Okay… so while strange tar balls are washing up in the Florida keys and we’re still guessing at the amount of damage being done by a continuously spewing oil spill, BP is giving money to the governors of Florida, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana -$70 MILLION DOLLARS. It’s not to clean anything up, but in the words of Charlie Crist (who is up for re-election), “to spread the word that Florida’s beaches are clean, our fish are biting, and the Sunshine State is open for business.” Unfuckingbelievable. From the Miami Herald….

Meanwhile, BP announced it was awarding tourism grants to the
governors of Florida, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana to help
promote tourism over the coming months, in the wake of the Deepwater
Horizon spill.

BP said it would give $25 million to Florida and $15 million each to Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana.

Florida Gov. Charlie Crist said he would use the funds “to spread the
word that Florida’s beaches are clean, our fish are biting, and the
Sunshine State is open for business.”