What’s Allbaugh Doing For Halliburton?
What’s Allbaugh Doing For Halliburton?
The AP reports that Kellogg, Brown & Root, a Halliburton subsidiary that came under fire for its reconstruction work in Iraq, “has begun tapping a $500 million Navy contract to do emergency repairs at Gulf Coast naval and Marine facilities that were battered by Hurricane Katrina.â€
Under fire for mistreatment of whistleblowers and under investigation in Nigeria, France, and the U.S. for allegedly paying kickbacks and performing a variety of other corporate misdeeds, Halliburton’s past performance raises serious concerns about whether they’re the right company to help pull the Gulf Coast out of what may end up being the greatest natural disaster in U.S. history.
The appropriation of hurricane recovery funds also highlights Halliburton’s special interest connections to the White House. On February 1, 2005, The Allbaugh Company, under the name of M. Diane Allbaugh, registered to lobby for Kellogg, Brown & Root. The lobbying registration form lists Joe M. Allbaugh, former 2000 Bush campaign manager and former director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), as KBR’s official lobbyist.
The purpose of the lobbying agreement between Allbaugh and Halliburton was ostensibly to “Educate the congressional and executive branch on defense, disaster relief and homeland security issues affecting Kellogg Brown and Root.†Just last week, the Wall Street Journal reported, “Senate Appropriations staffers warn business lobbyists are maneuvering to tack on special-interest amendments†to the hurricane supplemental spending bill.
Was Allbaugh one of those maneuvering behind the scenes to get Halliburton a piece of the $10.5 billion pie that Congress recently passed for hurricane disaster relief?
If so, it wouldn’t be the first time Allbaugh used his links to Bush to profit off a disaster recovery. On Sept. 29, 2003, the New York Times reported that Allbaugh had set up a consulting firm, New Bridge Strategies, to advise companies that want to do business in Iraq, including those seeking pieces of taxpayer-financed reconstruction projects.
Topic Cloud
ArchivesBlog Roll
The Nazis had Ferdinand Porsche and the like….we have Halliburton, war profiteers all.
September 6th, 2005 at 10:14 amremember, Halliburton feeds our troops, brings us oil, delivers babies and changes diapers
September 6th, 2005 at 10:23 amWhat’s he doing?
Making sure that the FEMA-Katrina trough gets tipped in KBR’s direction. (And that enough feed sloshes over the side so Joe’s family doesn’t go hungry)
September 6th, 2005 at 10:34 amCorruption and incompetence are the hallmarks of Republican governance. Is NOLA Grover’s bathtub government?
September 6th, 2005 at 10:36 amWhat’s really disgusting is that we already knew this would happen – sad.
September 6th, 2005 at 10:38 amIt wouldn’t be a Republican administration if there weren’t opportunities for well-connected firms to profiteer – after all, who paid for the 2000/2004 elections anyway?
September 6th, 2005 at 10:39 amDick ‘Dragon’ Cheney is has been getting his complete blood transfusion over the last few days.
September 6th, 2005 at 10:43 amWhen he reveals his shit eatin’ face again, let’s hand him the ‘exploding heart’ technique.
Another no-bid contract for KBR & Halliburton? Hasn’t Mr. Bush and Mr. Cheney caused enough trouble for themselves from this disaster to be awarding contracts to this publicly tainted corporation? The sad thing is, I have a bad feeling this’ll blow over too.
September 6th, 2005 at 10:47 amWaco happened under Clinton’s watch. He even got ‘re-elected’ too. yee haw
It took Monica for him to get impeached.
He wouldn’t even resign.
stay asleep, don’t wake up.
September 6th, 2005 at 11:03 amThe story of FEMA and two college roommates, Joe Allbaugh and Mike Brown.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/05/opinion/05krugman.html?pagewanted=print
September 6th, 2005 at 11:05 am#9 – And still, he’s more respected than Georgie. Go figure.
September 6th, 2005 at 11:07 amThe only way these thieves maintain power is to steal the vote. Election fraud is the key to their hold on power. There is NO WAY the majority would support, nevermind elect, this group of imcompetents.
We passed the tipping point with the invasion of Iraq and the Abu Ghraib scandal…..at this point not only has this mess tipped, it’s spilled all over the Gulf Coast and our country.
Where is the justice? The criminals must pay!
September 6th, 2005 at 11:19 amDisregard the trolls – they just attention starved.
