Comments on: Bush Says Katrina Pay Can Be Lower? http://donklephant.com/2005/09/09/bush-says-katrina-pay-can-be-lower/ Big Teeth. Huge Ass. Surprisingly Reasonable. Tue, 14 Feb 2012 14:03:13 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Justin Gardner http://donklephant.com/2005/09/09/bush-says-katrina-pay-can-be-lower/comment-page-1/#comment-2079 Justin Gardner Sun, 11 Sep 2005 06:41:16 +0000 http://donklephant.com/2005/09/09/bush-says-katrina-pay-can-be-lower/#comment-2079 People, I'm sure there are MANY union laborers in New Orleans. I mean, come on...it's a major port city! Given that, the "hired guns" argument doesn't seem very valid. People, I’m sure there are MANY union laborers in New Orleans. I mean, come on…it’s a major port city! Given that, the “hired guns” argument doesn’t seem very valid.

]]> By: Karl Gallagher http://donklephant.com/2005/09/09/bush-says-katrina-pay-can-be-lower/comment-page-1/#comment-2072 Karl Gallagher Sat, 10 Sep 2005 20:48:18 +0000 http://donklephant.com/2005/09/09/bush-says-katrina-pay-can-be-lower/#comment-2072 "Prevailing wage" as a legal term is higher than market rates. See an example of how it hurts affordable housing here: http://cicg.org/publications/prevailing%20wage%20and%20affordable%20housing.pdf Bush is saying "You can do the work with new hires, not just experienced union guys." So the displace folks in NO can build their new homes, instead of watching imported pros do all the work. “Prevailing wage” as a legal term is higher than market rates. See an example of how it hurts affordable housing here:
http://cicg.org/publications/prevailing%20wage%20and%20affordable%20housing.pdf

Bush is saying “You can do the work with new hires, not just experienced union guys.” So the displace folks in NO can build their new homes, instead of watching imported pros do all the work.

]]> By: debsay http://donklephant.com/2005/09/09/bush-says-katrina-pay-can-be-lower/comment-page-1/#comment-2033 debsay Fri, 09 Sep 2005 17:23:20 +0000 http://donklephant.com/2005/09/09/bush-says-katrina-pay-can-be-lower/#comment-2033 Nobody would do the work in Iraq for less wages..... over there if they get caught or 'kidnapped' by the terrorist they get their heads cut off by a dull knife.... They also face IED that are planted along roads that could blow them up.... they face snipers that shoot at them, etc. etc. etc. In New Orleans they will be demolishing houses and hauling away rubble, shoveling sludge and hauling it away, and rebuilding houses, etc. Most of the grunt work is going to be for laborers, why not insure that the displaced people get a chance to work before you 'ship in others' because you can use your people and charge whatever to the Federal Government.... Justin, "Well DeanT, the “prevailing wage gameâ€Â? is the law and the way we have agreed (as a democracry) to pay our people. In essence, it has built this great economy that Bush trumpets when the new employment figures come out. So it’s hardly nonsense. I’m sure there are theories on how to do it better, but my question reamins, why LESS pay? How in the hell does that make any sense whatsoever?" I disagree that the 'prevailing wage game' has anything at all to do with this great economy.... as a matter of fact I believe that artificially inflated wages are a drag on any economy, tax cuts are what helps an economy... and as for what the law is.... In times of emergency the President has the authority to do things, which is also in the law that we (as a democracy) have agreed on. Nobody would do the work in Iraq for less wages….. over there if they get caught or ‘kidnapped’ by the terrorist they get their heads cut off by a dull knife…. They also face IED that are planted along roads that could blow them up…. they face snipers that shoot at them, etc. etc. etc.

In New Orleans they will be demolishing houses and hauling away rubble, shoveling sludge and hauling it away, and rebuilding houses, etc. Most of the grunt work is going to be for laborers, why not insure that the displaced people get a chance to work before you ‘ship in others’ because you can use your people and charge whatever to the Federal Government….

Justin,

“Well DeanT, the “prevailing wage gameâ€Â? is the law and the way we have agreed (as a democracry) to pay our people. In essence, it has built this great economy that Bush trumpets when the new employment figures come out. So it’s hardly nonsense. I’m sure there are theories on how to do it better, but my question reamins, why LESS pay? How in the hell does that make any sense whatsoever?”

I disagree that the ‘prevailing wage game’ has anything at all to do with this great economy…. as a matter of fact I believe that artificially inflated wages are a drag on any economy, tax cuts are what helps an economy… and as for what the law is…. In times of emergency the President has the authority to do things, which is also in the law that we (as a democracy) have agreed on.

