This is a letter I wrote to the Editor of my local paper. It can be found at www.the-dispatch.com

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Article published Nov 4, 2005
Another Bush error

Margaret Koonts
Lexington

Editor: I would like to follow up on a previous letter I wrote in which I harshly criticized the president for waiving the Davis-Bacon Act for the reconstruction in the Hurricane Katrina area. This was absolutely the most insulting and irresponsible action Bush could possibly have dreamed up.
All it did was to make it impossible for the residents of the area to help in the rebuilding of their states and allow companies like Halliburton and others with no-bid contracts to enrich themselves on the backs of these desperate people.
The House of Representatives was already working on a bill that would override the president's waiver and they had plenty of bipartisan support for this. It was to come up for a vote within the next couple of weeks but then it was announced that Bush had decided to rescind the waiver of the Davis-Bacon Act, which assures workers in any given area the prevailing wage for that area.
That is very good news for these people who had been promised long-term jobs and, within a few weeks, were fired and replaced by illegal immigrants who were, in some cases, making less than $5.50 an hour. That was the other huge mistake Bush made and one that he has not corrected. He also waived the necessity for documentation so these illegals could take those jobs that should have gone to the residents of the states and enabled these contractors to employ undocumented workers who were willing to work for slave wages. When he rescinds this travesty as well, I will be satisfied.
This act will also force these companies into filing extensive, weekly reports to the government, thereby cutting down on some of the fraud inherent in this situation. Once again, the American people have spoken out loudly and clearly and forced the president to correct yet another unconscionable mistake.