Senator? Call Your Lawyer. You're Going to Jail

[kpete]

Senator? Call Your Lawyer. You're Going to Jail
by Pluto
Thu Mar 05, 2009 at 12:28:25 AM PST

That's right, Senator. You know who you are. You've been reading Daily Kos, waiting for this. Your worst nightmare is about to come true.

Whistle blowers and witness? Step forward, patriots. It's time.

JUST GO THERE!!!
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2009/3/5/32825/59721/571/703203

[napi21]

1. A big part of the problem is awarding contracts before you know what

the hell you really want! I've been listening to the discussions on this crap for over a week, and it's didn't take me long to realize what was wrong. It's much like when you contract to build a house. You submit plans ti a contractor and agree on a price, but you keep changing your mind as the construction proceeds. You have them move walls, change the heating type, add solar..... All of a sudden, that house they agreed to build for you for $250,000 now is going to cost $500,000! The military contracts are notorious for doing that kind of stuff! I'm not saying the contractors aren't skimming, but I can't fault them for adding expenses to the contracts when the customers keep changing everything!

[dkofos]

2. It seems way past time to stop granting COST + contracts.

[ThomWV]

9. What you are talking about is cost plus a percentage of cost - and they've always been illegal

There are many varieties of Federal Contract but they all fall under two types. One is fixed price contracting and the other is cost reimbursement contracting. Each has its place and the type that is rightfully called Cost plus fixed fee is the mainstay of Government sponsored research in this country other than outright Financial Assistance (grants and cooperative agreements).

In any cost reimbursement contract the cost is just an estimate, subject to change after contract award should there be a reason to continue the work and of course subject to the availability of funds. Just thought you'd like to know.

From an ex (retired) Federal Contracting Officer.

[liberalla]

3. OMG

Stunning...

[formercia]

4. Now that the troops will be coming home soon.

They can take over a lot of the jobs that were farmed out to private contractors.

One good example is sending the Marines back to guarding Embassies instead of using Blackwater.

[Urban Prairie]

5. Hey!!! Shit Meet Fan

These people never thought that there might someday be consequences?

Did they actually believe that Chimpy was going to become Emperor Dubya I for life?

He may be up to his nasty coke-snorting nose in his own private Waterloo eventually as well.

[starroute]

6. Notice that the top item is for missile defense in Huntsville, AL

Missile defense has always been a boondoggle -- billions of dollars spent since Reagan first called for Star Wars, and nothing in particular to show for it. Not only is it a fool's venture, but it's a great way of deliberately siphoning off federal money into the pockets of defense contractors, since nobody expects results anyway.

Huntsville has been a major NASA center ever since a lot of the "Project Paperclip" Nazi rocket scientists were dumped there in the 1950's -- and it's partly because the military-industrial complex is so well entrenched there that Alabama is so notably corrupt. Senators Shelby and Sessions both count defense contractors among their major donors, and though minor scandals erupt periodically, it's never really been brought home to either of them.

If you look at the other locations on the Kos list, most of them are in major industrial states. Alabama is one of the few states that has a major military-industrial presence and is also small enough and poor enough for that presence to exert a disproportionate influence.

[robinlynne]

7. one of yesterday's contracts:

Wolverine World Wide, Rockford, Mich., is being awarded a maximum $13,228,034 fixed price with economic price adjustment, partial set aside, indefinite delivery and indefinite quantity contract for temperate weather, Army combat boots. Other locations of performance are in Ariz., and Mich. Using service is Army. There were six responses to the original proposal solicited. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is Mar. 3, 2010. The contracting activity is the Defense Supply Center Philadelphia (DSCP), Philadelphia, Pa., (SPM1C1-09-D-0033).

economic price adjustment? So that means the price will be lowered before delivery, as all other prices are doing in this country, right?
indeifite delivery,
indefinite quantity
13 million dollars in temperate weather boots? How many soldiers do we have?

[Winterblues]

8. Domenici or Stevens?

Or both, or another Senator, or the entire Republican bunch?

[ThomWV]

10. What difference would either of them make? Neither is a sitting Senator, just a has-been felon.