GovernmentExecutive.com

Return to Article: Defense awards more Iraq reconstruction work to contractors cited for poor performance

• 78881
  

  Some of the Con Reps. and C.O.finnishing their tours, have rturned to Iraq and Afganistan as , you guessed it Contractors and working for the Contractors. Both Military and Civilians. We hire a lot of temporary C.O., Con. Reps. and Q.A./Q.C. that have never worked for the Goverment before and they are looking for work when they get home form their temp. tour.

  Michael Posted May 30, 2009 10:39 PM
• 78880
  

  In Country, contracts are givrn out in groups. One Shiek might get one hunderd contracts. He will sell these contracts to any Iraqi that has the money to buy one, wheather he is a contractor or not. He will make money just having the contract wheather any work is completed or not. At one project new 50 kw generators were called for. I tried every way posible to get these generators that we were paying for. 2 generators were called for at 20 to 30 sights. The generatoes I inspected would not crank , thet were not new, they were made from 3 or 4 old generators even the paint was different. Junk never ran. Hooked up to closec circit t,v. systems security systems radios. None were crankable and never powered up anything. I did not accept them, the Contractor Officer did and the contractor was paid off in cash. So there is plenty room for graft. There are so many cosy relationships that are made over there if you try to buck someone in one of them they will send you home.

  re: L Beard

  I simply don't understand this! After over 30 years as an acquisition professional, these contracting officers and their managers should be removed and possibly fired from their positions...there is no room for this type of incompetence!

  Michael Posted May 30, 2009 10:11 PM
• 62816
  

  These companies should be permanently barred from performing any work for the federal government, be required to pay back all money received under these contracts plus a monetary penalty equal to the amount of each contract awarded and the management of each company should be personally held accountable, prosecuted and imprisoned for a term not less than the term of each contract. The terms should be consecutive without time off for good behavior. The government officials responsible for these awards should be immediately fired, banned from working in a similar capacity and loose their government pension. There should be no hearings on the matter. This should be effective immediately.

  Terry Kauffman Posted November 11, 2008 1:09 PM
• 62357
  

  If poor performance was the only criteria for eliminating contracts the entire CS ranks would be let go

  dan m ketter Posted November 4, 2008 2:15 PM
• 62285
  

  It's very sad to see our own good ole' boy companies sticking to their own American government. Let's take from the USA, why not there plenty to give to everyone else! Shame on the federal employee for allowing the bad name & reputation to continue and contractors getting away with this behavior. It didn't start overnight, but these reports are made as a management tool, who's using or looking at the? I don't mind companies being prosperse and successful, but why always off the government or little guy? It's crazy and getting worse...I could keep going...

  DoD Posted November 3, 2008 3:11 PM
• 62155
  

  I simply don't understand this! After over 30 years as an acquisition professional, these contracting officers and their managers should be removed and possibly fired from their positions...there is no room for this type of incompetence!

  L. Beard Posted October 31, 2008 11:34 AM
• 62147
  

  "Let's get real people. There is no miracle worker. We are all going to have to get fed up and help 'Obama' change this culture." Help who? Slightly presumptuous there hey! We need to "help" ourselves change this culture! Face it--we put up with these antics and it doesn't matter who is in office or which Party they belong to. We didn't get in this condition over night or even over 8 years. I don't think Oblahblah or McCain have what it takes, because it will require that We the People demand accountability. This is a sad, sad state our Country is in and we are the laughing stock of those whose Countries we pour OUR hard-earned money into. The candidates can tell you what you want to hear all day long, but once they are put into office, you have absolutley no say in what decisions the policy-makers make or how hard and fast they spend our money.

  DoD Posted October 31, 2008 10:26 AM
• 62105
  

  Obama for wealth distribution? Oh really, under the Cheny-Bush misadministration I have seen enough wealth redistribution. After 25 years of saving 45% of my TSP and IRA was redistributed to Wall Street weasels in less than a month. Now John and Sara want me to give their party another chance? Fool me once, but not twice. And don't even get me started on NSPS.

