HALLIBURTON…
So now we have the largest ecological mess in the history of man less than a couple hundred miles from my front door and out of the clear blue sky the name 'Halliburton", oil supply company pops up again. Why am I not surprised that the name HALLIBURTON is part of an oil disaster. Who are they? They are one of the players, part of the Trifecta of Death. British Petroleum, Deepwater Horizon and Halliburton.
They are a large international firm nicely entrenched off shore to avoid US taxation yet large payments are made to them by the US government sometimes in no-bid deals OK'ed by the former White House. Their main board member was Richard Cheney, former VP and now Republican history re-writer. They have dark sides.
WIKIPEDIA
Halliburton is at the forefront of a method for extracting oil and natural gas--a process called "horizontal hydrolic fracturing" and also known as hydrofracking--which involves injecting a high volume of toxic substances and water in the earth. This method raises serious environmental and health concerns.
In New Mexico, for example, similar processes have leached toxic chemicals into the water table at 800 sites. This controversial method of extraction is planned for widespread use in New York and other mid-Atlantic states to extract natural gas from the Marcellus Shale formation.
Yet, in 2005, at the urging of Vice President Dick Cheney, Congress created the so-called "Halliburton loophole" to the Clean Water Drinking Act (CWDA) to prevent the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency from regulating this process, despite its demonstrated contamination of drinking water. In 2001, Cheney's "energy task force" had touted the benefits of hydrofracking, while redacting references to human health hazards associated with hydrofracking; Halliburton, which was previously led by Cheney, reportedly earns $1.5 billion a year from its energy operations, which relies substantially on its hydrofracking business.
THERE IS ONE THING TO REMEMBER HERE
Halliburton got a lot of business from that administration also known as having the nickname, the TROIKA. A general meaning of the Russian word troika (Cyrillic alphabet: тройка) is three of a kind, a collection of three. Cheney Bush, Rove. You will here more about their exploits, I promise you. During the disastrous Bush Administration, Halliburton received a large share of the Military and "Humanitarian" contracts from the government.
George "the conquerer" Bush and his Dad Bush the first, made a lot of money in that black stuff called oil. They were magnates, more like magnets as the money just seemed to come to them and their friends. Richard (aka"Darth, Doctor Death" etc.) Cheney was the head of Halliburton and resigned (in title only, it seems they still send him lots of money) to take the Vice-presidency where even more contracts went on to Halliburton and on a no-bid basis.
IN THE PAST DECADE
Halliburton was involved in a kickback scheme that prompted Halliburton to fire two workers and reimburse the Pentagon $6.3 million. Yea, two guys just happened to skip with millions. Sacrificial lambs. additionally, the possible overcharging for food services which Halliburton reimbursed the Defense Department for nearly $30 million. Halliburton has set aside $141 million to pay other possible reimbursements.
A separate DCAA audit which accused KBR of overcharging by $61 million for gasoline delivered to serve the civilian market in Iraq last year. Halliburton has said the charges were proper. Right... like i believe them. Critics say Halliburton is an example of war profiteering by companies friendly to the Bush administration. Company and administration officials say politics had nothing to do with Halliburton's contracts in Iraq.
VP and modern day story teller Richard Cheney has repeatedly said he had no involvement with the company once he left Halliburton before the 2000 campaign. However, his financial disclosure form indicates he still receives deferred compensation from the firm. Almost 3/4 million a year. Vested Interest?
Halliburton was a top Pentagon contractor well before Cheney became vice president. According to Defense Department statistics, from fiscal year 1996 to 2000, Halliburton won $2.4 billion in contracts. During the first two years of the Bush administration, Halliburton's take was about equal to its average over the last five years of the Clinton administration. Why do we wait for the folks at dinner to throw up, when the menu should of said RAT SOUP?
For the past administration oil was big business, really big business, and the Bush family is big oil, and Cheney was big with Halliburton. How big? You can't mention Halliburton and not mention Cheney who made a few shekels for them especially with contracts awarded to repair IRAQ and they were not even open to bids. From his VP tax statement when he took office. We call this joined at the hip.
• Salary/bonus (gross): $821,896
• Elective deferred salary: $403,166
• Stock equivalent unit bonus: $396,213
• Senior executive deferred compensation contributions: $53,692
• Elective deferred salary lump sum payout: $1,140,160
• Restricted stock imputed income: $7,560,000
• Nonqualified stock option income: $21,964,254
• Senior executive deferred compensation payout: $2,797,128
I have nothing against making money BUT there are questions. Well maybe relationships will be questioned about this starting with the hidden OIL ENERGY meetings conducted by, You guessed it Dick Cheney. If you wish to really set your hair on fire search Google. Key Words: Cheney, Oil Policy, Safety, Halliburton Corruption and so forth.
THE BEGINNING OF THE STORM
The National Energy Policy Development Group was a group, created by Executive Order on January 29, 2001, that was chaired by Vice President Richard Cheney (aka Wiley Coyote) The group, commonly referred to as the "Cheney Energy Task Force," produced a National Energy Policy report in May 2001.
