9-24-05, 9:39 am
As the people of the Gulf Coast begin the long road to recovery after the worst natural disaster in American history, President Bush is choosing to use this tragedy to push his conservative political agenda on the region. The Bush White House is taking this opportunity to push an ideological agenda suspending environmental and public health protections and pushing for tax breaks directed to the super-rich. By waiving affirmative action requirements in reconstruction contracts and relaxing wage and labor standards, the President's plan will make it even harder for the working families and low-income households across the Gulf Coast to recover from this tragedy.
The residents of the Gulf Coast need a President who will stand up for them and will stand up to his cronies and the right-wing ideologues in his own party. Republicans in Washington are continuing their drive to make President Bush's tax cuts permanent, despite the massive costs associated with Katrina relief efforts and the ongoing costs of the War in Iraq. According to the Washington Post, Republican Leader Tom DeLay said that, ''we're not reexamining' the commitment to extend the tax cuts. 'That's not an option.'' [Washington Post, 9/21/05]
'Congressional Republicans, backed by the White House, say they are using relief measures for the hurricane-ravaged Gulf Coast to achieve a broad range of conservative economic and social policies, both in the storm zone and beyond.... Republicans are working on legislation that would limit victims' right to sue, offer vouchers for displaced school children, lift some environment restrictions on new refineries and create tax-advantaged enterprise zones.' [Wall Street Journal, 9/15/05]
This is a critical moment in Bush's presidency. The President must decide whether or not he will stand up to the right-wing in his party and do what's right for America and the Gulf Coast. America needs leadership that focuses on the needy, not the greedy. We need leadership that is willing to stand up and make tough choices based on what's right for America and the Gulf Coast, not partisan ideology or personal friendships. It is time for Republicans in Washington to join Democrats in supporting a Marshall Plan to invest in the Gulf Coast and invest in rebuilding our American community, not weakening it with a partisan agenda.
Republicans Are Working to Suspend Environmental Protections in the Wake of Katrina. Republicans are working on legislation that would lift environmental restrictions on new refineries. [Wall Street Journal, 9/15/05]
Bush Suspended Requirement for Katrina Contractors to Have an Affirmative Action Plan for Veterans, Minorities, Women, and Disabled Persons. Bush's Labor Department has suspended requirements that government contractors have a written affirmative action plan addressing the employment of women, minorities, Vietnam veterans, and the disabled if the companies are first-time government contractors working on post-Katrina reconstruction. According to the New York Times, 'the move comes as President Bush has tried to address the perception of unfairness in the government's response to the hurricane.' According to Shirley J. Wilcher, the interim executive director of the American Association for Affirmative Action and former deputy assistant secretary for federal contract compliance, 'It is not simply a paperwork exercise. It is the basis for companies to be mindful of their obligation not to discriminate.' [New York Times, 9/20/05]
Bush Is Pushing Vouchers on Displaced School Children. Under Bush's plan to cover most of the cost of educating students displaced by Hurricane Katrina, parents could enroll their children in a private or religious school this year at federal expense, even if they had gone to public schools back home. The Administration's proposal contained a sleight-of-hand. In proposing $1.9 billion in aid for K-12 students whose schools were ruined by the storm, Education Secretary Margaret Spellings originally said the Administration was setting aside $488 million for private-school tuition and other help for the large segment of children from New Orleans who had been attending Catholic schools when Katrina hit. On September 19, however, as new fine print of the proposal emerged, the Administration confirmed that the government payment-as much as $7,500 per child- would be given for a year to any displaced family for private schools. [Washington Post, 9/20/05; Wall Street Journal, 9/15/05]
Bush Suspended Davis-Bacon Prevailing Wage Rules, Allowing Contractors to Hire Employees at Depressed Wages. Bush issued a proclamation for parts of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida that suspends the Davis-Bacon Act of 1931- which requires employers to pay locally prevailing wages to construction workers on federally-financed projects- for Katrina-related work. While touted as a method to save taxpayers money, Bush's proclamation does not require contractors to pass on savings they accrue as a result of cutting wages. According to a Denver Post editorial, 'Bush is now using Hurricane Katrina as an excuse to trash more than seven decades of labor law, allowing Katrina contractors to hire employees at whatever wages the depressed local conditions might warrant.' [San Francisco Chronicle, 9/20/05; Columbus Dispatch, 9/19/05; Denver Post, editorial, 9/19/05]
