Numbers, Truth and Redemption

Jun 3, 2010 by

A slightly expanded version of my recent FB post, by request.

Seems like every time I turn around BP is releasing a statement that they’ve spent X-million dollars on the Deepwater Horizon fiasco. (990 million is the latest.) Your point, BP?

Perhaps you could have saved some money by locating your “command” centers in Venice, LA or New Orleans instead of Houston. I hear private jet fuel costs are rising. And stop adding in the costs of your smoke-and-mirror shows under the sea. You can’t count money spent fixing something you fucked up in the first place with plans that have NEVER worked underwater and are meant as ‘look-busy’ work for the appeasement of the masses. You can’t count the pity payments you’ve made to businesses for their lost income either. You break it, you bought it. Take off that entry for Corexit as well. You basically own Nalco so you’re essentially paying yourself there. I’m curious… are you adding in the legal fees for the defenses you’ve been preparing?

The only money that counts is what you’ve spent containing the oil and cleaning the coasts which, if the paltry handful of boats and workers in the oil-sodden marshes I’ve seen is your best effort, can’t be much. In fact, let me do some highly suspect calculations…
BP claims they’ve hired 20,000 workers for clean-up operations. This number has been publicized since just after President Obama’s daycation to Grand Isle on May 28th. Generously assuming 8-hour days, 20,000 workers at $12/hr comes to $1,920,000/day. Let’s give BP further benefit of the doubt and say they had those 20,000 workers busy a full week before Obama’s trip and all working seven days/week. That’s 14 days so far which means BP has spent roughly $26,880,000 on clean-up manpower. That’s 2.7% of their claimed total.

Here’s the thing, BP: no one gives a damn what you spend until you’ve fixed the problem. When this is all done and every last drop of oil is gone from the shores and the Gulf –and I mean every fucking drop– then you can start the PR campaign. Releasing money numbers every time someone gets in your face about dead workers and devastated wildlife and destroyed livelihoods makes you look seriously demented.

However, you are essentially creating one job without even knowing it: right now someone is writing The Ultimate Handbook of What NOT To Do When Your Company Seriously Fucks Up The Planet. Your entire public face during this ordeal has been an unbelievable farce that corporations will use as a guideline for years to come.

Doug Suttles is nothing more than a poorly programmed robot and how Tony Hayward manages to stumble through press photo-ops with both feet in his mouth is beyond me. Tony, if you’re reading this, you had better hope the US takes you into custody because if your shareholders ever get ahold of you, you won’t have time to shit yourself before the knives leave their sheaths.

It’s time to suck it up. Gird your stones, confess and clear your consciences. BP is going to be a slaughterhouse after this and no heads will be safe. I implore anyone at BP who still has a heart: confess. You still have time to do the right thing and tell the truth, but that time is running out.

-M Styborski

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