Who's REALLY Going To Get The $20 Billion?

C'mon folks do you really think that the people who are being hurt by this oil spill will be the ones getting most of the compensation from BP's $20 Billion fund that will be in the hands of our government? History and common sense say no.

Here's what'll actually happen to the fund:
1. Our government will 'borrow' or outright steal much of that money before it is spent and
2. Lawyers and special interests will get most of what's actually paid out.

Don't believe me? Consider the following quote from The Daily Reckoning:

"Remember the giant tobacco settlement? In 1998, the tobacco companies lay down and opened their veins. A quarter of a trillion dollars [$250 Billion ... ten times what's being allocated for this oil spill!] was paid out in a huge class action settlement. The money was supposed to go to redress the damage done by smoking. But $19 out of every $20 found its way, instead, into the pockets of the lawyers, the activists, and the bureaucrats. That is to say - the zombies got it."

If approximately the same thing happens to this fund (and do we have any reason based on actual history to think it won't?), the amount that goes to redress damage done will be in the neighborhood of 5% of that or $1 Billion. Guess who'll get the other $19 Billion?

Just imagine for a minute what's been going on in legal firms in DC and in the gulf states since word of the fund began leaking (no pun intended) out. Who thinks they have NOT made it their top priority to get as much legal fees income out of this fund as possible? Who thinks that, in fact, it won't happen? $20 Trillion of relief? No way! At best, no more than half will find its way to those directly impacted by the spill and be spent on anything one could rationally call 'relief'.

You've heard the expression used to describe what progressives think of problems like this: "Let no emergency go to waste (regarding advancing an agenda as a higher priority than dealing with the emergency)!" It's the unspoken motto of legal firms as well.

Cap and Trade must be passed because THAT is the solution to problems like this? Huh? Who believes that Cap and Trade, if FULLY implemented already would have prevented this spill? C'mon now, how can a TAX prevent a technical and competence problem like this? What WOULD have prevented this spill is BP running its business better and our own federal government NOT allowing them to get away with hundreds(!) of safety violations! Now, like most emergencies, it's just turning into another justification for grabbing more money and redistributing it (the golden ring of progressivism) ... mostly to lawyers, unfortunately!