You might think it would be fair for any denied claimant in the Gulf Coast to be able to take their denial letter to a real person at some GCCF office and talk about it, discuss the reasoning for the denial, figure out a way to improve their claim…in other words, have some kind of a negotiation to come up with a just solution. Nope, … Continue reading It’s good to be the king…
When it comes to our government and its accompanying systems, people tend to fall primarily into two camps: believers and skeptics. The believer tends to take the government’s word for it, listen to what they have to say and nod accordingly, maybe occasionally troubled by its actions but ultimately believing they are working for the greater good. The skeptic is more inclined to questions, more … Continue reading Q and A on Gulf Narratives…the skeptic’s lament.
Several meetings over two days, 2-300 people a meeting and so many, overwhelmingly critical of the GCCF’s Kenneth Feinberg who stood in front of everyone and extended his empathy, said he was doing the best he could, repeatedly said he would check into it, look it up, see what he could do while at the same time emphasizing the people harmed by BP’s oil spill … Continue reading As problems persist in the Gulf, listening ain’t hearing…
So Feinberg comes down to the Gulf Coast to speak to residents and explain the three options available to people filing claims and is now halfway through his meetings, held in Moss Point, Bay St. Louis and Grand Isle…and what happens? Well, what did you think would happen? In Moss Point: John Fraleigh of Kiln, Miss said he is barely hanging on. He’s a month … Continue reading Nice Meeting, Feinberg…now what? How about a petition?
The Gulf Coast Claims Facility was created with the stated purpose of handling claims brought by the people so harmed when British Petroleum spilled millions of barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico. It was supposed to be done fairly, and with haste and this was promised by its neutral arbitrator, Ken Feinberg. Neither appears to have happened. The claims process is not perceived … Continue reading The GCCF: Sowing the Seeds of Discord
Approaching nine months after the Deepwater Horizon exploded, spilling 200 million gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico, sensitive marshes off the coast of Louisiana are still covered with oil. Friday, state and local representatives took the media on a tour of Barataria Bay, showing an area where the oil continues to destroy the marshes and also where protective boom is gone or has been eaten … Continue reading “It’s like you’re in bed with BP.”
Transparency. When it come to the GCCF, there is none. The Justice Department has called for transparency in how the claims process is being handled. Attorney Generals in the Gulf Coast have called for it. The residents with claims in the pipeline have demanded it. Feinberg has promised it. But still, there is no transparency. Instead we have a wall of secrecy erected around the … Continue reading Where there’s smoke…there’s Feinberg
Hey all… A simple request for help: Yesterday, I received a message from a person in Louisiana regarding a claim with Ken Feinberg’s GCCF, which shows just a photograph of the frustration thousands are having with their oil spill claims. The person who wrote this letter states several different business owners with quick pay claims have received similar correspondence from the GCCF as shown below. … Continue reading What denial looks like…a request for help with the GCCF
Stories abound across the Gulf Coast of people with legitimate claims who have been denied by Feinberg and the GCCF, but what of those who have been approved, who have received checks? Many have been given paltry sums, pennies on the dollar that didn’t come close to making up for their damages or lost earnings as a result of the BP oil spill, and for … Continue reading The Taxman Cometh…
So how was your New Year’s Eve? For Ken Feinberg it was a splendid night at New York’s Metropolitan Opera House where he rubbed shoulders with wealth and celebrity, including Natalie Portman, J Christopher Flowers, Donald Tober and Eric Bogosian. The opera, Verdi’s “La Traviata” was reportedly a tremendous success and enjoyed by all. Meanwhile… Dan Ford, owner of Gulf Coast Tire and Automotive received … Continue reading A Night at the Opera…
Drake Toulouse: Photography and Words 