Mother Jones' Mac McClelland tweets from the beach in Louisiana - BP ties to Sheriff, etc

[flamingdem]

http://twitter.com/MacMcClelland

Anyone doubting that reporters are being blocked from the scene? This was 1 hour ago:

Bp spokes. just told 2 reporters not allowed anywhere on beach. Lie. Tons of tourists on it, specifically told they could stay by police. about 1 hour ago via txt


Her Twitter feed:
1.

Bp spokes. told my friend all hushed they have "a lot" of sway over the sheriff's dept 19 minutes ago via txt
* Reply
* Retweet
2.

Bp spokes. is married to a sheriff's deputy. Course. 34 minutes ago via txt
* Reply
* Retweet
3.

Bp spokes. asked my friend if he's a reporter, then said "Good." (He's not.) Not asking me bc I'm a gal, I guess. about 1 hour ago via txt
* Reply
* Retweet
4.

Wtf. They're saying have to go through bp "liaison" to talk to anyone in this town. about 1 hour ago via txt
* Reply
* Retweet
5.

See? Cop SUV telling tourists beach is open but careful of water. http://twitpic.com/1pr152 about 1 hour ago via Twitpic
* Reply
* Retweet
6.

Bp spokes. just told 2 reporters not allowed anywhere on beach. Lie. Tons of tourists on it, specifically told they could stay by police. about 1 hour ago via txt
* Reply
* Retweet
7.

Going to "bp information center" they just set up to ask why cops being such assholes about 1 hour ago via txt
* Reply
* Retweet
8.

Dolphins! And there are huge pools of oil here. http://twitpic.com/1pqf5d about 2 hours ago via Twitpic
* Reply
* Retweet
9.

Ha! Miami herald was just chased down by same jefferson parish cops. about 3 hours ago via txt
* Reply
* Retweet
10.

Cop at entrance to this beach just flipped his shit on me the moment I arrived. Yelling that I have to get out of here. about 3 hours ago via txt
* Reply
* Retweet
11.

Yesterday families vacayed among oil blobs (see all those brown spots?) on Grand Isle. Let's go see what's happeni http://twitpic.com/1po1sz about 6 hours ago via Twitpic
* Reply
* Retweet
12.

Sheriff's deputy's reason for blocking access to spill: "Just doing what they told me to." Who's "they," dude? YOU'RE the sheriff. about 20 hours ago via txt
* Reply
* Retweet
13.

Can't get this effing oil off my fingers, and my nails are stained yellow. Hot. about 22 hours ago via txt
* Reply
* Retweet
14.

The gov's office has arrived http://twitpic.com/1pgz9f about 24 hours ago via Twitpic
* Reply
* Retweet
15.

5 sheriff's cars have arrived. No pics allowed, no more access to elmer's island. 12:21 PM May 20th via txt
* Reply
* Retweet
16.

This was when I realized oil arrived; when I stepped in crude. http://twitpic.com/1pgl7c 12:06 PM May 20th via Twitpic
* Reply
* Retweet
17.

These vacationers say there was no oil earlier today; this shit all just started washing up, and it's already everywhere.

[Subdivisions]

1. So the sheriff, who is the highest authority in his parrish, is being

told to keep the press off the beaches and away from the land-falling oil? WTF is up with that?

[flamingdem]

2. Excuse? Worried that "criminal element" will invade in the guise of helping oil spill efforts?

http://www.sbso.org/InTheNewsMay2010/tabid/139/Default.aspx#InTheNews03



Sheriff Stephens hosts meeting with law enforcement officials to discuss a credentials system to prevent criminals from invading oil spill parishes

May 18 ,2010 - In an effort to prevent criminals from invading parishes in the guise of helping in the oil spill clean-up effort, St. Bernard Parish Sheriff Jack A. Stephens hosted a meeting of other law enforcement agencies on Tuesday, May 18, to discus methods to require credentials for employees of sub-contractors of BP or others seeking to enter certain restricted areas.

“Our mission is to make sure a criminal element doesn’t interfere with the actual clean-up,’’ Sheriff Stephens said. The sheriff recently said, “We don’t want any dirt bags coming here’’ trying to take advantage in terms of crime.

The issue of the credential system will be taken up at a state Sheriff's Association meeting in Baton Rouge, the sheriff said.

Sheriff Stephens explained that was is being considered “would be a standardized credential system’’ that could be used by any law enforcement agency to determine who is a legitimate worker or needs to be in certain areas, Sheriff Stephens told a meeting attended by numerous coastal parish sheriff’s or their representatives, as well as State Police, state Wildlife and Fisheries Department personnel, the attorney general’s office and representatives of BP.

A significant public safety problem could be created by the oil spill because of the numbers of personnel being brought in as contractors by BP as well as volunteers to the area and a system to manage this inflow is needed, the sheriff said.

[dgibby]

4. And that would restrict the Press somehow? n/t

[flamingdem]

6. Article about reporters attempting to film from HuffPo

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/05/19/bp-coast-guard-officers-b_n_581779.html

Emerging reports are raising the question of just how much of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill journalists are able to document.

When CBS tried to film a beach with heavy oil on the shore in South Pass, Louisiana, a boat of BP contractors, and two Coast Guard officers, told them to turn around, or be arrested.

"This is BP's rules, it's not ours," someone aboard the boat said. Coast Guard officials told CBS that they're looking into it.

As the Coast Guard is a branch of the Armed Forces, it brings into question how closely the government and BP are working together to keep details of the disaster in the dark.

[dgibby]

9. The govt is treating us like mushrooms:

keeping us in the dark and feeding us BS.

[rbixby]

7. Afraid they're going to steal the oil? NT

[dgibby]

3. It would appear the inmates have taken over the asylum. n/t

[malaise]

5. Reporters need to ask Jindal

if he's part of the cover up.

[Uncle Joe]

8. I second your motion, malaise.

:thumbsup:

[nashville_brook]

10. wow -- this needs to be spread far and wide...like the oil.

[blindpig]

11. Revealing the true purpose of cops...

to protect property and those who own damn near all of it.

k&r

[Wednesdays]

12. Whoa

:(