Earthside Comments: Two hurricane related issues should be 'good government' litmus tests for the Democrats. (We figure the radical Republicans are too far gone to even consider doing something in the interest of good government.) First is opposition to ANY effort by the Bushites and radical Republicans to further militarize future natural disaster preparedness and relief efforts. The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution make it very clear that we are to have a civilian government that is accountable to the people -- the military only answers to 'commanders'. Further intertwining the military inside the nation with our lives and commerce is a further step on the tyranny path we are already walking down. EVERY elected Democrat in Washington, D.C., should be true to the principles of the country and to progressive ideals and oppose vigorously and vociferously any attempt to give the GOPentagon more control of disaster programs. Second, the Democrats should not vote for one more red hot cent for hurricane relief until there is an independent commission to reveiw what went wrong with Katrina preparation and response -- and until there is an independent board to ensure honesty, competitive bidding and accountablity for tax dollars spent to recover from Katrina and Rita. This is simple stuff. In a better America, Republicans and Democrats and Greens could agree on the common sense proposals just mentioned. But in Bush's and Cheney's America, honesty in government is the exception to their rule by cronyism. The burden is on the Democrats here to make sure the right things are done. We'll all be watching.
Link: Bush Urges Shift in Relief Responsibilities | Washington Post
On Sunday, President Bush called on Congress to consider a larger role for U.S. armed forces in responding to natural disasters, as he completed what White House aides called a weekend "fact-finding" mission to determine whether the Pentagon needs more control. "Clearly, in the case of a terrorist attack, that would be the case, but is there a natural disaster -- of a certain size -- that would then enable the Defense Department to become the lead agency in coordinating and leading the response effort?" Bush said after a briefing from military leaders at Randolph Air Force Base here. "That's going to be a very important consideration for Congress to think about." ... Bush is asking Congress to consider a major change, potentially shifting federal responsibility for major natural disasters from the Department of Homeland Security to the nation's top military generals. The Defense Department has been hesitant to take such a role because of sensitivity to the idea of adopting a police presence on U.S. soil and because of strains on the armed forces from the war in Iraq. ... Some skeptics have said Bush's remarks belatedly recognize that his administration and Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco (D) bungled in applying the military's existing capabilities to rescue Katrina victims. Rather than creating new laws and authorities, government officials simply need to execute existing plans competently, they said.
Link: Questions Over Hurricane Katrina Contracts | Reuters/New York Times
More than 80 percent of the $1.5 billion in contracts signed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency to clean up after Hurricane Katrina were awarded without bidding or with limited competition, the New York Times reported on Monday. The newspaper, citing government records, said some of the bids are provoking concern among auditors and government officials about the potential for favoritism or abuse. The first detailed tally of commitments from federal agencies since Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast four weeks ago shows more than 15 contracts exceed $100 million, including five of $500 million or more. ... Some industry and government officials questioned the costs of debris-removal contracts, saying the Army Corps of Engineers had allowed a rate that was too high, the Times said. Congressional investigators are also looking into the $568 million awarded to AshBritt, a Pompano Beach, Florida company that was a client of the former lobbying firm of Governor Haley Barbour of Mississippi, the Times said.
Comments