Blackwater spokeswoman Anne Tyrrell said in an e-mail that Waxman argues Blackwater cannot treat its personnel in Iraq and Afghanistan as 'independent contractors,' and contends that they must be treated as employees for IRS purposes.
She said, "The chairman's contention is incorrect."
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As with so many stories today, the reporters parrot what the parties involved say without adding any value of their own. So they devolve into a "he said, she said" report that fails to unearth any connection to the larger story. Drawbaugh could have easily found out what the rules are governing the status of independent contractors and verified Waxman's contention. As a long-time contractor myself, I can sum it up in two provisions: If an employer mandates the time and place of your work and, if you work for nobody else, you are an employee. Lots of high-tech firms in the U.S. have gotten in trouble for violating this. Microsoft is one that springs to mind. So this story is important because Blackwater is not the only ... More »
We need more bravery in the "Fourty Estate" -- both electronic and paper!!!!! "The only effective restraint upon executive policy and power in the areas of national defense and international affairs may lie in an enlightened citizenry -- in an informed and critical public opinion which alone can here protect the values of democratic government." ~Justice Potter Stewart, writing in 1971 Pentagon Papers decision.
I'm not sure it's fair to consider an armed guard as a mercenary (contractor) rather than an as an employee under any circumstances. An important debate.
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