Sept. 11, 2005 - 16:25MDT

NOT SURPRISED ?

Buried of course, back in the middle of the Denver Post Sunday edition is a very short item. In full:

BUSH SUSPENDS LABOR RULES

"Acting on a petition from U.S. Rep. Marilyn Musgrave R-Colo., and 33 other lawmakers, President Bush suspended labor rules Thursday that would have required all new construction in the Gulf Coast that receives federal funding to pay labor at "prevailing wages."

"As our nation looks to rebuild the . . . . area of devastation left by Katrina and the federal government spends over $60 billion, it is imperative that regulations that needlessly hinder construction are rescinded," Musgrave said."

"The mandates " are excessive and add considerable costs and delay to projects critical to the back bone of the region., I commend him for today's proclamation," she said, referring to Bush."

"She said the rules added a two-week delay to construction starts."

"However, AFL-CIO president John Sweeney called it exploitative, saying the president was "taking advantage of a national tragedy to get rid of a protection for workers the corporate backers of the White House have long wanted to remove."

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I do wonder just which thirty three lawmakers signed that petition and just who put them up to it ? ? ? ? ?

Almost boggles my mind the very idea of that. I think that Sweeney has it right, quote: "taking advantage of a national tragedy to get rid of a protection for workers the corporate backers of the White House have LONG WANTED TO REMOVE."

To my mind praise beyone measure is due to those folks who have volunteered to go help and are doing so -- that's a whole different ball game, it is.

The very thought that our administration is trying to force something like this on the workers of our nation, which will probably morph into the same thing for any work done for the feds - anywhere, is despicable to my mind.

It got awful quiet after Homeland Security took over, the word was that they would and could dictate hours worked, how many days of the week worked, and the wages to be paid for such work. Also the feds changing things around on the forty hour work week and overtime pay was a low blow to the workers of our country too.

We are talking about people who will be working on rebuilding a coast, who will be working under very adverse conditions to say the least.

Of course I suppose the companies, corporations and entities who will be engaged in the reconstruction work will also cut their rates and limit their profits for that work ? ? ? ? ? Yeah riiiiight ! Against all corporate philosophy, isn't it ?

Big tax cuts for the corporations and well off folks.

By golly, seems to me that it is biblical, "A worker is worthy of his hire." Doesn't say that the government gets a cut rate on labor.

Just waiting for the other shoe to drop - but this latest ? Why am I NOT SURPRISED ? . . . . . . . . . . .

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