Bush reverses on wages in Gulf Coast

By Chris Kromm / October 26, 2005

The Associated Press is reporting that, at the prodding of GOP congressmen, the administration is changing course and reinstating the Davis-Bacon wage rules for rebuilding in the Gulf:

The Bush administration will reinstate rules requiring that companies awarded federal contracts for Hurricane Katrina pay prevailing wages, usually an amount close to the pay scales in local union contracts.

Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., was among congressmen critical of the administration's decision to waive the requirement and who met Wednesday with White House chief of staff Andrew Card. He said Card told them the wage requirement would be reinstated Nov. 8.

"We thought it was bad policy and bad politics, and I guess they accepted our argument," King told The Associated Press.

Guess the astroturf editorial campaign by Freedom Communications newspapers didn't do the job.

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