So the Coast Guard announced today that the Cosco Busan can leave San Francisco and head off to someplace where there will be no liens on it, no legal controls, and no way to assure that the city or people who have been harmed by the oil spill ever get any money.
Thanks to sfist for this sad tip.
See, I have been convinced from the start that the only way we would ever have any leverage over the twisted network of companies that owns or controls this ship is if we kept the goods — a boat worth hundreds of millions of dollars — in custody until the suits were settled and the owners, whoever they are, paid up.
And now, off goes the boat. Look forward to years and years of litigation before anyone sees any real money out of this outfit.
PS: Just as I was posting this blog item, I looked out my window from the Guardian office at 135 Mississippi and saw the boat sailing out of the Bay. Damn.