Karl Rove in charge of $200 billion post-Katrina reconstruction effort

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Karl Rove in charge of $200 billion post-Katrina

reconstruction effort 16 Sep 2005

Fri, 16 Sep 2005 03:50:34 -0400

 

 

 

Breaking News and Commentary from Citizens For Legitimate Government

16 September 2005

http://www.legitgov.org

 

 

All links to articles as summarized below are available here:

http://www.legitgov.org/index.html#breaking_news

 

Karl Rove in charge of $200 billion post-Katrina reconstruction effort

15 Sep 2005 In a primetime speech tonight from the flood zone,

pResident Bush will commit the federal government to what many predict

will become the largest reconstruction effort ever on U.S. soil.

Republicans said Karl Rove, the White House deputy chief of staff and

Bush's chief political adviser, is in charge of the $200 billion

reconstruction effort.

 

 

 

Firms cash in on Katrina windfall 11 Sep 2005 Private contractors,

guided by two former directors of the Federal Emergency Management

Agency and other well-connected lobbyists and consultants, are rushing

to cash in on the unprecedented sums to be spent on Hurricane Katrina

relief and reconstruction. From global engineering and construction

firms such as the Fluor Corporation and Halliburton, of which

vice-pResident Dick Cheney is a former head, to local rubbish removal

and road-building concerns, the private sector is poised to reap a

windfall in the largest domestic rebuilding effort ever undertaken.

 

 

 

Senate Kills Bid for Katrina Commission 14 Sep 2005 Senate Republicans

on Wednesday scuttled an attempt by Sen. Hillary Clinton to establish

an independent, bipartisan panel patterned after the 9/11 Commission

to investigate what went wrong with federal, state and local

governments' response to Hurricane Katrina.

 

 

 

Virtual martial law in the Big Easy By Peter Fimrite 08 Sep 2005 " I

did not actually count the number of automatic weapons pointed at me,

but there were at least five, and I was certain they were all locked

and loaded, or whatever that military phrase is signifying that a gun

is ready to blow a hole in somebody. " Step out! " commanded the

black-helmeted man in the middle of what appeared to be a tactical

formation. He was pointing a laser-like flashlight attached to his

machine gun at me... There are National Guard, police and Army

checkpoints every few blocks. SWAT teams, soldiers and military squads

from as far away as Puerto Rico patrol the downtown streets, stopping

anyone they see... It is essentially martial law in the Big Easy and

being outside without a press pass can be dangerous, if not deadly.

Hearst Corp. hired six armed military contractors, led by former Navy

SEAL Chris White, to protect the house and journalists, presumably

from looters, but also from arrest by police or the military. " [A must

read]

 

 

 

" The Department of Homeland Security is registering evacuees who are

now in shelters, churches or private homes -- whether in the Gulf

region or far away... We need to know who you are... " --George W.

Bush, speech from New Orleans, 15 Sep 2005 [Right, so more prisoners

can stay behind the concertina wire in FEMA's camps.]

 

 

 

Bush Vows Aid for Storm-Struck Gulf Coast 15 Sep 2005 ...In the

speech, pResident Bush repeated a hotline number, 1-877-568-3317, for

people to call to help reunite family members separated during the

hurricane. Moments later, Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., criticized Bush,

saying " Leadership isn't a speech or a toll-free number. " " No American

doubts that New Orleans will rise again, " Kerry said. " They doubt the

competence and commitment of this administration. "

 

 

 

Army Corps of Engineers Admits Sandbag Error 15 Sep 2005 Before

Hurricane Katrina struck, the government should have had more sandbags

and helicopters near New Orleans, ready to repair damaged levees, the

commander of the Army Corps of Engineers said Thursday.

 

 

 

Report: Ex-FEMA director blames La. --Brown's account suggests the

White House knew right away that the storm was leaving the coast in

shambles. 15 Sep 2005 Michael Brown told The New York Times that

within hours of Katrina's attack on New Orleans he told the White

House that Louisiana officials lacked an organized response, leading

to an " out of control " situation. Brown said he called Homeland

Security Secretary Michael Chertoff and White House chief of staff

Andrew Card to let them know the situation was out of control. His

account suggests the White House knew right away that the storm was

leaving the coast in shambles.