September 6th, 2005 at 12:39 pm>>>>>>
The only way these thieves maintain power is to steal the vote. Election fraud is the key to their hold on power. There is NO WAY the majority would support, nevermind elect, this group of imcompetents.
>>>>>>
You give ‘the majority’ too much credit. The 2004 election didn’t have to get stolen…it was GIVEN AWAY by a Republican-Lite candidate and a Democratic Party in the clutch of the DLC.
If the incompetent Dem Party leadership had enough gumption to advocate for (and discuss!) issues, the ‘majority’ would be better informed. BOTH parties (yes…we’ve been conditioned to accept that there are only two) are run by ‘market researchers’ and PR wiseguys, rather than people who actually take positions on issues based on principle/reason.
The Republicans are just better at it, apparently.
September 6th, 2005 at 12:52 pmStuff You Should Read
And this wouldn’t be the first time, since Joe Allbaugh left FEMA to lobby for Halliburton’s Iraq contracts…
September 6th, 2005 at 12:59 pmThis damned hurricane will prove to be just as fortuitous an event as ‘9/11′ and the unprovoked invasion of Iraq for those who really count in George Bush’s Amerika. Opportunity is knocking for Halliburton, KBR, Bechtel and all the rest of the corporations that own this country and control its politicians.
Several days ago I watched an interview with some jamoke (I wish I could remember which one, but I believe he was in Congress) who was suggesting ways to get the Gulf Coast communities back on their feet. The first suggestion he mentioned was to exempt contractors from the provisions of the Davis-Bacon Act (which requires that contractors being paid out of federal funds pay their workers the prevailing union wage in their area).
The KBRs of the world are working overtime at coming up with ideas to ‘contribute to the rebuilding’ of the whole Gulf Coast infrastructure…hell, this unexpected boon is even better than war for these folks.
September 6th, 2005 at 1:05 pmJoseph,
That’s a fair point, maybe I was being too generous to the ‘majority’.
If we fix the election fraud issue and the media, and the truth somehow starts to trickle down to the uninformed masses, we may have a chance to get our country back.
The corporatism and the greed has rendered the mainstream media ridiculously anti-American (unless you believe that our only redeeming quality as a nation is profit).
I’m still flabbergasted that the citizens of this country watched those Presidential debates and STILL voted for Bush boy. I guess the “red states” reap what they sow, excluding and with all due sympathy and compassion to the victims of Katrina.
September 6th, 2005 at 1:13 pmRemember Halliburton rips off the USA and taxpayers. It gouges for services, and when it gets caught, passes the buck.
My friend Michael Martin worked for Halliburton, he did work in the Middle East. He made a whopping $12 an hour. On top of that he received $15/day for working in a HAZARDOUS AREA. $15/day for his life? Guess that is what the folks at Halliburton thought his life was worth. He was killed by a suicide bomber. He left behind a son that will never have the opportunity to know his dad.
ALL FOR $15 one day. Halliburton didn’t even offer to help with funeral expenses.
September 6th, 2005 at 1:15 pmYes, Yes, Yes… the Golf Coast will be an excellent playground for the wealthy. Hundred thousand dollar well-trained polo horses will have new polo grounds to romp on day and night. Enough of those po’ folk that can’t support themselves. They will always need a government handout. They can stay in Barbara’s backyard. Keep them in Texas with the Mexican illegals.
Halliburton and KBR are going to have a hayday everyday.
progressive and proud is just proud, hardly progressive.
We need progress for the wealthy, not the poor. Let them smoke reefer.
Keep those checks flowing to Bush I and Clinton.
September 6th, 2005 at 1:24 pmThis is good news New Orleans, you too will have 3 hours of power per day in about 6 months just like Iraq. Make sure you snatch-up one of the embroidered towels, they’ll be collectors items in the near future.
September 6th, 2005 at 1:34 pmI forgot about those embroidered towels!! There are just too many stories to remember. Thanks for the reminder.
September 6th, 2005 at 1:56 pmHalliburton never misses an opportunity. Allbaugh knows which side his bread is buttered. He wants a piece for himself and he will pave the road for more Halliburton contracts — so they both win! They are so bold, so shameless, they are all the same. Theirs is the “ME” generation on steroids.
September 6th, 2005 at 1:58 pmLook at all the connections and you will find that they are all connected to cheney and halliburton.
Halliburtson influence in the government started with Lyndon Johnson who made the firm of BKR by giving them no bid contracts in Vietnam.
