How to reduce government spending......

cloudshipsrule · 26th November 2007, 08:44 AM

Make the government put up a website on which any individual can point and click and see where every one of our tax dollars is spent. Sure it would cost a lot of money to implement, but it could save a lot more by holding the government accountable.

The government hands out billion dollar sums to government office X. Government office X then hands out million dollar sums to office Y. All of these offices spend their money in ways we'll never know unless something changes.

Not to mention all the other pork barrel projects the public never hears about.

There is practically ZERO accountability when it comes to government spending.

Having every dollar spent and handed out on government programs on the Internet for the public to scrutinize would put an end to most of the waste, eventually.

The problem is, even government employees have no idea where the money goes. They collect it, then 'poof', it's gone for good.

Something needs to change, and accountability is a crucial key.

ZenFountain · 26th November 2007, 08:51 AM

They already do...

http://www.treasury.gov/offices/mana...get-documents/

The GAO site also has plenty of reading on budgetary matters, for example reports like this. Another resource is public libraries and universities that collect mountains of official government documents and print. They are simple white paperbacks that are actually organized very well. Truth is most citizens are too busy or too naive to care about how the government operates and that is how we end up with a mess.

Tokenconservative · 26th November 2007, 08:58 AM

Originally Posted by cloudshipsrule

Make the government put up a website on which any individual can point and click and see where every one of our tax dollars is spent. Sure it would cost a lot of money to implement, but it could save a lot more by holding the government accountable.

The government hands out billion dollar sums to government office X. Government office X then hands out million dollar sums to office Y. All of these offices spend their money in ways we'll never know unless something changes.

Not to mention all the other pork barrel projects the public never hears about.

There is practically ZERO accountability when it comes to government spending.

Having every dollar spent and handed out on government programs on the Internet for the public to scrutinize would put an end to most of the waste, eventually.

The problem is, even government employees have no idea where the money goes. They collect it, then 'poof', it's gone for good.

Something needs to change, and accountability is a crucial key.

You can find out what's being spent, now...just have to look for it.

Accountability lies in the voting booth. Why do people who gripe and whine about "spending" keep sending the same spendthrifts back to office time and time again?

Tokie

Fnord · 26th November 2007, 09:29 AM

The sad part of it is is that once you've given something away, it is no longer yours, regardless of whether or not you receive something in return.

Once the government takes your taxes, you have no say in how it it gets spent, except through your elected representatives.

And it isn't so much that the same people get elected time and again, but that it's the same type of people who get elected each time.

Whether a "Tax-And-Spend-Liberal" or a "Deficit-Spending-Conservative," the key word is "Spend." The politicians we elect are simply wealthier version of the people who spend more than they've earned while saving nothing. Sooner or later their creditors catch up with them, and they're left blaming their lack of income and their creditor's greed for the impoverished state they find themselves in.

(Grammar Nazis: Your indulgeance, please. I'm an engineer, not an English major.)

cloudshipsrule · 26th November 2007, 09:39 AM

I understand it's 'out there' if you just take the time and effort to look for it.

My point is that if all spending was on one website for joe public to view, there would be a lot more scrutiny, and accountability. Government offices would only spend $200 on a stapler a couple of times before they would be called on it. There would be individuals out there who would spend countless hours just pointing and clicking away, and when they found absurd things (which they would) those items would be youtube fodder in moments.

cloudshipsrule · 26th November 2007, 09:40 AM

Quote:

Why do people who gripe and whine about "spending" keep sending the same spendthrifts back to office time and time again?

It's no longer about who is put in office. It's the systems in place which are broken.

balrog666 · 26th November 2007, 11:22 AM

You want to reduce government spending on boondoggles?

Let people allocate where their tax money goes. We could do it all online now.

Beerina · 26th November 2007, 12:33 PM

Originally Posted by balrog666

You want to reduce government spending on boondoggles?

Let people allocate where their tax money goes. We could do it all online now.

You expect politicians to actually let you do this? Hah, that's not why it exists. It exists as the result of meme-type evolution of politics. That which reproduces, i.e. gets re-elected, gets reinforced with more money. Spending buys more votes, from threat of NOT spending it next year if nothing else, then saving it ever will for the less-tightly coupled non-dependents on government.