 

 

 

Ex-FEMA Chief Tells of Frustration and Chaos 15 Sep 2005 Hours after

Hurricane Katrina passed New Orleans on Aug. 29, as the scale of the

catastrophe became clear, Michael D. Brown recalls, he placed frantic

calls to his boss, Michael Chertoff, the secretary of homeland

security, and to the office of the White House chief of staff, Andrew

H. Card Jr.

 

 

 

Mississippi sues 5 insurers over Katrina claims 15 Sep 2005

Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood sued five major insurance

companies on Thursday, saying adjusters sought to cheat Hurricane

Katrina survivors out of millions of dollars in homeowners' claims.

 

 

 

Gov't Credit Cards for Katrina Draw Fire 15 Sep 2005 Lawmakers and

watchdog groups worry that allowing federal employees to charge up to

$250,000 on their government-issued credit cards for Hurricane

Katrina-related expenses will lead to a repeat of past abuses.

 

 

 

US House Republicans say sticking to tax cut plans 14 Sep 2005 U.S.

House Republicans said on Wednesday they were still committed to

extending tax cuts signed by pResident Bush two years ago, saying they

had not abandoned the effort, despite Hurricane Katrina.

 

 

 

More Iraqis Joining Zarqawi's Cause 15 Sep 2005 Al Qaeda's top

operative in Iraq is drawing growing numbers of Iraqi nationals to his

organization, increasing the reach and threat of an insurgent

[resistance] group that has been behind many of the most devastating

attacks in the country, U.S. officials and Iraqi government leaders say.

 

 

 

New Round of Iraq Violence Leaves 31 Dead 15 Sep 2005 Two suicide car

bombers struck within a minute of each other and a half-mile apart in

southern Baghdad on Thursday, killing seven policemen and raising the

day's death toll from blasts in the capital to at least 31, police said.

 

 

 

Norwegian troops to quit Iraq, Bush told 16 Sep 2005 Norway's incoming

Prime Minister has told US pResident George W Bush that he will order

Norwegian troops to leave Iraq as soon as he takes office, the NTB

news agency reported.

 

 

 

Chicago biggest city yet to call for bringing troops home 15 Sep 2005

Chicago on Wednesday became the nation's largest city to demand an

" orderly and rapid withdrawal " of U.S. troops from Iraq. [Oops!

Chicago just put itself on top of the list of Blue cities that Bush

bin Laden has in its sights.]

 

 

 

Iraqis' right to life no longer protected -Annan 15 Sep 2005 The right

to life of civilians in Iraq has fallen victim to a combination of

terrorism, violent crime and military excesses, U.N. Secretary-General

Kofi Annan reported on Thursday.

 

 

 

Iraqi farmer describes assault by seven British soldiers --18-year-old

died of head injuries after assault 14 Sep 2005 An Iraqi farmer told a

UK court martial yesterday how up to seven British soldiers had beaten

him unconscious in an " angry, nervous " rage. Athar Finjan Saddam

Abdullah was giving evidence against seven members of the Parachute

Regiment accused of murdering another man caught up in the alleged

assault.

 

 

 

Hunger Strike Spreads at Guantanamo Bay 15 Sep 2005 A hunger strike at

the U.S. prison for terror suspects in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, has grown

to its largest point since detainees began their latest protest more

than a month ago, a military official said Thursday.

 

 

 

Parliament demands Afghanistan torture truth --Who knew what - and

when did they know it? A majority in parliament wants answers

regarding torture claims in Afghanistan 15 Sep 2005 After new

revelations in a case involving US forces mistreating detainees at

Camp Kandahar in Afghanistan, a political majority is demanding that

the defence minister explain just who knew what and when they knew it.

 

 

 

Israeli ex-military chief cancels trip to UK over threat of war crimes

arrest --'Targeted' actions in Gaza may attract charges --Present

chief of staff told not to visit London 16 Sep 2005 A former Israeli

military chief, Moshe Yaalon, has cancelled a trip to London for fear

of arrest on war crimes charges relating to attacks on Palestinian

civilians and property.

