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Why hasn't Obama waived the Jones act?

ReverendHellh0und

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During Katrina, Bush waived the Jones act allowing foreign vessels in to help with the disaster. Here we are 59 days into the worst oil spill in history, and Obama has yet to do the same allowing foreign vessel's skimmers, and what not in to mitigate the disaster.


The Coast Guard and the Administration are quick to point out that some foreign technology is being used in the current cleanup effort. Including:

- Canada’s offer of 3,000 meters of containment boom

- Three sets of COSEQ sweeping arms from the Dutch

- Mexico’s offer of two skimmers and 4200 meters of boom

- Norway’s offer of 8 skimming systems"

But that is largely technology transferred to US vessels. Some of the best clean up ships – owned by Belgian, Dutch and the Norwegian firms are NOT being used. Coast Guard Lt. Commander, Chris O’Neil, says that is because they do not meet “the operational requirements of the Unified Area Command.” One of those operational requirements is that vessels comply with the Jones Act.
"Yes, it does apply,” said ONeil,“ I have heard no discussions of waivers.”


Wait, what???? this is insane.


For review:

Merchant Marine Act of 1920 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jones Act Slowing Oil Spill Cleanup?




This should be highly offensive to everyone, not just right wingers, but all Americans.
 
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FWIW Reverend:

In an official statement by the Unified Command's Lt. Erik Halvorson, Chief, Joint Information Center of the Unified Area Command said:

All potential foreign technology solutions are being reviewed for their suitability to meet response requirements. As Admiral Allen said this morning, he will review waivers of the Jones Act if they are requested, but so far no requests have been made. I am not aware of any instance in which needed foreign ships or technology have not been accepted due to the Jones Act. The Jones Act is not preventing us from getting the technology that we need.

...

ADDENDUM: I followed up on readers' comments and again asked the US Coast Guard to elaborate. Their direct response is again through the Unified Command's Lt. Erik Halvorson, Chief, Joint Information Center of the Unified Area Command and is as follows:

"...I tell you that we have reviewed all international offers of assistance. More specifically, that the Unified Area Command has received 21 offers of assistance from 17 countries and four international organizations. These offers came through the U.S. State Department.

All offers were reviewed by the Unified Area Command. All qualifying offers were accepted.

Those offers of international assistance that were not accepted did not meet the operational requirements of the Unified Area Command.

These offers have not been declined. They may be needed in the future as our response strategies change. We will reconsider them as necessary.

The Unified Area Command reviews all offers of assistance as the operational situation changes and if an offer meets an operational need, we will pursue acceptance."

City Brights: Yobie Benjamin : True or false? FOX News: Obama & unions block oil spill clean up efforts
 
During Katrina, Bush waived the Jones act allowing foreign vessels in to help with the disaster.


Um, during the aftermath of Katrina, Bush declined Cuba's offer to send 8,000 medical personnel with fully-equipped field hospitals to help with relief efforts.

God knows how many died because of Bush's obstinate determination to prove a political point.
 
During Katrina, Bush waived the Jones act allowing foreign vessels in to help with the disaster. Here we are 59 days into the worst oil spill in history, and Obama has yet to do the same allowing foreign vessel's skimmers, and what not in to mitigate the disaster.






Wait, what???? this is insane.


For review:

Merchant Marine Act of 1920 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jones Act Slowing Oil Spill Cleanup?




This should be highly offensive to everyone, not just right wingers, but all Americans.

It is not in Obama's interest to have this pollution cleaned up fast.
The greater the Pollution spreads the more pronounced will be his rhetoric.
He has already forbidden BP to burn off the pollution as it surfaces and in addition has forbidden BP to use the dispersant originally advised to do so by the EPA.
Obama has also forbidden using most other countries who could have helped.
And now is forbidding Foreign ships into the Gulf to help.
 
Um, during the aftermath of Katrina, Bush declined Cuba's offer to send 8,000 medical personnel with fully-equipped field hospitals to help with relief efforts.

God knows how many died because of Bush's obstinate determination to prove a political point.



So by your "logic" since Obama declined Iran's help, you put the same amount of blame on him and this mess and proving of "political points" that you do on Bush and katrina?






It's threads like these, I wonder why, are all to often ignored for the most part.
 
It's funny how some lib rated this thread one star yet had no comment on the thread..... :lamo
 
SFGATE? :lamo:



It pains me to see some of my left wing friends, so cavilier about this spill... :doh

I posted the Coast Guard's official response, which I found in SFGate, not Yobie Benjamin's comments. I don't see how the source impugns the official statement from the Coast Guard.
 