PAC · 26th November 2007, 03:02 PM

Originally Posted by cloudshipsrule

It's no longer about who is put in office. It's the systems in place which are broken.

Polls show that Americans have a low opinion of congrees but they have a high opinion of their representatives in congress. These representatives bring home the pork that we like to see spent in our backyards.

The system will not change until Americans are willing to face the reality that we can not continue on this path much longer. So far, we have shown ourselves to be a society of people who don't want to give anything up for the greater good.

Money is the currency of power and it's realy all about the power.

balrog666 · 27th November 2007, 10:02 AM

Originally Posted by Beerina

You expect politicians to actually let you do this? Hah, that's not why it exists. It exists as the result of meme-type evolution of politics. That which reproduces, i.e. gets re-elected, gets reinforced with more money. Spending buys more votes, from threat of NOT spending it next year if nothing else, then saving it ever will for the less-tightly coupled non-dependents on government.

I didn't say it could happen. I merely suggested that it would work.

Other ideas would work too.

And that's why none of them will ever be enacted until

Trakar · 27th November 2007, 08:08 PM

Originally Posted by cloudshipsrule

Make the government put up a website on which any individual can point and click and see where every one of our tax dollars is spent. Sure it would cost a lot of money to implement, but it could save a lot more by holding the government accountable.

The government hands out billion dollar sums to government office X. Government office X then hands out million dollar sums to office Y. All of these offices spend their money in ways we'll never know unless something changes.

Not to mention all the other pork barrel projects the public never hears about.

There is practically ZERO accountability when it comes to government spending.

Having every dollar spent and handed out on government programs on the Internet for the public to scrutinize would put an end to most of the waste, eventually.

The problem is, even government employees have no idea where the money goes. They collect it, then 'poof', it's gone for good.

Something needs to change, and accountability is a crucial key.

I tend to agree, I don't really have that big a problem with taxes or the causes for which my tax dollars are being spent, what I do dislike are crooks and incompetence. Eliminate the swindling and mismanagement and there is more than enough to do a lot more than is currently being done.

Its understandable why some are so distrustful of the governement, because when their people are in charge, the graft and foul-ups reach record levels. If I supported people like that I wouldn't trust the government either!

WildCat · 27th November 2007, 08:17 PM

Originally Posted by TShaitanaku

I tend to agree, I don't really have that big a problem with taxes or the causes for which my tax dollars are being spent, what I do dislike are crooks and incompetence. Eliminate the swindling and mismanagement and there is more than enough to do a lot more than is currently being done.

True story:

I once did a job at Fermilab that consisted of tearing down a wall in a conference room, and rebuilding the wall 6 inches from where the old one was. Why? Because there was money left in the budget at the end of the fiscal year, and if they didn't spend it they risked every government bureaucrat's worst nightmare - getting their budget cut next year.

This is why budgets only get bigger, money wasters get rewarded with bigger piles of money to burn nest time.

cloudshipsrule · 28th November 2007, 04:22 AM

Quote:

This is why budgets only get bigger, money wasters get rewarded with bigger piles of money to burn nest time.

This happens in every facet of the government.

Government contracts are another HUGE area where money is wasted. There were times when I was in the military when I could have purchased a part from Radio Shack for 25 cents to repair a piece of equipment. I wasn't allowed. I had to purchase the same part through a government vendor for over $10. The SAME EXACT part. It's a scam. I can't fathom the BILLIONS that are wasted every month in the US.

There is plenty of money coming in to make the country great, and to provide health care for those that can't afford insurance. The problem is where the money is wasted.

Don't get me started on local school district budgets!

Dancing David · 29th November 2007, 07:04 AM

Originally Posted by Tokenconservative

You can find out what's being spent, now...just have to look for it.

Accountability lies in the voting booth. Why do people who gripe and whine about "spending" keep sending the same spendthrifts back to office time and time again?

Tokie

Because all politics is local.

The Don · 30th November 2007, 05:47 AM

Originally Posted by cloudshipsrule

...... There were times when I was in the military when I could have purchased a part from Radio Shack for 25 cents to repair a piece of equipment. I wasn't allowed. I had to purchase the same part through a government vendor for over $10. The SAME EXACT part. It's a scam. I can't fathom the BILLIONS that are wasted every month in the US.
.......

