Okaloosa County isn’t taking oil spill orders any more knowing they could go to jail

Okaloosa defies Unified Command over East Pass plans (Gulf Oil Spill)

www.thedestinlog.com

Okaloosa County isn’t taking oil spill orders any more.

County commissioners voted unanimously to give their emergency management team the power to take whatever action it deems necessary to prevent oil from the Deepwater Horizon spill from entering Choctawhatchee Bay through the East Pass.

That means the team, led by Public Safety Director Dino Villani, can take whatever action it sees fit to protect the pass without having its plans approved by state or federal authorities.

(visit the link for the full news article)



[edit on 15/6/2010 by Iamonlyhuman]

Commission chairman Wayne Harris said he and his fellow commissioners made their unanimous decision knowing full well they could be prosecuted for it. “We made the decision legislatively to break the laws if necessary. We will do whatever it takes to protect our county’s waterways and we’re prepared to go to jail to do it,” he said.

Knowing full well they could be prosecuted for it.

Commissioners gave him the go-ahead to spend $200,000 to pay for an underwater “air curtain” designed to push oil up where it can be collected and $16,500 a day to operate and maintain it.

He has authority to, without a nod from the U.S. Coast Guard, deploy barges, weighted so that they’ll sit low in the water across the entrance to the pass.

He is also authorized to look into a slip curtain, another underwater oil-catching device.

These people are taking matters into their own hands, knowing full well the consequences of their actions, because it is the right thing to do for their community. More should take this lead.

This is what it means to be LEADERS.

www.thedestinlog.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

This is what happens when you have an unresponsive government in the midst of crisis. This is the template for other "crises" that may occur in the future. People are just simply FED UP! ( , no pun intended)

AWESOME!!

I always loved Okaloosa Island, Ft. Walton Beach, and Destin! I have now decided I will drive down there this weekend. I lived there for a few years.

Better news for opponents of this government. Okaloosa area is home to Eglin Air Force Base and Hurlburt Field! Home to Special Operations Command, C-130's, Ranger Training, Air Force and Joint Operations, and many, many more fun things! Hurlburt Field housed W when he addressed the Nation on 9/11. It was his "undisclosed" first location after leaving the school in South Florida.

I guarantee that the Coast Guard and Military personnel back their local lawmakers, and that the "authority" of this decision will not be challenged. The Federal Government and Bureaucrats will not dare test the loyalty of the locals in that area. Destin Harbor, East Pass, Okaloosa Island, Destin Beach, Sandestin, and the entire area is the prettiest beach in the world!

Originally posted by getreadyalready
I guarantee that the Coast Guard and Military personnel back their local lawmakers, and that the "authority" of this decision will not be challenged. The Federal Government and Bureaucrats will not dare test the loyalty of the locals in that area. Destin Harbor, East Pass, Okaloosa Island, Destin Beach, Sandestin, and the entire area is the prettiest beach in the world!

I agree. They wouldn't want to set a precedent, they will just sit back and "allow it" (as if they had a choice).

Btw, I also agree about the area... beautiful (let's hope it stays that way)! Destin is one of my favorite beaches!

reply to post by Iamonlyhuman


It is getting to Pensacola now. It was sad there a couple of weekends ago. The water was dark, the beach was covered in seaweed, and it smelled like WD40. After I left it started getting little oil balls in the sand as well.

I am really concerned about the first big tropical system. That will be the true test!

Only thing is, this spill is huge! How long can they care for it themselves, by means of the financial burden alone!

I hope this doesn't mean they won't get funds from BP.

While I think it's fantastic, that they want to go it alone, how much of the expense will be passed on to tax payers in the country, it the government cries fowl, or BP?

I don't think I'd want to live in that county!

I do live on the Gulf coast, by the way!

Bravo to them. Real men have the cajones to do what's necessary and stand up to the cowards who hide behind desks.

I still believe this whole thing can be fixed, I'm just not sure tptb want it to.

reply to post by Blanca Rose


No, I don't think they will be foregoing any help, they just won't be sitting idly by waiting for permits and reviews. They intend to protect their pass and their harbor first and get permission later.

