Halliburton gets Katrina contracts
War-profiteer Halliburton — after $1.5B in “questioned” and “unsupported” costs in its Iraq bonanza — has been awarded $29.8M to start rebuilding naval bases in Louisiana and Mississippi.
I know $29.8M is nothing to a company like Halliburton, but, can’t we get even a semblance of propriety? [Tags: HurricaneKatrina]
Bush has also taken this opportunity to allow companies doing repair work in the Katrina-stricken areas to pay lower than minimum wage to their employees.
According to Slate, Bush wrote to Congress that he’s taking the action because of the state of emergency:
Bush wrote that his decision is justified because Davis-Bacon increases construction costs, and suspension “will result in greater assistance to these devastated communities and will permit the employment of thousands of additional individuals.”
This is basically the Republican argument against minimum wage overall. In this case, it means that the cost of Bush’s tax cuts and reckless war-mongering, which resulted in the largest deficit in our history, will once again be born disproportionately by working people.
Categories: Uncategorized dw
Halliburton gets Katrina contracts
Halliburton gets Katrina contracts
First in line: Halliburton
Joho the Blog: Halliburton gets Katrina contracts: War-profiteer Halliburton — after $1.5B in “questioned” and “unsupported” costs in its Iraq bonanza — has been awarded $29.8M to start rebuilding naval bases in Louisiana and Mississippi. …
Why am I not surprised? Because this is exactly the type of decisionmaking we’ve come to expect from the current Administration. Juicy contracts to be let? Which FOBozo is next in line, assign to them.
You may have also noticed that the mercenary company Blackwater Security is on the job in NO.
Thank goodness there isn’t really such a thing as “global warming” or then it would look REALLY fishy – Bush’s oil/gasoline buddies getting richer while the poor (minimum wage workers) keep getting screwed.
Bush II; Day 311: Hurricane Katrina analysis
Some excellent thoughtful detailed analysis of what happened down South. From the NY Time: Must-read 6-page timeline of how federal, state and city officials struggled to communicate and work together during the crisis, and where it just broke down. Ce…
Nothing in what you write here seems out-of-the-ordinary… but what are we (and this includes myself somewhat less, as a non-US resident or citizen) going to DO about it?
Wow. The largest oil equipment company in the US gets a contract to help clean up a Hurricaine the devestated the oil drilling and refinery business in 2 states.
Qu’ell scandale!
Jeez. This post is thoughtless and despicable demonizing. Clueless, even.
Paul
Paul, that’s not what they got the contract to do. Plus, they’re already under investigation for stealing money from us in Iraq. Plus it was awarded through a revolving-door crony. Plus, it looks bad.
There has been no suspension of the “minimum wage,” but rather a suspension of the need to pay the prevailing wage. From the article you link to:
“The Davis-Bacon Act, passed in 1931 during the Great Depression, sets a minimum pay scale for workers on federal contracts by requiring contractors to pay the prevailing or average pay in the region. Suspension of the act will allow contractors to pay lower wages.”
That said, it probably doesn’t change your point.
Well it does make no sense that workers are paid the min wages either way. Why ant the contractors paying top wages and let the people offer themselves at a lesser rate eh ?? In this manner you will find that companies and people will work together on what works out best for them, rahter then the .gov offering to cutback and support min wages ?? The labor markets drives itself up and down the flagpole in a mmanner and mode that the workers deem fit !!
Oh yeah another scandal w/ halliburton !! Why was not the contract offered to some contractor from within the state ??
When will the americans learn that your gov is looting and always telling you all ” bend over and grease up – its come to you hard and fast” !!! Its time that the americans take the 1st amendment and make it work, rahter then professing to be free but slaved to the gov !!!
whats the problem.
they are qualified to start and finish the job correctly.
stop this nonsense
Yo, Dave, this allows anonymous comments, such as the one above this one? Me thinks you need to tweak this…Best, ~Chip :)
I’m ok with anonymous comments, ~Chip…if that is your real name ;)
Well what do you expect? Halliburton can do jobs that nobody else can do. They have the assets ready when other companies would take months to equip and hire. That is why they win.
The largest deficit in our history is a bit deceiving and economically dishonest. When you take the budget deficit as a percentage of GDP You will find the present administration doing a superb job while financing a war.
As far as Halliburton being under investigation since when is an investigation an indictment? The reason Halliburton has been chosen by this POResident as well as Bill Clinton is because they CAN DO THE JOB> They are large enough and experienced enough. The real solution would be to let a Hallibuton RUN FEMA.
To all those who support giving Halliburton any more of our hard earned tax dollars I submit the following:
Upon investigation:
– Halliburton could not account for more than $1.8 billion of $4.3 billion of work in Iraq and Kuwait.
– Uncovered have been attempts to charge taxpayers $45 per case of soda
– $100 per bag of laundry
– $10,000 a day to use five-star hotels in Kuwait. (Meanwhile, the troops are sweating it out in tents in the desert).
– $167 million worth of price gouging for imported gasoline
– $186 million charged for meals that were never served to the troops,
– and a $6 million kickback to two employees (fired by the company) from a subcontractor.
The long list of waste, fraud, bribery and other abuses associated with Halliburton’s Iraq contracts now fill volumes. And as such I think it would be “prudent” to not award them another dime – Jail sentences would be more appropriate!