Stupidity abounds in Federal Courts (again)
Judge Martin Feldman -- either he's horrifyingly stupid, or merely utterly, unforgivably (but utterly typically) corrupt. There really isn't ANY other reasonable explanation (not that these two explanations are fully reasonable either-- just that they are the standard run-of-the-mill explanations it seems for an endless run of judicial stupidity from both extremes of the political spectrum).
For the DISHonorable Judge Martin Feldman though-- arbitrarily lifting the 6-month moratorium on deepwater drilling, with orders forbidding the Federal Gov't from enforcing ANY part of that ban while appeals proceed and other orders are issued... really, I want to know how much Mr Feldman WAS PAID. Or how much he made anyway, in rising values of his oil stocks.
Some choice bits of this idiot/corrupt BS peddler's decision (all quotes drawn from Bloomberg online):
“The court is unable to divine or fathom a relationship between the findings and the immense scope of the moratorium,” Feldman said in his 22-page decision. “The blanket moratorium, with no parameters, seems to assume that because one rig failed and although no one yet fully knows why, all companies and rigs drilling new wells over 500 feet also universally present an imminent danger.”
Hmmm.... Precisely because one rig, which passed ALL the same inspections and safety requirements as the other 33 rigs in question, and which was operating in the same fashion as these other 33 rigs are expected to operate, failed in such a massively spectacular and horrifying way-- YES, Martin Feldman, YOU IDIOT, THEY DO REPRESENT AN IMMINENT DANGER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Perhaps the Judge has a point that imposing a set time-piece 6-month moratorium is a little arbitrary-- the Gov't should have imposed an indefinite moratorium until the causes of the BP/TransOcean disaster were identified and all projects on hold were checked to ensure those causes were protected against. However, his simple-minded absolute BS-peddling-- explaining that because we can't pin down exact causes that's precisely why there's no risk.... gee, that's what we got told about the BP/TransOcean rig before it blew up. We don't know why the BP/TransOcean disaster occurred but we do know that ALL of these other projects are engaged in the same kind of work with the same kind of equipment and the same inspection/safety requirements, which means that ANY and/or ALL of them could indeed suffer the same type of disaster as just happened to the BP/TransOcean drilling rig.... and we can't prevent it until we know the cause.
It ain't rocket science, and this screwed-up scumbag masquerading as an honest and impartial judge can't have missed that, unless he really is a total moron-- in which case, doubtlessly he wouldn't have made it through college and law school (unless his family could buy his degree for him-- which is still a possibility here).
And further comments from the judge:
“The court cannot substitute its judgment for that of the agency, but the agency must ‘cogently explain why it has exercised its discretion in a given manner,’” Feldman said, citing a previous ruling. “It has not done so.”
Hmmmm..... According to the judge, the government hasn't explained why it has exercised its discretion on this matter.... evidently, Judge Feldman either doesn't understand English, has very very very selective hearing, or expects us to believe that somehow the government's explanation (rather clear, cogent and complete) was just drivel of no import whatsoever. Corruption- and he's a BS peddler. Gotta be.
Further comments from the judge:
“The defendants trivialize such losses by characterizing them as merely a small percentage of the drilling rigs affected, but it does not follow that this will somehow reduce the convincing harm suffered,” Feldman said. He said the economic impacts of the ban would “clearly ripple throughout the economy of this region.”
Feldman granted the injunction after finding it likely the oilfield companies will succeed in proving “the agency’s decision was arbitrary and capricious,” which violates federal law governing policy decisions.
“An invalid agency decision to suspend drilling of wells in depths over 500 feet simply cannot justify the immeasurable effect on the plaintiffs, the local economy, the Gulf region, and the critical present-day aspect of the availability of domestic energy in the country,” Feldman said.
So... the Judge reveals that he sets corporate gain above the common good. An 'invalid' agency decision-- thus, in spite of his earlier words, Judge Feldman reveals that he HAS set his ideas and standards over the reasoning of the relevant agency, and decided that it's an invalid decision upfront-- probably because he's GETTING PAID, one way or another. His personal interests are at stake-- as are those of a FEW corporations (out of all the oil companies in the region) and no matter what reasons the government can come up with, those personal and financial interests of Judge Feldman mean enough to him that he will find any way he can to prevent the government from hindering the advancement of corporate greed in the Gulf.
