Mar. 25, 2006 - 17:54 MST

REVOLTIN' DEVELOPMENT

I keep looking for good news, which I seldom find. But on turning rocks over I find what one would expect for me to find. In today's Business section of the Rocky Mountain News is an article from "News Wire Reports" with the notation at the bottom, Rocky Mountain News staff contributed to this report. In full, bolds and italics mine:

FEMA HURRICANE PACTS A DONE DEAL

CH2M Hill to keep contract as agency backs off pledge

WASHINGTON -- "FEMA has broken its promise to reopen four multimillion-dollar no-bid contracts for Hurricane Katrina work, three that federal auditors say wasted significant amounts of money -- including one with CH2M Hill Inc."

"Officials with the federal Emergency Managment Agency said they awarded the four contracts last October to speed recovery efforts that might have been slowed by competitive bidding. Some critics, however, suggested they were rewards for politically connected firms."

"Acting FEMA Director, R. David Paulison pledged last fall to REBID the contracts, which were awarded to CH2M Hill, Shaw Group Inc., Bechtel Corp. and Fluor Cor[p. Later, the agency acknowledged the rebidding wouldn't happen until February, THEN THIS WEEK SAID THE CONTRACTS WOULDN'T BE REBID."

"CH2M Hill a Douglas County (Colorado) based company that provides engineering and construction services worldwide, since October as been hauling and installing temporary housing in hurricane-affected-areas, along with other services. Bechtel also has assisted with providing temporary housing."

"CH2M Hill dismissed suggestions it got contracts based on political connections."

"Our work was awarded based on performance, certainly not political connections," said Brad Jones, a company spokesman. "We went through the process with FEMA, the agency awarding the contractrs, and we have always followed the scope of the work and done it to the best of our abilities."

"Jones said FEMA's decision on Friday merely expands the duties of CH2M Hill, and the original cap on the contract -- $500 million --- would remain unchanged."

"The company's role in helping rebuild areas along the Gulf Coast and assisting in relocation of residents began in Alabama and expanded to Mississippi this month. On its Web site, the company details sevral projects it is involved with in the hurricane-affected area."

"Michael Widomski, a FEMA spokesman, said the contracts with CH2M Hill and others have been extended in part because of good performance."

"They are continuing the work," Widomski said, and the agency is now focused on competitive bids for disaster relief contracts for the next hurricane season, which begins June 1."

"An additional $1.5 billion in work promised to small businesses HAS NOT BEEN AWARDED."

"A review by the Government Accountability Office of 13 major contracts said last week the government had wasted millions of dollars mostly because of poor planning by FEMA. Among the 13 were three of the four no-bid contracts for temporary housing, worth up to $500 million each, that went to CH2M Hill and two other firms with extensive government ties."

"The preliminary review did not address the validity of no-bid contracts issued right after the Aug. 29 storm. The fourth housing contractor, the Shaw Group, was not included in the audit."

"The Shaw Groups lobbyist, Joe Allbaugh, is a former FEMA director and FRIEND OF PRESIDENT BUSH. Bechtel CEO Riley Bechtel served on Bush's Export Council from 2003 to 2004, and CH2M Hill Inc. and Fluor Corp. have done extensive work for the government."

"Like CH2M Hill, the other companmies have denied political connections played a factor in their contracts."

"The latest disclosure has brought complaints from some lawmakers, who say the Bush administration has not done enough for small businesses. Democrats in particular, had urged limits on no-bid contracts, which they say are unfairly handed to large companies with political connections."

A House panel chaired by Republican Rep. Tom Davis of Virginia plans to hold at least one hearing next month on Katrina contracting."

"The administration has promised to help local and small businesses get contracts to help rebuild the Gulf Coast, but they keep letting them down," said Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts, the top Democrat on the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship."

"On Thursday, Kerry sent a letter to Paulison that called for quicker action in ensuring small businesses get "their fair share of reconstruction contracts."

"FEMA promised last October to boost the number of contracts given to small and minority businesss, partly by setting aside up to $1.5 billion worth of work to maintain trailers housing Katrina evacueess. It said those contracts would be awarded by Feb. 1."

"Yet those 15 contracts -- eight of which are designated for minority-owned businesses have NOT BEEN AWARDED because of the high volume of applications, according to Widomski. He said the agency hoped to anounce the winners by early next month."

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AND - what about all those No-Bid contracts in Iraq ? ? ? ?

Heh, August 29, 2005 hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast and other than a bunch of No-Bid contracts FEMA hopes to announce the winners of contracts for rebuilding the Gulf Coast by early MAY 2006 ? ? ? ? ? ?

Governmental ethics -- perhaps an oxymoron ? ? ? ?

Thing that gets to me is that there are many organizations religious and otherwise who are spending time and money they can ill afford to help in the rebuilding of the Gulf Coast, yet the biggies in the business are going to extract their pound of flesh from the bleeding body of the Gulf Coast and the general American citizenry.

Pagh, urk, ugh what a mess this is.

So, one after another comes this REVOLTIN' DEVELOPMENT . . . . . . . .

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