NYT: A Shameful Proclamation

[mcscajun]

On Thursday, President Bush issued a proclamation suspending the law that requires employers to pay the locally prevailing wage to construction workers on federally financed projects. The suspension applies to parts of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida.

By any standard of human decency, condemning many already poor and now bereft people to subpar wages - thus perpetuating their poverty - is unacceptable. It is also bad for the economy. Without the law, called the Davis-Bacon Act, contractors will be able to pay less, but they'll also get less, as lower wages invariably mean lower productivity.

The ostensible rationale for suspending the law is to reduce taxpayers' costs. Does Mr. Bush really believe it is the will of the American people to deny the prevailing wage to construction workers in New Orleans, Biloxi and other hard-hit areas? Besides, the proclamation doesn't require contractors to pass on the savings they will get by cutting wages from current low levels. Around New Orleans, the prevailing hourly wage for a truck driver working on a levee is $9.04; for an electrician, it's $14.30.

Republicans have long been trying to repeal the prevailing wage law on the grounds that the regulations are expensive and bureaucratic; weakening it was even part of the Republican Party platform in 1996 and 2000. Now, in a time of searing need, the party wants to achieve by fiat what it couldn't achieve through the normal democratic process.

The rest here: http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/10/opinion/10sat2.html

[RC]

1. Can george reall do that?

This is a law passed by Congress.

[mcscajun]

2. He can, and he did. There's precedent.

The President can't unilaterally repeal a law, but he can suspend its enforcement.

[fasttense]

3. Shouldn't he suspend the child labor laws too? n/t

[1democracy]

4. He would if he could

[moodforaday]

5. Should hear Mike Malloy rant about that Thursday

He was so pissed off, cursing on air, threatening to just turn off the mike and leave. He said "Why not make these people work for food! Give them Twinkies! Give them beads..." He was really beside himself. It's archived now at WhiteRoseSociety, you can download and ff to the last half-hour or so:

http://www.whiterosesociety.org/content/malloy/MalloyShow-(08-09-2005).mp3

[applegrove]

6. Katrina pays off again! Assholes! Now the average American

citizen can do even more to fight inflation Big Oil prices are causing.

Have I said: "what exactly are Bush's elite sacrificing?"