Doc’s Prescription for Natural Resources 20100525

(midnight – promoted by Nightprowlkitty)

The Minerals and Mining Service (MMS) has been outed as not only corrupt, but most probably criminal as well.  This is the branch of government that is supposed to regulate mining drilling for energy, but its influence actually goes much further.

This agency has been, until a few days ago, responsible for regulating the extraction of ores, energy, and many other things from United States controlled property.  Unfortunately, it is worse than useless.

Recent news reports that the MMS is in bed (both figuratively and literally) with the big industries that it is supposed to regulate.  These reports illustrate the incestuous relationships that the people working at MMS and the big industry folks have.

The problem is that MMS not only regulates safety and environmental aspects of drilling, for example, but it also is responsible for collecting royalties from those activities.  This makes its position untenable.  It is entirely within the Department of the Interior.

Here is my simple plan to fix it, and it is unlike the horrible Secretary of the Interior’s plan.  By the way, he should be fired this second.  Why Obama chose him is beyond be.  I am referring to Kenneth Salazar, a lover of explotiting corporations.

First, the environmental regulatory functions of MMS should be transferred to a new, specific part of the Environmental Protection Agency.  No financial interests with them, and far form the Department of the Interior.  That would take all of that responsibility away from Interior.

Second, the safety aspects should be transferred to the Occupational, Health, and Safety Administration (OHSA), so that there is no overlap with the environmental nor the financial aspects of oversight.  This is also far from Interior.

Third, the royalty collection part should be sent to the Department of the Treasury.  ALL of the present MMS financial functions should be transferred to Treasury, and a new division that is dedicated only to collecting royalties should be created.  These actions would do the following.

First, Interior is removed.  Interior has been in the hip pocket for industry for a long, long time.  Salazar needs to resign now, but Interior also needs to be declawed.  It is a corrupt department, and we have not even talked about water, which is probably more important.  But Salazar needs to go, NOW!

Second, the functions now done by MMS are broken into agencies more apt to know their business.  EPA knows the environment, and OSHA knows about people.  Treasury knows about collecting revenue.

Finally, separating these functions will cost a little more money, but may have prevented this catastrophe.  But, like on the TeeVee, there is more.

After those reforms, I demand a better accounting for federal employees.  Any hint of corruption should be vigorously investigated.  When I worked for the government, I was allowed gifts of less than ten dollars from people who were friends on holidays.  I remember Wayne giving me a food chopper that cost $9.98, and I still have it.  He worked for me, but he was also a friend.

I wonder what sporting event ticket is worth $9.98?  Send the bastards to prison!  Let the Feds buy them dinner, for a long, long time.

To sum it up, we need better corporations (good luck with that), better regulations, (more possible), and better accountability from the corporations to the regulators.  Tracing the check marks that the corporate folks made into ink marks by the regulators is not the way to do things.

One last thought.  NO ONE working as a regulator should be able to work for a regulated corporation or company for at least five (5) years after ceasing to be a regulator.  Likewise, no one working for a regulated company should be able to work for the government for the same period.  I know that many will say that it deprives expertise from both sides, but I maintain that the expertise is not nearly as important as the cronyism.

Please tell me what you think of my take of this regulatory reform.  I am sure that it could be refined.

Warmest regards,

Doc