama administration ships to assist in the clean-up of the Gulf. A Belgian newspaper, De Standaard, said European firms working with the U.S. could complete the task in three months, rather than an estimated nine months if done by the U.S. alone. According to De Standaard, no U.S. companies have the ships to accomplish this task is because those ships would cost twice as much to build in the U.S.

Oil clean up ships barred

The Jones Act is preventing the most advanced oil cleanup ships owned by Belgian, Dutch and Norwegian firms from participating in the oil spill cleanup. Fox News says politics are taking precedent over ensuring the best possible oil spill cleanup effort. Joseph Carafano of the Heritage Foundation suggested to Fox News that the most effective and proven foreign oil cleanup ships remain on the sidelines because of the Obama administration’s close relationship with labor unions. Unions believe that the Jones Act protects American jobs, and those unions use their political clout to pressure lawmakers who would waive the law.

BP oil spill liability

Waiving the Jones Act may do more to blunt the damage of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico than other legal moves being considered. The Wall Street Journal reports that President Obama, talking about BP oil spill liability on Thursday, said Congress must “update the laws to make sure that the people in the Gulf, the fishermen, the hotel owners, families who are dependent for their livelihoods in the Gulf, that they are all made whole.” But the Journal raises the question about whether a law about BP oil spill claims can be passed that focuses directly on a single company. But some law professors and corporate attorneys said creative Justice Department attorneys could use language in the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 to expand BP’s oil spill liability.

Time’s up for The Jones Act

The Jones Act, created to protect jobs in 1920, could be helping the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico eliminate jobs in 2010. People who earn a living in fishing, tourism and even the oil industry are watching their livelihoods being destroyed for years to come. The Heritage Foundation points out there are also private sector jobs not being created in the U.S. since the Jones Act prices U.S. companies out of the competitive global market. If mounting public awareness of the law results in the Jones Act being waived, the BP oil spill may be the catalyst for repealing it altogether.


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: obamaskatrina
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1 posted on 06/12/2010 9:25:41 AM PDT by balls
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To: balls

Executive Order rescinds and Obama looks like a leader and probably is. The question is why did he not do this?


2 posted on 06/12/2010 9:27:40 AM PDT by vicar7
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To: balls

Bull. The Jones act is about transporting goods between American ports on American ships. It has nothing to do with this situation. Even if it did, it can be waved in case of national emergencies. It’s amazoing that it has been dredged up to give Oblahblan cover.


3 posted on 06/12/2010 9:29:10 AM PDT by stop_fascism
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To: balls

Was the Jones Act ever brought up during the rush from other countries to aid America during Katrina? I don’t recall ever hearing about it. Obama could shut the Jones down with one phone call and except the help of those oil siphoning boats.


4 posted on 06/12/2010 9:29:55 AM PDT by yoe (The "N" word stands for NO...as in NO MORE VOTES FOR IRRESPONSIBLE CONGRESSMEN OR SENATORS.The new)
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To: vicar7

Bush rescinded this law temporarily for Katrina but 0 won’t do it because of his ties to the unions.


5 posted on 06/12/2010 9:30:21 AM PDT by balls (It's Amateur Hour at the White House.)
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To: balls
Obama, the undocumented Emperor, tore up the Constitution.

How could this have been a problem?

6 posted on 06/12/2010 9:32:42 AM PDT by Diogenesis (Article IV - Section 4 - The United States shall protect each of them against Invasion)
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To: balls
Obama has hindered ALL responses....He was practically laughing at Jindal.

Gore had a "I Won" attitude once, too.

7 posted on 06/12/2010 9:33:09 AM PDT by Sacajaweau (What)
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To: yoe

post # 4....owooooo, meant accept the help.....


8 posted on 06/12/2010 9:33:27 AM PDT by yoe (The "N" word stands for NO...as in NO MORE VOTES FOR IRRESPONSIBLE CONGRESSMEN OR SENATORS.The new)
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To: balls

Congress is equally slow. Not one legislator has proposed an amendment to this law?


9 posted on 06/12/2010 9:33:33 AM PDT by skr (May God confound the enemy)
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To: balls

Obama could have waived it on day two, and brought in the big Dutch ocean skimmer ships that were offered.

People need to know this.


10 posted on 06/12/2010 9:34:57 AM PDT by Travis McGee (---www.EnemiesForeignAndDomestic.com---)
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To: balls

I believe we need a Jones Act of 1920 Commission to survey this situation. We need fourteen Democrats (preferably non-standing senators or representatives) and ten Republicans (same deal). They will meet in Mammoth Falls, Oregon over the next six months to discuss the matter. A staff of forty-four government workers will be at their beckon call.

The final report will be given to the President around January 2011...and they will make the final recommendation....which the President can accept or decline.

Oh, and from the fourteen Democrats....eight will be union guys from New Jersey....just to make things right and fair.


11 posted on 06/12/2010 9:34:57 AM PDT by pepsionice
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To: yoe

See #% if you haven’t already.


12 posted on 06/12/2010 9:35:18 AM PDT by skr (May God confound the enemy)
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To: vicar7

Do you really need to ask that question? He protects the union thugs. To hell with the Southern states and their damn beaches. This is an ideologue, not a leader.


13 posted on 06/12/2010 9:35:19 AM PDT by Conservative9
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To: balls

Perhaps someone can help me with this question.
Don’t many east coast ports have oil response teams with boats and booms that can be called out in an emergency?

After Katrina, the Maritime Administration order the TV Sate of Maine (the training ship for the Maine Maritime Academy) to New Orleans to provide logistical and housing support for the relief and clean-up effort. So those teams could have been called immediately after the accident.

Also, once the oil leave US waters could not any ship from any country begin skimming the oil?


14 posted on 06/12/2010 9:43:13 AM PDT by Maine Mariner
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To: balls

Hussein Obama screws the pooch again. All he had to do was issue an executive order and the ships would have been at work and Hussein would have looked less bad than he now does.

But he didn’t.


15 posted on 06/12/2010 9:54:32 AM PDT by GladesGuru (In a society predicated upon freedom, it is essential to examine principles,)
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To: balls

I’ve only made a few observations about the oil spill/cleanup.

They’ve all been pretty much the same; Big Government has interferred with this blowout from day one, and in fact, long before it was even on the drawingboard.

Big Government, bad for the enviroment and for us, the people.

British Petroleum, good for the enviroment, and for us, the people


16 posted on 06/12/2010 10:11:08 AM PDT by Balding_Eagle (Women are natural socialists, since the 19th passed the US has been drifting Liberal)
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To: stop_fascism

The Jones Act can be waived by anyone in the shipping business. My husband is a freight forwarder and has had the Jones Act waived by filing paperwork, Not that difficult.


17 posted on 06/12/2010 10:13:54 AM PDT by bewitched1
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To: balls

Guess who was President in 1920?

Woodrow Wilson


18 posted on 06/12/2010 10:31:38 AM PDT by wac3rd (Gulf oil spews...Obama sues.)
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To: Conservative9

I think you or I would piss on the unions to save the coastline of 6 states. However that does not appear to be the kind of leader Obama is.


19 posted on 06/12/2010 10:40:58 AM PDT by vicar7
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To: stop_fascism

From what I know about it, it strips away his cover.


20 posted on 06/12/2010 10:43:40 AM PDT by Conservativegreatgrandma
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