A Conversation with five Republican Governors

Not many Americans are privy to a conversation among five governors from across the United States, however on Thursday, 16 July 2010, I was a listening member of a discussion which was completely non-politically-correct, policy based, and void of stump speech rhetoric. The event hosted by the Aspen Institute and the Republican Governors Association, featured Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, Hawaii Gov. Linda Lingle, Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell, Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, and Texas Gov. Rick Perry.

The conversation came just hours after British Petroleum (BP) announced they had finally stopped the flow of oil into the Gulf of Mexico. Gov. Haley Barbour said the cap is only to be seen as a temporary fix and that a permanent solution is from the relief wells. All five governors agreed Pres. Obama’s ban on off-shore drilling was bad for the gulf state’s economies. Not only has the oil leak damaged the tourism, fishing, and related industries, but the ban on drilling has resulted in the laying off of thousands of workers employed by oil & gas companies. The analogy of ceasing all air travel following a major airplane crash was used to describe the logic behind the oil drilling ban.

Texas Gov. Rick Perry was dressed all in black with a t-shirt and a leather sports coat. The lettering on the t-shirt read, “Marshall Law”. Gov. Perry jokingly commented he didn’t think a shirt declaring succession would fly. Gov. Perry went on to say it was the name of a new band in Texas and that he was wanting to give them a little regional publicity as he is all about helping businesses succeed and become profitable. This allowed Gov. Perry to segue-way into talking about how competition and business are the driving forces of America.

Gulf of Mexico oil leak demonstrates lack of presidential leadership

“Kicking ass” solves no problems when the Gulf of Mexico is turning into an open air cesspool. This phase uttered by President Obama during an NBC Today Show interview demonstrates lack of leadership, a failure to understand the gravity of the disaster, and the zealousness of a lawyer to establish culpable and penal action against British Petroleum (BP). Akin to the analogy of a public building being found on fire – a leader would organize the suppression of the flames, using all available resources and technology to rescue the victims, put out the flames, and ensure the fire does not spread to neighbouring buildings. Our President is doing nothing but point fingers, use his dominions (Ken Salazar and Eric Holder) to make thug-like threats, and brainstorm about the forth coming delictual and criminal lawsuits.

The American people need real leadership to tackle the oil leak. The leak has caused tremendous environmental, economic, and health problems for the states bordering the Gulf of Mexico. As with the analogy of the burning building, no leader emerged from the White House, instead the American people were hit with campaign rhetoric, available resources for containing and mopping up the oil NOT being used, foreign assistance and expertise in oil spills being rejected, and America ingenuity and brainpower being left to smoulder in the ashes.

Former President Bush was blamed for not doing more for the people of the South after hurricane Katrina hit, however President Obama’s ignorance, incompetence, and failure to grasp the gravity of the situation has turned Bush’s bad dream into an Obama nightmare. As if the South’s fishing, tourism, and recreational industries have not already been devastated, the President signed a Gulf drilling moratorium, which has had the effect of spreading the economic devastation to more and more sectors of the South’s economy.

What would a real leader have done? A real leader would have met with the CEO of the firm responsible for the oil leak, ASAP, and have asked how the government could assist in capping the leak, providing support, and making ready beaches and shores for an oil clean-up. BP is responsible; however a government should not sit idle when threatened with oil invading the beaches and wetlands of her territory.

A leader would have sought good old American ingenuity to come up with ideas to mop up the oil. Necessity is the mother of invention and this leak has seen a vast amount of great ideas rejected on the basis of EPA regulations, local rules, and an incompetent bureaucracy. Even the Jones Act of 1920 has remained unsuspended, which is a protectionist piece of legislation designed to keep foreign made, manned, and registered vessels out of American waters. The most high-tech clean-up vessels come from European nations, thus without suspending this Act, many useful vessels for capturing floating oil clouds at sea have remained birthed in local harbours. A leader would have also taken control of the clean-up portion of the disaster from BP and not the legal claims element. It is a sad day for America when the President shows more interest in legal claims, then assisting in the clean-up of the worst oil leak in history.