Gulf Vessel Owners Wait for BP's Call
TONY MEOLA, FMR U.S. SOCCR PLAYER: --And there are two options we'll either play Ghana or play against Germany. And we know how tough mentally the Germans can be on the field. And I think this is a good match-up, because, mentally, I think that this game just matches up better on the field with them. And they also know they're going to get some opportunities. The African nations are known for giving away opportunities because they take so many chances going forward. So this is a good setup for the United States.</s>ROTH: Why are the South Americans doing so well?</s>MEOLA: You know, that's been the mystery of the World Cup. We all thought that due to the weather, the European teams would be the strong teams. South American teams have an incredible record. And I think you're going to see about half of the final 16 to be South American teams. And it really has been one of the mysteries of the tournament.</s>ROTH: Let me ask you a question I think I did in 1990, when you departed for Italy on the World Cup, one of the three squads you were on. Could this put the sport of soccer over the bar, to use Ali's phrase there, in America?</s>MEOLA: Well, I spoke about this with Ali, that we needed some good results. And certainly given what happened in the last game, coupled with the fact that we had this sort of -- I call it on on- field scandal with the goal that was disallowed against Slovenia, and certainly the excitement has built and we've gotten some American fans behind this team. They're a good team. They should get support. And this will obviously help the sport grow.</s>ROTH: Tony, thank you very much. I know you'll be watching, as you have with your heart racing, as the United States continues in the World Cup in South Africa. Ali, back to you in Canada, where their team did not qualify for the World Cup.</s>ALI VELSHI, CNN ANCHOR: They did not. But as you know, Richard, from being here, Toronto is a very multicultural city. So, you see cars driving around the streets here with the flags of their nations who are competing in the World Cup. And I'll tell you, ,even here at the G-8, where everybody should be watching feeds of speeches and introductions and things like that, there's World Cup games on the screens right here. You know, Tony, when I talked to him a couple of weeks ago, said to me he really thinks America is going to push forward and do really well. And at that time, it wasn't clear. America was playing a game where they'd get into it later in the game, they had some setbacks. But this team continues to surprise and to do well. I think it's got a lot of people's attention, Richard. I know you're a soccer guy from a long time ago. But there are a lot more people, I think, talking about it and watching it.</s>ROTH: It's the viral, also, aspect of this. I mean, Jeanne Moos did a great report. People are setting up cameras to watch themselves react to if the U.S. scored in that game against Algeria. There's pandemonium in living rooms. Forget the bars. This was what was different in 1994, when the U.S. lost to Brazil, a game that Tony played in, the most watched U.S. soccer match ever.</s>VELSHI: Yes. Well, it will be fun to watch. We'll watch it together. Richard, thanks very much. And say thank you again for Tony. It's always a pleasure to have him on. All right. It's a new hour, a new "Rundown." Here's where I'm taking you today -- the Gulf of Mexico. It's the last thing people there need. Some potentially nasty weather could move into the oil-filled waters. We've got a forecast for you you're going to want to pay attention to. Plus, I'm reporting to you today from Toronto, Canada, where world leaders are converging for two global summits back to back. And I've got some advice for them. Listen to the 89-year-old mayor of nearby Mississauga. She's doing everything right in her job, and you'll see why. And South Africa, as Richard was saying, the World Cup in full swing with the U.S. facing a crucial match tomorrow. But there is something different about this World Cup, and it comes down to what's being kicked around on the field -- a new ball for a new tournament. We've tested this thing. We're going to tell you what's different about it. Let me take you to the Gulf Coast first. Some new concerns growing. Every day for the last 67 days, we have showed you that leak, the cameras under the sea. But now we're going to show you two different things. We're going to show you the leak on one side and we're going to show you a weather system on the right side of your screen. This is a tropical disturbance that's forming near Jamaica, and the conditions for this thing are favorable for pushing it northwest, into the Gulf of Mexico, making this into a tropical depression, maybe even a tropical storm. And if it hits that area where the oil is, this could cause all sorts of new problems.</s>VELSHI: National Incident Commander Thad Allen is saying he needs five days to start moving people out of position if there is a tropical storm coming in, or a hurricane coming into the Gulf. He talked to CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING" this morning to talk about what has to be done with those vessels that are in the Gulf of Mexico right now if a storm comes on. Listen to what he had to say.</s>ADM. THAD ALLEN, NATIONAL INCIDENT COMMANDER: This will be the first time, and there is no playbook, but I will tell you there has been an extraordinary amount of planning being done by the folks at the National Incident Command, the Unified Area Command, and our incident commanders on the ground. Been working very closely with Craig Fugate from FEMA, of course Secretary Napolitano, and also our DOD counterparts.</s>VELSHI: OK. There are a lot of vessels out at sea. Some of them official vessels. Many of them are these Vessels of Opportunity, vessels owned by shrimpers and crabbers and fishermen that are being used by BP. They're being contracted out to BP, allowing these people who are out of work to have some work. But there are a lot more people who are out of work who would like to be employed by BP, and they can't seem to get that done. Gary Tuchman is in the new Orleans. He's been in the Gulf Coast following the story, talking to workers who are trying to get work who can't get work. Gary, what do you know?