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It appears that Bechtel, Halliburton, KBR and thousands of others are
scrambling like ants at a picnic (or vultures at a massacre) to get federal reconstruction
contracts. Bush has rescinded the Bacon-Davis Act mandating federal wage laws
on federal contracts, making it a Gold Rush for profits and potential fraud: the
GOP leadership in Congress pushed the larger relief bill through Congress
without anyone seeing a copy of it. See In storm’s ruins, a rush to rebuild and reopen for business http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/10/national/nationalspecial/10contracts.html? But despite the nefarious beginnings, there is genuine interest in
making something better of what has been destroyed. The American Dream is
partially about second chances, after all. Many of the evacuees will never return and find new
opportunities, and more welcome, elsewhere. Much yin and yang, things to be
proud of and other things to which guarded suspicion is the best response. In addition to the Netherlands solution, there are some reconstruction
ideas already being discussed. However, none of this will be feasible until the
region is non-toxic, and that is the billion-dollar question we haven’t heard
much about yet. On that note, unless the press remains free, we will never know
the truth and the extent of the health risks. CNN has successfully challenged
efforts to censor press coverage, at least for now, while 50,000 armed troops –
and some Blackwater mercenaries - enforce martial law in “the Katrina
region”. For those who are already tracking commentary and proposals for the one
of the largest reconstruction projects in US history, here are four from the
NYT OpEd page today: http://www.nytimes.com/pages/opinion/index.html And yes, what now about reconstructing Iraq from Hurricane
George/Dick/Donald/Colin? Will the
bloodied neocon war hawks seize upon Katrina as their justification for a
Napoleonic retreat? …kwc Make It
an Island Raise the Ground Restore
the Marsh Build
Diversity For those interested in man made islands, please refer to the very
successful mixed-use Port Island and Rokko Island in Kobe, Japan. Port of Kobe http://www.city.kobe.jp/cityoffice/39/port/index_e.htm Commentary on investment in these two islands http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0NTN/is_37/ai_108882016 |
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