Nothing they do to protect their county will adversely affect anybody else, so they do not damage their position for payouts or claims against BP.

Governor Jindal has already done similar things in Louisianna, but he waited a little too long first. Others have learned from his actions, and they are acting immediately.

reply to post by Iamonlyhuman


Good one i found this earlier and found it interesting and put it in my thread did not want to start another thread you should have beat me to it anyway.

If they follow through with this will others follow and how will the government take to that interesting times.

S+F good thread

Thankyou

reply to post by getreadyalready



Yeah, Jindahl is a little late, it's what June 15th? Here is an article dated June, 2nd, and he still hasn't done it yet, or I couldn't find any info stating this new reef building is in affect.

www.wkrg.com... _spill/article/gov.-jindal-plan-to-build-sand-berms-approved/892471/Jun-02-2010_7-12-pm/

Venice,

Louisiana - Gov. Bobby Jindal said federal officials have approved plans to build five sand berms to protect Louisiana barrier islands from oil encroaching from the Gulf oil spill.

So, I guess that is to say, I'll believe it when I see it! The oil is already past the point where they would be built, so what's the point?

reply to post by Iamonlyhuman

This is great! More need to follow.

And no one will say a word.

Can you imagine the PR flub it would be to try to penalize Okaloosa County.

Communitys all over are starting to realise that if you need to get somthing done, that you have to do it your self.
The Federal Government and its many branches is impotent, impotent and dangerous for it, our country is in choas and the Federal Government, in order to appear usefull, is going and making life far worse than it would be otherwise. In alot of ways it seems that making life worse is the actual mission of The Federal Government.
As more and more communitys wake up to the fact that you can no longer get help of any substance from Washington, more and more community will begin to disregard what Washington is telling them to do. This is what happens when you become irrelevant, and this is how civil wars begin.
The very fact that these people face criminal prosecution for defending their homes is all we need to know, to know that washington has gone the way of the old U.S.S.R.
Now its time we go the other way.

Thanks for posting that!
That is fricken awesome!
I wish the locals here in MS would do that. But Our Government here is Broke.

This is great stuff, like others in the thread I applaud the local leadership while the state and federal level sits stupified on its hands.

It is very sad that the higher levels of government cannot respond properly. Although its great to see locals showing initiative, one cannot but speculate on the slippery slope that could lead to Jericho-versus-New-Bern-style disputes (to use a semi-obscure reference some ATSers might get) in the face of a power vaccum at at last the state level.

[edit on 6/16/10 by silent thunder]

Local municipalities shouldn't have to rely on the federal government for any approval, whatsoever that might be. Screw the feds and their inability to properly respond to this disaster. This regime (and that's exactly what it is) is utterly clueless and driven by pure ignorance of anything outside of their little world. Damn the feds.
Yes, I said 'damn the feds!' Come get me obama. If you dare.

[edit on 15-6-2010 by The Patriot]

Originally posted by SWCCFAN
Thanks for posting that!
That is fricken awesome!
I wish the locals here in MS would do that. But Our Government here is Broke.

Broke Hell !!!!!

Obama - Just print some more damn money and get her done!!!!!!!

I love this part...

While Martha LaGuardia, a commander with the Coast Guard, argued that moving ideas and plans through the chain of command was the proper way to do things, Harris made it known the County Commission was tired of the often tedious and sometimes unproductive bureaucracy.

“We’ve played the game. We’re done playing the game,” he said,

Lets go people S & F the crap outa this thread. It deserves to be front page news.
True Leaders Here.

reply to post by silent thunder

Originally posted by silent thunder
This is great stuff, like others in the thread I applaud the local leadership while the state and federal level sits stupified on its hands.

It is very sad that the higher levels of government cannot respond properly. Although its great to see locals showing initiative, one cannot but speculate on the slippery slope that could lead to Jericho-versus-New-Berg-style disputes (to use a semi-obscure reference some ATSers might get) in the face of a power vaccum at at last the state level.

Can you say that in Red Neck lingo?