Bush lifts wage rules for Katrina

[Oilwellian]

Malloy is discussing this now:

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Bush issued an executive order Thursday allowing federal contractors rebuilding in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina to pay below the prevailing wage.

In a notice to Congress, Bush said the hurricane had caused "a national emergency" that permits him to take such action under the 1931 Davis-Bacon Act in ravaged areas of Alabama, Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi.

Bush's action came as the federal government moved to provide billions of dollars in aid, and drew rebukes from two of organized labor's biggest friends in Congress, Rep. George Miller of California and Sen. Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts, both Democrats.

"The administration is using the devastation of Hurricane Katrina to cut the wages of people desperately trying to rebuild their lives and their communities," Miller said.

http://money.cnn.com/2005/09/08/news/economy/katrina_wages.reut/index.htm

[Canuckistanian]

1. Does that go for FEMA workers as well?

At least their managers should work for free from now on....

[FloridaPat]

2. What federal contractors? Are we talking only federal buildings or all

of New Orleans, LA, and MS. Where's the money coming from? If it's from my taxes, I demand a recount. Does this include Halliburton too?

[BikeWriter]

3. GRRRR!!!

It took decades of struggle, sweat, and blood for labor to get those laws passed!

[brettdale]

4. I cant believe

That there are still people who thinks he cares!

This is disgusting.

Please send this out to all media.

WELCOME TO SLAVE LABOUR, AMERICA!

[Erika]

5. W;s new corporate globalism

and the bushbots will be salivating at the plans of the pied piper. Absolutely salivating.

[Oilwellian]

6. Gee, just where on earth will all of those billions go?

The good ole boy network that's just salivating over this disaster. They're death profiteers and in total power now.

Here lies Vera. God Help us.

[Oilwellian]

7. And one more thing....

This is a huge move by the oiligarchy. We better jump on it and scream.

[Rex_Goodheart]

8. Unbelievable...

What a fucked up way to start the construction of a new New Orleans.

The place is going to be populated with low wage earners who won't have the resources to move out when the job is done.

You think poverty was rampant there before? We might as well just rename the place New Tenements right now.

Bush is a goddamn idiot.

[sandnsea]

9. Rat bastard

Slimy worthless piece of fuckwadded shit, and his skank whore mother and her "it's working out well for them" too. Hate them, hate them, hate them; and any stupid anti-union, anti-tax, anti-government idiot that keeps these people poor and uneducated and unable to fight back too.

[rogue_bandit]

10. Then cut management salaries

They won't but should cut all managment salaries and corporate profits from these contracts as well. There are lots of folks who would work for 1/100th of the CEOs' salaries.

[BrotherBuzz]

11. Lets see, you place an add for employment in an area....

where there is virtually 100 percent unemployment. What's going to happen? What drives the market? Seven, six, four bucks an hour? Twenty a day...under the table? This is going to turn into a perfect storm and spiral out of control and tumble across the entire nation. Cripes, Bush* has turned a nautral disaster into an economic disaster. This jackass is a magician, I tell you.

[geomon666]

12. Magician? No.

Bush is the f***ing devil! And I'm atheist!

He's the devil or the devil's pawn cause only someone that f***ing evil can do this.

[BrotherBuzz]

13. I didn't say he was a good magician and I don't think he's smart enough...

to be the devil, himself. Perhaps Bush* is just the devil's court jester and is working real hard to please his master. ;)

[Theduckno2]

14. *'s just looking out for the "have and the have-mores"!

The article referred to federally funded projects such as highway and bridge construction. I will be very interested to see the scope and duration of the lifting of the prevailing wage. My guess is it includes schools, libraries, anything that is rebuilt with federal funds.

I would hope that local politicians can develop enough spine to enforce prevailing wage on state and locally funded projects. That seems like a tall order though.

[Raydawg1234]

15. We need some clarification on this issue..................

Does the contract ammount stay the same? that is does the company make extra money or the government?

[CatBoreal]

16. KICK

:kick:

[theHandpuppet]

17. Welcome to the city of New Plantation, Louisiana!

I see the Southern Partisans, Reconstructionists and Dominionists finally got their dream come true.

[shugah]

18. disgusting

that is disgusting, ugly, hateful, immoral, and beyond the pale.

it is also completely predictable.

[htuttle]

19. I bet they pay 'room and board'

..with limited shopping privileges at the company store.

[theHandpuppet]

20. Yes, how soon we forget what pre-union America was like

I'm afraid the next person who dishes unions in front of me is going to get slapped!