 

 

 

US threatens North Korea with assets freeze 16 Sep 2005 The United

States threatened to freeze North Korean assets if the reclusive state

did not toe the line in talks aimed at ending its nuclear weapons

program, and said it wanted to see progress within five days.

 

 

 

'Has the place blown up?' 15 Sep 2005 John Bolton's reputation as a

difficult diplomat gave his boss, U.S. Terrorist George W. Bush, an

opportunity to tease the new American ambassador to the United

Nations. " How's he doing? Has the place blown up? " Bush asked U.N.

Secretary-General Kofi Annan as the pResident and Bolton arrived at

U.N. headquarters on Tuesday for a world summit.

 

 

 

U.K. Seeks to Extend Detention for Terror Suspects to 3 Months 15 Sep

2005 The U.K. government proposed legislation that would allow police

to hold terror suspects for up to three months without charge,

threatening a truce with opposition parties over how to prevent a

repeat of the London attacks.

 

 

 

Weldon: Atta Papers Destroyed on Orders 15 Sep 2005 A Pentagon

employee was ordered to destroy documents that identified Mohamed Atta

as a terrorist two years before the 2001 attacks, a congressman said

Thursday. The employee is prepared to testify next week before the

Senate Judiciary Committee and was expected to identify the person who

ordered him to destroy the large volume of documents, said Rep.

http://www.legitgov.org/9_1_1_oddities.html

 

 

 

CIA leak investigator warns against document release 15 Sep 2005 The

Justice Department and the special counsel investigating the leak of a

CIA operative's identity pressed Congress to block legislation that

would compel the administration to turn over documents related to the

case, the department said in a letter released on Thursday.

 

 

 

'Baffled' peace activist gets $11,700 bill 16 Sep 2005 American peace

activist Scott Parkin arrived back in the US today under guard after

Australian authorities detained him in a Melbourne jail for five days

for being a " national security risk " . ...Parkin was also handed a bill

for almost $11,700. It included $4,235.03 for his airfare back to LA

and $6,675.39 for the return airfares of his two corrective services

escorts as well as their accommodation in Los Angeles.

 

 

 

Texas county bans parking near Bush ranch 15 Sep 2005 Two weeks after

Cindy Sheehan left her anti-war campsite by the road leading to

pResident Bush's ranch, county commissioners have banned parking along

23 miles of roads in the area.

 

 

 

Grandmother, 73, held as sausage looter --Witnesses, even deli owner,

says church deaconess was wrongly arrested 15 Sep 2005 A 73-year-old

church deaconess, never before in trouble with the law, now sleeps in

prison among hardened criminals. Merlene Maten's offense? Police say

the grandmother from New Orleans took $63.50 in goods from a looted

deli the day after Katrina struck.

 

 

 

Grandma fired for missing work during Katrina --Woman took care of

granddaughter since parents stuck in New Orleans 15 Sep 2005 When

forced to decide between caring for her 18-month-old granddaughter

while her parents were stranded in New Orleans or showing up for her

job, Barbara Roberts chose to be a grandma. And for that, she was fired.

 

 

 

Roberts tries to reassure: 'I am not an ideologue' --Confirmation as

chief justice appears certain after four days of Senate hearings 16

Sep 2005 With his confirmation as chief justice virtually assured,

Supreme Court nominee John Roberts Jr. wrapped up four days of

confirmation hearings Thursday with a reassurance for nervous

Democrats: " I am not an ideologue. "

 

 

 

Connecticut Voting Machines Fail In Accessibility Test --Lever Voting

Machines Don't Meet Federal Requirements 15 Sep 2005 Connecticut's

3,500 lever-style mechanical voting machines may have to be replaced

before the 2006 election because a federal commission has ruled the

old machines are not accessible to all voters, Secretary of the State

Susan Bysiewicz said Thursday.