And these are the kinds of people we have as judges in Federal Courts across the USA.
For the DISHonorable Judge Martin Feldman though-- arbitrarily lifting the 6-month moratorium on deepwater drilling, with orders forbidding the Federal Gov't from enforcing ANY part of that ban while appeals proceed and other orders are issued... really, I want to know how much Mr Feldman WAS PAID. Or how much he made anyway, in rising values of his oil stocks.
Some choice bits of this idiot/corrupt BS peddler's decision (all quotes drawn from Bloomberg online):
“The court is unable to divine or fathom a relationship between the findings and the immense scope of the moratorium,” Feldman said in his 22-page decision. “The blanket moratorium, with no parameters, seems to assume that because one rig failed and although no one yet fully knows why, all companies and rigs drilling new wells over 500 feet also universally present an imminent danger.”
Hmmm.... Precisely because one rig, which passed ALL the same inspections and safety requirements as the other 33 rigs in question, and which was operating in the same fashion as these other 33 rigs are expected to operate, failed in such a massively spectacular and horrifying way-- YES, Martin Feldman, YOU IDIOT, THEY DO REPRESENT AN IMMINENT DANGER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Perhaps the Judge has a point that imposing a set time-piece 6-month moratorium is a little arbitrary-- the Gov't should have imposed an indefinite moratorium until the causes of the BP/TransOcean disaster were identified and all projects on hold were checked to ensure those causes were protected against. However, his simple-minded absolute BS-peddling-- explaining that because we can't pin down exact causes that's precisely why there's no risk.... gee, that's what we got told about the BP/TransOcean rig before it blew up. We don't know why the BP/TransOcean disaster occurred but we do know that ALL of these other projects are engaged in the same kind of work with the same kind of equipment and the same inspection/safety requirements, which means that ANY and/or ALL of them could indeed suffer the same type of disaster as just happened to the BP/TransOcean drilling rig.... and we can't prevent it until we know the cause.
It ain't rocket science, and this screwed-up scumbag masquerading as an honest and impartial judge can't have missed that, unless he really is a total moron-- in which case, doubtlessly he wouldn't have made it through college and law school (unless his family could buy his degree for him-- which is still a possibility here).
And further comments from the judge:
“The court cannot substitute its judgment for that of the agency, but the agency must ‘cogently explain why it has exercised its discretion in a given manner,’” Feldman said, citing a previous ruling. “It has not done so.”
Hmmmm..... According to the judge, the government hasn't explained why it has exercised its discretion on this matter.... evidently, Judge Feldman either doesn't understand English, has very very very selective hearing, or expects us to believe that somehow the government's explanation (rather clear, cogent and complete) was just drivel of no import whatsoever. Corruption- and he's a BS peddler. Gotta be.
Further comments from the judge:
“The defendants trivialize such losses by characterizing them as merely a small percentage of the drilling rigs affected, but it does not follow that this will somehow reduce the convincing harm suffered,” Feldman said. He said the economic impacts of the ban would “clearly ripple throughout the economy of this region.”
Feldman granted the injunction after finding it likely the oilfield companies will succeed in proving “the agency’s decision was arbitrary and capricious,” which violates federal law governing policy decisions.
“An invalid agency decision to suspend drilling of wells in depths over 500 feet simply cannot justify the immeasurable effect on the plaintiffs, the local economy, the Gulf region, and the critical present-day aspect of the availability of domestic energy in the country,” Feldman said.
So... the Judge reveals that he sets corporate gain above the common good. An 'invalid' agency decision-- thus, in spite of his earlier words, Judge Feldman reveals that he HAS set his ideas and standards over the reasoning of the relevant agency, and decided that it's an invalid decision upfront-- probably because he's GETTING PAID, one way or another. His personal interests are at stake-- as are those of a FEW corporations (out of all the oil companies in the region) and no matter what reasons the government can come up with, those personal and financial interests of Judge Feldman mean enough to him that he will find any way he can to prevent the government from hindering the advancement of corporate greed in the Gulf.
And these are the kinds of people we have as judges in Federal Courts across the USA.