As you all probably remember, about a month ago, the Bush administration saw fit suspend the Davis-Bacon act so construction firms (read: Halliburton) hired to work on government contracts to rebuild New Orleans didn't have to pay their workers a "prevailing wage".

I did some research into Davis-Bacon last month and found out that it's a law the right has been trying to take down for a while now. In fact, one of their talking points on Davis-Bacon is that it's supposedly racist -- taking contracts away from minority owned firms. Here's what the Cato Institute had to say in this in 1993.

Failing that, Davis-Bacon can be repealed legislatively, or, more likely, successfully challenged in court. When that occurs, minority contractors will find it easier to get federal contracts without divisive quotas, black workers will find it easier to get construction jobs, and the federal government will be able to accomplish more with a smaller burden on the taxpayer. Most important, however, one of the remaining racist stains on American law will be removed.

Minority-owned businesses say they're paying the price for the decision by Congress and the Bush administration to waive certain rules for Hurricane Katrina recovery contracts.

About 1.5 percent of the $1.6 billion awarded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency has gone to minority businesses, less than a third of the 5 percent normally required.

[Hat tip: Raw Story]

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As you all probably remember, about a month ago, the Bush administration saw fit suspend the Davis-Bacon act so construction firms (read: Halliburton) hired to work on government contracts to rebuild New O

Tracked on October 5, 2005 08:15 AM