That vendor was pre-approved with a pre-agreed price, warranty and inventory structure whereas allowing people to buy from whoever they wish, can result in the following problems:

- huge inventories of similar but incompatible parts
- abuse of the purchasing system (buying from mates at a mark-up)
- indirect funding of crime and/or terrorism (do you know who you're buying from ?)
- nightmares in accounts payable

Buying a 25c part for $10 may have saved $loads in procurement costs.

Trakar · 30th November 2007, 07:46 AM

Originally Posted by The Don

That vendor was pre-approved with a pre-agreed price, warranty and inventory structure whereas allowing people to buy from whoever they wish, can result in the following problems:

- huge inventories of similar but incompatible parts
- abuse of the purchasing system (buying from mates at a mark-up)
- indirect funding of crime and/or terrorism (do you know who you're buying from ?)
- nightmares in accounts payable

Buying a 25c part for $10 may have saved $loads in procurement costs.

The big thing you mention, or should have, is testing and accountability. The 25cent Radio Shack (or Goober's electronics discount warehouse) part may generally perform the same function you need, but there is no guarantee that it will do so for as long as you need it to do so under the environmental conditions you require it to do so, etc., etc. Now, the governmentally procured part may not meet the requirements its supposed to either, but as you mention there's someone to hold accountable for that if it doesn't, this isn't true if each unit is allowed to bubblegum and bailingwire all their equipment (which kinda sorta happens anyway, much of the time, especially during times like now when there are more criminals than honest contractors and government inspectors, and everybody is trying to shoestring the budgets).

cloudshipsrule · 2nd December 2007, 03:36 PM

It wasn't a piece of equipment used for anything beyond entertainment. Some gear I worked on required parts which had tight tolerences, but this was not one of them.

Beyond parts required for repairs, I saw a lot of other waste during my 5 years enlisted. (I was a CTM for the US Navy.) Individuals not familiar with how the government spends money would be amazed at how well they waste it. It goes beyond most people's imaginations!

Trakar · 3rd December 2007, 08:36 AM

Originally Posted by cloudshipsrule

It wasn't a piece of equipment used for anything beyond entertainment. Some gear I worked on required parts which had tight tolerences, but this was not one of them.

Beyond parts required for repairs, I saw a lot of other waste during my 5 years enlisted. (I was a CTM for the US Navy.) Individuals not familiar with how the government spends money would be amazed at how well they waste it. It goes beyond most people's imaginations!

In general, I agree, though realistically, a lot of what is typically thought of as "waste" by a casual observer, is actually just a realistic buffer cost for running a system that can't function outside of very limited situations. There is a lot of "risk taking" in the private business sector and even most of our personal lives that are intolerable in some areas of the government, particularly the military. Eliminating or minimizing these risks is expensive (which is one of the reasons we generally tolerate many of these risks in the private and personal sector).

Now please, don't mistake my statements or intentions, after just shy of 40 years as an officer in the US Army and then a handful of years as a Contract Manager for Government (predominantly DoD) R&D projects, I can affirm that, yes, there is a large amount of waste, mismanagement, and even outright criminality rampant in the system. But, its important to recognize and realize that there is a method to this madness, and that there are a great many other legitimate factors involved in why a product or part is one price on the commercial/civilian market, and a much higher price through the military procurement system.

26th November 2007, 08:44 AM	#1
cloudshipsrule Graduate Poster Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 1,171	How to reduce government spending...... Make the government put up a website on which any individual can point and click and see where every one of our tax dollars is spent. Sure it would cost a lot of money to implement, but it could save a lot more by holding the government accountable. The government hands out billion dollar sums to government office X. Government office X then hands out million dollar sums to office Y. All of these offices spend their money in ways we'll never know unless something changes. Not to mention all the other pork barrel projects the public never hears about. There is practically ZERO accountability when it comes to government spending. Having every dollar spent and handed out on government programs on the Internet for the public to scrutinize would put an end to most of the waste, eventually. The problem is, even government employees have no idea where the money goes. They collect it, then 'poof', it's gone for good. Something needs to change, and accountability is a crucial key.

