Oil companies: Bush should pay a political price for not giving a damn

[icarus]

Okay, since Bush has been so slow to respond and the oil companies have sustained minimal damage (largely they've lost profits because they had to shut down for the storm) let's contact his main supporters: the oil companies.

Let them know that his lack of response has forced us to ask them directly what they are doing to help, since clearly we can't expect anything from the president. He has cut FEMA's budget. He has turned away foreign assistance from Canada.

The companies to call are:

Noble Energy
Email: info@nobleenergyinc.com
Phone: (281) 872-3100

Marathon (has donated 1.5 million)
Email: sscheffler@marathonoil.com or peweeditz@marathonoil.com
Phone: (713) 629-6600

Devon Energy
Brian Engel
brian.engel@dvn.com
Phone: 405-228-7750

Chip Minty
chip.minty@dvn.com
Phone: 405-228-8647

Forest Oil
Phone: 303.812.1400

Woodside Energy (Yes, it's an Australian company that bought Gryphon.)
CompanyInfo@woodside.com.au
(Obviously I'm not going to ask you to make a call to Australia unless you live there.)

W&T Offshore, Inc.
Manuel Mondragon
Assistant Treasurer
mondragon@wtoffshore.net
Phone: (713) 626-8525

Gulf Coast Oil & Gas (web site seems to be down)
5847 San Felipe, Suite 1700
Houston, TX 77057 U.S.A.
info@gcoil.com

Shell (has donated 2 million plus employee matching)
Phone: +1 888 GO SHELL
Shell U.S. Media Relations: 713-241-4544
Here's their annoying form for emails

Apache Corp (has donated 1 million)
tony.lentini@apachecorp.com
(713) 296-6107

bill.mintz@apachecorp.com
(713) 296-7276

david.higgins@apachecorp.com
(713) 296-6690

lisa.nutting@apachecorp.com
(713) 296-7279

Occidental (has donated 1 million)
Occidental Petroleum Corporation
10889 Wilshire Boulevard
Los Angeles, California 90024-4201
(310) 208-8800
information@oxy.com

BP (has donated 1 million)

Chevron (has donated 5 million)

ExxonMobil (has donated 2 million, plus employee matching)

Amerada Hess (has donated 1 million)

MTS


I'll have addresses and phone numbers shortly. They need his lack of response to come to their doorstep. All of these companies maintain operations in that region.

Comments

[impetuousoddity.livejournal.com]

What a fucking asshole! Bush is turning away help when he knows he won't cover the cost. I had to hunker down for Charley and Frances last year and we're still waiting for roof repairs. I can't even begin to imagine how horrible the people of New Orleans and Mississippi feel with everything they own gone. And then our stupid President, the fucking leader of our country, WON"T even help his own people, the citizens he is supposed to have as a top priority. God forbid he should have to return early from vacation because a tremendous natural disaste occured, leaving hundreds of thousands homeless and hungry. At least the politicians of Louisiana recognize what a shitty ass job Bush is doing and are calling him on it. I knew I loved the South for something. Southern Pride!!

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

I am just as angry and I find I not only want supplies and National Guard help in New Orleans, I want GW and his cronies to pay a political price in the long-term.

Icarus

[alchemia.livejournal.com]

i'm thinking I'd like GW in NOLA with only the shirt on his back, to fend for himself for a day

excellent post and idea, I've linked to it!

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

Okay. I had to bust tail at work this afternoon and couldn't be online at all, but I'm adding the rest of the email addresses this evening.

Let's stuff their email inboxes for Tuesday.

By the way, the oil companies are coming under investigation for price gouging. I'll give you the link in a minute.

Icarus

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

Investigating petrol stations scamming people (http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20050902/pl_afp/usweathereconomyoil_050902222816) but when you compare what the industry says internally -- minimal damage, only "shut-in" for the duration of the storm and a few days thereafter (http://www.oilvoice.com/m/gom.asp?pageType=gom) -- to the exaggerations and evasions in the press, the picture becomes pretty clear.

The oil companies are raking it in.

I wish I'd had time during the day to update this list. I'll keep pushing though, bloody Labor Day weekend. I bet ol' George is praying people will forget over the weekend.

I won't.

