In the wake of last month’s catastrophic Gulf Coast oil spill, Sen. Lisa Murkowski blocked a bill that would have raised the maximum liability for oil companies after a spill from a paltry $75 million to $10 billion. The Republican lawmaker said the bill, introduced by Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ), would have unfairly hurt smaller oil companies by raising the costs of oil production. The legislation is “not where we need to be right now” she said.

Murkowski, Oil Lobby Block Effort To Make Industry Fully Pay For Spills | TPMMuckraker

These are the people we elect?  The people who fall back on “that would be too expensive” ????  As opposed to what the consequences are going to be from this massive failure of business to protect the public (who,  regardless of whether SOME of its more brain-dead, head in the sand members believe it,  are A PART OF THE ENVIRONMENT).  How on earth is anyone else OTHER than BP responsible for this?  If they want to blame it  on a “contractor”,  THEY are the ones who hired that contractor.  The buck stops with them inthe end.  And their “bottom line” rationalizations are not going to cut it.  The REAL BOTTOM LINE is that THEY created this mess.  They deserve to be mortally wounded.

Hey Murkowski,  it “cost” a lot for the country to move from a slavery economy  to something else, too.  I think we can all agree that short term pain,  especially in the south,  was worth forcing new economic models.  Now we are facing whatto do with companies,  OIL COMPANIES at that,  that are negligent to the  point of criminality.  They HAVE TO BE HELD COMPLETELY ACCOUNTABLE.  Oh wait, maybe we can have Murkowski be added to the accountability list.  She represents those who push for letting these things go for the sake of keeping commerce going,  consequences be damned.