Just another note on <$NoAd$> the ‘LoBiondo letter’ — the letter from House Republicans calling on President Bush to call off the Gulf Coast Wage Cut. It doesn’t really ask him to call it off. The letter, which is supposedly going to be released tomorrow, asks for him to leave it in place for no more than sixty days. Specifically, the signatories speak of
our severe concerns with your decision to issue a presidential proclamation suspending indefinitely the application of the Davis-Bacon Act in areas along the Gulf Coast devastated by Hurricane Katrina. We respectfully urge you to immediately provide a date certain for the termination of the proclamation suspending Davis-Bacon of no later than November 8, 2005. Such an action on your part will help prevent potential legislative action by the Congress, and help restore federal procurement stability in the reconstruction effort.
But, really, why even wait sixty days? It was a bad idea to start with. And all the excuses about cutting red tape are bunk. Can’t they do better?
