the road to political success really IS paved with gold!
The following information can be obtained by typing the name "Joe Allbaugh" into the search engine and information database Wikipedia.com.
Many people don't know who Joe Allbaugh is, so here is some background (without having to read five pages in Wikipedia):
Allbaugh served as George Bush's campaign manager when GW was running for Governor in Texas in 1994, and was again Campaign Manager for Bush's first Presidential run in 2000. After the George Bush became President, he got rid of James-Lee Witt and appointed Allbaugh as Director of FEMA. Allbaugh was director of FEMA for about 2 years, then he resigned on March 1st 2003. He was replaced by his college roomate Michael D. Brown, of "heck-of-a-job-Brownie" fame. It's a gigantic revolving door over there.
This is the incredible part. After his resignation, Allbaugh went to work for two companies: New Bridge Strategies, and Diligence Iraq. New Bridge Strategies is a consulting firm that helps clients "evaluate and take advantage of business opportunities in the Middle East following the conclusion of the US-led war in Iraq" (Edsall, Thomas B. and Juliet Eilperin. "Lobbyists Set Sights On Money-Making Opportunities in Iraq". Washington Post, October 2, 2003, p. A21). Diligence Iraq is a security company that protects civilians working in Iraq. Big money on both parts.
He also opened his own firm, called the Allbaugh Company. They are essentially a lobbyist group that specializes in winning government contracts for their powerful clientelle.
After hurricane Katrina, Allbaugh was one of the first on the scene. It was his influence that enabled the Shaw Group to win a $100 millon contract to help rebuild and provide emergency housing. Though Allbaugh claims his company does no direct political lobbying, it's hard to imagine that he didn't make a call to his college buddy Michael Brown to secure the $100 million contract for Shaw. He also won Iraq contracts for Halliburton worth over $9 billion (that number is from 2005).
Allbaugh's story can be seen over and over again within not only this administration, but many others before it as well, and it is exactly what is wrong with this country. Even as an appointed political employee, in charge of a huge organization whose job it is to help people after a disaster, he obviously cares nothing for serving the public. With no disaster relief or preparedness experience he was appointed head of FEMA by George Bush where he raked in a little less than $200,000 a year as FEMA director (that's comfortable), then made enough political connections to open up his own firm to do the same thing he had been doing as a government employee, only making more money. We see this scenario time and time again and it is rotting our system. Croneyism is a way of life for every administration, but this administration has taken it to a new level. It is more than hiring people you know and trust, it is hiring people because they can give you something in return. It's a gigantic circle of wealthy men scratching each other's backs. Proof of this can be seen in the fact that there have been more political turnovers between 2001 and 2007 than we have ever seen before as a Nation.
The government is chock full of rich people trying to get richer off the infinite amount of money available through government contracts. Allbaugh's connection to the Shaw group, Halliburton and others is more than disturbing. War and disaster are huge money makers, and these people have neither the consciences nor the restraint to keep from taking advantage of other people's suffering.
Many people don't know who Joe Allbaugh is, so here is some background (without having to read five pages in Wikipedia):
Allbaugh served as George Bush's campaign manager when GW was running for Governor in Texas in 1994, and was again Campaign Manager for Bush's first Presidential run in 2000. After the George Bush became President, he got rid of James-Lee Witt and appointed Allbaugh as Director of FEMA. Allbaugh was director of FEMA for about 2 years, then he resigned on March 1st 2003. He was replaced by his college roomate Michael D. Brown, of "heck-of-a-job-Brownie" fame. It's a gigantic revolving door over there.
This is the incredible part. After his resignation, Allbaugh went to work for two companies: New Bridge Strategies, and Diligence Iraq. New Bridge Strategies is a consulting firm that helps clients "evaluate and take advantage of business opportunities in the Middle East following the conclusion of the US-led war in Iraq" (Edsall, Thomas B. and Juliet Eilperin. "Lobbyists Set Sights On Money-Making Opportunities in Iraq". Washington Post, October 2, 2003, p. A21). Diligence Iraq is a security company that protects civilians working in Iraq. Big money on both parts.
He also opened his own firm, called the Allbaugh Company. They are essentially a lobbyist group that specializes in winning government contracts for their powerful clientelle.
After hurricane Katrina, Allbaugh was one of the first on the scene. It was his influence that enabled the Shaw Group to win a $100 millon contract to help rebuild and provide emergency housing. Though Allbaugh claims his company does no direct political lobbying, it's hard to imagine that he didn't make a call to his college buddy Michael Brown to secure the $100 million contract for Shaw. He also won Iraq contracts for Halliburton worth over $9 billion (that number is from 2005).
Allbaugh's story can be seen over and over again within not only this administration, but many others before it as well, and it is exactly what is wrong with this country. Even as an appointed political employee, in charge of a huge organization whose job it is to help people after a disaster, he obviously cares nothing for serving the public. With no disaster relief or preparedness experience he was appointed head of FEMA by George Bush where he raked in a little less than $200,000 a year as FEMA director (that's comfortable), then made enough political connections to open up his own firm to do the same thing he had been doing as a government employee, only making more money. We see this scenario time and time again and it is rotting our system. Croneyism is a way of life for every administration, but this administration has taken it to a new level. It is more than hiring people you know and trust, it is hiring people because they can give you something in return. It's a gigantic circle of wealthy men scratching each other's backs. Proof of this can be seen in the fact that there have been more political turnovers between 2001 and 2007 than we have ever seen before as a Nation.
The government is chock full of rich people trying to get richer off the infinite amount of money available through government contracts. Allbaugh's connection to the Shaw group, Halliburton and others is more than disturbing. War and disaster are huge money makers, and these people have neither the consciences nor the restraint to keep from taking advantage of other people's suffering.
posted by adampaul at
1:56 PM
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