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Friday, September 30, 2005

Katrina trumps No Child Left Behind
The Washington Post is reporting on the Dep't of Education's decision to ease NCLB regs for schools affected by Katrina:

'No Child' Rules to Be Eased for a Year

 

Under pressure from hurricane-stressed states, Education Secretary Margaret Spellings announced yesterday that the agency will for one year relax academic accountability standards under the administration's signature education initiative, allowing schools affected by hurricanes Katrina and Rita to...

[Via washingtonpost.com - washingtonpost.com - US government, national security, science and national news and headlines.]



Posted by Robert Shull, 11:46:51 AM



Thursday, September 22, 2005

Labor: Limited Waiver of Affirmative Action in Fed Contracts
The Homeland Security website has what it calls the List of Government Waivers and Dispensations Authorized for Hurricane Katrina Response, but don't rely on it as a comnprehensive list of all regulatory protections waived or weakened in the name of Katrina. For example -- layers under layers deep in the Dep't of Labor website is a notice that DOL is waiving some affirmative action requirements for federal contracts, including requirements for job postings targeted to reach veterans and the disabled.

The waiver lasts for three months, but it is also subject to extension.

Posted by Robert Shull, 12:03:59 PM



Friday, September 16, 2005

Bush Decision to Waive Wage Protections Could Be Illegal

As many surely know by now, the White House decision to suspend its obligations under the Davis-Bacon Act to require a fair minimum wage for contractors working on the reconstruction and recovery efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina will have a direct and drastically negative impact on many of the very victims of the hurricane. Some have noted the irony of this decision given that the hurricane's devastation was compounded by years of poverty and low-wages throughout the Gulf region. In response, Representative George Miller (D-CA) introduced legislation to overturn the wage cuts instituted by the president last week.

But what many might not know is that Bush's decision to waive the protections could be illegal. The Federation of American Scientists' Secrecy News revealed a Congressional Research Service report issued yesterday concluding that the president may have acted illegally in waiving those wage protections. CRS states that the September 8 presidential declaration was "an anomaly," and it did not follow "the historical pattern of declaring a national emergency to activate the suspension authority."

The report concludes, "The propriety of the President's action in this case may be ultimately determined in the courts."

The Davis-Bacon Act prohibits the federal government from undercutting prevailing wages in areas where the federal government is contracting for work. The administration is required to ensure that its contracts establish minimum wages for workers that comport with the prevailing wage of the area.



Posted by Adam Hughes, 01:45:34 PM



Thursday, September 08, 2005

Bush Suspends Minimum Pay for Contract Workers
The White House announced that it is suspending its obligations under the Davis-Bacon Act to require a fair minimum wage for contractors working on the reconstruction and recovery efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

The Davis-Bacon Act prohibits the federal government from undercutting prevailing wages in the construction industry in areas where the federal government is contracting for work. The administration is required to ensure that its contracts establish minimum wages for workers that comport with the prevailing wage of the area. The White House invoked the act's exemption for national emergencies.

The irony here is that the devastation of Hurricane Katrina was compounded by poverty and low wages -- factors that kept many from evacuating in time. Now the Bush administration is empowering itself to pay substandard wages for the reconstruction effort.

Posted by Robert Shull, 06:09:58 PM




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