Thread: More Bush Cronies!

This is an op ed piece by Molly Ivins about Bush and his CRONY APPOINTMENTS.


AUSTIN, Texas -- Today's fun challenge is "Spot the Next Brownie." In this fab game for the whole family, review a list of Bush administration cronies in office and see if you can pick the next Michael "Heckuva Job" Brown, another disaster waiting for a hurricane to happen.

Scope out the Bird Flu Czar from Amtrak. Stewart Simonson is now in charge of "the protection of the civilian population from acts of bioterrorism and other public health emergencies," according to his government biography. He is also in charge of ensuring the country has adequate vaccines and antiviral meds to combat an avian flu epidemic. This would be peachy-keen if Simonson had any experience in public health, bioterrorism, epidemics or even management. Unfortunately, he's a political lawyer. As he recently told a congressional subcommittee, "We're learning as we go."

Simonson's rabbi is former Gov. Tommy Thompson of Wisconsin, who hired him out of law school, took him to Washington as deputy general counsel at Health and Human Services and then got him the job as general counsel of Amtrak. Ed Garvey, a well-known lawyer in Wisconsin political circles, told The Nation magazine: "He's a political hack, a sycophant. People just laughed when he was appointed to Amtrak, but when word came out that he was in charge of bioterrorism, it turned to alarm. When you realize that people's lives are at stake, it's frightening. It's just one of those moments when you say, 'Oh, my God.'"

Rep. Henry Waxman, R-Calif., who may be the last grown-up left in Washington, has also pointed out Simonson's professional inadequacies. See the article by Jeremy Scahill in the current issue of The Nation for disturbing details.

While we're still slugging it out over who's responsible for the gross failures and/or distortions of American intelligence before the war, our president tootles merrily along, fixing things in his own inimitable way. Late last month, he appointed nine campaign contributors, including three longtime fund-raisers, to the Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board. According to Newsweek, this is a 16-member panel of folks from the private sector who "advise the president on the quality and effectiveness of U.S. intelligence efforts."

One of the appointees, William DeWitt, a top Bush fund-raiser, was also a partner of the president's in the Texas Rangers, so his knowledge of sign-stealing may be useful. Two Texas oilmen, Ray Hunt and Don Evans, also joined the panel, along with Netscape's founder, so we can all relax about the effectiveness of intelligence.

Fortunately, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting does not normally affect national security. Nevertheless, this is another agency overrun with political hacks. According to the inspector general's scathing report on Kenneth Tomlinson, the now-resigned CPB chairman:

-- Tomlinson "violated statutory provisions and the director's code of ethics ...";

-- "'political tests' were a major criteria used ... in recruiting a (CEO) for CPB, which violated statutory prohibitions against such practices...";

-- "established procurements practices were not followed."

Of course, you don't have to be part of the Bush administration to benefit from being a crony. Cronies in the private sector making money from this administration probably outnumber the cronies Bush has put on the public payroll.

For example, America's top oil industry executives were openly kowtowed to in embarrassing fashion by Republicans at last week's congressional hearing. Among other special favors, the executives were not required to testify under oath, which turns out to be a blessing for them, since they lied.

The Washington Post found a Secret Service document showing that executives from ExxonMobil, Conoco, Shell and BP America all met with Dick Cheney's energy task force. Last week, the CEOs of ExxonMobil, Chevron and ConocoPhillips said their firms did not participate in the task force. "Not to my knowledge," said the president of Shell. The guy from BP said he didn't know.

In yet another brilliant essay, Harper's editor Lewis Lapham runs down some of the post-Katrina crony-corruption taking place before our very eyes. Among the items:

-- "... the cost of ships and ferries deployed for temporary housing -- in some circumstances, $13 million for six months; in other circumstances, $70 million. Carnival Cruise Lines was hired to house evacuees and government relief workers on three ships docked in New Orleans at the weekly rate of $1,400 per guest -- as opposed to the $499 charged to passengers at sea for a week's tour of the Caribbean."

-- "Debris-removal contracts for approximately $1 billion awarded to AshBritt, Inc., a Florida corporation happily associated with Haley Barbour, governor of Mississippi and former chairman of the Republican National Committee ... "

-- "On the night of Aug. 30, and again on the morning of Aug. 31, the Southern Pines Electric Power Association in Taylorsville, Miss., received phone messages from Vice President Dick Cheney's office in Washington that dictated the order of priority for the restoration of the region's electricity -- first to a privately owned pipeline, then to public hospitals ..."

Cronies, we get lots and lots of cronies ...

To find out more about Molly Ivins and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate web page at www.creators.com.

COPYRIGHT 2005 CREATORS SYNDICATE, INC

Carnival Cruise Lines was hired to house evacuees and government relief workers on three ships docked in New Orleans at the weekly rate of $1,400 per guest -- as opposed to the $499 charged to passengers at sea for a week's tour of the Caribbean.

Isn't that just so "charitable" of Carnival to gouge during a Disaster? I guess their industry was exempt from federal gouging laws as well like the oil companies.

AND, the people didnt' even want their dumb ole boats and refused to "go to water" again. I was proud of those New Orleanians who turned the non-so-charitable Carnival/Government offer to get them out of sight...DOWN.

Now government workers are staying on the boats. I learn these details from my Mom who reads the Washington Post.

