COASTAL AREA – “At least somebody’s getting a job.”
That’s how people are reacting to a news of the federal government hiring dozens of people to oversee BP workers.
They’re taking applications for 60 jobs from Louisiana to Florida that will pay the equivalent of 28 to 89,000 dollars a year… but it’s likely the jobs won’t last that long.
Dan Thomas: “If you’ve ever thought you might want to tell these guys what to do all day long, now might be your chance.”
Pat Gonzales/U.S. Fish and Wildlife: “You don’t have a permit to do this.”
This man is a Resource Advisor for the US Fish and Wildlife… on loan from another park… and he’s badly mistaken about what the media is allowed to tell you about.
Dan Thomas: “So I can’t build a sand castle?”
Pat Gonzales/U.S. Fish and Wildlife: “Are you digging, what are you digging for sir?”
Dan Thomas: “I’m digging in the sand to see what’s there.”
Pat Gonzales/U.S. Fish and Wildlife: “Are you digging for oil product?”
Thomas: “Not necessarily I just want to see what’s there.”
Pat Gonzales/U.S. Fish and Wildlife: “Okay, I’ll tell you what. If you’re not going to cooperate with me I’m going to get a National Parks Service Officer out here. I’ll get a law enforcement guy out here to talk to you.”
He’s one of several federal officials who have cycled in and out of the job in a matter of weeks. Now the federal government wants to bring more stability to that position and others by hiring 60 people to spend 3 to 6 months overseeing BP’s work, telling them when where and how to dig.
Eddie Jones: “They’re still finding oil and it’s ridiculous.”
Eddie Jones is glad to hear somebody’s getting work, he hopes it comes back around to him.
Eddie Jones: “It needs to be locals. Everybody’s hurting around here. I’m a roofer and even the roofing companies are hurting because nobody has any money.”
John Lawrence: “I don’t see the point.”
John Lawrence: “When it first happened, yeah. But now? No.”
John Lawrence: “It’s underneath the ground anyway. It does it naturally. Just not on the scale it did.”
John Lawrence didn’t like the idea, until he found out it was not being funded by taxpayers.
John Lawrence: “Jobs are good, jobs are always good, considering it’s BP’s money? Is it?”
Dan Thomas: “It’s BP’s money.”
John Lawrence: “Well, let’s hire everybody.”
See video here: http://www.weartv.com/newsroom/features/coastal-crisis/videos/vid_768.shtml