In a cover note to (CODE NAME FOX) George W. Bush, Cheney (CODE NAME WOLF) wrote that, "We have developed a national energy policy designed to help bring together business, government, local communities and citizens to promote dependable, affordable and environmentally sound energy (CODE NAME - HENHOUSE) for the future."
The composition of the task force, according to the report, was confined to government officials under closed doors.
However, according to media reports at the time, energy industry executives participated in the Task Force. In particular, those identified as having been involved included then-Enron President and Chairman Kenneth Lay and lobbyists Haley Barbour and Marc Racicot.
In April 2001, the Natural Resources Defense Council, an environmental advocacy group, sought to obtain the records of the task force meetings. In July 2001 Judicial Watch filed suit on the grounds that the administration was not "in compliance with the Federal Advisory Commission Act which mandates that certain documents, task force members, meetings, and decision-making activities be open to the public."
Judicial Watch argued that the acting as energy lobbyists -- "regularly attended and fully participated" in the group's meetings held behind closed doors, and were in fact members of the group. The Sierra Club also filed suit and the two actions were later merged. At issue is whether Cheney allowed private energy lobbyists and big-name campaign contributors to participate in the work of the group, and if so, whether that information should be made public," UPI reported.
WHO AUTHORIZED CORNER CUTTING, NOT ONCE BUT SEVERAL TIMES
The Wall Street Journal reported, the Leaking Oil Well lacked a Safeguard Device: The oil well spewing crude into the Gulf of Mexico didn't have a remote-control shut-off switch used in two other major oil-producing nations as last-resort protection against underwater spills. The lack of the device, called an acoustic switch, could amplify concerns over the environmental impact of offshore drilling after the explosion and sinking of the Deepwater Horizon rig last week.
US regulators don't mandate use of the remote-control device on offshore rigs, and the Deepwater Horizon, hired by oil giant BP PLC, didn't have one. With the remote control, a crew can attempt to trigger an underwater valve that shuts down the well even if the oil rig itself is damaged or evacuated.
The US considered requiring a remote-controlled shut-off mechanism several years ago, but drilling companies questioned its cost and effectiveness, according to the agency overseeing offshore drilling. The agency, the Interior Department's Minerals Management Service, says it decided the remote device wasn't needed because rigs had other back-up plans to cut off a well. Hmm, was this decision made after those meetings.
BAD, VERY BAD MATH
An acoustic trigger costs about $500,000, industry officials said. The Deepwater Horizon had a replacement cost of about $560 million, and BP says it is spending $6 million a day to battle the oil spill. Some major oil companies, including Royal Dutch Shell PLC and France's Total SA, sometimes use the device even where regulators don't call for it.
At sixty-six million dollars a day profit BP will buy the next elections to insure our congressmen do not regulate the gas business. In addition, the dumb and blind idiots on the Supreme Court who OK'ed Corporations to donate money to any political party and candidate for any amount they wished will do well too.
I don't care if they trace things back to the former VP. Anyone who had a hand in the money and not put our precious seacoast first should be charged. It is their sworn oath to defend this country and the constitution and it includes our borders. Part of which is seacoast.
Under deregulation, about as much harm has been done to this country as you can think of. This wonderful band of merry men and women who supposedly we hired to run this country are called "politicians". They have been called other things and most of it is true.
It bewilders me when I hear about our spending. Words like "socialist and liberalism'. It's called paying the bills. The money is being poured into a hole the Obama boys didn't dig. Someone has to pay these bills and fix the mess that was made. We are not spending. We are repairing damages and the oil spill is another example of that brainsmanship.
ON HAND HANDIWORK BY HALLIBURTON
OK, this we do know, they poured the concrete seal for the well that blew less than twenty hours later. And in some of he judgement calls for the perfect storm. They were also involved in the blow in Timura. Coincidence?
We also know certain safety rules were offset in the economical prowess that these companies exhibit. Especially with friends, and you may change that to co-conspirators in the future investigations into this the biggest ecological disaster ever in the US. The safety device the preventer failed. Even the ROV's couldn't turn the key to stop the leak.
We know human error will enter into the decisions concerning the single and double walled riser pipes. We know other corners were cut for the sake of profit and big business. We know a supervisor may of made a really bad decision. We know about the faulty preventer. We know about the dead batteries.
This is big, this is a sixty six million dollar a day company with big hands, big wallets and greedy Congressmen and Senators. Big oil runs the United States and no one is big enough to stop it. Not even the deaths of those eleven men, and the pain of the families who lost a father, husband, mentor.
Maybe those secret oil meetings held by the former Vice President, Richard Cheney need looking into. There is a ton of info on that fiasco, closed to the public by Cheney but recently released by the information act. Big oil had access to meetings the press was not allowed into. Today Cheney spends most of his time bashing President Obama, and re-writing history.