 

 

 

More corporate welfare surely on the way: Airline bankruptcies deepen

US pension crisis: Congress 15 Sep 2005 The latest airline

bankruptcies are deepening the crisis in private pensions, which now

threaten to leave the US government with a 141.9 billion dollar

liability, a congressional report said.

 

 

 

Oops! Mice infected with deadly plague are missing in N.J. 15 Sep 2005

Authorities are searching for three mice infected with bubonic plague

that disappeared from a research laboratory about two weeks ago. The

mice went missing from the lab of the Public Health Research

Institute, which is located on the UMDNJ campus and conducts

bioterrorism research for the federal government. [Oh, I'm sure

they'll emerge in a Blue state pretty soon.]

 

 

 

Australia joins global fight against bird flu 16 Sep 2005 Australia

has joined a new international partnership set up by the United States

to try to 'prevent' [foment] an avian flu pandemic.

http://www.legitgov.org/flu_oddities.html

 

 

 

U.S. Buys $100 Million of Bird Flu Vaccine 15 Sep 2005 Mass production

of a new vaccine that promises to protect against bird flu is poised

to begin, as the government on Thursday agreed to stockpile $100

million worth of inoculations. The new contract with French vaccine

maker Sanofi-Pasteur marks a major scale-up in U.S. preparation for

the possibility that the virus could spark an influenza pandemic.

 

 

 

Indonesia Reports 4th Human Bird Flu Death 15 Sep 2005 Indonesia on

Friday confirmed its fourth human death from the bird flu virus, and

warned that more cases in the sprawling country were inevitable.

 

 

 

Global warming 'past the point of no return' 16 Sep 2005 A record loss

of sea ice in the Arctic this summer has convinced scientists that the

northern hemisphere may have crossed a critical threshold beyond which

the climate may never recover. Scientists fear that the Arctic has now

entered an irreversible phase of warming which will accelerate the

loss of the polar sea ice that has helped to keep the climate stable

for thousands of years.

 

 

 

Increase in Major Hurricanes Linked to Warmer Seas 15 Sep 2005 The

number of severe hurricanes has doubled worldwide even though the

total number of hurricanes has dropped over the last 35 years, a new

study finds. The increase in major storms like Katrina coincides with

a global increase of sea surface temperatures, which scientists say is

an effect of global warming.

 

 

 

[15 Sep lead stories:] House GOP Derails Democratic Inquiries on

Downing St., Plame Documents 14 Sep 2005 House Republicans derailed

Democratic attempts on Wednesday to force the Bush regime to surrender

documents on prewar intelligence and the disclosure of the identity of

a CIA operative. Democrats have introduced several " resolutions of

inquiry " to compel Dictator Bush and members of his Cabinet to release

all information relating to communications with British officials

before the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq and the Valerie Plame case.

 

 

 

FEMA, La. outsource Katrina body count to firm implicated in

body-dumping scandals By Miriam Raftery 14 Sep 2005 " The Federal

Emergency Management Agency has hired Kenyon International to set up a

mobile morgue for handling bodies in Baton Rouge, Louisiana following

Hurricane Katrina, RAW STORY has learned. Kenyon is a subsidiary of

Service Corporation International (SCI), a scandal-ridden Texas-based

company operated by a friend of the Bush family. Recently, SCI

subsidiaries have been implicated in illegally discarding and

desecrating corpses. "

 

 

 

La. to pay Kenyon $119,000 a day for body recovery 14 Sep 2005 The

state of Louisiana will pay Kenyon International Emergency Services

almost $119,000 a day for two months for the job of recovering,

documenting and handling [not to mention, concealing] the bodies of

the victims of Hurricane Katrina, according to documents released by

the state.

 

All links to articles as summarized below are available here:

http://www.legitgov.org/index.html#breaking_news

 

CLGers: Please contribute for September's expenses, thank you! And,

thank you to all who have donated previously!!

http://www.legitgov.org/#contribute

 

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CLG Newsletter editor: Lori Price, General Manager. 2005,

Citizens For Legitimate Government ® All rights reserved. CLG Founder

and Chair is Michael Rectenwald, Ph.D.