Economic Swindle-Us: Air Force To Spend $228,000 On Trout Fishing

[FarCenter]

http://www.informationweek.com/blog/main/archives/2009/02/economic_swindl.html?cid=RSSfeed_IWK_ALL&cid=nl_IWK_daily_H

At a time when OMB has ordered the military to cut its budget, at least one branch of the armed services is telling the number crunchers in Washington to go fish.

While trolling, pun intended, the government databases this morning for juicy IT contracts that our readers might like to know about, I got hooked by this notice for "Hatchery Raised Fish." Strangely, the solicitation was published by the Air Force.

Are they secretly training fish to keep downed planes afloat? Is that what was really behind the Miracle on The Hudson?

Turns out it's nothing so far out. Our winged service, it seems, can't operate its Colorado Springs academy without well-stocked trout lakes. So it plans to spend $228,000 on almost 7 tons of live, "nine- to eleven-inch, whirling-disease negative, rainbow trout" to stock lakes on its grounds and a neighboring recreational area.

According to the documents, the benefactor of this government-gone-wild largesse is an outfit called Crowther's Freshwater Trout, of La Jara, Colo. The plan calls for Crowther's to drop the swimmers into academy lakes every four weeks, from March through October.

<snip>

See also
https://www.fbo.gov/index?s=opportunity&mode=form&id=cd5e305a09a4cb9def8d064735d42b24&tab=core&_cview=1&cck=1&au=&ck=

[TwilightGardener]

1. When I lived on one base, we used to fish in a large pond that was stocked.

It was nice for base residents--can't always count on local areas to provide entertainment. One of the Recreation Center's ideas--they rented canoes and stuff too.

[FarCenter]

2. This is the US Air Force Academy

Basically a four year college outside of Colorado Springs. Not a remote location.

[TwilightGardener]

5. It's a base, same as any other--there are military personnel assigned there, it's

not just a college. There are three other AF bases nearby--Schriever, Peterson, and Cheyenne Mountain, and as far as I know, they share amenities, because they're all rather small--so maybe some of those folks might be able to go fishing at the Academy. Hey, if you want to get pissed, the stocked lakes are just the tip of the iceberg. What about the golf courses, bowling alleys, hobby and craft shops, RV parks (Offutt AFB's is on a nice lake!), fitness centers, BX's and commissaries, etc. the military provides on most installations?

[Uben]

3. This is great!

Outdoor recreation for soldiers for the price of a couple of hammers used on the International Space Station!

[cobalt1999]

4. I'm okay with that.

Fish for the cost of a couple of sidewinder missiles.

I'd rather they spend the money on the fish. At least people can eat the fish.