As we approach day 55 of the BP oil spill, now the worst environmental disaster in United States history, President Obama is finally developing “tough” language regarding his frustration with the lack of progress in the Gulf of Mexico. Obama’s tough talk, though, is merely that: talk.
In an interview with NBC that aired Sunday, Obama said he was looking for “whose ass to kick.” This language is obviously not typical of Obama and almost sounded fake and forced. It seems the White House is trying to display a tough face to the American people due to recent criticism that the president’s administration has not done enough to help the people affected by the massive oil spill.
The federal response to the oil spill has indeed been slow and caught up in government bureaucracy in Washington D.C. The New York Times reported that, “[a]t least a dozen federal agencies have taken part in the spill response, making decision-making slow, conflicted and confused, as they sought to apply numerous federal statutes.”
The Times goes on to say that, “officials from the White House, Coast Guard, Army Corps of Engineers, Fish and Wildlife Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Environmental Protection Agency debated the best approach.” With every hoop the agencies had to jump through, fisherman, wildlife and beaches suffered.
Disapproval of Obama’s handling of the oil spill has risen to a staggering 70 percent. The American people simply do not believe that the president is doing everything he can to help the people of the Gulf Coast affected by this tragedy.
Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal confirmed the public’s concerns Tuesday when he told CNN that barrier islands scheduled to begin construction by Thursday would have been able to start earlier had the federal government not been stalled in allowing a permit.
With the failed result of the “top kill” procedure, we must now wait for a relief well to be drilled, which will take until August at the earliest. The people of the Gulf, however, cannot wait until August for help to come. They need help now and the federal government must realize that while the clean-up effort may be BP’s responsibility, it is the government’s duty to protect the welfare of the citizens affected by the horrible catastrophe.
President Obama and Congress must act to ensure that legislation is passed quickly so that federal aid can reach the Gulf of Mexico as soon as possible. The endless cycle of federal bureaucracy must not continue to delay relief efforts. The people affected are real and need their government to do its job and send help in their time of need. Austin Gaddis is a sophomore majoring in public relations and communications studies.
