Tough talk isn't enough to fix this problem

Frustration and anger are building as BP continues to fail in its attempts to stop the massive oil flow into the Gulf of Mexico. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar blasted the oil company this weekend for missing deadlines. Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal is upset with the poor response time from BP. And some are saying that President Obama should issue an order for the federal government to take over operations from BP.

Over 60 miles of the Louisiana coast have been severely impacted by the oil that has been flowing for over a month. Many more miles of coastline and islands are expected to be severely impacted. Large areas of the gulf are now off limits for fishermen and tourist areas have suffered a major economic hit as the summer season is about to begin. And no one really knows what damage is occurring on the ocean floor.

Meanwhile, the debate continues over how much oil is pouring into the gulf. Most scientists and scholars have calculated estimates far higher than what BP is stating. Worries continue that the oil will eventually make its way into the loop current and begin to move around the southern tip of Florida and up the Atlantic coast.

The controversy over the chemical dispersant is growing, as some have said the chemical is worse for the environment than the actual oil. Yet, BP continues to use the chemical.

There are some who fear BP isn't doing all it can do because it doesn't want to permanently seal the well. They are alleging that the well could still be a money-maker for the company once the crisis is resolved.

This oil spill shows how helpless we've become. Solving tough problems just doesn't seem to be something we do very well anymore. It's not a Republican or Democrat trait. While politics play a role in almost everything, it seems there is something more at work that is preventing us from fixing what's broken. Maybe we've gotten too big, too bureaucratic, too soft or too corrupt. Or maybe the smart people aren't in the power positions where they could make a positive difference.

So will all this frustration and anger lead to a solution to stop the oil from killing everything within its reach? Probably not. This crisis, like the economic collapse, was predicted by people in-the-know. And like the great recession, this environmental disaster is just going to have to play out, taking with it tens of thousands of victims -- from pelicans to entire industries and livelihoods. BP will pay for the cleanup with a mere fraction of its profits and go back to business as usual.

I can't help thinking what people would be saying if President Bush were in office right now, watching this event unfold for this many weeks. President Obama's response to the oil spill is making the prior president's actions after Hurricane Katrina seem swift and decisive.

It took three weeks before Obama showed any sense of urgency about the spill in the tone of his voice. Now entering the fifth week of the oil rig disaster, he's talking tougher but still not taking any significant action to help fix the problem. Just as he didn't seem to have a sense of urgency about the unemployment problem in his first year in office, Obama and the feds seem to be late to the party again.