Letter from Kindra Arnesen to BP Officials

To:
Darryl Willis
Allen Carpenter

From:
The Community Counsel for Recreational and Commercial Fisherman

RE:    Vessel of Opportunity payment vs. claims payment

 

  • It has come to our attention that British Petroleum intends to deduct what monies it pays out to fishermen impacted by the MC 252 incident and who are now working under contract with the Vessel of Opportunity Program, from monies BP has committed to pay in loss of income claims.
  • After careful review of the VOO contract, we have discovered that nowhere in the VOO contract does it specify that parties working under said contract must be directly impacted by the MC 252 incident. 
  • The fact of this omission has allowed any and all persons to work under the VOO program. 
  • As evidenced on the docks and reported in the general media, many persons/boats currently working in the VOO program were in fact not at all impacted by the MC 252 incident.
  • Many of the persons/boats working still maintain full time jobs and businesses and the money they receive from the VOO program is in addition to their “normal” incomes.
  • Given these facts, to deny those persons directly effected the same right to earn over and above their “normal” income does not only constitute discrimination but borders on criminal persecution.
  • Those dependent on their livelihoods prior to the MC 252 incident would be singled out and help back from taking advantage of what has been a windfall for those not directly affected.

Want to go to court on this one?  Let’s go!  Want to go on Opera with it.  I am ready! We will not tolerate being any further persecuted.  The fears our families are experiencing, the loss of not only our livelihoods but also our way of life, our legacy, our pain, has no dollar value!  Yet we will not sit idle while those around us profit hugely from our tragedy and we are being held at our previous level by this policy.
We demand that BP pay us our full claims money and our full VOO pay.  The two are as unrelated in relation to us as they are to plumbers, bankers, lawyers and other people you have working in the VOO program.
            We will not accept any response or answer that is not in writing.

You may respond to Council Woman Kindra Arnesen: deepsouthbbqsoulja@yahoo.com