ARMY CORPS PART OF IRAQ WORK PROBE.Byline: LISA The first personal computer to include integrated software and use a graphical interface. Modeled after the Xerox Star and introduced in 1983 by Apple, it was ahead of its time, but never caught on due to its $10,000 price and slow speed. FRIEDMAN Washington Bureau The Army Corps of Engineers glowingly touted ``infrastructure improvements'' at the Baghdad Police Academy less than a month before the special inspector general for Iraq reconstruction On November 6, 2003 the United States Congress created the appointed position Inspector General of the Coalition Provisional Authority. Stuart Bowen was appointed to this position on January 20, 2004. issued a blistering account of shoddy construction and absent oversight at the $75 million building. The Army Corps' federal monitoring of the project is expected to be part of a detailed follow-up investigation that auditors will release this month into Pasadena-based Parsons Corp., responsible for building the troubled facility, officials said Thursday. Inspector General spokesman Jim Mitchell This article is about the Irish politician. For the football players of the same name see Jim Mitchell (football player) and Jim Mitchell (defensive lineman). For the San Francisco pornography producer, see: Mitchell brothers Jim Mitchell said the Army Corps' statements -- made in an August news release bragging about the ongoing construction -- were disturbing. And he said auditors also have obtained e-mails showing that Army Corps officials knew as early as April that there were problems with the building, including plumbing work so substandard that water and human waste seeped from the ceilings. ``In the meantime Adv. 1. in the meantime - during the intervening time; "meanwhile I will not think about the problem"; "meantime he was attentive to his other interests"; "in the meantime the police were notified" meantime, meanwhile , it didn't stop them from gushing gush v. gushed, gush·ing, gush·es v.intr. 1. To flow forth suddenly in great volume: water gushing from a hydrant. 2. about how great this place was,'' Mitchell said. Suzanne Fournier Suzanne Fournier was a blogger for the web site Cincinnati.com, under the name "Grandma in Iraq." A resident of Alexandria, Ohio, and grandmother of 15, she was posted in Iraq as part of the U.S. military deployment. , spokeswoman for the Army Corps of Engineers, noted that the police academy is a vast facility, and some of the more severe problems might not have been discovered when the Gulf Coast public affairs Those public information, command information, and community relations activities directed toward both the external and internal publics with interest in the Department of Defense. Also called PA. See also command information; community relations; public information. division issued the statement. ``I think when they felt they had turned over everything except for some repairs, this was a good time to celebrate,'' Fournier said. But, she acknowledged, ``I probably would have been a little more reserved myself about putting that out.'' In addition to calling the Baghdad Police Academy a ``top priority,'' Army Corps press officers praised the new water and sewer facilities being installed. Pratap Chatterjee Pratap Chatterjee (b. Birmingham, United Kingdom) is an Indian/Sri Lankan investigative journalist and progressive author. He is a British citizen and was raised in India, although he now lives in California. , director of the Oakland-based nonprofit CorpWatch, said the statements are a measure of the blinders blind·er n. 1. blinders A pair of leather flaps attached to a horse's bridle to curtail side vision. Also called blinkers. 2. Something that serves to obscure clear perception and discernment. being worn by those overseeing the reconstruction. ``It says a lot about the Army Corps and their lack of supervision,'' Chatterjee said. ``This isn't the first and it won't be the last example of a project they say is well done and we know is a disaster.'' In a report and testimony released last week before the House Government Reform Committee, Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction Stuart W. Bowen Jr. said the Army Corps and Parsons were equally responsible for the academy problems. Meanwhile, he added that work on 13 of 14 projects overseen by the company were found to be substandard. Auditors are expected to arrive in California next week to take a ``detailed look'' at Parsons as well as the San Francisco-based Bechtel Corp., for subsequent reports, Mitchell said. Parsons spokeswoman Erin Kuhlman said the company's Iraqi subcontractor is working to fix the plumbing problems at the police academy at no cost to the U.S. government. Meanwhile, all but seven of Parsons' other Iraq contracts have been terminated. ``We have been cooperating fully with them on all their audits, and we will continue to do so,'' Kuhlman said of the inspector general's investigation. ``We've worked very hard in Iraq, and we are very proud of our employees who risk their lives.'' Local peace activists plan Sunday to protest in front of Parsons Corp.'s Walnut Street A number of streets are named Walnut Street:
The company has long had political connections, including a political action committee that has donated more than $886,000 to members of Congress since 2000. Over the past six years, Parsons has given $22,500 to House Speaker Dennis Hastert and $23,500 to James Oberstar, the leading Democrat on the House Transportation Committee. It also has donated generously to several Southland lawmakers. James Geoffrey, spokesman for Rep. Howard P. ``Buck'' McKeon, who accepted $15,500 over that period from Parsons, said the company has been responsive to auditors. Rep. Adam Schiff
Adam B. Schiff (born June 20 1960) is an American politician. He first served in the California State Senate. , the company's top local recipient of funds -- accepting $30,000 over the past six years -- issued a statement saying problems with Iraq reconstruction are widespread because of a lack of competitive bidding Competitive bidding A securities offering process in which securities firms submit competing bids to the issuer for the securities the issuer wishes to sell. competitive bidding 1. and oversight. lisa.friedman(at)langnews.com (202) 662-8731 CAMPAIGN CASH Top California congressional recipients of donations from Parsons Corp. Political Action Committee, 2000-06: Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Pasadena: $30,000 Rep. Jerry Lewis, R-Redlands: $17,000 Rep. David Dreier David Timothy Dreier (born July 5, 1952), American politician, has been a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives since January 1981, representing California's 26th congressional district (map). He was first elected to the U.S. House at age 28 in 1980. , R-Glendora: $18,000 Rep. Howard P. ``Buck'' McKeon, R-Santa Clarita: $15,500 Sen. Dianne Feinstein: $11,000 CAPTION(S): box Box: CAMPAIGN CASH (see text) |
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