Dec. 26, 2006 - 19:39 MST

THE USUAL

It seems sometimes that the real news, or the nitty gritty down and dritty shows up mid paper. In the National Briefing section of The Rocky Mountain News this morning is an item from the District of Columbia that should call attention to what has been going on for quite some time. Quoted in full here:

KATRINA WASTE COULD EXCEED $2 BILLION IN '07

WASHINGTON -- "Hurricane Katrina waste could top $2 Billion next year because half of the lucrative government contracts valued at $500,000 or greater for cleanup work are being awarded with little competition."

"Federal investigators already have determined the Bush administration squandered $1 billion on fraudulent disaster aid to individuals after the 2005 storm. Now they are shifting their attention to the multimillion-dollar contracts to politically connected firms that critics have long said are a prime area for abuse."

"In January, investigators will release the first of several audits examining more than $12 billion in Katrina contracts."

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Things seem to follow a well worn pattern, just thinking of Halliburton and some of the favored few (or many) who reaped big bucks for doing too little in Iraq.

Contracts awarded without competitive bids, often for spurious reasons.

Of course this administration is not the only administration ever guilty of doing such things, nor is it the doings of one party.

Seems as if there is big money involved, the howling wolves will get the big bites. With rebates of course to those with greedy fingers one would think.

Would that I could think of a good plan to eliminate such things, but I guess better people than I have already tried more things to control the situation than my poor, feeble little mind can manufacture.

But, I'll keep thinking and hoping that I can bring up something to counter THE USUAL . . . . . . . . . . . .

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