Truthdig - Ear to the Ground - Contractor Waste of Tax Dollars Continues

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Contractor Waste of Tax Dollars Continues

U.S. Navy / MC1 Nicholas Lingo

A Navy equipment operator drives a construction vehicle, presumably without overcharging the government for his trouble.

DynCorp International got caught charging the government $50 million over contract for providing living facilities in Kuwait. The company’s CEO told a congressional commission, “If we’re not competitive [in costs], it’s possible for the government to replace us.” But the opposite seems to be true when it comes to contractors in Iraq and Afghanistan, where fraud, waste and abuse have been all too common for years.

Washington Post:

April G. Stephenson, director of the Defense Contract Audit Agency, described a variety of problems in DynCorp contracts associated with the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. She appeared before the Commission on Wartime Contracting in Iraq and Afghanistan, which Congress established to investigate overspending by military contractors and issue recommendations for improvement.

Stephenson said the Falls Church-based company exceeded the costs outlined in its contract with the government for the Kuwait project by 51 percent. She said the government was overbilled $13.3 million—all of which was repaid—for generators, rifle scopes, body armor and other equipment that was not delivered. And she noted that, in a recent audit, the government rejected 15 of 29 billings, or $8.7 million out of $20.6 million in expenses.

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TAGS: afghanistan commission congress construction dyncorp fraud government iraq military war waste

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By KDelphi, August 15 at 11:25 pm #

Obama has not changed things on this one iota:(from GWB)

http://rebelreports.com/

US Still Paying Blackwater Millions

Just days before two former Blackwater employees alleged in sworn statements filed in federal court that the company’s owner, Erik Prince, “views himself as a Christian crusader tasked with eliminating Muslims and the Islamic faith from the globe,” the Obama administration extended a contract with Blackwater for more than $20 million for “security services” in Iraq, according to federal contract data obtained by The Nation… [S]ince President Barack Obama took office in January the State Department has contracted with Blackwater for more than $174 million in “security services” alone in Iraq and Afghanistan and tens of millions more in “aviation services.” Read the full story at The Nation

http://www.thenation.com/doc/20090817/scahill2

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By Northrup Ponzifighter, August 13 at 5:05 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

Naive article, even more so with the unhelpful, contractor allied Washington Post. The assumption when their’s war under way you have all kinds of graft. Perhaps it intensifies, but squeezing the Gov’mint ATM is a 24/7, 365 day event in every sector of our economy that’s up for bid. Sole-source makes it even more lucrative, It’s too bad we all can’t be wealthy beyond reason so we can pontificate about “competition” like some delusional lizard and slump before Congressmen who are more concerned with which contractor gets the money then how much they get.

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By Rodger Lemonde, August 13 at 12:49 pm #

rollzone
We’re those really cost overruns or was the original bid scaled downward to get the contract with an expectation that overrun cost would be green light all the way in a war situation?
There are many proven instances of bad faith war contracts in this conflict.

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By rollzone, August 12 at 9:37 pm #

hello. i do not mind contractors trying to recoup cost overruns. i do have a disliking of campaigns, alike this past week: costing billions of dollars to kill 7 enemies. there were no American casualties, and the military thrives over this enormous overkill. it is their method of destroying real estate, to kill the rats: that requires these contractors to come in behind them; and clean up their mess. we have better methods than overkill. this exercise in Afghanistan should stop.

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By LostHills, August 12 at 8:10 pm #

The difference between the Obama administration and Bushco is one of style—not substance. The same money and the same corporations are still fueling the machine. You can’t fix this problem at the ballot box, my friends, it takes massive civil disobedience, nationwide strikes, coalition building, disruption, monkeywrenching and dedication. As Pete Seeger said, “You’ve got to organize!” Nationwide demonstrations are being organized for October, the aniversary of the invasion of Afghanistan. Participate! Start an action of your own in your own hometown, or google ANSWER coalition and support one of their actions. Don’t just talk about it. Take your country back!

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