I had read the SAME thing about the government workers living on the ships!! And, even DUMBER, the FOOLS leased the ships for several MONTHS! Now, that goes BEYOND STUPID. So, I guess those government workers are living in high cotton! Carnival ought to be boycotted for gouging the government for those ships. No--I take that back. THE GOVERNMENT should be boycotted for being so foolish as to PAY that to house people after Katrina. When you think about it, why in the world would those people want to be ferried back and forth to a SHIP when there was nothing in New Orleans left???

Here is who owns carnival, and where all the money we spend goes. Chertoff is Jewish, bush is in sharons pocket, we fight a war against arabs, for what was it again? figure it out people.

Category: News & Opinion (General) Topic: Crime & Corruption
Synopsis:
Source: American Free Press via Rumor Mill News
Published: October 7, 2005 Author: Christopher Bollyn
For Education and Discussion Only. Not for Commercial Use.


Chertoff's Sweetheart Deal for Israeli Carnival Corp. *PIC*

Posted By: ChristopherBollyn
Date: Friday, 7 October 2005, 10:11 a.m.

CHERTOFF'S SWEETHEART DEAL FOR ISRAELI-OWNED
CARNIVAL CRUISE LINE

By Christopher Bollyn
American Free Press


In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, through a hastily arranged deal with Carnival Cruise Lines, $236 million from U.S. taxpayers will flow to a tax exempt Israeli-founded corporation registered in Panama.

Before federal assistance even reached the victims of Hurricane Katrina, Carnival Cruise Lines had received a profitable deal to provide three ships to house evacuees from New Orleans and the Gulf Coast.

The deal, reached on Sept. 2, 2005, will pay Carnival some $236 million for the use of 7,100 berths for six months. This means that each berth will cost U.S. taxpayers $5,540 per month, or more than $184 per night. The cost per bed can actually be much higher because not all berths will be occupied for the entire 6-month period of the contract.

USA Today reported that "most evacuees rejected the offer" to stay on the Carnival ships, which are reportedly being used to house city employees from New Orleans and emergency workers involved in the cleanup effort.

The deal, arranged by the Military Sealift Command of the U.S. Navy at the direction of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), has raised questions in Congress about excessive profiteering by Carnival Corp., the parent corporation that owns Carnival Cruise Lines along with 11 other leading cruise brands, including: Cunard Line, P&O Cruises, Princess, and Holland America Line. Carnival Corp. operates a fleet of 79 ships.

Navy Capt. Joseph Manna negotiated the contract with Carnival. Manna defended the deal, saying it was comparable to the cost of "a hotel and three meals a day."

Critics in Congress, however, said the cost of the deal with Carnival was exorbitant. Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) said the cost per berth is more than $1,275 a week, while a 7-day Caribbean cruise costs about $600 per person. "A short-term temporary solution has turned into a long-term, grossly overpriced sweetheart deal for a cruise line," Coburn said.

Representatives Marilyn Musgrave (R-Colo.), Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), and Todd Tiahart (R-Kan.) sent a letter to House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) calling for "an immediate investigation into all matters related to the contract."

Rep. Henry A. Waxman (D-Calif.) sent a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff requesting a copy of the contract and supporting documentation for its cost on Sept. 23.

The contract with Carnival includes $44 million for operating costs and an unknown amount to compensate for corporate taxes that could amount to tens of millions of dollars. The federal department headed by Chertoff agreed to compensate Carnival for its corporate taxes because, while the company is headquartered in Miami, Florida, it is exempt from U.S. income taxes and other taxes because it is registered in Panama and its ship fly under foreign flags.

Carnival Corp. reported net income of $1.904 billion the nine-month period ending August 31, 2005, but only paid $43 million in income taxes from its pre-tax income of $1.947, a tax rate of 2.2 percent. The state or nation to which the taxes were paid was not specified.

Carnival had announced expected losses in early September from long-term disruption of its cruise service from New Orleans and Mobile. Two Carnival ships, the Conquest and Sensation, were based in New Orleans prior to Katrina. Sensation and Ecstasy are now contracted to remain in New Orleans, while the Holiday, based in Mobile, is contracted with FEMA to remain in its homeport.

"What we asked for was to be kept whole, basically," Micky Arison, chief executive of Carnival Corp. said. "And to make up for the revenue that we would have made had the ships been operated, and to pay for the expense of canceling 100,000 people and protecting travel agent commissions."

Carnival Corp. was started by the Ted Arison, an Israeli veteran of the 1948 war in Palestine, who came to the United States in the early 1950s, as did Michael Chertoff's mother, Livia Eisen. In 1990, Arison returned to Israel and turned control of Carnival Corp. over to his son, Micky.



Brief Biography of Ted Arison, Founder of Carnival

http://www.arison.co.il/in_memory.htm g.

Good investigating, naturalglenn. I am STEAMED. This is just unconscionable AND they are kicking the people OUT of the little Days' Inns but they are stuck with Carnival for SIX MONTHS.

I have never brought this up before but there are several concerns that I have had about Israel and you have touched on one of them. Chertoff is Jewish. Israel profits. Wolfowitz, Feith and several other NEO-cons are Jewish and they were the masterminds behind sending our military to Iraq. My feeling, all along, has been that there were only two real groups who could PROFIT from pushing us to war in Iraq and that was Chalabi's Iraqi National Congress and ISRAEL. Saddam was NO THREAT to the US. HE was a threat to ISRAEL. AND, our brave military members are fighting and dying for ISRAEL.