Icarus

[alchemia.livejournal.com]

i bet he is, and i hope this is what everyones tlking about over the holiday! Do you have any samples/suggestions for letters, I'm crap at that and know others are more likely to send letters if guided through making one.
I'll include a reminder link on this over the weekend, plus add it as a PSA to our fic updates which go out usually sunday/monday via email

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

Okay, I'll keep working on the contacts over the weekend.

I'll see if I can come up with some talking points.

First before writing, generate the attitude that the person who reads it will probably be well-meaning and want to help. Very possibly their own families or people they know will have been effected. They will be reigned in a little by company policy and a certain defensiveness of course.

Then I recommend some open-ended questions:

- What is the company currently doing to help the 500,000 homeless in the region?

- I understand the company has helicopters. Are those in use or have they been offered for use in the rescue/relief operations?

(Here's the loaded one) -> Since President Bush has cut FEMA's budget and asks private industry take up the slack, what private company resources will be dedicated to help restore the 100 billion dollars in damage? Do they feel this will be sufficient?

Then thank them for taking the time to reply, with the hope that they and their associates are safe.

The key is the phrase that "private industry" has been asked to take up the slack.

President Bush has used the phrase "private citizens" but of course only businesses (or the government) have the money to restore this kind of damage. It is likely the fear of the oil industry that they will have to foot the bill to "fix" the entire region -- or if it isn't, it soon will be. My hope is to encourage them to apply pressure on the president to reinstate funding for important federal programs.

I would like to drag the war in Iraq into this, the observations that we don't have the manpower to respond to a disaster on this scale, but I believe it's best to keep the talking points simple, direct, and close to home.

Icarus

[daneffew.livejournal.com]

I actually wrote to three of the oil companies about this.
I even got a reply from Marathon. They didn't say anything about
GW and cronies I asked about. But they did mention the donation
getting their oil refineries up and running.

Cool

daneffew

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

Their facilities were shut-in (had to shut down for the duration of the storm and floods), but they report minimal damage (http://www.oilvoice.com/Marathon_Provides_Hurricane_Katrina_Impact_Update_Damage_and/4439.htm). The oil industry has weathered this storm just fine.

One million dollars is a pittance, frankly. There is over 100,000 billion dollars in damage, 2.3 million people without power, and 500,000 people homeless.

Icarus

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

By the way, I didn't say this in my initial reply, but thank you. This will really help.

Icarus

[dien.livejournal.com]

Not in any way contradicting you (in fact I'm quite ready to believe it) but you got links to any news stories about Bush refusing aid? It's the first I've heard of it.

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

Here's George 'let them eat cake' Bush refusing aid from Russia (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050902/ap_on_re_eu/katrina_europe).

The Canadian situation I've heard from Canadians directly, but I'll see if I can dig up more links.

Icarus

[dien.livejournal.com]

Coolies, thanks.

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

It was more complicated than I originally understood. The Canadian prime minister was criticized for not offering condolences and help sooner, and the US has been evasive about accepting any. The two countries are apparently in a heated debate over softwoods trade (http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/1125597613680_121006813?s_name=&no_ads=).

I can't think of a more petty and childish reason for there to be no aid.

Now Canadian warships are bound to US for disaster relief (http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2005/09/02/Canadian_ships_to_louisiana20050902.html), though it's not exactly clear if the US formally asked, or if the Canadians are just taking the initiative. I suspect the latter.

Icarus

[alchemia.livejournal.com]

We're being invaded by canada? o.O

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

You say that like it's a bad thing. *g*

Icarus

[alchemia.livejournal.com]

ahaha, no im just shocked =)

[frogspace.livejournal.com]

BP increases humanitarian relief to $5 million

Thank you.

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

Hoorah! Let's hear it for Chevron and BP in the humanitarian competition.

The word needs to get out to businesses that when Bush says "private citizens" should pay for humanitarian, he really means "private industry" because private citizens don't have that kind of money.

No matter how much they give, we have 500,000 people homeless and destitute with a welfare system that's been virtually dismantled which can't handle the people it has: what's going to happen when 500,000 more pour in?

There is 100 billion dollars in damage and clean-up costs. Who is going to pay for that?

There are 50,000 people in the city of New Orleans alone who are unaccounted for. That could be 5,000 to 10,000 dead. The Bush administration will lie about the numbers but one of the people on my flist, well her mom is one of those tasked with counting the bodies. I'll ask her for the true count.

Icarus