How Congress and Corporations Steal from Taxpayers | The Pragmatic Pundit
source: http://www.thepragmaticpundit.com/2013/01/how-congress-and-corporations-steal.html
-
-
- FayPax
- added this
While I agree that the recent “Sandy legislation” should not have had unrelated items attached, the Republican outcry is yet another exercise in blatant hypocrisy. Earmarking pet projects is one way Red States absorb more tax funds than Blue States. More importantly, if they are so repulsed by the concept, they can simply adopt legislation that prohibits the attachment of amendments and expenditures that are unrelated to the legislation.
The idea that the Republicans wail about possible waste regarding Sandy, literally turns my stomach, because they just passed The National Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 1540), a defense bill riddled with waste and fraud.
In the 90’s, President Clinton embraced outsourcing as a way to help downsize the military. Later, George W. Bush identified outsourcing as one of his top priorities. But if downsizing is the goal, one has to wonder why huge sums are allocated for expansions through land acquisition and construction. In fact, it is a means of shifting huge sums of resources from government coffers to private hands.
In 1996, Congress established the Military Housing Privatization Initiative. The stated purpose was to help improve the quality of housing for the military. Under the program, the Secretary of Defense is authorized to enter into agreements with private developers to own, maintain and operate military housing.
What follows is just a sampling of what is the greatest squandering of taxpayer dollars imaginable. The appropriations Congress commits to private contractors are absolutely unconscionable. I looked at defense bills, concentrating on the housing sector because it is an area we are all familiar with.
Allocations for military housing are contained in a section titled “ Military Construction Authorization”. It states:
The Secretary of the Army may acquire real property, carry out architectural and engineering services and construction design activities with respect to the construction or improvement of military family housing units.
As far as I can see, the military authorizations are nothing more than a compilation of waste and double-dipping that benefits private contractors. For example:
Read more....
The idea that the Republicans wail about possible waste regarding Sandy, literally turns my stomach, because they just passed The National Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 1540), a defense bill riddled with waste and fraud.
In the 90’s, President Clinton embraced outsourcing as a way to help downsize the military. Later, George W. Bush identified outsourcing as one of his top priorities. But if downsizing is the goal, one has to wonder why huge sums are allocated for expansions through land acquisition and construction. In fact, it is a means of shifting huge sums of resources from government coffers to private hands.
In 1996, Congress established the Military Housing Privatization Initiative. The stated purpose was to help improve the quality of housing for the military. Under the program, the Secretary of Defense is authorized to enter into agreements with private developers to own, maintain and operate military housing.
What follows is just a sampling of what is the greatest squandering of taxpayer dollars imaginable. The appropriations Congress commits to private contractors are absolutely unconscionable. I looked at defense bills, concentrating on the housing sector because it is an area we are all familiar with.
Allocations for military housing are contained in a section titled “ Military Construction Authorization”. It states:
The Secretary of the Army may acquire real property, carry out architectural and engineering services and construction design activities with respect to the construction or improvement of military family housing units.
As far as I can see, the military authorizations are nothing more than a compilation of waste and double-dipping that benefits private contractors. For example:
Read more....
-
- groups:
- News and Politics
