Despite West explosion, Rick Perry sticks to his anti-regulatory schtick
By Tod Robberson / Editorial Writer
In an interview with The Associated Press Monday, Gov. Rick Perry dismissed the notion that the disaster in West could have been prevented if inspectors and regulators had done their jobs better. I guess this means we’ll just have to accept getting blown out of our homes every now and then. It’s a part of how Texans do their bidness.
Perry made up, out of whole cloth, a supposed preference among Texans for freedom from regulation over being safe from industrial explosions and other disasters. ”Through their elected officials [people] clearly send the message of their comfort with the amount of oversight,” he told the AP.
Spending state money on inspections and regulatory oversight would not have prevented the explosion at the West Fertilizer Co. plant, he added. Never mind that the company had stored 540,000 pounds of highly explosive ammonium nitrate on the site without informing residents of the extreme danger and without informing the Department of Homeland Security — as required.
But in Perry’s mind, that’s all OK. A few extra inspectors wouldn’t have made a difference. A few extra people asking key questions wouldn’t have prevented this disaster. Key questions like: Why are 540,000 pounds of highly explosive ammonium nitrate being stored next to an apartment building, middle school, nursing home and people’s houses?
Texans have made clear, by electing Perry to office, that we really don’t care much for all those intrusive questions and all of those meddlesome safety procedures.
Perry made his remarks in Illinois on a trip intended to lure companies to move to Texas. Among his selling points, the AP reported, was Texas’s low regulatory climate, which he says unburdens businesses and allows companies to create more jobs and wealth.
I certainly hope his stance comes back to bite Perry, if and when he runs for president again. Candidates and members of the public need to ask whether this is the kind of guy we want as president — a guy who views government oversight as onerous and who obviously gives lower priority to public safety than helping business owners get richer
That plant hadn't been inspected in yrs, how is that acceptable? How is this part of any dogma, conservative or libertarian?
By Tod Robberson / Editorial Writer
In an interview with The Associated Press Monday, Gov. Rick Perry dismissed the notion that the disaster in West could have been prevented if inspectors and regulators had done their jobs better. I guess this means we’ll just have to accept getting blown out of our homes every now and then. It’s a part of how Texans do their bidness.
Perry made up, out of whole cloth, a supposed preference among Texans for freedom from regulation over being safe from industrial explosions and other disasters. ”Through their elected officials [people] clearly send the message of their comfort with the amount of oversight,” he told the AP.
Spending state money on inspections and regulatory oversight would not have prevented the explosion at the West Fertilizer Co. plant, he added. Never mind that the company had stored 540,000 pounds of highly explosive ammonium nitrate on the site without informing residents of the extreme danger and without informing the Department of Homeland Security — as required.
But in Perry’s mind, that’s all OK. A few extra inspectors wouldn’t have made a difference. A few extra people asking key questions wouldn’t have prevented this disaster. Key questions like: Why are 540,000 pounds of highly explosive ammonium nitrate being stored next to an apartment building, middle school, nursing home and people’s houses?
Texans have made clear, by electing Perry to office, that we really don’t care much for all those intrusive questions and all of those meddlesome safety procedures.
Perry made his remarks in Illinois on a trip intended to lure companies to move to Texas. Among his selling points, the AP reported, was Texas’s low regulatory climate, which he says unburdens businesses and allows companies to create more jobs and wealth.
I certainly hope his stance comes back to bite Perry, if and when he runs for president again. Candidates and members of the public need to ask whether this is the kind of guy we want as president — a guy who views government oversight as onerous and who obviously gives lower priority to public safety than helping business owners get richer
That plant hadn't been inspected in yrs, how is that acceptable? How is this part of any dogma, conservative or libertarian?
Hell, when folks from Texas seem not to be actinass over the blast, maybe thats a signal that the rest of the No Regulation Contingent are just saying, fuckallyall ???
