Alabama is no longer a sweet home, nor can we accurately refer to its beaches as having a crimson tide. No in all fairness we must now call Alabama the land of the tar balls that BP let out (from AP):
Frankly I fail to understand those who believe in states rights permitting “scientists” from the United States Geological Service (a/k/a Big Guvmint) to intrude upon the sanctity of their pure white sand beaches, no matter how many tar balls that might wash up on the shore.
This is no time to let a little ol’ oil disaster get in the way of those principles which have stood the test of time. So, Governor Riley, when will you call out the Alabama Militia to remove these Yankee liberal fascist scientists from your hallowed coastlines? When will you raise your voice and loudly proclaim that no federal “help” is wanted or needed?
After all, I’m sure the good people of Alabama can handle this little spot of oily residue on their own, thank you very much. I’m sure that is what Jeff Davis (White Holy Jesus bless his soul) would have done, after all.
DAUPHIN ISLAND, Ala. (WALA) – Clean up crews were all over the beaches of Dauphin Island on Saturday. Reports of tar came pouring in to the mayor’s office.
“We had a number of reports of people coming into contact with tar balls along the middle and west end of the island,” said Mayor Jeff Collier.
Oh, and you tourists, ya’ll come on down and enjoy the sun and the sand ya heah? And any tar balls you want to take home as souvenirs, why just help yourselves. No charge, none whatsoever.
To be fair to Governor Riley I sincerely doubt that will be so stupid or recalcitrant as to actually refuse help from the Federal Government in any clean-up efforts needed as a result of the BP disaster in the Gulf. He did after all thank that Kenyan usurper Presuident Obama for the assistance the Federal Government has already provided Alabama. After all, this isn’t health care reform.
However, I also don’t expect him to pull a Schwarzenegger and actually seek to ban further offshore drilling in light of his past support for such measures two short years ago.
“How high do gas prices have to rise before Congress gets serious about increasing our energy supply?” Riley said. “For decades, our own supply of energy has been locked up and now Americans are paying the price at the pump.”
Bush supports an end to the drilling moratorium on federal land in Alaska and offshore. McCain supports similar proposals, while Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama opposes them.
Though I suppose I could be wrong. Riley did declare a state of emergency after all. Maybe, unlike the Republican members of the US Senate from Mississippi and Alabama, he might reconsider his position in light of the looming catastrophe his state now faces, though it is a little hard to tell based on this recent statement:
If we can do what I hope we can do in Alabama to mitigate any potential environmental damage here, especially in our estuaries, then I will have a completely different attitude about whether or not it is controllable after something this dramatic happens.
I’m not really sure what he means by that. Does he still support drilling under the lessened safety regulatory scheme instituted during the Bush years, or not? Does he support more deep water drilling in the Gulf of Mexico? Maybe, if you are an Alabama resident, you might want to ask him about that. Here are some phone numbers you can use to reach him or his staff for your convenience:
Switchboard: (334) 242-7100
Fax: (334) 353-0004
Unless, that is, like the five member majority on the US Supreme Court, you believe the rights of fictional persons such as corporations like BP supersede the rights of real live human beings. In which case all I can say is may God have mercy on you because the senior executives of the oil companies surely will not.
