Pentagon Awards Two Iraq Work Contracts

[Barrett808]

WASHINGTON - The Pentagon on Friday announced the award of two contracts, worth a combined maximum of $1 billion, for construction services for electrical power projects in Iraq.

One, for up to $500 million, went to Washington International Inc., of Princeton, N.J., for work on projects associated with the transmission and distribution of electrical power in northern Iraq.

The other, also for up to $500 million, was awarded to Perini Corp. of Framingham, Mass., for similar work in southern Iraq.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040312/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_reconstruction_contracts&cid=540&ncid=1480

[htuttle]

1. Why don't they hire Iraqi contractors for this?

Iraq's power industry is actually really good at rebuilding their own power systems, since they've had to do it so many times, among other reasons.

Why do they have to use my taxdollars to pay some American contractor that's probably someone's friend somewhere in the Bush Administration, when they could pay far less to an Iraqi contractor who'd have the job done much more quickly?

Nevermind. Rhetorical question.

[Columbia]

3. Iraqis are good at fixing things

But they do so through improvisation. The power system in Iraq does not need to be fixed, it needs to be totally over-hauled.

[DuctapeFatwa]

5. Yes, they are a simple, child-like people who can't understand

complicated things like electronics. They know they need a firm hand, and although they may grumble, in their hearts they secretly respect America more for it.

[Columbia]

11. I never said that - don't put words in my mouth

[htuttle]

7. They couldn't get any parts for 10 years -- of course they improvised

But now that they can get the proper materials, don't you think they can handle it?

[Columbia]

10. It's not just materials

It's tools and training for those materials. The type of infrastructure they have is decades old - their ingenuity is the only thing that kept it running as well as it did. Nothing wrong with giving them a helping hand.

[I AM SPARTACUS]

2. Perini - Hotel & Casino Builder - NOT electrical systems...

Perini Corporation (AMEX: PCR)
73 Mt. Wayte Ave.
Framingham, MA 01701 (Map)
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]

http://www.perini.com

Perennial performer Perini is known for its hospitality -- particularly when it comes to building hotel/casinos. It is ranked as the largest casino and hotel builder in the US. Perini also works on entertainment facilities and sports complexes, health care facilities, prisons, and schools. Its civil division builds and maintains highways, subways, and airports. Perini also offers construction management and design/build services. Investor groups led by chairman and CEO Ronald Tutor (owner of Tutor-Saliba) and investor Richard Blum control 75% of Perini. The company, which evolved from construction businesses that began in 1894, has expanded in the Southeast by acquiring Florida-based builder James A. Cummings.


http://www.hoovers.com/perini/--ID__12234--/free-co-factsheet.xhtml

[I AM SPARTACUS]

8. Perini employees donated 18,000 +/- to rePube campaigns

http://www.opensecrets.org/indivs/search.asp?NumOfThou=0&txtName=&txtState=%28all+states%29&txtZip=&txtEmploy=perini&txtCand=&txt2004=Y&txt2002=Y&Order=N

[I AM SPARTACUS]

13. and buried within Perini is a corpoRAT called Tutor-Saliba, which...

Tutor-Saliba Corporation
15901 Olden St.
Sylmar, CA 91342 (Map)
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]

http://www.tutorsaliba.com

Beneath California's glamour, Tutor-Saliba is making tracks. A key player in US transportation construction, it was the lead builder of Los Angeles' new subway system and San Francisco's BART extension to the airport. The construction and engineering company, which offers construction management and design/build services, is known for its California public works projects, including work on the Los Angeles Central Library and the San Francisco Main Post Office. The company's owner, president and CEO Ronald Tutor, is also chairman of Perini, a joint venture partner of Tutor-Saliba. Ronald Tutor and Naseeb Saliba founded the firm.

http://www.hoovers.com/tutor-saliba/--ID__47630--/free-co-factsheet.xhtml

[I AM SPARTACUS]

14. which has chipped in another 11,000$ +/- to rePubes campaigns

http://www.opensecrets.org/indivs/search.asp?NumOfThou=0&txtName=&txtState=%28all+states%29&txtZip=&txtEmploy=tutor-saliba&txtCand=&txt2004=Y&txt2002=Y&txt2000=Y&Order=N

[I AM SPARTACUS]

15. San Fran City Att'n accuses Tutor-Saliba of 10 million $ ++ fraud...

Perhaps Tutor's biggest foe these days is San Francisco City Attorney Dennis Herrera, who accuses Tutor of defrauding San Francisco International Airport of tens of millions of dollars and wants to bar him from doing business with the city.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2003/07/06/MN166251.DTL

[I AM SPARTACUS]

16. and SF(?) MTA has a bone to pick with these fellas...

One of MTA's allegations is that TSP used fronts to fulfill the requirement that 25% of the work be performed by an MTA certified Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE). As proof, Casselman offered the testimony of Quan Pham of Laguna Hills based Accu-crete, Inc., which did work for Golden Bear, an MTA certified DBE owned by African American contractor Henry Thompson.

http://www.twistedbadge.com/feature_mta13.htm

[I AM SPARTACUS]

17. look - save me the trouble - google/yahoo on +"perini" +"allegation"

...the list just goes on and on and on...

[I AM SPARTACUS]

4. Washington - bankrupt in 2000...

Washington Group International, Inc. (NASDAQ: WGII)
720 Park Blvd.
Boise, ID 83712 (Map)
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]

http://www.wgint.com

Staying alive, Washington Group International remains one of the largest US construction and engineering firms, even after a stint with bankruptcy. It provides a broad range of design and construction services worldwide for projects such as bridges, highways, manufacturing plants, mining, nuclear and power facilities, pipelines, and railroads. It also operates mines and provides environmental management and facilities and operations management. The former Morrison Knudsen doubled in size after buying Raytheon's engineering and construction unit in 2000. However, the company believed the Raytheon transaction caused it to slide into bankruptcy. Washington Group emerged from bankruptcy in early 2002.

http://www.hoovers.com/washington-group/--ID__11019--/free-co-factsheet.xhtml

[I AM SPARTACUS]

6. Washington Group employees have donated $150,000+/- to rePubes...

http://www.opensecrets.org/indivs/search.asp?NumOfThou=0&txtName=&txtState=%28all+states%29&txtZip=&txtEmploy=washington+group&txtCand=&txt2004=Y&txt2002=Y&Order=N

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

9. Construction and Gambling.

Hmmm. I wonder if they can be "connected?"

[louis-t]

12. great work DUers!