He Said, BP Said: How The Gulf Of Mexico Wasn't 'Made Right'
As BP continues to scale back cleanup efforts on the shores of the Gulf of Mexico, some are blaming BP of a different kind of negligence -- that of the people affected by the spill. The Times-Picayune reported on Ted Jackson's change of heart over the past year.
As the owner of Alabama's Cajun Fishing Adventures Lodge, he had built up an amiable relationship with the oil company.
"The fishing industry has always lived side-by-side with the oil industry down here in Plaquemines Parish."
However, his dealings with BP have left a sour taste in his mouth and caused him to take a side he never would have imagined -- that of local environmentalists.
BP claims to have the priorities of the local people at heart. The oil company set up the Gulf Coast Restoration Organization to focus on distributing funds and support to affected areas. Mike Utsler, the organization's chief operating officer, told WWLTV that their priority remains unchanged.
"BP's Gulf Coast Restoration Organization is really centered on four things," Utsler said. "The first and foremost is continuing the completion of this response."
However, Jackson says BP has hardly "made it right" in the South monetarily speaking, citing a slew of claim submission problems and the financial downfall of many of his colleagues.
"Well, they lied. About everything. They didn't take care of the problem, and they're not taking care of us."
