Where's all the money BP gave the government?

If I recall correctly, BP was ordered to turn all the money, and oversight of its compensation fund, over to a US government entity, and it was this government entity that was supposed to disburse the funds quickly and efficiently. I seem to remember seeing commercials saying, "We're going to make this right." [Wonder how much of BP's money the government paid to make those commercials?]

New Orleans - Frustrations are growing in metro New Orleans for people who say their finances are hanging on by a thread as they wait for claims checks from the BP Oil Spill Compensation fund.

On Paris Road in St. Bernard Parish, a commercial fisherman was doing maintenance on his boat in anticipation of the start of brown shrimp season. Money has been tight since the BP oil spill sullied the Gulf of Mexico last April 20.

"Just trying to live, that's all, you know I ain't asking for nothing, I ain't begging for nothing, but just try to be fair with everything of what's going on, we didn't cause the spill," said Fisherman Sean McKey.

Meanwhile, single parent on the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain said she is about to lose her home in Covington because the administrator of the BP Fund, Ken Feinberg, is not being fair in awarding damages.

"I will not stand by and let all of my hard work for 25 years go down the drain for someone else's mistake," said Cheril Carey, a national sales person for Jensen Tuna and Gulf Fish. She said since the spill she has been catching nothing but frustration when it comes to earning a living.

"They have gone ahead and reduced all our salaries to keep the company afloat….I went from making $300 a day to $25 a day."

And now Carey fears she will soon lose her home.

"This will be my third month not making a payment on it," she said.

Carey said she received an emergency $ 48,000 payment from BP in July to cover wage losses. It is what she stand to get as a final payment for future damages that really has her peeved.

She said based on the methodology for final payments, she would only get $ 16,000. She insists that is ridiculous given the uncertainty over how the eco-system and fisheries will fare in the long run.

"It's a good thing I don't have a house note," said McKey.

Mckey also got an interim payment."Just trying to hold that together, you understand because we don't know what the rest of it is going to hold."

He has filed for a final payment to cover future damages.

"If they could be fair about it, that's it. If we tie it up in court, I mean how long is that going to be, I mean we look at the people in Alaska what they went through."

And while fisherman Sean Mckey is holding out hope that he will get a somewhat fair final payment, Cheril Carey said she will go to court if she has to, to get a fair settlement.

"I plan to sue, I'm not settling for $16,000 for a lifetime worth of work.

And she is not shy about how much she thinks she deserves from the BP fund.

"I think that all companies, or all individuals should receive at least 10 years worth of pay."

In the meantime, fisherman Sean Mckey is counting on a good shrimp season.

"Right now I can't be negative about nothing, and say oh no it's not going to happen, this, that or whatever, I just gotta have some faith.

Feinberg said oil spill victims would do better accepting final payments instead of suing BP.

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