More than two years after the explosion of Deepwater Horizon, which killed 11 workers and released 210 million gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico, BP has plead guilty and settled all claims with the Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission for $4.5 billion, which amounts to the largest criminal fine in U.S. history. The settlement will take the existing charge against earnings up $3.9 billion to nearly $42 billion.
Corporations must pay the real costs of their operations—what they use and abuse on the taxpayer’s dime. Supporting free enterprise is more than loosening the reins; it includes tightening them when private power acts in ways that are harmful to the nation. What do you think about this afternoon’s BP oil spill settlement?
From The Huffington Post
