Readers give their views on the $20 billion BP Gulf damages fund to be administered by President Osama's "pay czar" Kenneth Feinberg who handled the Sept. 11, 2001 victims fund which your columnist seconds.

Fiscal Conservative:

Mr. McKee, if you are comfortable with the president telling a private (i.e. non-government entity) company to hand over shareholder assets to an administrator appointed by the president, just because the president says so (remember there is no legal authority on the president's side here) ... I don't know what to tell you except that you would probably feel just fine living in Venezuela or Cuba these days. The sad (and dangerous) thing is that most people are more affronted that (Texas Rep. Joe) Barton used the ugly "shakedown" word and apologized for the pilfering, than that it (a shakedown) is actually being carried out on the shareholders of a publicly traded company ... by the federal government. I for one appreciate Barton calling it what it is ... as crass as others may think that may be.

To do otherwise will only numb citizens into believing that it is OK for our president to make people hand over their assets at his demand. (FYI: There was a guy in Germany several years back who also started operating in a manner that was different than the laws/standard protocol provided. The people said little about the new ways this guy adopted at the time but later regretted their passivity toward such changes). We'll see how well the President's administrator hands out BP's money. Perhaps it will be done better than the way in which Cash-for-clunkers was administered by this Administration - but I am not betting on it. BTW - Has anyone heard how many claims BP has refused to pay to date that makes putting $20 billion dollars into Obama's appointees hands necessary? I have not heard of any.

Kenneth Parrott:

While I am disgusted by this oil spill and what it has done to the world we will leave our children, I am fearful of the precedent that is being set by this act. Especially when it is being done by an administration that seems most interested in anything that gives it more authority and more money.

Where exactly are the screamers that we should be hearing right now about a "slow government response" to this disaster? Who do you believe will wind up with most of the 20 billion?

BP is a private business that was doing something that just a few months ago this president publicly approved of. Now he is doing nothing less than a "Chicago shakedown" while he has them in a corner. He and his administration are not only inept, they are despicable. The folks affected by this disaster deserve all the help we can give them, but WE should give it, NOT this "JABBA the HUTT" government.

Waldo:

"Shakedown"? "Chicago Style Politics"? I say its time to "slapdown" the outrageous rhetoric from an Oil Drenched Lobbyist posing as a Congressman.

dmckee9613@aol.com