Republican Investigation into Gasoline Company Price Gouging

The Republican Senate has finally been goaded into requiring that the Federal Trade Commission conduct an investigation into allegations of price gouging. It is doubtful that anyone will be found guilty since, in the grand tradition of appointing polluters to head the EPA and Halliburton CEOs as Vice President, Bush has appointed a former Chevron Texaco Lawyer Deborah Majoras as the head of the FTC. Too bad Emperor Bush is so homely, because he is surely getting naked.

Suspension of Davis-Bacon "prevailing wage"

I sent the following email to my representative, Ron Lewis, and my senators, Jim Bunning and Mitch McConnell:

As you know, President Bush has suspended the "prevailing wage" provision of the Davis-Bacon Act as a part of his response to Hurricane Katrina. Some of us believe that is pretty sorry treatment for the people who live in the Gulf Coast area who surely need jobs that pay well to rebuild their lives, especially when multimillion dollar no-bid contracts are being handed out to Fluor, Bechtel, Halliburton, and the Shaw Group, the same bunch burning our tax dollars in Iraq. I believe most working Kentuckians would rather see their tax dollars go to fellow WORKING Americans. Certainly, we doubt that these companies would have trouble turning a profit paying prevailing wage.

Where do you stand? I'm sure all Kentuckians would like to know.

My prediction is that all three will either ignore my question or will, after a long delay, reply with a vague evasive explanation, possibly with a reference to prayer, of why working people should sacrifice for Dick Cheney's company.

Maybe Someone Doesn't Like New Orleans

The headine of this article says it all. When pilots are getting reprimands for rescuing people, something is out of kilter.

Why Protect A Lying Source?

Were the Washington Post and Newsweek used to "Swiftboat" Governor Blanco? Now that the word is out that the Washington Post and Newsweek were falsely told by a "senior Bush official" that Governor Blanco of Louisiana did not declare a state of emergency, the next logical question is whether a news organization is obligated to "protect" a source who knowingly and intentionally lied for political purposes. If the Washington Post and Newsweek do not immediately identify the source of the lie, then they are part of the propaganda machinery.

Rapper Lays on Truth, TV Station Apologizes

On the Concert for Hurricane Relief, Kanye West said: "...I hate the way they are portrayed in the media. Black families it says they are looting, white families it says the are looking for food....They've given them permission to go down there and shoot us"

"George Bush doesn't care about black people."

His statements may or may not be factual. However, it is strongly arguable that there are facts to support his assertions. Louisville, KY television station WAVE was so cowardly as to interrupt programming and send Dawne Gee, an African-American news reporter, to offer an abject apology for the comments. Shame on them. Their response may be even more racist than his comments.

Profess not talking . . .

When I was sponsor of a high school annual, one of the dissident seniors on the annual staff borrowed without attribution and corrupted a quotation from Act V, Scene ii of King Henry IV by the bard, William Shakespeare, and placed it prominently in the yearbook. The student's version: "I profess not talking; only this, let each man do his best."

Now, in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, there will be much talking, both finger-pointing and denial of responsibility. Here's a safe bet: There will be NO mea culpas from the Bush administration. This LONG article, written September 22, 2004, details the impact the Bush administration has had on FEMA and disaster mitigation efforts. Now may not be the time for finger-pointing and blame-placing. On the other hand, there are rats gnawing on corpses in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States of America.

I am compelled to contribute to the relief effort, both financially and by being there. However, I am also compelled to TALK. By the way, good on Anderson Cooper for pointing out sweet talk among polititians while rats work:

Excuse me, Senator, I'm sorry for interrupting. I haven't heard that, because, for the last four days, I've been seeing dead bodies in the streets here in Mississippi. And to listen to politicians thanking each other and complimenting each other, you know, I got to tell you, there are a lot of people here who are very upset, and very angry, and very frustrated.

And when they hear politicians slap -- you know, thanking one another, it just, you know, it kind of cuts them the wrong way right now, because literally there was a body on the streets of this town yesterday being eaten by rats because this woman had been laying in the street for 48 hours. And there's not enough facilities to take her up.

Do you get the anger that is out here?

Eloquent! Damn good talking, Anderson! I think you ARE doing your best.