BP Chairman: "We Care About the Small People"

By: Stephanie Condon
Topics: Domestic Issues

(Credit: AP)

After meeting with President Obama and White House officials today, BP Chairman Carl-Henric Svanberg apologized to the American people and insisted that his company cares about "the small people" along the Gulf Coast impacted by the devastating oil spill his company is responsible for.

"I would like to take this opportunity to apologize to the American people on behalf of all employees of BP, many of whom are living on the Gulf Coast, and I thank you for your patience," Svanberg said.

He said that he sometimes hears that oil companies are greedy or don't care about people, but that's not true.

"We care about the small people," Svanberg said.

He added that his meeting with Mr. Obama was very constructive and that BP appreciates the president's deep concern.

"He is frustrated because he cares about the small people, and we care about the small people," he said.

CBSNews.com Special Report: Disaster in the Gulf

Since the April 20 explosion on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig, operated by BP, millions of gallons of oil have poured into the Gulf of Mexico, creating the largest oil spill in U.S. history.

Svanberg called it a "tragic accident that never should have happened."

The chairman announced that the BP board decided today that it will not pay any further dividends this year. He also confirmed, as Mr. Obama said earlier in the day, that BP is creating a $20 billion fund run by an independent party to pay claims. The fund will ensure "all proper claims are handled swiftly and fairly," Svanberg said.

"We made it clear to the president that words are not enough. We understand that we will and we should be judged by our actions," Svanberg said. "This administration and our company are fully aligned in our interests of closing this well, cleaning the beaches and caring for those that are affected."

The chairman also said BP is conducting its own investigation into the cause of the explosion, but he had no comment on whether the rig was operating below safety standards.

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Stephanie Condon
Stephanie Condon is a political reporter for CBSNews.com.
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by ljog1 August 6, 2010 10:25 AM EDT: The "small people" in the Gulf region affected economically by this disaster are not the only ones affected. There are also "small people" who own B.P. stock and who depend on its dividends for some of their retirement income. Too bad Svanberg got snookered by Mr. Obama, who did nothing during this whole disaster. (As David Axelrod once said...community organizers are very good at identifying problems and demanding solutions, but they don't know how to DO anything.)

There is a question as to whether we caused most of the damage, because the main source of the spill came from the collapse and sinking of the Deepwater Horizon platform rather than from the initial explosion. A new report by the Center for Public Integrity contains evidence that the platform sank because of a botched response from the Coast Guard. It failed to follow its own firefighting policy, did not have the proper equipment, and is investigating whether the spraying of tons of salt water by private boats contributed to sinking the oil rig. For more detail, read the report.

As usual, the "mainstream" media doesn't report any of this, because it is their intention to turn everyone against big corporations. This does not excuse B.P. for the causes of the original explosion but shows that things are not always as simple as they may seem.; Reply to this comment


by mixeal June 18, 2010 2:44 PM EDT: ...
My state has the same law. Wonder why they never went crazy over it.
obama like's to fight and prove he's a man. He's all about power, much like a dictator.; Reply to this comment

by Kafpauzo June 17, 2010 3:13 PM EDT

"Small people" is a nearly literal translation of a fairly common Swedish expression, best translated as "the exposed people" or "the vulnerable people," when used in this context. It describes people who are affected by something that encompasses them and is beyond their control.

I'm Swedish, so I'm judging from how the literally translated expression comes across when used in this context in Swedish.

Swedish politicians and media sometimes use this expression when talking about political decisions that have large effects, discussing how individual people are exposed to these large effects, and talking about the fact that the politicians are responsible.

I'm sure Svanberg tried to convey that BP is aware that the spill has had huge effects on people's entire environment. These people are encompassed, surrounded by all these huge, devastating effects. In this way they are exposed and vulnerable. And BP is responsible, and mustn't shy away from responsibility.

That's how it comes across in Swedish.

But I don't understand why BP isn't explaining this, using more or less these words. Surely they can afford a professional translator or interpreter who could explain.

Reply to this comment


by toldyouso21 June 18, 2010 10:19 PM EDT: BP--British Petroleum.


by Kafpauzo June 19, 2010 8:21 PM EDT: toldyouso21: The chairman is Swedish.


by tameradawn June 17, 2010 2:23 PM EDT: All I have to say is that the bigwigs at BP (big people) make me sick!!! They think having money & power makes them 'Big People'???
They have no idea how small they are that they even think that way. They obviously have no idea, either, what life is really about!!! They truly are the "small people"!!!!; Reply to this comment


by cleric60 June 17, 2010 8:51 AM EDT: Big surprizes often come in "small packages". I hope BP ceo's will learn that from the many, many "small people"!; Reply to this comment


by pasmalltown June 17, 2010 7:45 AM EDT: "We made it clear to the president that words are not enough. We understand that we will and we should be judged by our actions," Svanberg said.."
---------------------
Why not wait until the above is accomplished BEFORE taking exception to the use of one WORD, that being "small"???? He has apologized for the use of this WORD, so why not hold him to his WORD by judging BP's ACTIONS??? I understand the frustration and anger over all this, however allowing uncontrolled anger or rage rule the day accomplishes NOTHING........................; Reply to this comment


by LarryLiquidator June 17, 2010 1:00 AM EDT: BP has BIG plans for the SMALL PEOPLE just go to http://www.bpcaresaboutthesmallpeople.com; Reply to this comment


by retm-w June 16, 2010 10:04 PM EDT: The only time they care about the small people, is when they gouge you at the pumps.; Reply to this comment

by jgg000101 June 16, 2010 9:06 PM EDT

all the leetle people should initiate a class action lawsuit.
then let's see who's small.

Reply to this comment


by toldyouso21 June 18, 2010 10:21 PM EDT: Nobody makes money in class action lawsuits except a few principals and the lawyers--everyone else get around 20.00 each.


by SkippyStone June 16, 2010 8:52 PM EDT: Ah, the little people. Like the President with NO solutions, no REAL action, but a mini-me finger to point at someone and say, "I want your money."

Remember to save money for cap-and-trade. So, not only do we get a petroleum disaster, we get no plastics, no fertilizer, and no medical supplies, but we get to pay more for all of it.

Ridiculous that people would worry about this man's misspoken words with all the huge issues going on. Americans deserve to lose. We act like losers.; Reply to this comment