Greg Snowden, District Representative 83, speaks to an audience of concerned citizens at the Train Depot in Quitman (above), Mississippi on 13 May, 2010. It was disappointing to hear him speculate that the BP oil spill, which is still gushing over 200,000 gallons per day of crude into the Gulf of Mexico, might not be altogether a bad situation, as people can make a profit from the oil spill. Photo © 2010 by Terry Lynch.

In a presentation to the Clark County Chamber of Commerce on May 13, 2010, Greg Snowden, Distinct 83 Representative, said that the BP oil spill could turn out to be a good thing for the State of Mississippi. After speaking to a small audience about the state budget, Snowden, was asked what he thought the effect of the BP oil spill would be upon Mississippi and if he had heard anything about how the $25-million dollar grants given to the Gulf Coast states impacted by BP spill would be spent. He said the folks down in Harrison County were already asking to get a large portion of the money to boost tourism, given the oil spill was already scaring people. He said they wanted more money as it would be needed to advertise, to let people know the beaches were okay, and to encourage people to come to Mississippi.

Snowden then speculated although the did not want to sound too pesimistic and realized the oil spill was tragic, he thought the oil spill might actually turn out to have a good impact or silver lining. He said that after hurricane Katrina there was a boost to the economy, given the clean up efforts and rebuilding. Then he implied that the BP oil spill might have the same effect, creating jobs and opportunity in the disaster's aftermath.

Snowden did not mention any thing with respect to what the consequences might be for wildlife should oil come ashore and effect sensitive wetlands. However, he did mention the fishing industry, saying they might be adversely impacted.

You can learn a lot about a man by how they respond to an emergency situation and it seemed to me that, with respect to the budget, Greg Snowden and the state legislature needed to go on a diet; i.e., think about cutting their own salaries before they cut everything else. Here was a man who juggled around millions upon millions of tax payer dollars and when asked about the pending ecological disaster looming in the Gulf of Mexico could only think about how much people might be able to profit! I tried not to show my distress or ask any follow up questions, as I knew they might not be taken well.

Listening to Greg Snowden's speculative remarks about people profiting from the oil spill brought to mind images of Nero fiddling while Rome burned! I felt sad that my state representative would but fiddle and speculate that human nature would have people profiting from the BP oil spill. Why are politicians so pesimistic as to ponder that it would be human nature to profit from an ecological disater, that therefore a casistropic oil spill was not all bad? And why does such greed seem to close some people's mind to the fire burning around them? If my antagonism toward greedy, Jabba the Hutt, selfish politicians and disaster profiteers seems offensive, that's because such disgusting attitudes and the profiteering behavior it leads to needs to be pointed out and stopped. This is why I am NOT a reporter; rather, I write whatever happens to pop into my mind and will let you know my honest opinion.

Listening to an over weight politicians speak about how the BP oil spill may be profitable, reminded me of Jabba the Hutt from the Star Wars movies. How typical is it for politicians to look at a man-made or natural disaster and think of how it might be turned to profit? Though I have nothing against making a buck, I am genuinely concerned that if we do not be guardians for wildlife and our natural environment the world our children inherit will be one from which contaminated food or water causes cancer or other horiffic diseases, or in which the air and water is so polluted that it is unsafe to breath or drink.

You are MY representative, Mr. Greg Snowden, and I think the fact that you did not even think to mention the hurt or harm the oil spill may have upon Mississippi's wildlife, upon fish, shrimp, oysters, sea turtles, dolphins, pelicans, seagulls and the myriad of other animals and plants that may be destroyed by the massive oil spill as goo comes ashore, says a lot about a man. Here is someone who doesn't want anyone to think he is too pesimistic yet can only think about how much money people can make off of an ecological disaster! This does not speak very well of a man and I was not impressed by such selfish, oil guzzling remarks.

