Former Jeb Bush partner is source of defective pumps installed by Army Corp of Engineers

[ProSense]

Corps allegedly knew pumps put in after Katrina were faulty

Warnings issued, documents say

By Cain Burdeau, Associated Press | March 14, 2007

NEW ORLEANS -- The Army Corps of Engineers, rushing to meet President Bush's promise to protect New Orleans by the start of the 2006 hurricane season, installed defective flood control pumps last year despite warnings from its own specialist that the equipment would fail during a storm, according to documents obtained by the Associated Press.

The 2006 hurricane season turned out to be mild, and the new pumps were never pressed into action. But the Corps and the politically connected manufacturer of the equipment are still struggling to get the 34 heavy duty pumps working properly.

The pumps are now being pulled out and overhauled because of excessive vibration, Corps officials said. Other problems have included overheated engines, broken hoses, and blown gaskets, according to the documents obtained by AP.

Snip...

The drainage-canal pumps were custom-designed and built under a $26.6 million contract awarded after competitive bidding to Moving Water Industries Corp. of Deerfield Beach, Fla. It was founded in 1926 and supplies pumps all over the world for flood control and irrigation.

MWI is owned by J. David Eller and his sons. Eller was once a business partner of Jeb Bush, former governor of Florida, in a venture called Bush-El that marketed MWI pumps. And Eller has donated about $128,000 to politicians, the vast majority of it to the Republican Party, since 1996, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

MWI has run into trouble before. The US Justice Department sued the company in 2002, accusing it of fraudulently helping Nigeria obtain $74 million in taxpayer-backed loans for overpriced and unnecessary water pump equipment. The case has yet to be resolved.

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[Fovea]

1. BASTA!

That is enough!

I don't think I will remain non violent if I hear one more BFEE bit of corruption.

The whole lot of them need to be marched off to Leavenworth for good.

[madmom]

2. "leaked a bit" so that's what they're calling it now??

[gratuitous]

3. More corporate welfare for well-connected white guys

But you won't hear a peep about this out of the Republicans. But let some woman with three kids and no job in inner city Detroit pick up a $314 TANF check without filling in every last space on 22 incomprehensible government forms, and just watch them come unglued!