</s>GARY TUCHMAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Ali, in Louisiana, there are more than 600 boat captains, and there are boats that are part of that program. But there's another 1,600 or so who are on the waiting list, who desperately want to. Many of them are making no money whatsoever. And the big problem we're finding is these people are telling us that they are talking to not courteous BP employees, BP employees who don't know what they're talking about, BP employees who tell them to call another number, and they just don't know what's going on. So, we went to investigate this.</s>TUCHMAN (voice-over): We met Carl Le Blanc Tuesday working at his crabbing boat. But it's on the front lawn, not on the water. That's his fishing boat. That's his shrimping boat. (on camera): Are you making any money?</s>CARL LE BLANC, VESSEL-OF-OPPORTUNITY APPLICANT: None at all. I mean, Not a dollar.</s>TUCHMAN (voice-over): So Carl applied for BP's so-called Vessel- of-Opportunity program. BP pays for boats and crews to help in the cleanup. The program is intended for people like Carl, fishermen who have lost their incomes. But after Carl applied, he heard nothing. (on camera): So, you called them up and said, what's going on? What did they tell you?</s>LE BLANC: They told us that we needed to bring --</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They didn't know where our paperwork was.</s>LE BLANC: That we weren't in the system.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They didn't know where --</s>TUCHMAN: You weren't even in the system?</s>LE BLANC: No.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No.</s>TUCHMAN (voice-over): The same thing happened to fisherman Thomas Barrios?</s>THOMAS BARRIOS, VESSEL-OF-OPPORTUNITY APPLICANT: We called and we were checking on where we were in the system. And so far, it seems like no one knew who we were.</s>TUCHMAN: So, Tuesday night of this week, both men went to this open house designed for people with these types of problems. And there were many others with similar complaints. But they said they didn't get meaningful answers from a BP contractor who was there. So, because BP lifted its controversial rule preventing contractors from talking to journalists, we went looking for answers. (on camera): So, I wanted to see if we could talk to you about the Vessels-of-Opportunity program and why so many people who want to be part of it are not hearing from anybody.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm sorry, I can't comment.</s>TUCHMAN (voice-over): This man wanted us to talk to a supervisor who was not at this open house. (on camera): BP's been very specific that its contractors are allowed to talk.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They've not given me that information. I suggest that you talk to Judy Paul.</s>TUCHMAN: So, BP has told you, you can't talk?</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They've told me to refer media requests to Judy Paul.</s>TUCHMAN: I'm asking you, sir, BP said you can't talk to the media?</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They've told me to refer media requests to Judy Paul.</s>TUCHMAN: I'll ask you one more time. They said that you can't talk to the media?</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. They've told me to refer media requests to Judy Paul.</s>TUCHMAN: So we decided it was time to find Judy Paul, but we had no luck reaching her. A BP spokesman did give us a written statement saying the two men's cases will be investigated, but we still wanted to talk to Judy Paul. (voice-over): So, we showed up at a heavily-secured BP office in Houma, Louisiana. (on camera): You are the Judy Paul we were looking for? I am the Judy Paul you were looking for, yes.</s>TUCHMAN (voice-over): Ms. Paul says she's sorry she missed the town hall meeting. But, lo and behold, tells us she just called the men we interviewed.</s>PAUL: I can tell you I spoke with both Mr. Le Blanc and Mr. Barrios this morning. Their contracts have been confirmed as being in the system.</s>TUCHMAN: That's the good news. The bad news is hundreds of other people are also in the system on the waiting list. (on camera): Is there a chance these two gentlemen will get work with your program?</s>PAUL: There is a chance. But we can't displace someone else who perhaps entered the program earlier just to move people forward because they happened to talk to</s>CNN. TUCHMAN: You can't offer anybody any guidance about whether they're going to get called or not.</s>PAUL: That's correct.</s>TUCHMAN: That's a tough position to put all these guys in who are not making livings anymore.</s>PAUL: It is. It is.</s>TUCHMAN: So you acknowledge that?</s>PAUL: Absolutely.</s>TUCHMAN (voice-over): In Louisiana alone, about 1,900 vessels are on the waiting list.</s>TUCHMAN: Ali, a typical boater who is in the Vessels-of- Opportunity program can make about $1,500 a day. It sounds like a good chunk of change, and indeed it's good money. But this is not an infinite program. And fishing was their life.</s>VELSHI: Right.</s>TUCHMAN: They thought fishing was infinite for them, and they don't know if they'll ever be able to fish again. And that's certainly a big problem. Another thing I want to mention to you about the woman you saw in our story who we found eventually, she says she will be available for any comments or questions we have about this Vessel-of-Opportunity program. She says she will be accountable when it comes to this issue.</s>VELSHI: You know, Gary, a lot of these people, when I was down there and I talked to them, they're grateful if they can get that work. But even hurricanes -- they say when a hurricane comes, they know that it will pass, they'll fix it up, they'll go out and fish. They don't know when the shrimp come back, when the oysters come back. This could be it for a lot of people in their 40s or 50s. They don't know if they'll ever fish again. So, they're not counting on this Vessel-of-Opportunity program to last forever, as you said. The oil will stop, hopefully, at some point, maybe in August, and they don't know what they're going to do with the rest of their time.</s>TUCHMAN: I mean, that's the thing, Ali, that most of these people we've talked to -- they love this. This is what they've done their whole lives. And they don't know anything else. They don't know what their future holds.</s>VELSHI: Gary, thanks for some great reporting from New Orleans. He's going to be around the Gulf, and we'll keep checking in with him. All right. I want to turn directions here. He's the president and CEO of the second largest bank in Canada, a bank that has maintained a AAA credit rating when a lot of other banks are suffering. He's got some advice for members of the G-20 summit. And you'll recognize the name when I tell you what he's in charge of when we come back in a minute.