Posted on 09/19/2005 1:05:33 PM PDT by Chi-townChief
As the death toll across the Gulf Coast rises, one of the largest reconstruction efforts in American history begins. An estimated 400,000 jobs have been lost, and 1 million Americans have been displaced from their homes. Workers who have found the courage to return to their devastated communities suffered another blow last week when President Bush suspended the Davis-Bacon Act.
Davis-Bacon ensures that workers who perform similar jobs for government contractors are paid the local prevailing wage. In New Orleans, where a quarter of the residents lived in poverty before Hurricane Katrina, that wage was $8.49 an hour for service workers and slightly above $10 an hour for most construction workers: not an excessive wage by any stretch. In fact, if the minimum wage had kept up with inflation, it would be $8.88 today.
The lower wages resulting from Bush's action will increase contractors' profits but harm workers who need to rebuild their financial security. Any savings gained by paying substandard wages will not be reinvested to fund the reconstruction efforts or given back to the taxpayers. Instead, it will go to the cronies of the Bush administration who have already received no-bid contracts in the aftermath of the hurricane.
While residents of the Gulf Coast are returning home looking for work, the same cast of characters who were rewarded with contracts in Iraq -- Halliburton, Fluor and Bechtel -- are busy setting up shop. Under the Bush administration, disaster has been consistently (and rapidly) followed by profiteering.
For many, Katrina exposed what life is like for the 37 million Americans who live in poverty and gives new meaning to the president's ''ownership society.'' If you owned a car, had a full tank of gas and enough money for a hotel room, you were able to escape the hurricane. Those without the means to escape were left behind, trying to survive the storm and its aftermath.
Hurricane Katrina forced the country to confront poverty, but it also has made us think about the role that government should play in providing economic opportunity, protecting our communities and keeping our country strong. We can promote an ownership society in which you're on your own. Or we can demand government that promotes a shared community in which we care for each other and are stronger for doing so.
We saw the results of a ''sink or swim'' approach to government in the aftermath of Katrina. Katrina evacuees who are willing and able to work should be hired to help lead reconstruction efforts in the Gulf region. At a bare minimum, those workers should be given the same wage protections that have been in place for the last 75 years.
Our government, which failed to adequately prepare for and respond to the hurricane, should now give them a helping hand in rebuilding their homes and their lives. Bush's suspension of Davis-Bacon is just another example of his ''take from the poor, give to the rich'' philosophy, which apparently applies even in times of grave crisis.
CHICAGOLAND PING
Does she support JJ JR. for Mayor of Chicago?
All together now:
Kum ba ya, my Lord.......Kum ba ya...
(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)
I doubt it.
Jan, why don't we make the minimum wage $50/hour? That would cure poverty!
This was debunked days ago, at least on Halliburton...
The U.S. Navy uses the CONCAP contract to support immediate needs associated with regional emergencies caused by natural disasters, military-led or military-supported humanitarian assistance or military conflicts. For more information on this contract, which was awarded in July 2004 following a competitive bidding process, please see the company’s press release here.[See below]
Under CONCAP and other contracts, KBR has provided extensive relief services for major disasters in the U.S. and abroad for more than 15 years. Following Hurricane Andrew in Florida in 1992, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers tasked KBR with providing planning assistance, damage surveys, expedient debris removal, engineering assessments, repairs to public and private buildings and utilities, and the construction, operation and maintenance of temporary trailer camps for displaced residents. KBR also performed emergency repairs to schools in the region and installed temporary, modular school buildings where necessary. The company began providing disaster relief services to the Navy two days after Hurricane Ivan struck Florida in 1994, and assisted after Hurricane Marilyn in the U.S. Virgin Islands in 1995 and Hurricane Hugo in South Carolina in 1990. In addition, under the previous CONCAP contract KBR provided emergency repairs in Guam following Super Typhoon Ponsonga from 2002-2004.
KBR CHOSEN TO CONTINUE SUPPORTING U.S. NAVY UNDER CONCAP CONTRACT
July 2004 - HOUSTON, Texas - KBR has been selected to continue providing private sector construction and related services to the U.S. Navy and other Department of Defense agencies and missions worldwide under the competitively-awarded CONCAP (construction capabilities) contract from the Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Atlantic Division.
But, hey...why let a fact like that get in the way of a good conspiracy theory? ; )
Don't know anything about the other two, will see what I can find.
I don't want to be arrested so I'm going to basically STFU.
However, IMHO you're a low life scum sucking commie bitch slut whore skank -- and those are your good points! Have a rotten life and eat shiite and (xxx).
regards..
Wait til they buy a 40 0z Crazy Horse for $12.00.
Indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contracts for design/build and/or construction-related services were awarded to the following firms:
AICI (American International Contractors, Inc.)/Syska
Hennessy/Archirodon LLC - Arlington, Virginia
CH2M Hill/Dragados/Soluziona (joint venture) - Englewood, Colorado
Contrack International, Inc. - Arlington, Virginia
Fluor Intercontinental, Inc. - Charlotte, North Carolina
Kellogg Brown & Root Services, Inc. - Arlington, Virginia
Odebrect-Austin (joint venture) - Coral Gables, Florida
Parsons Delaware Inc. - Pasadena, California
Perini Corporation - Framingham, Massachusetts
Shaw Centcom Services LLD - Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Washington International/Black & Veatch Joint Venture - Boise, Idaho
The solicitation synopsis was published on October 17, 2003, on the Federal Business Opportunities website. The companies were competitively selected based on their response to the Request for Proposal documents.
The contracts have a monetary ceiling set at $500 million for the first year for each of the contracts. Each contract will have four one-year options, and the option years will have a yearly ceiling of $250 million on each contract.
For those not familiar with Govt. contracting, ID/IQ means they operate on task orders as required by the Govt. This is just a task order under an existing contract. Even Shaw is listed.
U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky, (Rat-Ill.), left a few things out, didn't she?
According to some websites, Richard Blum sits on the Board of Directors for Bechtel...that is Dianne Feinstein's husband. Don't have any more time today, will follow up tomorrow.
Gee, I wonder if there could be connection?
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