Latest unintended consequence of government rent seeking: There are dozens of specialized vessels around the world that could dramatically improve the quality and speed of cleanup for the BP spill. See David Warren here. But they're sitting idle. Why? The Jones act. A piece of protectionist feather bedding for the maritime unions that says that only American vessels with American crews can work in American waters.
Bet the boys that wrote that one didn't think that they would be contributing their little bit to the greatest environmental mess of the millenium. Government specializes in devastating unintended consequences.
But their are always economic rents to be had from manipulating the law and there are always government lawyers happy to help.
I mean screw the environment, screw the people, we've got a union to run.
UPDATE: It has been pointed out that President Obama has the power to suspend Jones Act provisions at times of national emergency. Indeed George W. Bush did so after 9/11. Our current President has chosen not to go that route, putting a rent seeking maritime union that picks consumers pockets of billions every year ahead of the future of our Gulf coast.
I guess we should thank President Obama for giving us such a high quality lesson in Chicago style (stick bundle) politics. "I mean who the eff is the Gulf Coast anyway? They 'ain't got no clout, they're way downstate and anyway, the dummies vote Republican. So screw the Rednecks"
"Hope" and "Change" indeed.
Of course if the oil starts hitting Provincetown and Fire Island beaches, the act will be immediately suspended. But the "Redneck Riviera?", those dudes can't actually swim can they?
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