if you think the government and the oil industry are a little too close for comfort, you're not imagining things: government brokers that regulate and collect federal oil royalties have reportedly been sleeping with oil company employees, rigging contracts, and accepting bribes.
so will this affect the offshore drilling debate? who's kidding who: of course not! the money involved is simply too big, and the campaign contributions and other perks are simply too attractive for mere politicians to resist.
meanwhile, the oil industry is experiencing a huge increase in its death toll, largely due to hiring people with little or no experience, lax enforcement of safety standards, and extremely long hours.
