Entitlement Texas Style

[Ichingcarpenter]

[Montoya]

1. Oh well

Let them deal with it. They want to be independent, well here's your chance. How pathetic begging for federal aid when they were so against aid for a real disaster in Sandy.

[snappyturtle]

3. I beg your pardon. West, TX is a disaster and it's very real. nt

[JDPriestly]

10. But it is not a natural disaster. Earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes

and snowstorms, droughts and floods are natural disasters.

This explosion was not a natural disaster. West and its insurers should pay every cent they have to those who suffered damages, and then and only then, should the government help.

Unless it was sabotage, West and its insurers are responsible.

And even if it was sabotage, West should have prevented this.

[snappyturtle]

12. Point taken to a point. You lost me on the sabotage. Preventing

sabotage? Do you also think Boston should have prevented
the bombers from their evil deeds?

edit: I've also been wondering about this: the families of
9/11 were paid money if they promised not to sue. What
about the Boston families? Some are actively raising money
for medical bills.

[JDPriestly]

13. If it was sabotage, the extent to which West's assets should be depleted

before public assets are used to help the victims should depend, in my opinion, on whether West was partially responsible for allowing the sabotage.

The families should be helped. The question is whether West's assets should be completely depleted in order to help them. West's assets, in any case, will probably not be enough to take care of all of the victims.

Texas taxpayers should also pay a big share from state taxes. And property insurers and health insurers should pay their shares.

I think it is going to take a lot of money from various sources to provide all the help that is needed.

I must say that here in California, in our earthquake zone, we buy earthquake insurance. It is not cheap and the deductible is huge. But still we buy it because the alternative is that there will not be enough money to help everyone. (May not be anyway.)

People who live in areas that are subject to floods buy insurance for floods.

It is terrible that this plant was not adequately regulated.

[snappyturtle]

15. Thanks for your reply. nt

[snappyturtle]

2. I see victims as victims no matter what the reason. Yes, TX has an idiot

for a governor and others voted against disaster relief but
the folks who lost homes and loved ones, etc. need help
as much as those suffering through a natural disaster. imho

[Ichingcarpenter]

4. The Owner said

CNN reports that the owner was not available to be interviewed because he "wasn't feeling well."

8 employees and a $15 million dollar business is a low overhead.

John Galt country and solutions is crying for help.

Yes the town needs federal help albeit this is a man made disaster vs a natural disaster but it still points out the hypocrisy.

[dballance]

5. I Have no Problem Giving The People of West Immediate Aid. They Need it and Deserve It

But, since this is a private company I'd like to see them pay back any aid to the government. I will be shocked if investigations don't turn up gross negligence on the part of the company. If that is the case then the company and its owners should be responsible for the clean up and for restitution to the families who lost loved ones and homes.

[Downwinder]

6. Negligence or not they are still liable for the damage.

[Ichingcarpenter]

8. Negligent homicide?

Straight from Texas Statutes

19.05. CRIMINALLY NEGLIGENT HOMICIDE. (a) A person
commits an offense if he causes the death of an individual by
criminal negligence.
(b) An offense under this section is a state jail felony.

§ 12.35. STATE JAIL FELONY PUNISHMENT. (a) Except as
provided by Subsection (c), an individual adjudged guilty of a
state jail felony shall be punished by confinement in a state jail
for any term of not more than two years or less than 180 days.
(b) In addition to confinement, an individual adjudged
guilty of a state jail felony may be punished by a fine not to exceed
$10,000.
(c) An individual adjudged guilty of a state jail felony
shall be punished for a third degree felony if it is shown on the
trial of the offense that:
(1) a deadly weapon as defined by Section 1.07 was used or exhibited during the commission of the offense or during
immediate flight following the commission of the offense, and that
the individual used or exhibited the deadly weapon or was a party to
the offense and knew that a deadly weapon would be used or
exhibited; or
(2) the individual has previously been finally
convicted of any felony:
(A) listed in Section 3g(a)(1), Article 42.12, Code of Criminal Procedure; or
(B) for which the judgment contains an affirmative finding under Section 3g(a)(2), Article 42.12, Code of Criminal Procedure.

(17) "Deadly weapon" means:
(A) a firearm or anything manifestly designed, made, or adapted for the purpose of inflicting death or serious bodily injury; or
(B) anything that in the manner of its use or intended use is capable of causing death or serious bodily injury.

[Politicalboi]

7. I wonder if these same assholes

Would consider aid to the victims of the bombing in Boston. Yes victims are victims, but it should be made loud and clear that these assholes didn't want to spend to help others with a natural disaster compared to this man made disaster in Texas. Although, climate change is man made, but these assholes don't think or don't know that.

[JDPriestly]

9. West's resources, all its money, plus insurance money should be paid out to the victims

of this before a cent of federal money is used.

Unless sabotage was involved, West is entirely responsible for this.

I hope they will investigate to see what happened and hold those whose negligence or intentional conduct caused all the damage responsible.

More extremely rich people taking from people but not taking care of people.

I am not opposed to wealth. But with wealth comes responsibility. Too many wealthy people in America have forgotten that.

[Ichingcarpenter]

11. The Plant had over 1,350 times the amount of ammonium nitrate

NEW YORK, April 20 (Reuters) - The fertilizer plant that exploded on Wednesday, obliterating part of a small Texas town and killing at least 14 people, had last year been storing 1,350 times the amount of ammonium nitrate that would normally trigger safety oversight by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Yet a person familiar with DHS operations said the company that owns the plant, West Fertilizer, did not tell the agency about the potentially explosive fertilizer as it is required to do, leaving one of the principal regulators of ammonium nitrate - which can also be used in bomb making - unaware of any danger there.

Fertilizer plants and depots must report to the DHS when they hold 400 lb (180 kg) or more of the substance. Filings this year with the Texas Department of State Health Services, which weren't shared with DHS, show the plant had 270 tons of it on hand last year.

A U.S. congressman and several safety experts called into question on Friday whether incomplete disclosure or regulatory gridlock may have contributed to the disaster.


Failure to report significant volumes of hazardous chemicals at a site can lead the DHS to fine or shut down fertilizer operations, a person familiar with the agency's monitoring regime said. Though the DHS has the authority to carry out spot inspections at facilities, it has a small budget for that and only a "small number" of field auditors, the person said.

Firms are responsible for self reporting the volumes of ammonium nitrate and other volatile chemicals they hold to the DHS, which then helps measure plant risks and devise security and safety plans based on them.


http://www.cnbc.com/id/100658042

[Uzair]

14. +10000000000000000 (n/m)