Way to go government!

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/27/AR2005092701960_pf.html

"The hasty appeal yielded one of the most controversial contracts of the Hurricane Katrina relief operation, a $236 million agreement with Carnival Cruise Lines for three ships that now bob more than half empty in the Mississippi River and Mobile Bay. The six-month contract -- staunchly defended by Carnival but castigated by politicians from both parties -- has come to exemplify the cost of haste that followed Katrina's strike and FEMA's lack of preparation.

To critics, the price is exorbitant. If the ships were at capacity, with 7,116 evacuees, for six months, the price per evacuee would total $1,275 a week, according to calculations by aides to Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.). A seven-day western Caribbean cruise out of Galveston can be had for $599 a person -- and that would include entertainment and the cost of actually making the ship move."

Nice. Skim by http://www.livejournal.com/users/interdictor/ (Interdictor) and scroll down to September 26th, there's a post there about the use of a local hotel at something like 300% of the normal rate.

This isn't uncommon in non-disaster times though. Companies see a government contract coming and get excited. I'm not sure which side disgusts me more.

Meanwhile, Bush has allowed (http://money.cnn.com/2005/09/08/news/economy/katrina_wages.reut/) federal contractors to pay their workers less than the prevailing wage.

Even better! Screw one population while helping another?

After a one-day competition, Sealift Command had bids from 13 ships, but only four met FEMA's requirements, which included full meal service, between-meal snacks, linen and maid service, medical support, even prescription refills. Four ships -- the Ecstasy, Sensation and Holiday, all owned by Carnival, as well as the ferry the Scotia Prince -- landed the contracts.
You do realize that $599 price is set based on how much alcohol and souvenirs the average passenger will buy during that time period, right? The average vacation passenger will also require a lot less medical treatment, even if it's just incidental scrapes and cuts. They're even providing prescription refills for free.

If you look at the situation objectively, instead of being in such a hurry to jump on the bash business bandwagon, $1,275 doesn't seem unreasonable at all.

The ships will be operating with less staff, little expenditure for fuel, and I doubt Isaac and Gopher will be seeing to the medical treatment. All this for a company headquartered in Miami but incorporated in Panama to avoid paying taxes. And keep reading:
The ships are not holding nearly the number of people FEMA had expected. Many evacuees said they saw the ships as a dead end, far away from any job or potential new life. The Ecstasy and Sensation have become the homes of New Orleans first responders who have stayed at their posts, said FEMA spokesman James McIntyre. At the peak, the ships did house around 2,000 such workers and their families.
The Ecstasy and Sensation had to set sail for safer seas as Hurricane Rita rolled in. They re-docked Monday. By Tuesday morning, 625 were aboard the Ecstasy, a fraction of the 2,544 passengers once registered. An additional 820 were aboard the Sensation, down from 2,579.
There is good reason to investigate both the bidding process and the usage of these ships.

I don't have specific figures on those boats, but I think you'll find that the fixed costs for them to operate are a very large majority of their total cost. Just keeping the thing clean, powered, and floating is a lot more expensive than moving it.

Sanchek, also if you read the boats are half full ... not completely full.

That figure was a hypothetical, the actual cost per passenger is somewhere near $3,000 / week.

Meinwhile, my rent is $500 / month and I spend little over $200 / week on food and other expenditures. Hrm. I'm not saying the people don't need a little more than I, especially since they lost their homes, but how much of that do you think Carnival is really gonna pass over to the refugees? I wouldn't even dream to think of all of it.

I'd be far more concerned with the suspention of prevailing wage law, doesnt mention if there is an expiration date on the executive order. and even if there is it sets a VERY bad precedent