I posted the Coast Guard's official response, which I found in SFGate, not Yobie Benjamin's comments. I don't see how the source impugns the official statement from the Coast Guard.




When in the service you don't diss the CiC..... EVER.



furthermore, Obama should have waived the Jones act and told the CG to get as much help as they can find.


It's called leadership
 
When in the service you don't diss the CiC..... EVER.



furthermore, Obama should have waived the Jones act and told the CG to get as much help as they can find.


It's called leadership

I didn't see a diss of the CiC. What did I miss?

They can't just have any old yahoo or country operating in there without the knowledge of the incident commander, Thad Allen. There has to be a process and a co-ordination. It can't be a free-for-all.
 
I didn't see a diss of the CiC. What did I miss?


When you are a top ranking general, admiral, whatever, you don't make the president look bad if you want to keep your job. What do you expect him to say?




They can't just have any old yahoo or country operating in there without the knowledge of the incident commander, Thad Allen. There has to be a process and a co-ordination. It can't be a free-for-all.



Where is this process and why wasn't it in place on day 1?
 
When you are a top ranking general, admiral, whatever, you don't make the president look bad if you want to keep your job. What do you expect him to say?








Where is this process and why wasn't it in place on day 1?

How did he make the president look bad?

ll potential foreign technology solutions are being reviewed for their suitability to meet response requirements. As Admiral Allen said this morning, he will review waivers of the Jones Act if they are requested, but so far no requests have been made. I am not aware of any instance in which needed foreign ships or technology have not been accepted due to the Jones Act. The Jones Act is not preventing us from getting the technology that we need.

...

"...I tell you that we have reviewed all international offers of assistance. More specifically, that the Unified Area Command has received 21 offers of assistance from 17 countries and four international organizations. These offers came through the U.S. State Department.

All offers were reviewed by the Unified Area Command. All qualifying offers were accepted.

Those offers of international assistance that were not accepted did not meet the operational requirements of the Unified Area Command.

These offers have not been declined. They may be needed in the future as our response strategies change. We will reconsider them as necessary.

The Unified Area Command reviews all offers of assistance as the operational situation changes and if an offer meets an operational need, we will pursue acceptance."

What statement, specifically, makes the president look bad? He's explaining the process and they've accepted offers without the need to waive the it so far and it's not as if the Jones Act was enacted just as the oil spill began.
 
How did he make the president look bad?



What statement, specifically, makes the president look bad? He's explaining the process and they've accepted offers without the need to waive the it so far and it's not as if the Jones Act was enacted just as the oil spill began.





Your reaching. point is the Coast guard is not the ones who needs to waive the jones act. it is the President. as bush did with Katrina, Obama NEEDS to do with the oil spill....
 
Your reaching. point is the Coast guard is not the ones who needs to waive the jones act. it is the President. as bush did with Katrina, Obama NEEDS to do with the oil spill....

The incident commander is filtering offers of assistance as he is in charge of the operation and knows what is useful and what is not. If they deem something necessary that requires the waving of the Jones Act, surely they will request, along with the country involved, a waiver.
 
The incident commander is filtering offers of assistance as he is in charge of the operation and knows what is useful and what is not. If they deem something necessary that requires the waving of the Jones Act, surely they will request, along with the country involved, a waiver.



Why did Obama turn down the dutch's offer for skimmers on day 3?
 
Why did Obama turn down the dutch's offer for skimmers on day 3?

Still waiting to hear on that matter. I have the SFGate link book marked and I'm checking back on it. The reporter will follow up as he was interested too.
 
Still waiting to hear on that matter. I have the SFGate link book marked and I'm checking back on it. The reporter will follow up as he was interested too.




While you wait, these skimmers that were offered on day 3 still sit in port.
 
Three days after the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon in the Gulf of Mexico, the Dutch government offered to help.
It was willing to provide ships outfitted with oil-skimming booms, and it proposed a plan for building sand barriers to protect sensitive marshlands.
The response from the Obama administration and BP, which are coordinating the cleanup: “The embassy got a nice letter from the administration that said, ‘Thanks, but no thanks,'” said Geert Visser, consul general for the Netherlands in Houston



Steffy: U.S. and BP slow to accept Dutch expertise | Business: Loren Steffy | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle




It should be criminal.
 
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