idrankwhat

The fraud in government contracts is by no means a new thing. Most of the large contractors have all been busted repeatedly for it yet they continue to be re-hired. I think it's simply looked at as a cost of doing business. You get a multi billion dollar contract, over bill, and if you get busted you pay a few million in fines. No biggie. And I'd say that cost plus contracts are especially susceptible. But it's not just the feds. We got screwed here at work with parking. They hired someone and paid them $1200/parking space for scraping and putting down some gravel on an already level and cleared grass area (then they raised our parking fees). I could have done it in a weekend, by myself, for a small fraction of the cost. But I work for the State and the rules preclude that option.

Great idea. Let's also do that for welfare and other entitlement programs. I actually did write my Congressman and asked him to propose doing this with the DoD budget. What I'm asking is that people actually look at these programs, defense, entitlements etc., and seriously look at the numbers. When people see how much money is coming out of their pockets for something specific they'll be much more likely to ask "and where exactly are you spending this money? Let me see a breakdown." I don't have a problem with a government that shrewdly (I can't write that without laughing) spending my money in an effort to keep our population healthy and well educated. I also don't have a problem with building up a strong defensive force. But what I absolutely do NOT support is exploitation and fraud in any of those programs. Trim the fat and we can have it all and probably put some change back in our pockets. Unfortunately, to "trim the fat" we're going to have to purge the incumbents.

Great idea. Let's also do that for welfare and other entitlement programs. See "FICA" edited to add: Oooops. You said "welfare". I don't have a problem with listing that either.

What price have you paid for this war that you so openly support? I'm fully against it but I'm willing to pay a "war tax" if they'll itemize it on my pay stub. How 'bout you? Pay? Are you CRAZY? Borrow, my boy, debt is the answer. Yes, passing on the responsibility to fight or pay for wars to another party is certainly the burden a true Patriot must bear! Actually, that was a bit of a trick question. I have no problem paying for things that I support. But I also know that if there was an off budget funding method for war that showed up each week on your pay stub that the chickenhawks would change their tune pretty quickly. A draft would have the same effect.

No, but he's quite possibly the most expensive!

Do the number of meals match the number of people? Rory Mayberry, a former food production manager for the Halliburton subsidiary Kellogg, Brown & Root, testified at the hearing that the company routinely overpaid for staples such as tomatoes and bacon by importing the food from Philadelphia instead of using local suppliers overseas and in the region. Mayberry said that in early 2004, the company ordered enough food to prepare 20,000 meals every day at one US base in Iraq even though it was serving only 10,000 of them a day. ''When I questioned these practices, the managers told me this needed to be done because KBR lost money in prior months, when the government suspended some of the dining-hall payments to the company," said Mayberry, who testified via videotape from Iraq, where he is now working for another private company. http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2005/06/28/audit_questions_14b_in_halliburton_bills/ http://www.senate.gov/~schumer/SchumerWebsite/pressroom/record.cfm?id=265222&

Just video interviews with Halliburton employees and soldiers who talk and provide video about blowing up trucks instead of changing a flat, burning brand new computers because they had ordered the wrong ones, forcing soldiers to use KBR's $100/bag laundry service, and a representative who thinks that it's an example of capitalism at it's finest.

Some stuff that was banned from Congressional testimony: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cJlJudDtVE And Jack Kingston's (GA) response to blatant war profiteering is to accuse Greenwald of being against someone making a profit and to...well....just watch it for yourself. It's priceless in a disgusting sort of way. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsNM5zbe4Pk

I noticed that you're not answering the question that I asked you directly.

It's a fine rant. And you should rant. You should have your xm-8 and MRAPs instead of Humvees. And we pay enough money in taxes to get you those things but it's misappropriated in favor of unaccountable civilian contractors.

Kind of like all those people who think those Americans, who already pay the lion's share of taxes, should pay more. Except there is one major difference. Individual soldiers voluntarily join the armed forces. Individual taxpayers don't really have a choice. I love this new story line they have. Don't mean shit but it makes them feel better that they have some kind of response What price have you paid for this war that you so openly support? I'm fully against it but I'm willing to pay a "war tax" if they'll itemize it on my pay stub. How 'bout you?

What about the Congresscritters who appropriate money in the name of the troops but spend it on cost plus contracts for companies who blow up trucks instead of changing a tire while simultaneously stating that we don't have enough money to provide armor for a troop carrier?

I guess the Filipino slavery thing isn't working out so well. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/iraq/article2199263.ece http://youtube.com/watch?v=evRPwwyno_c I, know, this is just piling on but it's a chance to post something that I didn't post a couple of weeks ago.

Hopefully act as a deterrent against similarly ill advised activities. And maybe to hold those responsible accountable for their actions. I won't hold my breath for that last one.

Sorry, I couldn't resist. See attachment.

People need to remember that it didn't need to happen in the first place. Talking about how we're slowly fixing what we trashed isn't really much of a success story. Someone rips off your car leaves it parked at the bottom of a lake. Are you going to give a crap if you get it back and it's got a shiny new paint job and some spinning rims?

"I think in this case international law stood in the way of doing the right thing." Richard Pearle, 2003. http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,1089158,00.html "When pressed on whether he viewed the invasion of Iraq as illegal, he said: "Yes, if you wish. I have indicated it was not in conformity with the UN charter from our point of view, from the charter point of view, it was illegal."" http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3661134.stm And, to be fair, here's a link with arguments for and against the legality. http://news.scotsman.com/topics.cfm?tid=518&id=303282003

Didn't say that it did. I hope that things eventually do get better and I'm sure that they will, eventually. That also doesn't detract however from the fact that the mess never should have been made in the first place. The invasion was illegal and quite possibly the biggest foreign policy blunder in the world's history (time will tell), certainly the US' history. Eventually fixing things up to something considered an "acceptable" level at the cost of hundreds of thousands of lives and billions or trillions of dollars will never change that.

For a more complete picture. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6938527.stm and http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6943120.stm

Where? I've seen a number of posts that point out that he should be punished but I haven't read any defense of his actions.

You're absolutely right. The legality of the execution isn't my argument. Whether or not the law is f'd up is. I don't have a problem with the death penalty for certain crimes. And in my opinion, the person who deserved to be executed was.

...except that Armatage is the one who gave out her name and Colin Powel was the first in the Admin to know. Why then should Rove have been forced to leave? Oh, oh, oh oh, sorry, I forgot. It is the CHARGE that counts, not facts or evidence. Sorry, I will do better WASHINGTON — Columnist Robert Novak said publicly for the first time Tuesday that White House political adviser Karl Rove was a source for his story outing the identity of CIA officer Valerie Plame. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,203051,00.html ah, did you read the story from the link? Yep.

The real problem is we coddle and try to justify people that do Bad things instead of removing them from the gene pool. There are BAD people out there that Do BAD things.. Like drive around looking for people to Rob at Gun Point. Want to live in a better world?? Get rid of these people. I agree that people should be held accountable. Illegally starting wars and torturing is high up on my list of bad things. But I think that execution of everyone involved would be excessive.

A Jury of 12 heard the evidence (Much more than speculation and Biased articles referenced here) and decided that it wasn’t really hard to call. The law of parties is the problem. The case doesn't have to be made that he was a murderer, just that he should have anticipated the murder and is therefore held accountable for the murder to the same degree as the killer. I think that's a low bar to set. Is it the law? Yes. Is that law f'd up? IMO Yes.