There is a peculiar relationship with oil here in Louisiana. The state makes money from fees, royalties and taxes paid by the oil-related industry. That industry stretches from the Gulf, inland to the refineries. At a time when the state budget is being slashed, an increase in the price of oil puts more cash in the government’s coffers. That’s good news for people who depend on state-funded services like roads, security, and education. It’s also bad news for people who pay to put gasoline in their cars or buy anything that is any way associated with oil – and that’s pretty much everything.

There’s another peculiar relationship in Louisiana and it’s playing out along the Gulf shore. Families depend on the water for their livelihoods. Some are shrimpers and fishermen. Others work on the rigs or the refineries. It’s probably difficult to vent your anger at an oil company that is involved with destroying your income, when it’s responsible for providing the income of another family member.

What do you think? What if your loyalties were split between making a living from a product that is threatened by another entity that helps you make a living?