Mike's Blog Roundup
TPM Election Central: Ten senior Hess Corporation executives and/or members of the Hess family each gave $28,500 to the joint RNC-McCain fundraising committee, just days after McCain reversed himself to favor offshore drilling. Even a Hess office manager and her husband, an Amtrak employee, donated $28,000 apiece. Hess must be exceedingly kind to its staff.
POGO Blog: According to the Small Business Administration (SBA) Office of Inspector General, Blackwater may have improperly received numerous contracts set aside for small businesses.
Common Dreams: Indiscriminate civilian massacres by US military are nothing new.
EconoSpeak: What economists should be doing about climate change.
James Fallows: NYT lapse could cause big problems for a Beijing resident
They gave us a republic: The Nightowl Newswrap
"Improperly". I love that. That is fucking funny.
They "improperly" received several contracts meant for small business.
As if they weren't going to get them otherwise.
As if they weren't the only people on the list to receive said contracts.
As if the damage done is going to be undone.
As if they're going to give the money back and restart the evaluation. As if there even was one.
Really. Who writes this stuff because it's really funny.
Did Hess thank John McCain for not checking their tire pressure?
I would like to know if that Hess office manager had any large deposits made to her bank account just prior to her writing her contribution check.
Just the mention of blackwater scares the hell out of me. After reading the book "Blackwater" it would scare anyone. That's one dangerous organization and it appears they are under no govt. oversight
Regarding Blackwater, this is the fault of the SBA. They require annual financial statements in addition to provisional rates based on these financial statements, (in the case of Blackwater - consolidated financial statements), so how could Blackwater possibly qualify as a small business under the SBA definition.
As for Blackwater, if they were not providing consolidated financial statements and provisional rates based on consolidated financial statements, but merely financial statements from each individual entity, they have commited fraud. They know the rules, but willingly and intentionally circumvented them to obtain these contracts.
I know this is dull, but these are the rules. There should be no misunderstanding. The fact that this most obviously did not occur is a red flag for both sides of these transactions, Blackwater and the SBA.
The SBA has given out money to large companies for decades. Blackwater may be one of the most vile, though.
Nada @ 1:
I'm shocked; shocked, I tell you!
Haliburton is known for soliciting businesses that fall under the small business or 8(a) minority owned small business provisions to obtain contracts thru the SBA; Halliburton subsequently is contracted as the subcontractor and performs all the work. Both companies profit, but it is really, really dirty. And, of course, we pay, pay, pay.
Thanks for the link-love for our new home site Mike! I'll send that firstborn along momentarily, I owe you at least that much!
The donations from Hess to John McLame came before McLame flipped on off shore drilling:
http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/08/report_hess_exec...
pissed off patricia @ 3:
I thought all employees get a "latter part of July" bonus?
Something to cheer up your day by:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iszy6_NMOD0
I get the impression that McBuyme is even worse than Bush. Bush is mainly controlled and bought by the energy lobby. But Johnny boy takes money from everybody, as often and as much as possible like an ordinary street hooker.
McCain a maverick? Yeah, the greatest joke of all.
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