The stimulus plan, the financial sector bailout and the role of the various agencies charged with compliance and enforcement of laws and regulations.As future money managers, comptrollers and analysts, there is an event that to date has proven to be catastrophic and that is the BP oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico.Specifically how did our financial and government institutions manage this crisis. Why does the aftermath of this event continue to plague the US economy.

To help you begin thinking about the overall effects, some initial thoughts:

1.Imagine if you were a seafood supplier of Gulf coast products to the Delmarva Peninsula, in what ways might your business be affected?

2.From a BP shareholder viewpoint, what now happens to the value of the company and the shareholder value?If bankruptcy occurs, then what?

3.What if you worked for a financial institution that financed fishing boats, marinas, and equipment for the fisherman who could no longer work and thus repay their loans?

4.Will the financial sector (insurance & finance) be more careful in assessing risk of deepwater off shore drilling?

5.Does the government provide repayment?Should they?

These thoughts represent only a few of many questions asked to date for which answers may not yet exist.Having said that, I would ask you a little research and really think about how this may have affected each of us, thousands of miles away. Other items of discussion include unemployment in the region, tourism, and perhaps the creation of regional recessions as many folks still will now not travel to the Gulf States.