26th November 2007, 08:51 AM	#2
ZenFountain Muse Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 666	They already do... http://www.treasury.gov/offices/mana...get-documents/ The GAO site also has plenty of reading on budgetary matters, for example reports like this. Another resource is public libraries and universities that collect mountains of official government documents and print. They are simple white paperbacks that are actually organized very well. Truth is most citizens are too busy or too naive to care about how the government operates and that is how we end up with a mess.
ZenFountain Muse Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 666	__________________ It seems that I know that I know, What i would like to see, Is the I that knows me, When I know that I know that I know. Last edited by ZenFountain; 26th November 2007 at 08:57 AM.

26th November 2007, 09:29 AM	#4
Fnord Metasyntactic Variable Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 6,633	The sad part of it is is that once you've given something away, it is no longer yours, regardless of whether or not you receive something in return. Once the government takes your taxes, you have no say in how it it gets spent, except through your elected representatives. And it isn't so much that the same people get elected time and again, but that it's the same type of people who get elected each time. Whether a "Tax-And-Spend-Liberal" or a "Deficit-Spending-Conservative," the key word is "Spend." The politicians we elect are simply wealthier version of the people who spend more than they've earned while saving nothing. Sooner or later their creditors catch up with them, and they're left blaming their lack of income and their creditor's greed for the impoverished state they find themselves in. (Grammar Nazis: Your indulgeance, please. I'm an engineer, not an English major.)
	__________________ Belief is the subjective acceptance of a (valid or invalid) concept, opinion, or theory; Faith is the unreasoned belief in improvable things; *and Knowledge* is the reasoned belief in provable things. Belief itself proves nothing.** Last edited by Fnord; 26th November 2007 at 09:31 AM.

26th November 2007, 11:22 AM	#7
balrog666 Eigenmode: Cynic Join Date: May 2004 Posts: 2,529	You want to reduce government spending on boondoggles? Let people allocate where their tax money goes. We could do it all online now.
	__________________ A person who won't think has no advantage over one who can't think. - (paraphrased) Mark Twain Diversity--When all colors and creeds believe exactly as liberals want them to. Or Else! -Coyote

26th November 2007, 12:33 PM	#8
Beerina Sarcastic Conqueror of Notions Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: A floating island above the clouds Posts: 23,835	Originally Posted by balrog666 You want to reduce government spending on boondoggles? Let people allocate where their tax money goes. We could do it all online now. You expect politicians to actually let you do this? Hah, that's not why it exists. It exists as the result of meme-type evolution of politics. That which reproduces, i.e. gets re-elected, gets reinforced with more money. Spending buys more votes, from threat of NOT spending it next year if nothing else, then saving it ever will for the less-tightly coupled non-dependents on government.
	__________________ "Great innovations should not be forced [by way of] slender majorities." - Thomas Jefferson The government should nationalize it! Socialized, single-payer video game development and sales *now!* More, cheaper, better games, right? Right?

26th November 2007, 08:58 AM	#3
Tokenconservative Banned Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 2,204	Originally Posted by cloudshipsrule Make the government put up a website on which any individual can point and click and see where every one of our tax dollars is spent. Sure it would cost a lot of money to implement, but it could save a lot more by holding the government accountable. The government hands out billion dollar sums to government office X. Government office X then hands out million dollar sums to office Y. All of these offices spend their money in ways we'll never know unless something changes. Not to mention all the other pork barrel projects the public never hears about. There is practically ZERO accountability when it comes to government spending. Having every dollar spent and handed out on government programs on the Internet for the public to scrutinize would put an end to most of the waste, eventually. The problem is, even government employees have no idea where the money goes. They collect it, then 'poof', it's gone for good. Something needs to change, and accountability is a crucial key. You can find out what's being spent, now...just have to look for it. Accountability lies in the voting booth. Why do people who gripe and whine about "spending" keep sending the same spendthrifts back to office time and time again? Tokie

26th November 2007, 09:39 AM	#5
cloudshipsrule Graduate Poster Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 1,171	I understand it's 'out there' if you just take the time and effort to look for it. My point is that if all spending was on one website for joe public to view, there would be a lot more scrutiny, and accountability. Government offices would only spend $200 on a stapler a couple of times before they would be called on it. There would be individuals out there who would spend countless hours just pointing and clicking away, and when they found absurd things (which they would) those items would be youtube fodder in moments.

26th November 2007, 09:40 AM	#6
cloudshipsrule Graduate Poster Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 1,171	Quote: Why do people who gripe and whine about "spending" keep sending the same spendthrifts back to office time and time again? It's no longer about who is put in office. It's the systems in place which are broken.

