By JOE HENDERSON
The Tampa Tribune
If you have watched much television lately, you couldn’t have missed commercials saying all is well along the Gulf of Mexico.
People are dancing, swimming, taking romantic strolls on the beach, and those little shrimp are doing everything but jumping into fishing boats and dipping themselves in cocktail sauce, inviting visitors to feast.
Money from the damage fund established by BP after the oil catastrophe of 2010 paid for the commercials, designed to reassure everyone your shrimp cocktail won’t be covered in 30-weight.
It’s a message the tourism bureaus are eager to send. The coasts along the great states of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and, of course, Florida, are open for business. Come on down, y’all. Bring money and your appetite.
Oh, and money.
The campaign is working, with tourism along the beaches of the Florida Panhandle up 61 percent last year over the previous year. That’s remarkable, but it also shifts the story away from how much of the Gulf’s long-term future is still at stake.
BP established a $20 billion fund to address the oily mess and has paid about $6 billion in claims, but it’s just a start.
The company could face billions more in fines and penalties, and a bill pending in Congress called the Restore Act would guarantee 80 percent of that money goes to the Gulf Coast. With that much money in play, though, not everyone seems to agree how it will be divided.
I know, you’re shocked.
"This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to focus on Gulf-wide restoration," U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor said the other day during a visit with the Tribune’s editorial board.
It’s also a once-in-a-lifetime chance for politicians to grab from an enormous pot of money and use the cash on things for which it was never intended. We know how they love to do that.
There has even been a suggestion about using the money to pay down the national debt.
If more oil-soaked pelicans than sun bathers were on Gulf beaches, the outrage would help force politicians to keep things equitable.
With the growing perception that things are fine, it could be easier for money-grabbers to operate in the shadows. The biggest obstacle facing Gulf restoration may be public complacency.
Castor believes it can be a problem. She said, "I think so," when asked if the erosion of intense public interest in this issue could affect the way the money is divided.
The stakes are enormous. Contrary to the happy commercials, there have been reports about all sorts of abnormalities in sea life in the affected areas. Scientists say it is way too soon to know how much damage has been done or how long it will take to fix.
"The beaches are clean, they’re beautiful, and the ads are beneficial for hotels and motels, especially in Florida," Castor said. "That’s great, but I also think that hurts the long-term cause of the Gulf of Mexico itself."
It’s worth remembering the next time you see one of those spots on TV. It may be safe to visit, and eating the seafood probably won’t kill you, but it doesn’t mean everything is OK.
The Tampa Tribune
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