Reply #29: Salazar is not a Bush hold-over

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

And he has a 81% lifetime rating from the League of Conservation Voters, which means that he's not perfect, but he's a damned sight better than many of his predecessors.

I'll agree that the MMS needs to be "burned to the ground" and started over again. That's pretty much what's been proposed. The new MMS will have two divisions -- one for writing permits and one for safety and environmental enforcement. The enforcement people will be separate from the permitting people, and they'll have the power to effectively veto any permits if the driller can't meet safety standards.

The toxic atmosphere in the MSS is something that has been known for years -- dating back before Bush and even before Clinton. Salazar had initiated an agency review some months back -- but certainly not in time to prevent this catastrophe.

I'll also agree that he should have moved faster -- from Day One -- to start a safety review of every operating rig. Should he be fired for that? I don't think so.