To Claim, or Not To Claim?

That is the question.

My Dad was telling me the Escambia County School District is filing a claim for a chunk of that sweet Kenneth Feinberg cash.  This claim is based on the tax revenue they didn’t earn because the taxpayers didn’t earn because of the oil spill.

Heh, maybe I should filed a claim too, jokes Dad.  He had little work this summer, because tourism plummeted after the oil spill.  (He is a classical musician who plays double bass, if you are wondering what kind of work.)

So I’m doing a little research to see what qualifies as an economic damage from the Gulf Oil Spill.

Dad’s claim would definitely be for indirect damage, and is thus more tenuous than the fishermen and such.  Seems less tenuous than Escambia County Schools, however.  So if they are the “low water mark” for causation, my feeling is:  go for it.

The official Gulf Coast Claim Facility (GCCF) website says that eligibility and reimbursement amount for indirect claims are based on:

“geographic proximity to the Spill, whether you are dependent on injured natural resources, and the nature of your business.”

I don’t really understand why the nature of the business is a consideration, because this standard is used after they’ve concluded that your damage is indirect. 

My Dad’s claim is not far away from the spill.  In fact, Pensacola has taken a serious bath in it.  (Like my double meaning there?)  He is not dependent on the injured natural resource, however.

Neither is the Escambia County School District.  Neither is the Venus Experience Salon.  One commenter to the Venus article was critical of all indirect claims:

“Those making claims for indirect cost reimbursements should be ashamed… So when LSU and Alabama play football if he game isn’t a sellout let’s file a claim… If you aren’t a fisherman or oil field worker… What entitles you compensation…”

It is a fair enough question.  I expect that direct claimants will be paid first, and the indirectly damaged folks will split the leftovers (if there are any).

Anyway, you can’t get any unless you get in line for it.  You can file online, or by phone, or in person at the local office.  Now, the federal government was so concerned about BP being too slow and difficult with the claims process that they extorted bullied sagely convinced BP to let Kenneth Feinberg handle it.

Of course, the process will still be slow and difficult.  I mean, come on.  I don’t even have to mention the DMV, the Post Office . . . .  Also, there are a heckuva lotta claims and a ton of difficult questions to answer, no matter who runs the show.

P.S.  Is it wrong to file a claim with the GCCF, if you are personally convinced the government violated the Constitution when it set up the fund?

Utopia Meets The Really Real World

From OpenMarket.org comes example number 439,207 of how government intervention does not make it all better: 

“Kenneth Feinberg, the individual dolling out the $20 billion BP Oil Spill Settlement; (a No Pressure Voluntary thing), has been criticized for distributing funds too slowly.  Fighting back, Feinberg has noted that the delay has resulted from the flood of dubious claims.”

Ah, reality.  You always let the progressives down.

Six Month Moratorium

The fact that the Obama Administration has placed a 6-month moratorium on deep-sea drilling in the Gulf is old news, I know.

But hey.

School’s been out since first week of June.  I’ve been busy.  First, we visited my sister in Pennsylvania, and we did some hiking. 

Also did I mention my boys are out of school?  Without parental intervention, summer will look like this:

With parental intervention, summer looks more like this:

Anyhoo, the point of my post:

My husband says, if a (terrible) accidental explosion requires that all deep-sea drilling stop for six months, then surely the same reasoning will apply elsewhere.  Which means, the explosion in our nation’s debt should require a six month break from legislative activity.

A six-month freeze on all Congressional business.

Sounds fair to me.