Doors Floors and More

Cited: Reuters

On August 14, Saturday, the president went swimming with his daughter in Florida to declare the golf area beaches “open for business”. This was an attempt to change the region hit by the BP oil spill safe once again for tourists and residents to enjoy.

Obama, on his fifth visit to the region since BP Plc’s deep-sea well in the Gulf of Mexico ruptured in April, pledged to restore the economy and the environment in the aftermath of the world’s worst offshore oil spill.

“Oil is no longer flowing into the Gulf, and it has not been flowing for a month. But I’m here to tell you that our job is not finished, and we are not going anywhere until it is,” he told reporters after holding talks with local business owners.

“That is a commitment my administration is going to keep.”

No oil has leaked into the Gulf of Mexico since July 15, when BP placed a tight-fitting cap over the broken Macondo well, which has spewed an estimated 4.9 million barrels of oil since April 20. The British company last week injected cement into the top of the well to seal it.

But officials say they will not declare victory until completion of a relief well being drilled 13,000 feet beneath the seabed that is now just feet away from its target. More cement is due to be pumped in via the well.

The president and his family are on a weekend trip to Panama City as part of an effort to encourage more tourists to visit Florida’s famous white sand beaches, which have suffered only minor damage from the spill, mostly in the form of scattered tar balls and small oil patches.

“I also want to point out that as a result of the cleanup effort, beaches all along the Gulf Coast are clean and safe and open for business,” he said. “That’s one of the reasons Michelle, Sasha, and I are here,” he said, referring to his wife and youngest daughter.

The White House later released a picture of Obama immersed in the Gulf waters, playing with 9-year-old Sasha.

RELIEF WELLS

Obama’s U.S. public approval ratings have been dented by public discontent, especially in Gulf Coast communities, over his administration’s response to the spill. The administration came under fire during the crisis for appearing to cede too much responsibility for management of the spill to BP.

Retired Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen, the top government official overseeing the spill, said the company will get the go-ahead to finish the relief well but is doing a last batch of testing and planning first.

The testing is meant to make sure BP is prepared to deal with the risk of excessive pressure building up in the well during the final effort to kill it, Allen told a teleconference news briefing. The go-ahead could come by Tuesday, he said.

Obama had come under pressure to spend part of his summer vacation in the Gulf region to show solidarity with the thousands of people in the fishing and tourist industries whose livelihoods have been threatened by the spill.

While Florida escaped largely unscathed, other states such as Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama were hard hit and are the focus of BP’s cleanup operations.

Leaking oil seeped into ecologically sensitive wetlands and marshes, soiled miles of beaches and forced the closure of rich fishing grounds.

Obama highlighted the cleanup efforts in his remarks.

“Now, as a result of the massive cleanup operation that has already taken place, a recent report by our top scientists found that the majority of oil has now evaporated or dispersed, or it’s been burned, skimmed, or recovered from the wellhead,” he said. “But I won’t be satisfied until the environment has been restored, no matter how long it takes.”

Obama said any delays by BP or officials in paying claims to individuals affected by the spill are “unacceptable.”

Hotel owners, tour operators and other businesses have submitted thousands of damages claims to BP, claiming the spill has kept many tourists away during the lucrative summer season. BP has set up a $20 billion fund to handle the claims.

Local tourism officials have been trying to counter the perception that Florida’s beaches were sullied by the oil that blackened other parts of the Gulf coastline.

The sunshine State’s $60 billion a year tourism industry relies on the nearly 12 miles of shoreline on the coast of Florida as a major attraction and Panama City boasts the best and most popular destination for spring break for college students in the US.

————————————————————————

My Take: Well, Panama City just might see the students come back this next year, but I don’t think that tourists are going to be coming to Florida at the end of the summer. I think Florida will just have to suffer like the rest of the country. Main reason, tour season is almost over and those that would have been there either change their vacation spot or decided to stay home.

Those that stayed home probably spent their time playing games on their PS3’s. With technology today you can get a PS3 download right to your game system. The guys were part would probably download PS3 racing games and drive their wives crazy, in more ways than one. Others who stayed home probably stayed on the computer playing games or going to casinos online. I understand that casino gambling online has become very popular.

Then you have those who live in the area and want to get out. Many people moved when it all started coming in. Others that stayed contacted West Palm Beach FL personal injury attorneys to sue BP. BP is probably negotiating with not just one West Palm Beach FL business litigation attorney, but with several.

————————————————————————-

Other Resources

Beauty Enhancements

This Port St Joe FL plastic surgeon can explain that beauty is different things to different people. Sometimes an accident, health issues, or even an unfortunate gene can leave a flaw on appearance that robs this inner peace and mars the beauty inside and out. A Panama City Florida plastic surgeon can also help change that and s highly qualified to provide an awesome level of transformation, restoration and reconstruction with compassionate care to all patients, not to just meet, but indeed exceed their expectations!