To the editor: “We’re sending a message.” “Nobody is above the regulation.” (“Phillips 66 faces federal fees over alleged wastewater dumping at Carson refinery,” Nov. 21)
Proper. Studying these quotes in regards to the felony prison fees towards Phillips 66, all of us bear in mind Mitt Romney lecturing to us unwashed ignoramuses that “companies are individuals.”
Right here’s my prediction: Phillips 66 will likely be convicted of some mixture of misdemeanors and felonies. It’ll be commanded to pay fines equal to about two minutes of revenue, and that’ll be the top of it.
The executives within the C-suite will stay there, as a result of no particular person will likely be convicted of something, as a result of the “company” type of particular person made the selections, not a “particular person” type of particular person.
Now, I may very well be flawed. Phillips 66 might solely be ordered to pay the paltry tremendous, with the proviso that it’s not accepting blame (merely writing a test to flee the effort and expense of a trial — one other enterprise expense). You realize, the type of factor people-people get to do day-after-day.
Predictably, it’ll simply be one other instance of the reality: Firms are positively not individuals.
Barry Davis, Agoura Hills
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To the editor: So, with the closure of the 650-acre Phillips 66 refinery advanced in Carson and Wilmington, we’ve got an amazing alternative to put aside some open inexperienced house populated by a California native ecosystem for residents sorely in want of it.
However no, in typical Los Angeles vogue, the reply might be extra warehouses and the large truck site visitors they generate, one other chemically-laden golf course, unspecified “outlets” and possibly some high-density housing thrown in to accompany the already tightly packed adjoining neighborhoods.
It’s the identical outdated formulation that features zero consideration for the neighbors who received’t be capable to play golf there, if that’s what is taken into account open house. However loads of these neighbors will likely be up all night time listening to vehicles transporting earnings from warehouses. Disgrace.
Michael J. Harley, Laguna Niguel
