HIGH SEAS SOCIALISM

From:  April 23, 2010, 2:42PM

By just about every measure, the Transocean oil rig explosion is a tragedy.  For the families of the crew members lost it is a terrible tragedy, for the environment of the gulf area which has already seen hundreds of thousands of gallons of diesel fuel spilled and possibly millions of crude spilled it is a calamity, and for the taxpayers of the United States of America who are footing the bill of a costly search and rescue, and pollution containment operation it is a travesty.

According to the Coast Guard, significant assets have been on-scene since the explosion occurred at just after 10pm local time, on Tuesday April 20, 2010.  Among them are;

Coast Guard Cutter Cobia and crew.
Coast Guard Cutter Zephyr and crew.
Coast Guard Cutter Pelican and crew.
Coast Guard Cutter Coho and crew.

AND

One MH-65 Dolphin rescue helicopter and crew.
One HC-144 Ocean Sentry rescue plane and crew.

ALSO INVOLVED IN THE EFFORTS;

Members from the Coast Guard National Strike Force. -   (deployed for ongoing and potential pollution response include dispersant airplanes, HOSS (High Volume Offshore Skimming System) barges, oil spill skimming vessels, and ancillary equipment and personnel as necessary.)

AND

Officials from The Department of the Interior
Officials from The U.S. Minerals Management Service.

AND

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has already begun making contingency plans to protect public and private properties should there be any Crude Oil spillage making landfall along the Louisiana, Alabama, or Mississippi coast lines.

ALL OF THESE assets are brought to you by the Federal Government of the United States of America, and are paid for by hard working Americans.

While the cost of the search, rescue, recovery, damage mitigation, and investigation cannot yet be determined, the cost will certainly be in the MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.

Conservative estimates are  that the cost of operating Coast Guard search and rescue planes alone are over $4300 per hour, rescue helicopters at over $4400 per hour, and Coast Guard Cutters at over $1500 per hour.  Add to this the wages of the Coast Guard personnel, those of the Coast Guard National Strike Force ,and the wages of the Interior department personnel and those agents of the Minerals Management Service and you can be pretty sure that the price tag to the taxpayer will be steep.

Somehow those who are yelling about abolishing the Federal Income Tax aren't complaining about this expenditure. 

Hypocrites.


MSNY 04.23.10