]]> By: ford4x4 http://donklephant.com/2005/09/09/bush-says-katrina-pay-can-be-lower/comment-page-1/#comment-2029 ford4x4 Fri, 09 Sep 2005 16:05:50 +0000 http://donklephant.com/2005/09/09/bush-says-katrina-pay-can-be-lower/#comment-2029 I agree with RiverRat. This will encourage contractors to hire local, out of work, labor. Otherwise, they would just bring in huge, midwestern construction firms. Workers in those firms aren't going to work for less than prevailing wage, but, hopefully, people left destitute by the hurricane will. I think it's really about helping all those poor people that "Bush doesn't care about". Besides, if you spend less on contractors, that leaves more money to be spread elsewhere. Nothing wrong with cutting expenses instead of rasing taxes IMO. I agree with RiverRat. This will encourage contractors to hire local, out of work, labor. Otherwise, they would just bring in huge, midwestern construction firms. Workers in those firms aren’t going to work for less than prevailing wage, but, hopefully, people left destitute by the hurricane will. I think it’s really about helping all those poor people that
“Bush doesn’t care about”.

Besides, if you spend less on contractors, that leaves more money to be spread elsewhere. Nothing wrong with cutting expenses instead of rasing taxes IMO.

]]> By: Justin Gardner http://donklephant.com/2005/09/09/bush-says-katrina-pay-can-be-lower/comment-page-1/#comment-2025 Justin Gardner Fri, 09 Sep 2005 15:12:23 +0000 http://donklephant.com/2005/09/09/bush-says-katrina-pay-can-be-lower/#comment-2025 Well DeanT, the "prevailing wage game" is the law and the way we have agreed (as a democracry) to pay our people. In essence, it has built this great economy that Bush trumpets when the new employment figures come out. So it's hardly nonsense. I'm sure there are theories on how to do it better, but my question reamins, why LESS pay? How in the hell does that make any sense whatsoever? Again, we're not playing the wage game in Iraq. Contractors are getting paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to import fuel, serve food, rebuild, etc. Why here? Why now? I just don't get it. Well DeanT, the “prevailing wage game” is the law and the way we have agreed (as a democracry) to pay our people. In essence, it has built this great economy that Bush trumpets when the new employment figures come out. So it’s hardly nonsense. I’m sure there are theories on how to do it better, but my question reamins, why LESS pay? How in the hell does that make any sense whatsoever?

Again, we’re not playing the wage game in Iraq. Contractors are getting paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to import fuel, serve food, rebuild, etc.

Why here? Why now?

I just don’t get it.

]]> By: DeanT http://donklephant.com/2005/09/09/bush-says-katrina-pay-can-be-lower/comment-page-1/#comment-2020 DeanT Fri, 09 Sep 2005 13:59:39 +0000 http://donklephant.com/2005/09/09/bush-says-katrina-pay-can-be-lower/#comment-2020 Do you have to be a right winger to consider the prevailing wage game complete nonsense? I'm glad that this rule is not complicating the recovery effort and that the folks in the rebuild area will get the full 50 billion value for the money. They way for the Government to give money to people you think should get more is to explicitly tax others and explicity give the money directly to those deserving folks. Prevailing wage laws are an inefficient way of doing this same thing in a spotty way. Do you have to be a right winger to consider the prevailing wage game complete nonsense? I’m glad that this rule is not complicating the recovery effort and that the folks in the rebuild area will get the full 50 billion value for the money.

They way for the Government to give money to people you think should get more is to explicitly tax others and explicity give the money directly to those deserving folks. Prevailing wage laws are an inefficient way of doing this same thing in a spotty way.

]]> By: RiverRat http://donklephant.com/2005/09/09/bush-says-katrina-pay-can-be-lower/comment-page-1/#comment-2016 RiverRat Fri, 09 Sep 2005 12:45:39 +0000 http://donklephant.com/2005/09/09/bush-says-katrina-pay-can-be-lower/#comment-2016 Construction Unions, Guys! Hire 3 non-union black laborers instead of importing a journeyman from Minnesota. Does that help? Construction Unions, Guys! Hire 3 non-union black laborers instead of importing a journeyman from Minnesota. Does that help?

]]> By: Denise Garlow http://donklephant.com/2005/09/09/bush-says-katrina-pay-can-be-lower/comment-page-1/#comment-2015 Denise Garlow Fri, 09 Sep 2005 12:31:24 +0000 http://donklephant.com/2005/09/09/bush-says-katrina-pay-can-be-lower/#comment-2015 Model rebuilding efforts after the WPA... Why not look back at how those projects were done and apply those methods to this rebuild. Would be a way for the gov. to control costs and for the gov. to employ locals to rebuild their own city. Model rebuilding efforts after the WPA…

Why not look back at how those projects were done and apply those methods to this rebuild. Would be a way for the gov. to control costs and for the gov. to employ locals to rebuild their own city.

]]> By: David http://donklephant.com/2005/09/09/bush-says-katrina-pay-can-be-lower/comment-page-1/#comment-2013 David Fri, 09 Sep 2005 10:46:26 +0000 http://donklephant.com/2005/09/09/bush-says-katrina-pay-can-be-lower/#comment-2013 Normally I understand what President Bush is pushing, whether or not I agree. In this case, however, I totally don't get it. Normally I understand what President Bush is pushing, whether or not I agree. In this case, however, I totally don’t get it.

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