Mr. Bush, Look Homeward!
Gerald W. McEntee, President
Regardless of the wide range of feelings about our country's war against Iraq, Americans are glad the fighting has ended and the rebuilding effort has begun. While one life lost in battle is one too many, we are grateful that the casualties weren't higher. And we thank the American troops for their bravery and sacrifice. But as the effort to put Iraq back together moves forward, it's becoming clear that the Bush administration can politicize every issue — even when the issue is war.
Before the bombing of Iraq had even begun, a contract for fighting oil-well fires went to Dick Cheney's old employer, Halliburton. That company walked away with a $7 billion deal. Another contract, one that could rise as high as $680 million, went to Bechtel — also a firm with ties to Republican administrations. (Ronald Reagan's secretary of state, George Shultz, sits on the board of directors.)
Worse, only a few companies were allowed to participate in the bidding process. Most telling is that during the last two election cycles they made combined campaign contributions of $3.6 million to the Republican Party.
PROTECTING BIG BUSINESS. Before George W. Bush became President, our nation was experiencing its longest period of sustained economic growth. In just over two years, his administration has managed to turn that historic accomplishment — the largest federal surplus in the nation's history — into the largest deficit in our history.
Even under the best of fiscal circumstances, George Bush should not be handpicking his financial supporters and friends to rebuild Iraq. Congress is properly examining the situation. And as the taxpayers whose money will help fund the effort, we must demand that the process be fair.
But Iraq shouldn't be put back together with American dollars, alone. That country's oil revenue comes to approximately $20 billion per year. That money can help fund the Bush administration's promises of rebuilding the country, providing universal health care and transforming Iraqi schools.
As public employees, we are on the frontlines when it comes to putting America's tax dollars to work. Better than anyone, we know what needs to be done to patch holes in state, county and municipal budgets, preserve public services, address a worsening health care crisis, and shore up vital domestic programs like Medicare and Social Security.
With the worst state budget crises since WWII, we also know it's wrong for this administration to push for another round of tax cuts worth billions of dollars — especially when those cuts will go primarily to those with the top 1 percent of income.
'STARVE' THE SUPER-RICH. Every day, across this nation, Americans are struggling to make ends meet, losing their jobs, going without vital public services. Yet the Bush administration wants to give more money to people like Michael Dell of Dell Computer, who made $82.3 million while his company laid off thousands of workers, and Donald Carty, American Airlines' recently dethroned chief executive, who tried to hoodwink his company's unions into all kinds of givebacks as he boosted the wealth of top executives.
In February, the nation's governors asked the President for federal money to help close their widening deficits. They were turned down. Any money the federal government now has to "give," should go to ailing states, counties and localities, not to friends of the Bush administration who are already super wealthy — whether in the form of a lucrative contract or another tax cut.
Listen up, George Bush: You've looked for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. Now it's time for you to fix the weapons of mass destruction — joblessness, spiraling health care costs, crumbling schools, endangered public services — that plague us here at home.