September 6th, 2005 at 3:56 pmi am utterly disgusted at the incompetance of this disaster at all levels. that the profiteers are the same ones making bundles of cash in iraq and will now do the same in dixie is beyond belief! they stole the election so their puppet can pretend to “rule” the world and i’m sure they expect full payback with benefits! however, what is more disgusting is these jokers are from my generation and have absolutley f***ed up everything we worked for in the sixties! all 60’s joking aside, we really believed in a world peace! so much for that dream!
September 6th, 2005 at 4:37 pmHotfroggy+ You are right!!
September 6th, 2005 at 6:34 pmI feel like I have been thrown back in time.
#24 and #25 Hotfroggy+ and Marie
I, too, find it disgusting that so many of those folks who acted so gentle and mellow back in the ’60s turned from tie-dyed to Brooks Brothers so easily. We thought the Age of Aquarius would last and that our generation were in the vanguard of a movement away from War and other forms of competition.
Alas…we were wrong! BUMMER!
September 6th, 2005 at 11:16 pmWell said, Joe. Unfortunately.
September 6th, 2005 at 11:45 pmDo you think that the delay in helping hurricane victims was motivated by greed?
Dumbya has said he is in favor of a 95% world population decrease.
Less poor folk equal less welfare and assistance.
Less poor folk and less folk equal less social security to have to pay out (if they lived to collect it, and their children collected on their parents)
and the Archie Bunker mentality probably think less black folk (that makes me ill to say) is just gravy for them.
This whole WH group reminds me of Archie Bunker with power.
September 7th, 2005 at 1:44 amDid any of you ever wonder about what happens to your social security money you pay in if you are single and die before retirement?
Lets just say…. begin work at 18 and go till 60…. so that is 42 years… even at a modest $8.00 per hour average of 35 hours per week (this is just off the top of my head)….. $14,560 per year – you pay 8% they match it so 16% (taking into account things change so I average)…. $2329.60 annually…plus 4% (I am sure the financial guru’s get a better return on this)… so $100 interest annually ….. I don’t compound this for simplicity….
I get $102,043.20…. so if you die at 60…. single (or gay in a relationship) the GOVERNMENT GETS YOUR MONEY…
WAKE UP PEOPLE!
September 7th, 2005 at 1:50 amIt is NOT values… IT IS GREED!
September 7th, 2005 at 1:50 amWhat could you do with that kind of money? YES, you could PAY FOR YOUR HOUSE.
September 7th, 2005 at 1:52 amOk, so lets look at if you begin work at 20 under those circumstances and only collect $1000/year from 67 (yes, now it is 67 for some) and you live to 75…
(many people at those wages only get about $500. per month) so I’ll double it….
you will receive 96,000.00 so they STILL KEEP $6,043.20… BUT COLD HARD FACTS…. how often does that happen?
Now multiply that by the years they have been gathering the money????
That is like a big ole’ lottery for the government.
September 7th, 2005 at 1:55 am[...] [...]
September 7th, 2005 at 2:41 amDid any of you ever wonder about what happens to your social security money you pay in if you are single and die before retirement?
Lets just say…. begin work at 18 and go till 60…. so that is 42 years… even at a modest $8.00 per hour average of 35 hours per week (this is just off the top of my head)….. $14,560 per year – you pay 8% they match it so 16% (taking into account things change so I average)…. $2329.60 annually…plus 4% (I am sure the financial guru’s get a better return on this)… so $100 interest annually ….. I don’t compound this for simplicity….
I get $102,043.20…. so if you die at 60…. single (or gay in a relationship) the GOVERNMENT GETS YOUR MONEY…
WAKE UP PEOPLE!
September 7th, 2005 at 3:22 amThe delay in rescue and military to New Orleans meant more distruction. More distruction meant more govt contracts for New Bridge Strategies, Joe Allbaugh, Michael Brown’s former boss and former college room mate.
September 9th, 2005 at 1:41 amNot to mention, flood damage (not covered by insurance) is so much more important to them than hurricane damage (covered by insurance)…. it is really hard to prove hurricane damage vs flood damage.
big business wins again with the REPUGnicans.
Much less the fact that it was poor blacks that died…..
for bigots, that is gravy.
FYI: I AM WHITE.
September 10th, 2005 at 4:07 amCash Advance Loans
Awesome lender for payday cash advance nationwide.
March 23rd, 2008 at 6:40 pm