For those of you who do not know, my friend Casey made a quick jaunt to DC from Kodiak! He is truly a fun fellow with whom to kick it, and better still is that he is from my original stomping grounds in Portland.
Casey came this way because he is the fisheries reporter for Kodiak's public radio station KMXT 100.1 FM. There was a little hearing at the Supreme Court that he was sent to cover, and you can listen to his report (and view some dashing pictures of him that I took) by clicking here.
Warning: This is where I pontificate a bit...
Urrrgh... there are so many things about the Exxon Valdez case that are just disgusting. It's odd to think that the spill happened when I was just a child, and that I am now almost thirty and it is still not resolved. It's sad to think that the original amount requested for punitive damages, which has now been cut in half, was $5 billion- which at the time represented one year's profit for Exxon. Last year, their profits were $40 billion.
Sadder still is that Exxon is liable for the spill. Bottom line. Exxon had 33 documented incidences for the captain that related to his drinking problem, and yet, he was allowed to continue operating a vessel. That is negligence, pure and simple.
I think that most Americans are not fully aware of the ramifications of this suit. Yes, Alaska may be a far-off place, and the needs of commercial and subsistence fishermen may not seem like a pressing issue in the Lower 48. However, this is a story that all Americans should take to heart- the classic tale of big business stomping all over the little man. By principle, the fact that Exxon continues to fight awarding punitive damages to those affected by the spill is something that affects all of us. Livelihoods, and therefore lives, were ruined by this. At this point, it is really no longer about the money for most of the plantiffs- who will only get $75,000 each is the damages are paid. This is not alot of money when one considers the lost income and consequent economic turmoil the spill placed on affected individuals. Again, this is simply a matter of principle.
Anyway, sadness and disillusionment with our so-called justice system aside, I am simply going to enjoy the rest of my playdate with Casey, and drink copious amounts of beer to drown my sorrows...
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3 comments:
Glad to hear Silent Bob is having a good time! Just FYI, Exxon's profits in the last quarter of 2006 was $40 Billion. It was over $160 Billion for the year. How bad does that suck?
It's sad that by my calculations thay can't part with 5.5 days of profit, especially if you take the fact that if you add up the interest they have made on the origional settlement of 5 billion over 19 years.
Five and a half days.
Exxon's one evil friggin' company.
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