26th November 2007, 03:02 PM	#9
PAC Critical Thinker Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 304	Originally Posted by cloudshipsrule It's no longer about who is put in office. It's the systems in place which are broken. Polls show that Americans have a low opinion of congrees but they have a high opinion of their representatives in congress. These representatives bring home the pork that we like to see spent in our backyards. The system will not change until Americans are willing to face the reality that we can not continue on this path much longer. So far, we have shown ourselves to be a society of people who don't want to give anything up for the greater good. Money is the currency of power and it's realy all about the power.
PAC Critical Thinker Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 304

27th November 2007, 10:02 AM	#10
balrog666 Eigenmode: Cynic Join Date: May 2004 Posts: 2,529	Originally Posted by Beerina You expect politicians to actually let you do this? Hah, that's not why it exists. It exists as the result of meme-type evolution of politics. That which reproduces, i.e. gets re-elected, gets reinforced with more money. Spending buys more votes, from threat of NOT spending it next year if nothing else, then saving it ever will for the less-tightly coupled non-dependents on government. I didn't say it could happen. I merely suggested that it would work. Other ideas would work too. And that's why none of them will ever be enacted until
	__________________ A person who won't think has no advantage over one who can't think. - (paraphrased) Mark Twain Diversity--When all colors and creeds believe exactly as liberals want them to. Or Else! -Coyote

27th November 2007, 08:08 PM	#11
Trakar Philosopher Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 5,925	Originally Posted by cloudshipsrule Make the government put up a website on which any individual can point and click and see where every one of our tax dollars is spent. Sure it would cost a lot of money to implement, but it could save a lot more by holding the government accountable. The government hands out billion dollar sums to government office X. Government office X then hands out million dollar sums to office Y. All of these offices spend their money in ways we'll never know unless something changes. Not to mention all the other pork barrel projects the public never hears about. There is practically ZERO accountability when it comes to government spending. Having every dollar spent and handed out on government programs on the Internet for the public to scrutinize would put an end to most of the waste, eventually. The problem is, even government employees have no idea where the money goes. They collect it, then 'poof', it's gone for good. Something needs to change, and accountability is a crucial key. I tend to agree, I don't really have that big a problem with taxes or the causes for which my tax dollars are being spent, what I do dislike are crooks and incompetence. Eliminate the swindling and mismanagement and there is more than enough to do a lot more than is currently being done. Its understandable why some are so distrustful of the governement, because when their people are in charge, the graft and foul-ups reach record levels. If I supported people like that I wouldn't trust the government either!
Trakar Philosopher Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 5,925

27th November 2007, 08:17 PM	#12
WildCat NWO Master Conspirator Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Albany Park, Chicago Posts: 49,049	Originally Posted by TShaitanaku I tend to agree, I don't really have that big a problem with taxes or the causes for which my tax dollars are being spent, what I do dislike are crooks and incompetence. Eliminate the swindling and mismanagement and there is more than enough to do a lot more than is currently being done. True story: I once did a job at Fermilab that consisted of tearing down a wall in a conference room, and rebuilding the wall 6 inches from where the old one was. Why? Because there was money left in the budget at the end of the fiscal year, and if they didn't spend it they risked every government bureaucrat's worst nightmare - getting their budget cut next year. This is why budgets only get bigger, money wasters get rewarded with bigger piles of money to burn nest time.

28th November 2007, 04:22 AM	#13
cloudshipsrule Graduate Poster Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 1,171	Quote: This is why budgets only get bigger, money wasters get rewarded with bigger piles of money to burn nest time. This happens in every facet of the government. Government contracts are another HUGE area where money is wasted. There were times when I was in the military when I could have purchased a part from Radio Shack for 25 cents to repair a piece of equipment. I wasn't allowed. I had to purchase the same part through a government vendor for over $10. The SAME EXACT part. It's a scam. I can't fathom the BILLIONS that are wasted every month in the US. There is plenty of money coming in to make the country great, and to provide health care for those that can't afford insurance. The problem is where the money is wasted. Don't get me started on local school district budgets!

