Time For The Government

To Seize BP’s Assets

To the Editor:

The environmental and economic tragedy unfolding for the last 60 days in the Gulf of Mexico needs to be stopped. I am at a loss to understand why the Obama Administration hasn’t acted and acted decisively.

Every student of government knows that the President can invoke the National Emergencies Act of 1974 in a situation that threatens to disrupt the economy, national security, or the environment in a catastrophic manner. It is clear to me that this situation meets all these criteria.

Under this statue the President can seize property, financial resources, and the means of production in order to benefit the common good. This would enable the government to take control of BP’s money to pay claims, cover the cost of cleanup and repair for people and businesses caught in this mess. BP has not acted in a responsible way by any stretch of the imagination.

If this goes unchecked much longer the financial impact to small business may not be able to be reversed. I suspect that 100 years from now the environmental impact will still be felt. After all, environmental researchers report that more than 20 years after Exxon Valdez the impact of that oil spill is still evident.

What puzzles me is why hasn’t President Obama acted more forcefully? Recently his government and the Democrat Party have been criticized for becoming too intrusive, too big, and too left leaning. I hope he has not avoided action in the Gulf because he fears the backlash of taking control of BP and using his powers to take over the situation. That would be an acceptable expansion of the government. Anything less would pander to politics.

R.P. Gottmeier

13 Antler Pine Road, Sandy Hook                                 June 15, 2010