Posted On: June 27, 2008, 1:42 pm CDT

Posted By: Dawn

Your point is well made. I won't deny I'm feeling a 'wee bit angry' at the oil industry these days. ;-)

On the other hand, there is the point that people with more money then us will take it away from us because they can.

But my feeling that the punishment has to be painful enough to promote change isn't just for big business.

The only way to achieve change anywhere is to create a situation where it is easier or more profitable to abide by laws, correct safety issues, then it is to continue a current practice.

Take NY, for example. It was easier/cheaper to pay off the inspectors then it was to actually correct any issues with the cranes. As a result, people are dead. NOW, after lawsuits and criminal charges, companies will actually inspect and fix cranes.

Even in day to day life. Speeding tickets are an annoyance, but not enough of a deterrent to stop more and more people from joining the "100MPH club". Raise the penalty by even $1500 and at least a few people will actually think twice before pushing that speedometer needle over that mark.

The law requiring auto insurance is one of the best examples around. The fine (at least in Fla) is less then the cost of the premium. So, what do you think most people do? Make the fine $5000 or forfeiture of the car and the numbers of uninsured motorists will go down. Oklahoma already takes the car and if the motorist didn't have coverage at the time of the stop, the car belongs to the state. Good law. In the first few months the numbers of uninsured motorists dropped.

A possible fine of, say, $50,000 would stop us in our tracks on anything we might consider doing. A fine of $50,000 to someone that makes $10M a year would not stop them.

So there are definitely times when basing a penalty on the size of the wallet is in order.

I think it applies to anyone- NOT just big business. I really do believe, however, big business is guilty of putting profit above health/safety/welfare/environment because of the gains vs the possible cost if they are caught or if an accident occurs. They just talk in billions instead of hundreds. Same principle.