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China State Construction Engineering Corp, the largest contractor in China, has bagged a subway ventilation project worth about $100 million in New York's Manhattan area, marking the construction giant's third order in the United States' infrastructure space this year.
Curious -- I can't believe that there were no US based companies that could have done the job for the same amount of money. I wonder if the monies used for the three projects were stimulas funds? If so, someone has a lot of explaining to do!
This is Obama rewarding his campaign donors and constituents. Keep in mind, he is not the President of the US, he is the President of the World. We are just a fraction of his flock.
The contract was awarded fairly and the workers employed in the project will all be American, which is what really matters at the moment.
Additionally, I'm not sure if this applies to you but I am always amused by people who supposedly believe in the free market, in 'letting the market work' and yet oppose allowing countries like China win contracts like this...
The employees will probably be American (but thats a debate for another thread lol), but a whole lot of it will go to the Chinese ceos of this business who will spend those millions in China or Taiwan. But not here.
And yes, the lowest bid always wins. However, if federal stimulas money is being used for these projects then to award the money to a foreign business is shortsighted and self destructive, isn't it?
And no, this isn't Obama bashing - this is attempting to apply common sense to a corrupt government (whether rep or dem).
Um, what about holding out bids for U.S companies only? U.S. dollars for U.S. companies...now there's a concept.
Wouldn't that be a better idea in this economy?
I see nothing in that article that says there will be, or must include, a certain percentage of American workers.
If the U.S. doesn't have the expertise for this kind of work, then we're in much worse shape than anyone can imagine.
I don't know if excluding contractors on the basis of nationality is legal in New York. That's a matter for the New York Legislature and the U.S. Congress. Besides the Chinese contractor probably has an American headquarters, and the bid was handled through that office.
I don't see the Chinese shipping Chinese labor across an ocean and a continent to New York where they have to pay them prevailing wages. That's crazy.
The U.S. has plenty of expertise. I'm sure the list of bidders included a majority of American contractors, but the bids are secret. No one knows what the other's bid is. The Chinese contractor won, that's it.
All that "America only" was taken out of the stimulus bill at the last minute..don't you all remember ?
No restrictions on who gets to get that money.
You do realize that trade restrictions, which an 'America-only' approach would essentially be, are actually economically inefficient and result in less growth than would otherwise occur, right? Again, it really makes no sense that so many conservatives who like to preach about the greatness of the 'market' and about how the government needs to let the market operate unobstructed will go on and call for restrictions on trade...
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