Antony Loewenstein Online Newsletter

NOVANEWS

Hard evidence that most Australian parliamentarians know nothing about Palestine

Posted: 15 Sep 2011

Yesterday’s “debate” in the New South Wales parliament was about Palestine, Israel, Nazis, Jews, Nazis, human rights, BDS, Nazis, praising the Zionist lobby, Nazis, the Greens, Nazis, Hitler and the Nazis.

Most politicians were more than happy to accuse BDS supporters of being Nazis and comparable to actions during Nazi Germany. Such comparisons are futile and offensive and highlight the complete lack of knowledge about what Israel is doing in the West Bank.

Who is dreaming of a completely privatised America?

Posted: 15 Sep 2011

Project of Government Oversight give us the facts and the public/media/political response is minimal.

Simple question: at what point will a totally privatised world cause concern for society (hint: now)?

The U.S. government’s increasing reliance on contractors to do work traditionally done by federal employees is fueled by the belief that private industry can deliver services at a lower cost than in-house staff.

But a first-of-its-kind study released today by the Project On Government Oversight (POGO) busts that myth by showing that using contractors to perform services actually increases costs to taxpayers.

POGO’s new report is the first to compare the rate that contractors bill the federal government to the salaries and benefits of comparable federal employees. The study found that while federal government salaries are higher than private sector salaries, contractor billing rates average 83 percent more than what it would cost to do the work in-house.

The study comes at a crucial time, considering that Congress’ special “Super Committee” is looking for ways to cut $1.5 trillion from the federal deficit.

“We’re wasting tens of billions of dollars on a belief that it’s cheaper to have contractors doing the work, without any hard evidence. The government should operate on evidence, not belief” said Paul Chassy, a POGO Investigator.

POGO’s study compared 35 federal job classifications, covering more than 550 service activities. The occupations included everything from auditing and law enforcement to food inspection. The results surprised even POGO investigators, who for years had tracked a dramatic increase in the amount the government spends on contracts—from $200 billion in 2000 to well over $500 billion in 2011.

In 33 of the 35 job classifications POGO looked at, the average contractor billing rate was significantly steeper than the average compensation for federal employees. The two jobs where it was more cost-effective to hire contractors were groundskeeper and medical records technician. So when the White House needs its lawn mowed, it shouldn’t hire in-house. Still, in every other case, it was cheaper for the government do the job itself.

In some occupations, the difference in price was so dramatic, any coupon-clipping soccer mom could easily have seen the government was getting ripped off. When the government hired a claims examiner for example, it paid the contractor nearly five times more than if it had gone with a federal employee.

“This is absolutely something taxpayers should be worried about. The government needs to be very careful about outsourcing work, especially work that is inherently governmental. It also costs so much more to privately contract,” says Janine Wedel, a professor at George Mason University who specializes in the privatization of public policy and corruption.

Mouthing platitudes over Palestine should not be default Greens position

Posted: 14 Sep 2011

Following last week’s clueless intervention of New South Wales Upper House Greens Jeremy Buckingham over the Middle East – what? me? Israel and Palestine is complex so I want to be hugged by both sides equally – today’s parliament saw the following:

A fresh split has emerged within the New South Wales Greens over the party’s support for a boycott of Israel.

The boycotts, divestment and sanctions (BDS) campaign has already caused division in the Greens at a federal and state level.

Today the cracks emerged in the NSW Parliament, when Upper House Liberal MP David Clarke introduced a motion condemning the boycott.

“We need to make clear that we are disgusted and sickened by the racism, by the anti-Semitism,” Mr Clarke told Parliament.

Greens MPs David Shoebridge and John Kaye reiterated their support for the BDS movement.

“It is the only non-violent way to put real pressure on Israel. It is part of the proud tradition of Gandhi and Martin Luther King,” Dr Kaye said.

But Greens MP Cate Faehrmann has indicated she will not vote with her party colleagues.

“I share concerns of some members that the tone and public perception of these protests have been counter productive,” Ms Faehrmann said.

Interestingly, today’s Jewish News features an interview with Buckingham and his words are remarkably similar to Faehrmann’s:

The only New South Wales  Green to join the Israel Parliamentary Friendship Group made headlines last week after he spoke out against the Boycotts, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) demonstrations at Max Brenner chocolate stores.

A statement by NSW Greens MP Jeremy Buckingham (pictured) prompted speculation of a new split in the NSW Greens, which is reviewing its support for BDS.

Buckingham also revealed he had joined the Israel Parliamentary Friendship Group in the NSW Parliament, as well as its Palestinian opposite.

“I have joined the Parliamentary Friends of Palestine and the Parliamentary Friends of Israel,” Buckingham said in a statement to The AJN. “I joined these groups to gain a better understanding of the issues and to connect with people in these communities.”

Buckingham said he supported federal Greens leader Senator Bob Brown on Palestinian statehood.

“Australia should support the recognition of a Palestinian state at the United Nations,” he told The AJN. “Australians should also put pressure on Israel to withdraw the settlements from the occupied territories and dismantle the separation wall.

“The long-term future of Israel depends on it making a just peace with a viable Palestinian state, and its Arab neighbours, and not the continuing use of military force to repress Palestinians.

“I am concerned that the tone and the public perception of the Max Brenner protests may be counter-productive to the cause of peace and human rights in the Middle East,” he said.

Buckingham also praised peacebuilding measures, such as a recent Leichhardt Council project, which has brought together supporters of Israel and the Palestinians in the Leichhardt community to support Comet-ME, a renewableenergy joint initiative in Hebron.

“Australians, including Jewish Australians, have an obligation to be critical of Israel, as well as Palestinians, when human rights are abused and violence perpetrated.”

Here’s a newsflash; this conflict isn’t even-handed or balanced. Even (once great) historian Benny Morris thinks Israel is a lost cause (because Arabs are a threat but let’s not quibble over mere, racist details). BDS is a global movement that should be supported by a party allegedly committed to human rights. Or has moving into the supposed mainstream allowed certain forces to forget that power isn’t all that matters in politics?

Principle is remembered for much longer.

Any Australian politicians care to condemn Zionist violence?

Posted: 14 Sep 2011