Um...seriously WTF are they thinking...

(edited for copyright purposes-proud patriot Moderator Democratic Underground)

GOP blocks oil liability bill

Alaska’s senior senator blocked legislation Thursday that would have dramatically increased liability caps on oil companies, in the wake of one of the industry’s biggest disasters.


Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) objected to a voice vote request by Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) on the bill, which would have spiked the maximum liability for oil companies after an oil spill from $75 million to $10 billion. The legislation has significant support from Democrats, and the White House has indicated it backs an increase in liability caps.


But Murkowski said the legislation is “not where we need to be right now” and would unfairly advantage large oil companies by pricing the small companies out of the market. Murkowski did signal that she would be open to "look at the liability cap and consider raising it.” Just not at this moment.


Menendez, speaking to reporters after the bill was halted on the Senate floor, said the opposition indicates that Republicans are on the side of the oil companies, not the American people. There had been no formal floor debate or roll call vote requested on the legislation.


“It’s straightforward, it’s common sense,” Menendez said. “Either you want to fully protect the small businesses, individuals and communities devastated by a man-made disaster — this is not a natural disaster; this is a man-made disaster — or you want to protect multibillion-dollar oil companies from being held fully accountable. Apparently there are some in the Senate who prefer to protect the oil companies.”


Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) called the current $75 million liability a “spit in the ocean” for oil disasters and lawmakers.


(snip)
:spank:



http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0510/37207.html#ixzz0nqRIdqRm

They should be made to lick up the oil and live in the sludge.

and my career. It's not like I'm a freakin' Democrat!

So let me get this straight...rethugs want the taxpayers to shoulder this epic cleanup and related losses???

:wtf:

should be however fucking much it costs to clean the shit up.

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Thanks,

cbayer
DU Moderator

Sorry.

Do they mean the 'security' of their profits? Then I want them to tell the country how much of the oil in the gulf is actually sold in the US.

getting worse..

$10 billion or even more money is fine for the big oil companies like BP or Exxon Mobil.

The problem is that if Transocean was the one who is liable, a $10 billion fee would bankrupt the company. It would make the industry favor bigger players over the small ones even more.

They should base the maximum liability cap based on a companies annual revenue to be more fair.

If I own an electrical company, don't carry insurance, and one of my employees burns your house down, should I be limited to what I can pay without hurting me, or should I have to pay the full amount? Same goes for Transocean: If they didn't want to be liable for damages, they shouldn't have put themselves in a position to have to pay them.

Edited to add: And by the exact opposite direction I mean "I don't think there should be any cap at ALL. Including seizing and selling the personal holdings of the executives."

Shannyn Moore tore her up today on her radio show. It's embarrassing to have these people out there representing Alaskans. Lisa represents Big Oil and Big Banking, not the people of Alaska, and I hope to God the Democrats can find a viable candidate to run against her in November. As of right now, the only opposition she has is from the further right, Joe Miller, the guy Todd Palin is endorsing.

See "Lisa Murkowski Fails the Test, Falls Next to Tree" http://www.themudflats.net/2010/05/13/lisa-murkowski-fails-the-test-falls-next-to-tree/




One of the commenters on that post called her "Lease A Murkowski." :rofl:

Conservatives love corporations and vote for anyone who defends their destructive practices.

Small businesses should be shut down anyways.