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OT Punitive Damages and hitting the LOTTO

The Exxon Valdez disaster turned into a gravy train. The fisherman of Prince William Sound had their best year ever working the cleanup. Most of them through Exxon's pittance had enough pocket change at the end of the summer to buy a new boat ($400-600k). Exxon tried really hard to do the right thing.

After skimming the obvious, much of the cleanup did more environmental damage than if nature was left to cure the organic mess. What purpose does steam cleaning rocks accomplish?

Accidents happen. The third mate ran aground on a reef in a passage ten miles wide. Captain Underwood fell on his sword even though he was off shift. Exxon showed generous good faith.

Punitive damages were set up to discourage out right fraud. I remember the triple damage case against General Electric and Westinghouse for price fixing. Someone found GE's and Westinghouse's sealed bid prices for a turbine contract written down on a scrape of paper in a phone booth before the bids were submitted. Note for Annie: Your old mayor Alioto was the winning lawyer.

Let's deal with disasters and get on with life. 43,000 people making claims in one parish for Katrina aid who never lived there isn't right.

Let's hear it for the Supremes! I'm going to take my new Springfield Compact .45 cal out and shoot up the first box of shells in their honor.