Bush Administration push for privatization may have helped create Walter Reed 'disaster'

[babylonsister]

http://www.rawstory.com/news/2007/Bush_Administration_push_for_privatization_may_0303.html

Bush Administration push for privatization may have helped create Walter Reed 'disaster'
Ron Brynaert
Published: Saturday March 3, 2007


The Bush Administration's drive for privatization may be responsible for the "deplorable" outpatient care for soldiers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, according to a top Democratic Congressman investigating the scandal, which has already led to the resignation of the Secretary of the US Army.

A five-year, $120 million contract awarded to a firm run by a former executive from Halliburton – a multi-national corporation where Vice President Dick Cheney once served as CEO – will be probed at a Subcommittee on National Security and Foreign Affairs hearing scheduled for Monday.

A letter sent by Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA), chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, to Major General George W. Weightman, the former commander at Walter Reed, asks him to "address the implications of a memorandum from Garrison Commander Peter Garibaldi sent through you to Colonel Daryl Spencer, the Assistant Chief of Staff for Resource Management with the U.S. Army Medical Command" in order to better prepare himself for his testimony at the hearing.

"This memorandum, which we understand was written in September 2006, describes how the Army's decision to privatize support services at Walter Reed Army Medical Center was causing an exodus of 'highly skilled and experienced personnel,'" Waxman's letter continues. "As a result, according to the memorandum, 'WRAMC Base Operations and patient care services are at risk of mission failure.'"

Waxman's letter states that "several sources have corroborated key portions of the memorandum."

"We have learned that in January 2006, Walter Reed awarded a five-year $120 million contract to a company called IAP Worldwide Services for base operations support services, including facilities management," Waxman continues. "IAP is one of the companies that experienced problems delivering ice during the response to Hurricane Katrina."

more...

[Monkeyman]

1. Again lets give contracts to Replugs who support me

[durtee librul]

2. If you all think the WRH is a mess,

you should check and see what has been going on at the Soldier's Home located in DC as well. This place is the ONLY place many of these war vets have to call home and it ain't in much better shape in some areas. The sad part - - the land has been sold to a Catholic University with the buildings being 'rented' by the gubmint.

There is so much more. It's just a bunch of bullshit by this admin. I hope to hell I never see * in a flight jacket pretending to be a 'soldier' or I might just lose my cookies all over him....and that would be just for starters.

[gratuitous]

3. Follow the money, and it's Halliburton . . . again

Hard to believe that at the end of 2002, Halliburton was contemplating bankruptcy and Vice President Cheney's deferred compensation from them was in danger of going unpaid. Now Cheney gets hundreds of thousands of dollars a year from Halliburton and related entities, while raking in an extra couple hundred grand from the tax cuts he voted for himself.

But let's talk about Hillary Clinton and her failure to file all the right documents detailing her charitable donations.

[babylonsister]

4. I didn't know about Halliburton contemplating bankruptcy in 02.

:wow: