Congressman Protests Use of French Marble

Associated Press | Wednesday, April 2, 2003 | By ROBERT GEHRKE

[JohnHuang2]

Congressman Protests Use of French Marble

By ROBERT GEHRKE .c The Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) - A Colorado congressman is asking the Bush administration to stop making headstones for military veterans from marble bought from a French-owned company.

If the Veterans Administration agrees to Rep. Scott McInnis' request, the additional marble would come from two other quarries - one a Swiss-owned operation in the Colorado Republican's district.

``The French have done everything in their power to undermine the very troops whose sacrifice from which they now stand to profit,'' McInnis said in a letter to Veterans Affairs Secretary Anthony J. Principi.

``To force the relatives of our servicemen and women fighting the war in Iraq to mourn their loss under a headstone supplied by a company with French allegiance is an insult that no American soldier or their family should be forced to endure,'' McInnis wrote.

Georgia Marble Company has been quarrying marble in Georgia since 1884. In 1995 it was bought by Imerys, a Paris-based corporation.

``They've produced a product and quality that we think veterans deserve and at the price that taxpayers deserve,'' said VA spokesman Phil Budahn.

Georgia Marble is one of three suppliers of marble for headstones to the VA. The other two are Vermont Quarries Corp., which is owned by two Italian companies, and Sierra Minerals Corp., which leases the Yule Quarry in Colorado from Pleuss-Staufer International Inc., a Swiss company.

``If we eliminate one of the three that will just make us more reliant on the other two,'' Budahn said.

Last week, Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., introduced legislation that would prevent the Pentagon from using European-based GSM cell phone technology in postwar Iraq. That move would benefit Qualcomm Inc., a company based in Issa's district that has competing technology.

The statue of Abraham Lincoln at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington is carved from the Georgia-quarried marble. The building surrounding the statue is made from Colorado marble, as is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery.

Rex Loesby, president of Sierra Minerals, said the French ownership issue was just a small part of a larger letter he had sent McInnis, expressing concerns about the VA management of his contract.

Loesby said his is the only quarry that can produce white marble, but the VA has been buying a large volume of gray marble for headstones at a lower price from Georgia Marble.

``I like to say I could survive ... and I can compete heads-up with anybody, but the truth is I can't,'' Loesby said.

The headstone contracts are up for bid again this summer.

Since 1973, the VA has provided more than 8 million headstones and markers, Budahn said, including bronze markers as well as marble headstones.

[Hoppean]

hey... you passed my test! you are alright partner. I take it back.

Thanks, LOL! But now I've gotta know, what was the test? And what was the right answer?

[Ramius]

Noted. I've said my piece.

[OperationFreedom]

Online manners would seem to say that it is not in good taste to criticize a huge group of the community while you are a newbie. That is my complaint. You're OK. Just think about what I said. If you are the real deal you will be OK here, newbie or not. If you are a disrupter then fear for your cyberlife here on FR.

[OperationFreedom]

Who are you?

I have a very effective way to flush out the disrupters. It looks harsh unless you know what I am doing. See what I posted to both of the people I addressed.

PS. MYOB!

[ohmage]

I wonder if McInnis' sensitivity to insults is outraged over this?

http://www.thelibertycommittee.org/update04.02.03.htm

[OperationFreedom]

When confronted like this disrupters tend to go on serious counterattack. They call me names back and in general let it be known I pushed some major buttons. Usually within 2 weeks they will do enough to get them banned. You responded with class and facts. Good enough for me.

And who am I anyways? A relative nobody here. I just have a passion for exposing posers, frauds, and lying phonies. That's all. I really don't matter here. I just like the truth. I also like exposing it.

[uglybiker]

Just shut up. You are a newbie.

OperationFreedom signed up 2003-01-18.

Practice what you preach, newbie.

[Hoppean]

When confronted like this disrupters tend to go on serious counterattack. They call me names back and in general let it be known I pushed some major buttons. Usually within 2 weeks they will do enough to get them banned. You responded with class and facts. Good enough for me.

Thanks much.

And who am I anyways? A relative nobody here. I just have a passion for exposing posers, frauds, and lying phonies. That's all. I really don't matter here. I just like the truth. I also like exposing it.

Same here, I'm no one important--if I were, I'd be making the decisions instead of talking about them. Pleased to have made your acquaintance. I made a similar point on another thread, that in political forums like this, and in politics in general, it can be very calming and relaxing to put it all in perspective by reminding yourself that "it's only one guy's opinion." That way, you get to save energy by not blowing a gasket every time someone says something you don't like. You just have to expect that there's going to be people out there who will zing you. I just laugh at people who get too worked up. They become the prisoners of their own beliefs and passions.

