Analyzing the West, Texas explosion

From Daily Kos
 (Read more by following the link.)

Chris Hayes:
Bush administration blocked stronger regulation of fertilizer plants in the wake of 9/11

Let's recap: The Bush administration's own cabinet secretaries come up with a plan to regulate these chemical plants. It's stymied by [administration official and Dick Cheney son-in-law] Phil Perry once. The Bush administration sides with the chemical industry when it's brought before Congress. And then, basically in a backroom maneuver, Perry does the chemical industry's bidding by moving the oversight of this from the EPA, which the chemical industry hates, to DHS, which the chemical industry thinks they can more easily manipulate.

Now, fast-forward six years. The West Fertilizer company is storing more than 13-hundred times the amount of ammonium nitrate that would normally trigger safety oversight by DHS. And it does appear now, that not only did DHS literally have no idea that the West Fertilizer company was storing ammonium nitrate. But according to Congressman Bennie Thompson, a Democrat from Mississippi, DHS did not even know the plant existed until it blew up.

Watching the Government

It long ago became apparent to me that we need watchdogs to keep track of what our governments (plural intended) are doing with out money. I had envisioned teams of accountants, hired to work outside of government, to watch over the money that is spent. The lost money in Iraq alone is evidence of the need.

So I liked it when I saw this on the ABC website...

Obama to Name 'Gumshoe' to Keep Stimulus Honest

February 22, 2009 5:45 PM

An Obama administration official tells ABC News that during his remarks at the governors event Monday morning, President Obama will announce that he's appointing respected Interior Department Inspector General Earl Devaney to serve as Chair of the Recovery Act Transparency and Accountability Board. Devaney has built a solid reputation for ferretting out corruption in the beleaguered Interior Department, which was part of the Abramoff scandal..