Shocking News from ABCs Diane Sawyer

[slimmer13]

Always someone to blame Bush! I suppose you think Fast & Furious was his too?

It just gets incredibly tiresome how everything that happens in this country (good or bad) turns political. There is plenty to blame on Obama, no need to politicize every bad decision made within the massive govt beaurocracy and every tragedy.

For example, blaming Bush for the botched Katrinsa response and the blaming of Obama for the slow stopping of the Gulf oil spill. Next will be "How the heck can Obama just do nothing when half the country is in a drought? Why cant he just make it rain?" Or "How come Obama lets puppies get ran over?"

 

[fredball]

No, Bush only made us much more indebted to the Chineese than any other president to date. I am sure that has nothing to do with how we cow tow to them, right?

James Ruby

What you fail too see it the dems took control of the house and senate in 2007 and the problems started when in 2007 so when you blame bush he was fighting fist to cuff to not allow this to happen, but it's all bushes fault so based on this train of thought lets talk about the 5.2 trillion this current president has added to the debt & deficeit to date but wait thats bushes fault too right, 5.2 trillion in just short of 4 years no president had thrown that much money away and nothing to show for it but higher priced everything.
fast & furious bushes fault,solyndra 1/2 a billion dollars and the loan was restructured so the private investors were payed back before the tax payer and yup you guessed it the ceo of solyndra was a obama bundler in 08 shoot that was bushes fault to . oh and our credit rating being dropped from 3a to 2a and soon 1a
that darn president bush he has been out of office for almost 4 years and still gets blamed for all of our current problems, I'll bet he gets blamed for all obamas golf and vacations too .

 

[davemata]

Let's not let the realities of what happened get in the way of party politics. Those silly things like how Bush pissed away money and jobs that Clinton get in place. Or the fact that he pulled us into a "war" that we will never win, and fell directly into what Bin Laden wanted for America.

 

[PatBeecher]

Though I am still uncertain as to who i will vote for in November - this is a state issue not a federal issue. The states turned down federal money so that they could chose who they wanted as contractors. This is not an Obama or federal issue.

Respectfully

James Ruby

Sorry to say but IT IS A Federal ISSUE

There are laws to create an even playing field, the Chinese are paying much lower wages which in turn make the US Contractors uncompetitive. IT IS THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, SPECIFICALLY THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH'S CONSTITUTIONAL DUTY TO ENFORCE THE LAW. But as usual they consistently pic and choose the laws they wish to enforce. To be fair this is not the only administration to do so but this is the most flagrant I have ever seen.

 

[JGRuby]

What you fail too see it the dems took control of the house and senate in 2007 and the problems started when in 2007 so when you blame bush he was fighting fist to cuff to not allow this to happen, but it's all bushes fault so based on this train of thought lets talk about the 5.2 trillion this current president has added to the debt & deficeit to date but wait thats bushes fault too right, 5.2 trillion in just short of 4 years no president had thrown that much money away and nothing to show for it but higher priced everything.
fast & furious bushes fault,solyndra 1/2 a billion dollars and the loan was restructured so the private investors were payed back before the tax payer and yup you guessed it the ceo of solyndra was a obama bundler in 08 shoot that was bushes fault to . oh and our credit rating being dropped from 3a to 2a and soon 1a
that darn president bush he has been out of office for almost 4 years and still gets blamed for all of our current problems, I'll bet he gets blamed for all obamas golf and vacations too .

Bush went into office with a surplus and ended up leaving with a massive defficit. Republicans hate big government but when Bush left office he left with the DHS one of the biggest government messes ever created by any president. Yeah lets give Bush credit where credit is due he created a mess that continues to this day. Bush in my mind succeeds as the worse president of my time and that even includes Obama. Why do you think the Republicans in general want nothing to do with him especially if they are running for office. Romney has to prove that he lives by a different set of standards if he wants to win the presedential election in November. Yup Bush was a real peice of work. GW's legacy lives on.

James Ruby

 

[davemata]

Sorry to say but IT IS A Federal ISSUE

There are laws to create an even playing field, the Chinese are paying much lower wages which in turn make the US Contractors uncompetitive. IT IS THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, SPECIFICALLY THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH'S CONSTITUTIONAL DUTY TO ENFORCE THE LAW. But as usual they consistently pic and choose the laws they wish to enforce. To be fair this is not the only administration to do so but this is the most flagrant I have ever seen.

What do you propose? US contractors paying lower wages to be competitive with the chinese? It costs less to live there, and frankly what they pay isn't relevant to the bid process. Do they:
1. Do the work
2. Put in the best reliable bid
3. Finish the job

That's all the matters, regardless of country of origin for the bidder.

 

[PatBeecher]

although I don't support the idea... this does not mean chinese labor are coming here to do the job...

it just means a chinese company is the contractor and any profits made goes to that company.

it still creates jobs, and jobs are still paid at prevailing wages...

no different than toyota building a plant in america... it's a japanese company and profits go to japan, but guess what, it's made in the USA...do you know that more than 70% of your ford was made overseas? only final assembly was done stateside...

next time you buy a new car, there is a sheet that states parts content country of origin, you will be amazed...

