The Davis-Bacon Act

This law says that federally funded workers must be paid at the "locally prevailing wage". It has just been suspended by President Bush in parts of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida damaged by hurricane. Unfortunately, his proclamation does not require that the contractors which hire these workers change the rates that they charge the federal government, so it doesn't really shrink the federal bill for services.

The small bright spot of all this devestation lies in the reconstruction jobs that will be needed in the next year. I'm very much in favor of reconstruction, but I belive that the money needed should go home with the workers, not fatten the corporations that are coordinating the work. Besides, low wages mean that the most skilled workers won't be lured back to the area, which will make matters worse when the next storm hits. Halliburton would be okay with that, of course, because it means they'd get another huge cleanup contract.

NYTimes editorial (no byline) is here. (Ask the archivist--me--if you want the article text after NYT takes it down.) It's not too early to speak to our congresscritters about this.