Poverty: Bush Just Doesn't Get It (Dean)

[MaineDem]

For Immediate Release
September 19, 2005

Contact: Luis Miranda - 202-863-8148

Poverty: Bush Just Doesn't Get It

Washington, DC - In the face of all-time low approval ratings, the White House
is scrambling to put the best light on the inadequacies of President Bush's
response to Hurricane Katrina and the painful social and economic fault lines
laid bare in this tragedy. For the first time during his five years in office,
President Bush finally acknowledged during his speech last week that
generations of racial discrimination and persistent poverty have denied too
many Americans, and particularly minorities, equal opportunity to the American
Dream. Unfortunately, after ignoring these problems over the last five years
the White House is now using the aftermath of the tragedy to push a radical,
ideologically-driven agenda in response to the tragedy that threatens to
further widen those fault lines and push more African-American and Hispanic
families into poverty.

Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean today issued the following
statement:

"President Bush just doesn't get it. The radical policies he's pushing under
the banner of rebuilding the Gulf Coast will only erect new barriers to
progress. 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.

"If President Bush is serious about casting aside decades of persistent
poverty, he should abandon his failed policies and radical agenda, and join
Democrats in crafting a Marshall Plan for the Gulf Coast. That is the only way
to ensure that our response to Hurricane Katrina brings an end to the systemic
barriers that have prevented too many hard-working Americans from achieving the
American Dream."

White House Pushing a Radical Ideologically-Driven Agenda on Hurricane Zone.
Republicans in Washington are seeking to utilize the Hurricane Katrina tragedy
to push longstanding conservative priorities. "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."

Bush Suspended Affirmative Action Rules for Federal Katrina Reconstruction Contracts. The day after Bush signed an executive order allowing contractors awarded federal money to help rebuild the Gulf Coast to pay substandard wages, the U.S. Department of Labor waived most federal affirmative action laws for contractors. The affirmative action waiver applies to companies that do not have existing government contacts and are awarded federal relief work contracts. <http://www.aflcio.org/aboutus/katrina_news.cfm>

Bush Suspended Davis-Bacon Act, Which Protects Local Wages. President Bush
suspended the Davis-Bacon Act, which obliges federal contractors to pay
prevailing local construction wages. As the Atlanta Journal & Constitution
editorialized, this law "protects local workers from having their wages
undercut." Bush's action could mean that "some Gulf Coast residents able to
find construction work could make less than they did before Hurricane Katrina
struck."

Hurricane Katrina Reveals Hollowness of GOP's Minority Outreach Efforts, Sends
Advisors Scrambling. The White House and its advisors have been busy trying to
stem the damage that the Administration's bumbled response to Hurricane Katrina
has had on its political outreach to minority communities. According to the
Washington Post, White House advisers deny there was any racial motivation in
the government's response, but worry that the perception of bias "threatens...
the administration's hope of slowly attracting more black support at the
polls."

**********

Paid for and authorized by the Democratic National Committee, www.democrats.
org. This communication is not authorized by any candidate or candidate's
committee.

[Rose Siding]

1. Thanks for posting this. Those 2 steps alone...

suspending Davis-Bacon and AA regs, give lie to every word out of bush's mouth.

He busts the pay of the destitute before they ever get a chance to punch into work. He's a FIEND!

[MissMarple]

2. He doesn't care about poor people. He cares about rich business people.

Those who support him and are his friends, not just any random business person.

[bluedawg12]

3. Here is how I would want this framed and hammered to the nation

We've been talking about framing the message in order to hammer it home.

This is a good message but some words are turn off's. ex: sue

"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."
.......
I can’t help myself in re-writing this. The message is good but needs some changes. Go easy, I'm an amatuer hack frustrated as hell American, I want the message to resonante and sing and be hard hitting and be good clip and paste copy for every media outlet in the world. The content is good but it is dry and lacks poetry and imagery. So this is just an opinion. here goes:
........


The White House, backed by Congressional Republicans, propose extreme conservative measures in the name of providing relief for the hurricane ravaged gulf coast and after the failure of levee’s has left parts of southern Louisiana drowned by flood waters.

The loss of coast line barrier wet lands which provide natures protection from hurricane’s is largely left unmentioned.

Up grades in the hundred year old levee’s are still minimally funded.

The recent Republican program would limit homeowners from seeking justice and restrict their right to a day in court.



The storm devastated gulf coast's school systems, a child’s entryway to a successful future, is ignored in favor of private school vouchers which serve only a select few.

On top of the damage done to fresh water ways, the coast lines, and toxic spills, Republicans want to ease environmental restrictions on oil refineries and in so doing play Russian roulette with future storms and toxic oil spills.

At a time when a quarter million Americans have lost their homes, their jobs, and any practical way to support themselves and their families, the Republican White House and Congress want to push for more tax cuts for Corporations and the only helping hand-up for the average American family, displaced from that region, is suspending fairness in hiring and the minimum wage.


The Republicans: slow to help vicitims, quick to help corporations, and wrong on rebuilding the ordinary lives of everyday Americans.

[Rose Siding]

4. One single issue- the pay cut from $9/hr to $5.15/hr

is the easiest to communicate. And "Bush doesn't get it" is pure Lakoff.

That pay cut (and the details aren't even required for our purposes- it's the media's job to flesh it out) should be the first thing out of any dem's mouth for a month! -Not to mention labor!

EVERY single working person will abhor it. EVERYone could empathize with workers being screwed like that. It's a hardship that when you hear it, you can personalize it.

Throw in the fact that *profits* aren't capped- no restrictions there, the rich get richer- and it is the quintessential element of bushonomics that would be anethema right. now. for nearly every single voter.

You raise some wonderful points, but in this format, for brief, quotable remarks, hitting one or two is probably strongest.

[ultraist]

6. "Bush just doesn't get it. The radical policies he's pushing..."

I think that's good! He nails it with: "the president's plan will make it even harder for the working families and low income households across the Gulf Coast to recover."

Although he shouldn't have differentiated between, "working and low income" as though low income households don't work. He should have just said: "working, lower income households."

President Bush just doesn't get it. The radical policies he's pushing under the banner of rebuilding the Gulf Coast will only erect new barriers to progress. 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.

[INdemo]

5. Democrats need to challenge

Democrats need to challenge this suspension of the Davis-Bacon Act I just dont see how Bush could do this without congressional approval..If it is not challenged than its time to get the petitions going and the workers In NO to just tell Contractors "I ain't working for sub par wages" ...But its tough to do that if one is starving and this is where the Repub supported contrators got em by the balls..

[texpatriot2004]

7. Once again, Thank you Howard Dean n/t

[ultraist]

8. Dean and Edwards are putting together a TRUE Democratic message!

They both have been saying the same thing about poverty and equality. As Edwards said, we need to "get back to our roots" and I think Dean and Edwards will take us there!

[JaneQPublic]

9. Kerry's been making some pretty righteous statements lately, too.

And the Big Dog is finally getting off Poppy Bush's lap long enough to blast Sonny Boy the way he deserves.