Political Quotes

“I will tell you, when we hear about the contracts that are being let for Hurricane Katrina and other natural disasters, it raises similar questions. Just last week, the head of procurement in the White House, Mr. Safavian, was arrested. He was the top man in the White House when it came to procurement and contracts. Because of some misrepresentations that he apparently made--it has been alleged that he made these misrepresentations--he has been asked to step down from this spot in the White House. But we have to ask about the contracts that are being let now for Hurricane Katrina. The Senate and House approved some $60 billion for emergency aid. So far, 80 percent of the contracts that FEMA has let are no-bid contracts. They have just awarded them to companies without any competitive bidding whatsoever. The New York Times on September 26 said as follows: More than 80 percent of the $1.5 billion of contracts signed by FEMA alone were awarded without bidding, or with limited competition, government records show, provoking concerns among auditors and government officials about the potential for favoritism and abuse. Already questions have been asked about the political connection of major contracts. And the article goes on: Questions are being raised as to whether this money is actually going to the victims and is actually being well spent.…”