Cross posted on Texas Kaos.
Sadly, there is very bad news for a city that is located west of the Houston area. Sealy recently lost an Army contract that will result in 3,000 lost jobs. This is devastating for a small city in which the Army contractor, BAE Systems, is a major employer.
In late November and early December several progressive bloggers,including me revealed just how Texas fell victim to an impending and significant job loss thanks to do nothing, self-serving Texas lawmakers who are too busy palling around with fat cat sugar daddy donors to have given a rat's derriere about their lowly constituents.
Apparently our Texas politician lawmakers, including Governor Rick Perry, Sealy's U.S. House Representative Michael McCaul and U.S. Senators Kay Bailey Hutchison and John Cornyn failed to notice that:
A long term Army contract was up for bid in 2009.
There are so many questions to ask.
Did the powers that be at BAE submit a renewal bid to retain the contract or did the company rely on its go to boys and girls in Washington to make it happen?
How come the Texas lawmakers in Austin and in Washington D.C. failed to notice that 3,000 jobs were about to be lost? What were they thinking? Were they thinking about Texas at all?
As Phillip Martin over at The Burnt Orange Report (cited above) reports:
Today, McCaul is blaming Washington and the Obama administration. However, there was no effective effort to save it by McCaul, Senator Hutchison, or Governor Rick Perry. It was not until after the contract was announced that any of the state's Republican elected officials began to work on saving the contract -- something they have now failed to do, and are now quickly trying to point fingers at President Obama to avoid accepting the responsibility of their failures.
John Cornyn's threat to block the confirmation of a top Army acquisition official is not only too little and too late, but the American people are fed up with the never ending Republican blocks and obstruction that are paralyzing our federal government. Go ahead Senator, block the acquisition guy and show us how much you support our troops and the two wars that you voted for.
BAE and Texas politicians should have known, given today's economy and the devastation in the Midwestern region of the country, considering the number of closed factories, the contract renewal in Sealy would have been almost a literal battle to the death. Either all involved did not have the fortitude for such a fight. Or perhaps all grew too arrogant and complacent after decades of a Republican majority in both Texas and in the U.S. Congress.
It seems that all Republican lawmakers involved had indeed become too complacent and cozy with their own political agendas, survival outcomes and their own self-serving interests to have even bothered to check in on what is going on in their own back yards. The ones serving in Washington spend their days saying no and holding the Senate hostage with their blocks, bribes and holds.
We know that Rick Perry and Kay Bailey Hutchison are engaged in a ruthless fight to win the Republican gubernatorial primary. A recent poll shows he has not sealed the deal with Republican voters. So much mud is being thrown in this campaign that voters can see the candidates for who they really are. The more mud that flies the more transparent Rick Perry and Kay Bailey's motives become. Hint to Republican voters: Rick and Kay do not care one bit about you or your struggles.
Predictably Governor Rick Perry is also quick to blame the Obama Administration for the job loss plight in Sealy.
The lost truck contract coupled with cuts at NASA and "Draconian" cap and trade proposals to cut heat-trapping greenhouse gases "serves as yet another example of the Obama administration's plans to wreak havoc on the Texas economy," Perry said.
But of course self-serving narcissists like Perry and McCaul will always find a scapegoat. Dudes, you have wreaked your own havoc on the Texas economy by your very own do nothing leadership and your reckless and irresponsible rhetoric. Words have consequences. Texas Republicans should be reminded that they can no longer control their messages and lies with complacent journalists and local media black outs anymore. Progressive bloggers, journalists, and cable TV political news anchors are paying very close attention.
If there is any oppression, Governor, it comes from your end.
The non-political and real facts:
Federal contracts are granted on the basis of a number of criteria. Under the Obama Administration it should be clear that federal contracts will likely be awarded to American owned companies. If Texas lawmakers would even bother to visit the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act website, they would notice that federal dollars flow to the states and companies that have so-called shovel ready projects.
As we should well know by now, Texas Republican lawmakers, especially those in Washington D.C., have no interest in participating in an American reinvestment and recovery anything.
Oshkosh is an American based global firm. BAE Systems is a British owned company with strong ties to Saudi Arabia.
Wake up Texas Republicans. The whole purpose of the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act is to pump bucks and jobs into the good ol' U.S. of A. If American based companies can deliver, so much the better for a U.S. recovery.
So, given what we know now, and the fact that Sealy is about to lose 3,000 jobs what are all of you big government hating lawmakers going to do to support federally funded shovel ready jobs in Texas?
Crickets chirping....