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Nofsdad
Joined: 06 Jul 2003
Posts: 7087
Location: Central CA
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Posted: Thu Sep 11, 2008 12:43 am Post subject: Finally... a report from DOI on oil leases
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For several years now, I've ranted and raved a lot about the Interior Department and it's mismanagement of the Royalty In Kind program and the manner in which the Minerals Management Services department accepts product instead of cash as royalty payments as well as their failure to collect anything at all on millions of dollars in leases.
The Department's own IG issued a scathing report in regard to the manner in which big oil has pumped large amounts of oil from under public lands... lands that belong to all of us... and often paid pennies on the dollar for it when and if they paid anything at all. They then sold the fuel and other products made from OUR OWN oil back to us at exorbitant prices, reaping billions in record profits while they were at it.
Here's probably a damned good reason why they've been getting away with it.:
Gov't officials investigated for sex, gifts
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Government officials handling billions of dollars in oil royalties partied, had sex with and accepted golf and ski outings from employees of energy companies they were dealing with, federal investigators said Wednesday.
The alleged transgressions involve 13 former and current Interior Department employees in Denver and Washington. Their alleged improprieties include rigging contracts, working part-time as private oil consultants, and having sexual relationships with — and accepting golf and ski trips and dinners from — oil company employees, according to three reports released Wednesday by the Interior Department's inspector general.
The investigations reveal a "culture of substance abuse and promiscuity" by a small group of individuals "wholly lacking in acceptance of or adherence to government ethical standards," wrote Inspector General Earl E. Devaney, whose office spent more than two years and $5.3 million on the investigation. |
A lot more by following the link.
This article appears to be about the the gist of a report on an investigation that was promised by the DOI's Inspector General back in late 2006 or early 2007 after his own annual report disclosed the "loss" of verifying documentation and records of collections for hundreds of oil leases over a period of roughly 20 years.
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The reports describe a fraternity house atmosphere inside the Denver Minerals Management Service office responsible for marketing oil and natural gas that energy companies barter to the government in lieu of cash royalty payments for drilling on federal lands. The government received $4.3 billion in such royalty-in-kind payments last year. The oil and gas is then resold to energy companies or put in the nation's emergency stockpile.
"During the course of our investigation, we learned that some RIK employees frequently consumed alcohol at industry functions, had used cocaine and marijuana, and had sexual relationships with oil and gas company representatives," the report said. Two government employees who had to spend the night after a daytime industry function because they were too intoxicated to drive home were commonly referred to by energy traders as the "MMS Chicks." |
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| Between 2002 and 2006, nearly a third of the 55-person staff in the Denver office received gifts and gratuities from oil and gas companies, including Chevron Corp., Shell, Hess Corp. and Denver-based Gary-Williams Energy Corp., the investigators found. Two oil marketers received gifts and gratuities on at least 135 occasions. One admitted having a one-night-stand with a Shell employee. That same individual allegedly passed out business cards for her sex toy business at work, bragging that her income from that business exceeded her salary at the Interior Department. |
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| Devaney said the investigations took so long because Chevron refused to cooperate. An Interior Department official said Chevron would not allow investigators to interview its employees. |
You've got to have balls the size of ostrich eggs to try to defend this crap.
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dictators_rule
Joined: 08 Jul 2003
Posts: 5005
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Posted: Thu Sep 11, 2008 3:52 am Post subject: horse show,politics and more politics
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Well,if they can put a guy who did horse shows in charge of Emergency Management should we expect anyless of these officials.
Alot of people like to scream qualifications and resumes when it comes to government work which is fine.But the number one qualification is that you work for the citizens of these United States.
Too many get caught up in government "leadership" positions as an executive ladder climb-resume time.This is why government needs to be purged of lifetime execs on a regular basis.They need to take appointments out of the picture.And with ANY government job the applicant should NOT be allowed to use ANY politician or senior official as reference.You need to make the jobs more competitive and NOT cave or wave on CERTAIN requirements(one example,many federal law enforcement positions want to allow at least a dozen-15 admitted recreational uses of ILLEGAL drugs.how can someone be arresting people for the samething they admitted to doing.Hey I want honest officers but not walking contradictions).
It's just like 3rdtime's post where they cant find a qualified FT employee for a temporary position.You can train anyone for just about anything.Any political 'requirements' or factors need to be banned.Political connections should show up as a negative when hiring.
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Nofsdad
Joined: 06 Jul 2003
Posts: 7087
Location: Central CA
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Posted: Thu Sep 11, 2008 3:59 am Post subject:
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Wouldn't you like to see a list of how many of the ranking officials in the Interior department are former execs or lobbyists for the energy companies? Bet that would make for some interesting reading.
The scary thing is... nobody has convinced myself or most of the people I know that they're going to do things any differently if elected.
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dictators_rule
Joined: 08 Jul 2003
Posts: 5005
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Posted: Thu Sep 11, 2008 4:17 am Post subject: who was their reference
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Should ask who were the references for these guys on their application.You know what,I could handle all corporate references but it is the political reference that gives things away-literally.
Where I live you need a politicians name on application if want to become so much as a trashman.I don't even want to know what the police,or code inspectors,or accountants etc need on their app.What the heck do you think a federal government executive job application has for references on it.
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