Simon Legree redux

As his first official act in addressing the devastation wrought by Katrina, President Bush issued a presidential order waiving the requirements of the Davis-Bacon act.

From the Government Printing Office's Davis-Bacon web site:

The Wage and Hour Division of the U.S. Department of Labor determines prevailing wage rates to be paid on federally funded or assisted construction projects. It is the responsibility of the federal agency that funds or financially assists Davis-Bacon covered construction projects to ensure that the proper Davis-Bacon wage determination(s) is/are applied to such construction contracts(s).

In other words, Davis-Bacon requires that workers under government contract be paid the going wage in the area — and waiving that requirement almost inevitably means a pay cut.

New Orleans Mayor Nagin announced his city’s intention that the jobs in rebuilding be offered first to New Orleans citizens and businesses (as they should be), though it’s a little hard to know what power he’ll have over the purse controlled by Karl Rove.

But my point is: Who do you suppose, among those who lost homes, jobs and everything, will refuse whatever pay is offered?

It’s disgusting.