Bush Orders - Oppress the Hireling In His Wages

How to add insult to injury:

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Bush issued an executive order Thursday allowing federal contractors rebuilding in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina to pay below the prevailing wage.

In a notice to Congress, Bush said the hurricane had caused "a national emergency" that permits him to take such action under the 1931 Davis-Bacon Act in ravaged areas of Alabama, Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi.

Bush's action came as the federal government moved to provide billions of dollars in aid, and drew rebukes from two of organized labor's biggest friends in Congress, Rep. George Miller of California and Sen. Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts, both Democrats.

"The administration is using the devastation of Hurricane Katrina to cut the wages of people desperately trying to rebuild their lives and their communities," Miller said.

"President Bush should immediately realize the colossal mistake he has made in signing this order and rescind it and ensure that America puts its people back to work in the wake of Katrina at wages that will get them and their families back on their feet," Miller said.


The prevailing wage for basic construction workers in the area is $9 an hour. Paying less than that, by force of an executive order, is beyond the pale.

One can only wonder what other surprises the nation's rulers have in store for the poor people of the South. Republicans wouldn't even let House Democrats read the $52 billion Katrina relief bill proposed by President Bush and voted along party lines to block a Democrat move to allow a measly 2 hour discussion period. Rep. Louise M. Slaughter (D-NY) told Raw Story:

"Life in the Gulf Coast is no vacation. The Federal Government failed the American people in its initial response to this horrible disaster and by their actions; the Republican Leadership is once again showing that their priorities are out of sync with the needs of so many hard working families."

"It is this very lack of accountability in government which ensured that our disaster response would be a bigger disaster than the hurricane itself. Yet here they go again, completely unfazed in their determination to eliminate debate, consideration and accountability from the Congress and the Federal government. No one has even seen a copy of the bill."

Authoritarianism run rampant.

Oh, and in case you are wondering, the headline title comes from here.