29th November 2007, 07:04 AM	#14
Dancing David Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Central Illinois Posts: 34,711	Originally Posted by Tokenconservative You can find out what's being spent, now...just have to look for it. Accountability lies in the voting booth. Why do people who gripe and whine about "spending" keep sending the same spendthrifts back to office time and time again? Tokie Because all politics is local.
	__________________ Hell, dynamiting fish in a barrel is more challenging. - Ladewig I suspect you are a sandwich, metaphorically speaking. -Donn And a shot rang out. Now Space is doing time... -Ben Burch You built the toilet - don't complain when people crap in it. _Kid Eager

30th November 2007, 05:47 AM	#15
The Don Philosopher Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Cymru Posts: 8,239	Originally Posted by cloudshipsrule ...... There were times when I was in the military when I could have purchased a part from Radio Shack for 25 cents to repair a piece of equipment. I wasn't allowed. I had to purchase the same part through a government vendor for over $10. The SAME EXACT part. It's a scam. I can't fathom the BILLIONS that are wasted every month in the US. ....... That vendor was pre-approved with a pre-agreed price, warranty and inventory structure whereas allowing people to buy from whoever they wish, can result in the following problems: - huge inventories of similar but incompatible parts - abuse of the purchasing system (buying from mates at a mark-up) - indirect funding of crime and/or terrorism (do you know who you're buying from ?) - nightmares in accounts payable Buying a 25c part for $10 may have saved $loads in procurement costs.

30th November 2007, 07:46 AM	#16
Trakar Philosopher Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 5,925	Originally Posted by The Don That vendor was pre-approved with a pre-agreed price, warranty and inventory structure whereas allowing people to buy from whoever they wish, can result in the following problems: - huge inventories of similar but incompatible parts - abuse of the purchasing system (buying from mates at a mark-up) - indirect funding of crime and/or terrorism (do you know who you're buying from ?) - nightmares in accounts payable Buying a 25c part for $10 may have saved $loads in procurement costs. The big thing you mention, or should have, is testing and accountability. The 25cent Radio Shack (or Goober's electronics discount warehouse) part may generally perform the same function you need, but there is no guarantee that it will do so for as long as you need it to do so under the environmental conditions you require it to do so, etc., etc. Now, the governmentally procured part may not meet the requirements its supposed to either, but as you mention there's someone to hold accountable for that if it doesn't, this isn't true if each unit is allowed to bubblegum and bailingwire all their equipment (which kinda sorta happens anyway, much of the time, especially during times like now when there are more criminals than honest contractors and government inspectors, and everybody is trying to shoestring the budgets).
Trakar Philosopher Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 5,925

2nd December 2007, 03:36 PM	#17
cloudshipsrule Graduate Poster Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 1,171	It wasn't a piece of equipment used for anything beyond entertainment. Some gear I worked on required parts which had tight tolerences, but this was not one of them. Beyond parts required for repairs, I saw a lot of other waste during my 5 years enlisted. (I was a CTM for the US Navy.) Individuals not familiar with how the government spends money would be amazed at how well they waste it. It goes beyond most people's imaginations!
	Last edited by cloudshipsrule; 2nd December 2007 at 03:38 PM.

3rd December 2007, 08:36 AM	#18
Trakar Philosopher Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 5,925	Originally Posted by cloudshipsrule It wasn't a piece of equipment used for anything beyond entertainment. Some gear I worked on required parts which had tight tolerences, but this was not one of them. Beyond parts required for repairs, I saw a lot of other waste during my 5 years enlisted. (I was a CTM for the US Navy.) Individuals not familiar with how the government spends money would be amazed at how well they waste it. It goes beyond most people's imaginations! In general, I agree, though realistically, a lot of what is typically thought of as "waste" by a casual observer, is actually just a realistic buffer cost for running a system that can't function outside of very limited situations. There is a lot of "risk taking" in the private business sector and even most of our personal lives that are intolerable in some areas of the government, particularly the military. Eliminating or minimizing these risks is expensive (which is one of the reasons we generally tolerate many of these risks in the private and personal sector). Now please, don't mistake my statements or intentions, after just shy of 40 years as an officer in the US Army and then a handful of years as a Contract Manager for Government (predominantly DoD) R&D projects, I can affirm that, yes, there is a large amount of waste, mismanagement, and even outright criminality rampant in the system. But, its important to recognize and realize that there is a method to this madness, and that there are a great many other legitimate factors involved in why a product or part is one price on the commercial/civilian market, and a much higher price through the military procurement system.
Trakar Philosopher Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 5,925