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Return to Article: Small businesses struggle to win hurricane relief contracts

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  As usual the people at the Corps are crying foul. You totally miss the point - as usual for the Corps. The point is not the use of the big contractors - it is the fact that there were no bids! Of course the big guys will get the contracts but the cost may be lower if it is bid and not just simply awarded! Of course I would not expect the U.S. Army Corps to know that. Their major concern is to eliminate the work of running a bid process and get the contracts out fast and easy - even if they waste my money or build levees to specs that cannot standup to the eventual outcome.

  taxpayer Posted October 19, 2005 7:18 AM
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  Contract Specialist,

  With the exception of the partison hack slant (no previous administration has done it before so it isn't solely a fault of this one) I like your idea. It is refreshingly far-sighted and therefore probably doomed to failure. "Considering hurricanes happen every year in this area and scientists (oh, wait, this administration doesn't do science) have predicted that they will become more numerous and more dangerous, why weren't contingency contracts competed, awarded, and put in place to prepare?"

  If you are serious about wanting to make a solid contribution to national preparedness, please submit your suggestion up your chain of command. Regarding what entity will get the contract(s), I suggest it will be the pet corporations of the contracting officials that have decision making authority. If you are worried that it will be Halliburton, et al, then don't bother until you have an administration that you can support ideologically. (But be prepared, because it still may go to them as one of the few that brings significant experience to the table on that kind of scale...)

  Good luck, it is an idea that has great merit and I hope you get recognized for it both professionally and monitarily.

  Skeptical Posted October 3, 2005 8:29 AM
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  This article is just like most liberal media garbage that inundates the US public. Why not look into what the Halliburton's of the world are doing? Are they making a difference in the Gulf region? How would we know? The liberal media and Gov Exec are more interested in bashing the positive work that is being performed by Government Agencies and Private Sector contractors. Get off your liberal duffs and do some real investigative reporting instead of recycling the lies that come from AP, New York Times, etc.

  Stephen S. Premo Posted September 30, 2005 7:20 AM
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  Considering hurricanes happen every year in this area and scientists (oh, wait, this administration doesn't do science) have predicted that they will become more numerous and more dangerous, why weren't contingency contracts competed, awarded, and put in place to prepare? Oh, that's right, this administration doesn't do planning either. That way it's easier just to hand everything over to its corporate buddies. Like giving Halliburton a 5-year sole source contract for the war in Iraq even though Halliburton sat in on the meetings discussing those very contracts. Violation of procurement integrity? Is water wet?

  DOD contract specialist

  GovExec.com reader Posted September 29, 2005 7:32 AM
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  Stop bashing corporate America already! Who else has the resources, organization and experience to engage in large projects such as this, other than Halliburton, etc.? What would you rather do, hire a bunch of small "mom and pop" businesses, or better yet, thousands of unskilled and untrained people, and give them shovels and brooms? I say let those who CAN do the job, DO the job. If a small company can do it better than a large one, more power to them. But given the scope of this disaster, I seriously doubt that small contractors can do the job by themselves. They, the victims, and the taxpayers would be better off if the small businesses worked as subcontractors to the larger companies, with a few exceptions.

  GovExec.com reader Posted September 28, 2005 2:01 PM
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  rds,

  Just curious, are you willing to face the people that are dealing with the loss of everything they had? "Don't worry. We'll be there to start fixing things once we go through the regular procurement cycle - should be done in around 2 or 3 months because we know you are hurting..."

  That is the best way for fiscal issues, I agree. I'm also scared to death over accountability. Looters? You haven't begun to see looting until politicians (either party) start salivating over pork! But the people on the ground need help yesterday, not at some fiscal procedure driven "tomorrow."

  Skeptical Posted September 28, 2005 8:57 AM
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  The American way seems to give all the contracts to the smallest number of corporations as possible. By doing this we can allow them to misappropriate as much money as they can. If we competitively put out bids we would have to share the money with a large number of corporations and small business', small business is where the president says the jobs are coming from. So why are we putting all the money in the hands of cronies?

  The reason seems clear to this former government employee, the president is not engaged in the process. He knows not what he talketh about. He simply reads what is on the paper he is given by Mr. Rove, Mr. Card, Mr. Cheney and any other speechwriter that happens to come along.

  Follow the money and it starts to make sense.

  rds Posted September 27, 2005 4:24 PM
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  OK, the dreaded organization of Satan (Halliburton) got named. Won't take long for the usual suspects to start claiming that the hurricane was just a plot of the administration to create a wealth opportunity, right?

  If I was in charge of cleanup efforts for an area the size of Great Britain, who would I want to give the immediate, heavy lifting contracts to? That's a tough one so let me think a minute... Do I want an experienced, multi-thousand employee, single organization with workers on the ground in many locations handling it or do I want to worry about hundreds of 1 - 100 employee, single location organizations that may or may not be experienced?

  There will be work reconstructing this area for a couple of years, folks. I've been there and it is not going to be an overnight fix. We need immediate, large-scale response and then the small businesses can get the smaller contracts they are suited to for more specialized work. Set up good accountability systems for what is received (both funds and services) and go forward. We need to concentrate most on those displaced by the storm and rebuilding the critical infrastructure, not politically correct whining about "I want MY share of the windfall..."

  Skeptical Posted September 27, 2005 8:22 AM
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  As old Gomer would say; SURPRISE: SUPPRISE; SURPRISE !!!! Of course the little guy will only get the scraps. How much has Northrop, Halliburton/Cheney received so far ???? Gimme a break, please !!

  Old Grunt Posted September 27, 2005 7:43 AM
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  Oh surprise, surprise. Halliburton Co., Bechtel Corp., the Shaw Group Inc., and Fluor Corp. are among the large companies currently working in the Gulf Coast. From the Gulf War to the Gulf Coast Halliburton will be there with its hand out and its greed outstanding! Why is the Army Corp giving out contracts for a situation they generated? The Army corp has an extreme conflict of interest in the New Orleans situation and should not be awarding cleanup contracts on a non-compete basis! There is plenty of time to bid these contracts and to involve many more smaller companies in the process than is happening. The Army Corp needs its freinds to cover their past mistakes and lack of management control. The money will flow from my pocket to that of the VP and his friends at the large contractors. Congress needs to stop this practice - it is the second time Bush has given away our money without competitive bidding when it was not necessary!

  taxpayer Posted September 27, 2005 6:45 AM
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  Of course!

  The big companies contribute to the campaigns.

  And the rich get richer, and the poor get poorer. Sadly, what is now middle class is becoming poor.

  I wish so bad our leaders would wake up to reality.

  GovExec.com reader Posted September 26, 2005 9:02 PM