U.S. Rep. Bonner unimpressed by Feinberg's latest claims announcement, says he's 'lost trust'

Published: Wednesday, November 24, 2010, 4:34 PM ??? Updated: Wednesday, November 24, 2010, 4:34 PM

MOBILE, Alabama -- U.S. Rep. Jo Bonner is not impressed with Gulf Coast claims czar Ken Feinberg’s new rules governing final payments to people and businesses damaged by this summer’s oil spill.

The Mobile Republican, who has called for a Justice Department investigation of Feinberg’s Gulf Coast Claims Facility, said that he has no confidence in Feinberg’s protocol for final payments or the Claims Facility’s ability to pay remaining emergency claims by Dec. 15.

“Mr. Feinberg’s new offer is simply a new verse to the same old song of unfulfilled promise on top of unfulfilled promise,” Bonner said in an e-mail. “Like many business owners who have been abandoned by Mr. Feinberg, I have lost all trust in his ability to manage the claims process or in his credibility in following through with new promises.”

Feinberg did not specifically respond to Bonner’s letter to the Justice Department. But he said he is troubled by the concerns Bonner has expressed to him directly.

"I have a very high regard for Congressman Bonner. I consider him a very important and credible constructive critic," he said. "One does not ignore Congressman’s Bonner’s criticism. ... And I plan to deal with the problem."

Feinberg’s Gulf Coast Claims Facility this morning also released a 54-page study by a Harvard Law School professor that Feinberg said demonstrates people indirectly affected by the oil spill likely would have much narrower legal claims to compensation than they would get from his claims process.

Claims for final payments will be open to all residents and businesses, whether or not they sought emergency relief and even if they were turned down initially, Feinberg said. Under the process laid out by Feinberg today, those initially opting for interim payments could ask for a lump sum at any time until the claims process ends Aug. 23, 2013.

Feinberg said the quarterly payments would be deducted from the final check. He said claimants very well could get more by accepting a one-time payment up front.

Feinberg also detailed appeal options for claimants and for BP, which agreed to put up $20 billion to fund the claims process.

People and businesses with claims exceeding $250,000 can appeal to a 3-judge panel that soon will be set up. BP also can appeal Feinberg’s decision to pay if claims exceed $500,000. His spokeswoman, Amy Weiss, said the BP appeals process is mandated by the federal Oil Pollution Act.

Also, after 90 days of no decision, or if a claim is denied, any claimant can appeal to the U.S. Coast Guard and then to federal court.

“I am determined to be more generous than the courts would be or the Coast Guard would be,” Feinberg said.

BP spokesman Justin Saia said the company would defer comment to Feinberg.

This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php
Five Filters featured article: Beyond Hiroshima - The Non-Reporting of Falluja's Cancer Catastrophe.

View the original article here

Congressional approval of Navy's LCS plan is possible, says Jo Bonner

Published: Friday, November 05, 2010, 7:30 AM

MOBILE, Ala. -- Getting Congress to approve the U.S. Navy’s plan to buy littoral combat ships from both Mobile-based Austal USA and Lockheed Martin will be "challenging but not impossible," U.S. Rep. Jo Bonner, R-Mobile, said Thursday.?

Approval of the Navy’s dual-buy plan would give each contractor a 10-ship contract estimated to be worth about $5 billion. Austal officials have said the company will double employment at its 1,800-worker shipyard on Mobile River if it wins the work.?

If Congress does not assent, the Navy will go back to a plan that picks one shipyard and one ship design.?

Bonner said he would do everything possible to fast-track the approval process, but said it might be an uphill battle.

"Congress will only have four weeks after it reconvenes on Nov. 15 to approve a dual buy before the LCS contract bids expire," he said. "With an uncertain congressional schedule and in the absence of a defense authorization bill this year, it will be challenging but not impossible to secure approval."?

Sen. Herb Kohl, D-Wisconsin, didn’t share Bonner’s worries. Lockheed’s ship would be built by Marinette Marine Corp. in Kohl’s home state.?

Kohl told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that the switch to a dual buy is "a minor kind of change."?

"And that’s why we don’t have any great concerns about it being done," Kohl said.?

The Navy had originally wanted to build littoral combat ships — modular warships that will operate close to shore — in two different shipyards, but abandoned that plan last year in an attempt to keep down costs.?

The Navy said it resuscitated the dual-buy option because bids submitted by both shipyards had lowered the prices of the vessels. The dual buy is preferable because it would deliver new ships faster, support more jobs and sustain competition between the two manufacturers, the Navy said.?

Lockheed officials signaled their support for the proposal on Thursday.?

"As a result of robust competition, the Navy will procure new ships at lower cost and introduce much-needed LCS capabilities into the fleet more quickly," spokeswoman Kimberly Martinez said in an e-mail. "The block buy of ships also will provide stability to the industrial base, allowing industry to more confidently invest in this program and the professional workforce that supports it."?

Australia-based Austal Ltd., which owns Austal USA, saw its stock price jump nearly 20 percent Thursday morning before it suspended trading until Monday because of the news on LCS.?

The company said in a written release Thursday that it expects to comment further after it reviews the Navy’s proposal. ?

This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php
Five Filters featured article: Beyond Hiroshima - The Non-Reporting of Falluja's Cancer Catastrophe.

View the original article here