Ah well, keep slugging it out on the threads out there, and have fun while you do it.

[nmh]

Indeed! The French are a disgrace.

[McGavin999]

I guess you didn't see the way the French spray painted the entryway into a military cemetary in France. Had you seen that this would make more sense to you. There was a busload of family members going to the cemetary on a once in a lifetime trip to see the tombstones of their family members when it was discovered. Bright red paint.

[Hoppean]

There was a busload of family members going to the cemetary on a once in a lifetime trip to see the tombstones of their family members when it was discovered. Bright red paint.

That really is a shame. I wish that people who had political statements to make, of whatever sort, didn't feel the need to desecrate property, especially something like a cemetary. I'd also like to think that it's only a small minority of people who would do something as inappropriate as that, but as you've pointed out, it only takes a few to seriously spoil someone's experience.

[montag813]

If the Veterans Administration agrees to Rep. Scott McInnis' request, the additional marble would come from two other quarries - one a Swiss-owned operation in the Colorado Republican's district.

What makes the Swiss any better than the French? Didn't the Swiss happily buy the Jews' gold teeth in bulk from the Nazis, amid other niceties? Besides, WHERE IS THE AMERICAN-OWNED MARBLE???

[OperationFreedom]

oh ye of little reading comprehension. since you went to the trouble of looking up my profile maybe you would want to read what I wrote there about having been here for a while. I signed up in Sept. 2001 after having lurked here for 2 years. It was under a different name which is still open. I did this change and told JimRob about it.

PS. I like your name. I bet it really fits! LOL

[Kay Soze]

Great we should not be supportive of a govt and people that are our enemies.

France is a huge reason the sanctions on Iraq failed. They leaked.

Always remember that the French fired on US troops enroute to get Hitler.

In the late 1970s France supported Jean-Bedel Bokassa, the leader of the Central African Empire

France supported the Hutus in their hacking to death of 800,000 Tustsi.

France is close friend of Robert Mugabe.

Since launching an assault on Gabon in 1964, Paris has militarily intervened on the African continent an average of once a year -- 35 times in 34 years.

France during the Balkan wars, pro-Serb French military officers allowed the murder of Bosnian politicians in convoys they were supposed to be protecting and leaked NATO secrets to Slobodan Milosevic. Meanwhile French diplomats conspired with Serbs and Croats to liquidate the nascent Bosnian state.

France even after NATO intervention, deliberate leaks by French officers enabled Radovan Karadzic, a Bosnian Serb war criminal, to escape NATO capture. Twice.

France violated the UN resolutions and sanctions by trading in illegal arms to Iraq.

France is currently engaged unilaterally in The Ivory Coast.

France is where the worms live above ground.

[cinFLA]

Actually, an ironic thing came about from Bush's footsies with the UN--he was trying to avoid the perception that he was a "cowboy" who goes rushing in alone, and by waiting so long with the UN, a lot of Americans started griping that Bush was wasting too much time. Hard balance to strike. Before the UN debacle, Americans had been expressing in the polls that they'd support the war more if the UN or other coalition members would go along with it too.

As with the press, Bush was way ahead of you on this one.

[Naspino]

I think Elberton, GA is the headstone capital of the world -- I'm sure they would like to have some business.

[Naspino]

Protests of bottled water won't make much difference I don't think. The real money is in US government contracts. The AMERICAN people should not be giving money to countries that are NOT our friends. Sorry -- thats just common sense. Where did much of Iraq's weaponry come from (2nd most)? -- France.

[uglybiker]

Interesting. I hit your profile last night and there was nothing there but a signup date and some bookmarks. (Computer glitch?)

Maybe you should add this bit to your profile page. You'd like it. It's from one of your own posts:

"There are many here who are posers. They always slip up. If I see a slip I watch that person. If they slip again I monitor them everyday. If they are posers I do my level best to have their accounts "reviewed"! One took me a long time but it finally got done. She was too slick for most to see her true colors. Just letting you know that if you are the real thing you have nothing to fear. If you are a poser... be VERY CAREFUL if you want to stay here."

I like your name. I bet it really fits!

In your case, I'm glad you think so.

[OperationFreedom]

hmmmm.... I never changed it so it must have been a computer glitch. sorry for jumping you over that.

Look, I am uglier than you so shut up! LOL I am not a biker so can I be uglyplumber to you? LOL

I am a relative nobody here. Read post number 46 for more details.

Pleased to make your aquaintance sir.

UglierThanYouPlumber

[lodwick]

bttt