On Thursday morning, Ken Feinberg brought adjusters from his Gulf Coast Claims Facility in Washington DC down to Gulfport, Alabama to meet one on one with a group of business owners and discuss their claims in person. When the meetings were over, Feinberg said “Alabama’s been a sore point, this area has been an area where there’s been a good deal of constructive criticism leveled at the GCCF.”

No, Ken, not just in Alabama.

These complaints are also blasting away in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Florida.

What appears to have made the difference in Alabama is, believe it or not, the politicians. This four-hour meeting in Gulfport came at the urging of Alabama’s senators, Richard Shelby and Jeff Sessions. It is also probable the cause was helped by the writings of the Alabama Press Register, and the Governor, Bob Riley’s evisceration of the claims process as “extortion.”

So where are Jindal, Landrieu and Vitter in Louisiana? Where are Crist, LeMieux and Nelson in Florida? Where are Barbour, Cochran and Wicker in Mississippi? Where are Perry, Cornyn and Hutchison in Texas?

Most importantly, why the hell is it even necessary that all this pressure must be exerted to get face time with Feinberg in the first place? Isn’t this his job, to be equitable and fair, to ensure that everyone gets what they deserve?

Feinberg said he was giving special attention to Alabama business owners because of the high concentration of unhappy claimants there.

Just in Alabama? Is he even paying attention?

As Chris Nelson, a vice president at Bon Secour Fisheries who was present for the meeting put it, “I’ve yet to bump into anyone in the seafood industry, whether they’re from Texas or Florida, that seems satisfied with the program, either he’s not hearing from these guys, or he’s misinterpreting what they’re saying.”

Perhaps Bobby Jindal for one, should stop spending so much time on the (non)campaign trail, and along with fixing the Louisiana budget start making some noise in favor of its businesses and people.

Apparently, politicians are the only ones who can get Feinberg’s attention.

Read the article:

Aggrieved oil spill claimants happier after Ken Feinberg meeting

Have a nice day.