IT'S NOT ENOUGH OF AN EMERGENCY TO ABANDON SOCIALISM (via Robert Schwartz):

A Shameful Proclamation (New York Times, September 10, 2005)

On Thursday, President Bush issued a proclamation suspending the law that requires employers to pay the locally prevailing wage to construction workers on federally financed projects. The suspension applies to parts of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida.

By any standard of human decency, condemning many already poor and now bereft people to subpar wages - thus perpetuating their poverty - is unacceptable. It is also bad for the economy. Without the law, called the Davis-Bacon Act, contractors will be able to pay less, but they'll also get less, as lower wages invariably mean lower productivity.

The ostensible rationale for suspending the law is to reduce taxpayers' costs. Does Mr. Bush really believe it is the will of the American people to deny the prevailing wage to construction workers in New Orleans, Biloxi and other hard-hit areas?

If you want to ask them you could go to Wal-Mart where the American people are busy shopping this weekend, denying service workers and garment workers the wages the Times thinks they should get.

Posted by Orrin Judd at September 11, 2005 12:00 AM