You have made a wrong assumption on the most critical point. YES IT DOES MEAN THEY ARE USING CHINESE WORKERS. They are bringing in Chinese Labor at a rate much lower than what an American could work at and survive on our Cost of Living, This is how they undercut all other bids, which is a violation of Federal Law, which is where the blame to the Executive Branch comes in. It is their Duty to enforce these laws and they have failed to.

 

[davemata]

which is a violation of Federal Law

Which one?

 

[PatBeecher]

Let's not let the realities of what happened get in the way of party politics. Those silly things like how Bush pissed away money and jobs that Clinton get in place. Or the fact that he pulled us into a "war" that we will never win, and fell directly into what Bin Laden wanted for America.

this is a thread about the present Administration. Not Bush's. Nowhere in the article does it mention Bush. Can you not defend Obama on the facts of his Administration? Or must you always try to redirect. Whenever I see " but bush did this, bush did that uh uh bush but uh bush, I know I have won and you have failed miserably, the argument is over. LOL

 

[davemata]

the argument is over. LOL

Apparently, as you failed to address any of my questions in posts #26 and #28.

Oh noes.

 

[PatBeecher]

This happened under Bush as well.

We did not have high unemployment when Bush was in office. If we truly did not have the workforce to do this work then so be it, but obviously this is not the case. I know of several Ship Builders OUT OF BUSINESS. THOUSANDS OF CERTIFIED AMERICAN WELDERS NEEDING WORK. Please go cry somewhere else about Bush. That does not help advance the debate it only attempts to muddy the water with idiocy.
To disagree with this policy is not OBAMA Bashing. It is just pointing out pure stupidity and if this is all you can come up with why bother?

 

[PatBeecher]

Apparently, as you failed to address any of my questions in posts #26 and #28.

Oh noes.

Have not read them yet, in due time.

 

[davemata]

Have not read them yet, in due time.

Thousands of certified welders out of work? How much an hour? Basically, there is a balance that has to be maintained between supply and cost. You can't charge a lot if you're competing with thousands of certified welders that are out of work. You have to compete on price. Failing that, you don't work. Done and done.

 

[PatBeecher]

Which one?

The Buy America program, established under 23 U.S.C. § 313.1
These requirements are intended to protect the environment, enable highway workers to earn a prevailing wage, assist members of disadvantaged populations in overcoming the effects of discrimination, and help the American iron and steel industry compete in the global economy. Some of these requirements apply to transportation projects, while others apply generally to any type of construction project that uses federal funds.

 

[davemata]

The Buy America program, established under 23 U.S.C. § 313.1

Going to go read that right now.

ETA - Neat idea, but it's a toothless tiger.

Read this:

(b) The provisions of subsection (a) of this section shall not

apply where the Secretary finds -

(1) that their application would be inconsistent with the

public interest;

(2) that such materials and products are not produced in the

United States in sufficient and reasonably available quantities

and of a satisfactory quality; or

(3) that inclusion of domestic material will increase the cost

of the overall project contract by more than 25 percent.

They use properly ambiguous terms to make it fit whatever they want it to. The law basically doesn't mean anything.

 

[PatBeecher]

What do you propose? US contractors paying lower wages to be competitive with the chinese? It costs less to live there, and frankly what they pay isn't relevant to the bid process. Do they:
1. Do the work
2. Put in the best reliable bid
3. Finish the job

That's all the matters, regardless of country of origin for the bidder.

That may be your opinion but it is not the law. My opinion is that my tax dollars are paying these contractors to do this work and I would like to see it employ Americans. And that my friend is not just my opinion it is the present LAW! (I will concede that this law only applies when Federal Funding is utilized, if the state decides to fund it without Federal Assistance then they are not breaking the Law, merely skirting it.

 

[PatBeecher]

Going to go read that right now.

Have fun. lol

 

[lamrith]

Can't blame the unemployment on the current administration. The house of cards was coming down before he took office, I was one of the casualties when the housing market dropped and construction Co went under, that was before the 08 election. I am not saying I am happy with much that has happened since then, but the housing crash and economic fall was set in motion well before the current pack of thieves got in the door.

 

[davemata]

Have fun. lol

I've had customers write more coherent documents. hahaha. It was the suck to read.

 

[PatBeecher]

I've had customers write more coherent documents. hahaha. It was the suck to read.

That is an entirely different problem. These apply also and are just as bad

-- projects go through an environmental review process, established under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA);

-- highway contractors pay their employees at least the Davis- Bacon prevailing wage, in accordance with 23 U.S.C. % 113;

-- minority- and women-owned firms are not discriminated against in the award and administration of highway projects via the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) program (23 U.S.C. % 140; 23 C.F.R. part 230; 49 C.F.R. part 26); and