Plus the BP oil grant money should NOT be wasted by the state department of tourism or the counties on advertising dollars. Rather, the BP grant should be used to directly foster those animal rescue organization and workers who may be working to save animals, document the disaster and aid in wildlife recovery efforts. People will find ways to profit from the oil spill, as Greg Snowden has noted, but what about all the dead animals and destroyed habitat? Who is going to help them?

The idea that we can just let a big oil company come in and spill over 200,000 gallons per day of oil into the Gulf of Mexico, and then let them get away with this via what amounts to a bribe of $25 million dollars being paid to the states, is horrific! Rather the states should turn around and sue BP and everyone else who is responsible for this ecological disaster for all that we can get. Then there might be enough money to recover some of the terrible loss with respect to wildlife, wetlands and previously pristine beaches, should they be impacted by the oil spill as the grimy sludge washes ashore.

When nature is hurt and harmed, money should be invested to help those people and organizations who are working to save the environment. Certainly people, like the shrimpers and fishermen should also be helped, but pouring money into advertising to get people to come to Mississippi to enjoy the beaches or eat seafood when it is all contaminated, would be a waste of money. In fact, I live here in Mississippi and I'm not going to eat anything coming out of the Gulf of Mexico for years, as that's how long it is going to take to clean up from the ecological nightmare represented by this oil spill.

I think the State of Mississippi should use that $25 million dollar grant from BP to clean up the beaches, to help those in the fishing industry, to foster those working in animal rescue and wetland management, and to generally repair what damage the BP oil spill causes to the Gulf Coast. This also applies to how other states use their BP grant monies. But I also think each of the four states most effected by the monstrous oil spill, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida and Louisiana, should also sue BP for all the money they can get, as $25 million dollars ain't going to do the job of cleaning up and repairing the damage that is already likely to be caused from this oil spill.

I personally think the life of one sea turtle is worth more than what BP has paid to the various states. Only God can make a sea turtle; no amount of money can make a sea turtle. Nor can any amount of money make a seagull, a dolphin or even an oyster or a shrimp. Which brings up an interesting point. Why don't we invest some or all of the money BP gives to the various states upon developing new technology as it relates to raring oysters or sea turtles? Why don't we actually spend that money to develop ways to farm the Gulf, not just along the shore, but far out into the Gulf that we do not have to rely upon big oil for the generation of capital or energy? Plus wind generator stations or solar energy generators might be established in the Gulf, bot clean energy sources which would help end our addiction to oil and dependency upon foreign oil. Indeed, why don't we use some of that BP state bribe money to invest in alternate sources of CLEAN ENERGY, meaning NOT fossil fuel energy which is never totally clean no matter what the oil, gas or coal companies say.

It is quite disappointing that Greg Snowden sees a bright side to the oil spill and would speculate that this terrible, man-made ecological disaster may have a bright lining -- least that be to stimulate alternative energy development. True, jobs may come in the form of low wage clean up for illegal Mexican aliens. But fishermen and shrimpers may be put out of work for years to come. And maybe the tourist departments of the state and counties can spend some of the BP oil bribery money to seduce Canadian snowbirds or Yankees to come down to Mississippi to enjoy some of our southern hospitality, because we still have a beautiful state blessed with a great state park system. But please, don't ask 'em to eat the oysters for a long, long time to come!

ADDENDUM: Of course there is some truth and wisdom to Mr. Greg Snowden's comments with respect to the BP oil spill, that in the aftermath it may be profitable. This page, for example, is sponsored by cute gifts and apparel designs inspired by the oil spill and created by the author. The irony is that I do not like that damn black gold spewing goo into the Gulf, not one damn bit! It deserves to be cursed. But like Greg Snowden seems to know, having lived through Katrina, life goes on and people must make a living. So people will find a way to turn tragedy into profit, even if it is just selling T-shirts asking Mommy why all the fish and birds are dying!

Help raise awareness with these cute, yet provocative, gifts and apparel inspired by the BP oil spill. Hey, maybe Greg Snowden was right, people are people and they will have to survive and may profit from the oil spill.

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