Bush Gives Contract to Tax Traitor/Campaign Donor
President Bush has said he wants to "make sure that the system is fair for
those of us who do pay taxes" and that "we want everybody paying their
fair share."1 But yesterday, the president went out of his way to lavish a
massive government contract on a major campaign contributor,2 even though
it specifically moved operations offshore to avoid paying U.S. taxes.
According to news reports, the Bush administration yesterday gave a $10
billion contract3 for the Department of Homeland Security to Accenture
(formerly Arthur Andersen), despite the company having recently moved its
official headquarters to Bermuda to avoid U.S. taxes.4 The contract was
awarded less than two years after the White House and its allies in
Congress gutted a House-passed provision that would have banned awarding
homeland security contracts to corporations who exploit tax loopholes,
move offshore, and avoid U.S. taxes.5 At the time, Accenture lobbied to
eliminate the provision,6 hiring GOP political consultant "and Bush family
confidant" Charlie Black to lobby on its behalf.7 Accenture executives
have given President Bush more than $68,000 in campaign contributions8
since 2000.
Of course, the president has made a practice of paying lip service to the
problem of corporate tax evasion, while actively opposing solutions behind
the scenes. ABC News reported that when Congress was considering bills to
curb the practice in 2002, Bush "said the Bermuda loophole should be
closed" but refused to support "any of the bills that would do so"9 and
then allowed his allies to kill the legislation.
Sources:
1. Presidential Speech, WhiteHouse.gov, 04/15/04.
2. "Donors to George W. Bush between 2000-2004 who work for Accenture,"
Opensecrets.org.
3. "Homeland Security awards $10 billion border security contract," WVEC-
TV, 6/02/04.
4. "GAO concludes Accenture, others, use tax havens," Washington
Technology, 10/3/02.
5. Congressional Quarterly Weekly, 12/6/02.
6. Baltimore Sun, 6/9/02.
7. "The Taxonomist: Standing up Against America," The American Prospect,
11/4/02.
8. "Donors to George W. Bush between 2000-2004 who work for Accenture,"
Opensecrets.org.
9. ABC News, 07/12/02.
.
|
