Hurricane Halliburton

Just a quick shout-out to the kids at CorpWatch , providing detailed and invaluable reporting of corporate corruption and the muck of Big Money.

And of course, the big money these days is in government contracting (a.k.a. government subsidy of private enterprise). Check out CorpWatch's third annual report on the environmental, economic and personal damage caused by Government Contractor Numero Uno, Dick Cheney's Halliburton. From the press release for "Hurricane Halliburton: Conflict, Climate Change And Catastrophe" (love the title), you'll learn:

• how the company management in Iraq and Kuwait has cheated taxpayers out of millions of dollars through bribery and waste;
• how the company has increased its profits in Iraq by employing sweatshop Asian labor and refusing to pay injury claims;
• how senior management used worker's pensions to pay for management benefits, despite the fact that the soaring stock price has made the top managers tens of millions of dollars.

and much more. Education for the whole family.

Meanwhile, this week also marks the fifth anniversary of Dick Cheney's energy policy. Remember, the one we weren't allowed to learn about?

The ever-helpful staff of Rep. Henry Waxman, D.-Calif., have prepared a review of what we've gained:

•  Energy prices have risen rapidly. Over the last five years, crude oil prices have increased by 143%; gasoline prices have increased by 71%; natural gas prices have increased by 46%; and prices for other fuels have increased at a rate significantly higher than the inflation rate.
• American families are spending record amounts for energy. Five years ago, the average American family spent $3,300 on gasoline, home heating, and electricity. This year, the average American family will spend over $5,100 on gasoline, home heating, and electricity. This is an increase of nearly $2,000 per family. The indirect costs of higher energy prices in the form of higher prices for consumer goods and services are likely to cost families another $1,400 per year.
• The nation's dependence on foreign oil has increased. During the 2000 presidential campaign, Texas Governor George Bush criticized the Clinton Administration for allowing U.S. imports on foreign oil to reach 56% of U.S. oil consumption. Five years after President Bush announced his energy plan, U.S. imports of foreign oil have risen to 65% of U.S. consumption.
• While the last five years have seen sharp increases in energy prices and increased U.S. dependence on foreign oil, there is one group that has benefited considerably: the energy industry. Oil companies reported record profits of over $100 billion in 2005

Read the full report here.