My Thoughts on the Economy

Earlier today, James O’Keefe whined about “fraud and corruption and waste” at the U.S. Census Bureau, which he purported to highlight by showing his latest selectively edited video, this one documenting snippets of his two days working for the Census. O’Keefe might instead ponder the $34,000 in costs to the criminal justice system for placing four conservative activists on probation for a combined nine years after they pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charges of entering federal property under false pretenses — to say nothing of the additional costs to law enforcement for investigating and prosecuting the case.

O’Keefe took to Good Morning America to discuss his latest Big Collaboration with Andrew Breitbart:

Speaking of “fraud” and “waste,” in January, O’Keefe and three men entered the Hale Boggs federal building in New Orleans, Louisiana, under false pretenses. Last week, they pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges. O’Keefe received three years probation and was ordered to pay a $1,500 fine; the other men each received two years of probation and $1,500 fines. During his Good Morning America appearance, O’Keefe balked at whether he regretted his actions, but he has yet to address whether he regrets the “waste” to taxpayers for the investigation and prosecution of his actions.

For example, in 2009, one year of probation cost $3,808, officials with the U.S. Courts estimate:

So over three years, the cost of O’Keefe’s probation alone adds up to $11,423. All told, nine years of probation will cost more than $34,000, to say nothing of the cost of investigating and prosecuting the case.

Chevron said it has cleaned up 21,000 of the 33,000 gallons of spilled oil. Much of that has been mopped and vacuumed from city waterways. Absorbent booms on the Jordan River have been capturing traces of oil, and workers were seen digging up oil-soaked soil Wednesday and sucking up residual oil from Red Butte Creek near the spill site.

Chevron said it plans to flush the Red Butte Creek with water Saturday to capture residual oil with absorbent booms. It warned residents the flushing could stir up oil fumes for three or four hours.

But the latest samples from 13 locations along Red Butte Creek and the Jordan River show no danger to human health or aquatic life, Utah Division of Water Quality officials said.

The U.S. Department of Transportation has jurisdiction over oil pipelines and is investigating what caused the spill, said Patricia Klinger, a spokeswoman for the department’s pipeline-safety group. A metallurgist is examining the pipe, she said.

The department’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration can fine Chevron, but has no authority over Rocky Mountain Power, which owns the nearby fenced compound and power lines near the pipeline, Klinger said.

Chevron officials said earlier this week that more than 30 claims had been filed with the oil company. The company is taking full responsibility and expects to get hit with a large amount of bills for damages and expenses, Chevron spokesman Dan Johnson said Friday.

“We think that’s appropriate,” he said. “People who pay their bills are trusted.”

The Utah Rivers Council on Friday called for Chevron to deposit $15 million into an escrow account to pay for damages and cleanup expenses. But the expected settlement agreement would make an escrow account unnecessary, Smith said.

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