  Nad Rettek Posted October 30, 2008 7:31 PM
• 62040
  

  Let's get real people. There is no miracle worker. We are all going to have to get fed up and help Obama change this culture. One man can not do it alone. These types of transactions go on all the time in government contracting. Many of you are correct it gives wealth to 1% of the population. The contractor's employees get a trickle of the economics, only the big wigs at the top get over like "FAT" cats. Their employees would be angry if they saw what was proposed versus what they are paid. Also, why do you think a lot of the contracting laws and regulations were removed. The excuse was to make it easier for Government contracting folks. How ironic that it has made it easier for contractors to commit corrupt activities without breaking the law. People in the United States have to wake up, nothing in this country is about race it's ECONOMICS, MONEY & POWER. Republicans yell tax cuts, throw you a little bit of chicken feed, and they are laughing all the way to the bank. When are we going to become critical thinkers????????????? Fool me once shame on you, Fool me twice shame on me!!!!!!!!!!!!

  Concerned 1102 Posted October 30, 2008 10:51 AM
• 62037
  

  "redistribution of wealth"...seems like this has been going on full tilt for the past 8 years - redistribution of middle class wealth to the 1% of the population that already holds 20% of the country's wealth - the $700B "rescue" is just the last phase in crushing the middle class; and redistribution of the usa's wealth to the rest of the world. Total control by democrats can't be any worse. fedworker Posted October 30, 2008 7:47 AM

  Well, fedworker, you may want to read up on Obama's desired "Global Poverty Tax", a plan to send billions of US TAXPAYER DOLLARS to the UN to administer to the rest of the world as they see fit. This would be ON TOP of the billions we already spend in foreign aid.

  I hope you can sleep at night after voting for this radical leftist.

  I, then, will be one of the hard workers with the "Don't blame me, I didn't vote for him" bumper stickers. You and I will both be working past the age of 70, civil service workers or not.

  merle Posted October 30, 2008 10:40 AM
• 62014
  

  Any business major will tell you that corruption and bribes in the middle east are a way of life. Couple that with military personnel who are only there for a short time and then leave - what else can be expected. We need to get off of fossile fuels. That is the only way we will ever get out of this middle eastern nightmare! Or - here's a thought: left THEM foot the bill for reconstruction of their country. They have the oil revenues to do this; why aren't they doing it?

  Kathy Posted October 30, 2008 9:19 AM
• 61994
  

  "redistribution of wealth"...seems like this has been going on full tilt for the past 8 years - redistribution of middle class wealth to the 1% of the population that already holds 20% of the country's wealth - the $700B "rescue" is just the last phase in crushing the middle class; and redistribution of the usa's wealth to the rest of the world. Total control by democrats can't be any worse.

  fedworker Posted October 30, 2008 7:47 AM
• 61992
  

  Welcome to the Middle East, westerner. I remember o-dark-thirty on my first day on the job working for the Boeing Company on a contract to teach the Saudi Arabian Air Force when the guy I was learning from told me, " We are here to do all the work and take all the blame. If you can deal with that you'll be OK here." I thought he was merely exagerating. He wasn't. Then a couple of weeks later when my frustration showed a British coleague said, "Mate, don't try to make sense in a nonsense environment." Fraud, waste and abuse is the business and governmental paradigm in the Middle East. Anybody who thinks we can change that in less than three or four hundred years is very foolish. The best way we can extricate ourselves from that part of the world is to ween ourselves from OIL. If it weren't for the twin cosmic accidents of geology and geography, nobody should or would give a good rat's rear end about that entire region. We need to get seriously serious about alternative sources of energy. If we don't, we, our children and our grandchildren and their children will suffer horribly. Enough should be more than enough. Let's do everything we can to get to hell away from there.

  Rick Posted October 30, 2008 7:43 AM
• 61971
  

  I'm of the personal opinion that we've been paid back and that there's no monetary or moral equivalent that so many seem to seek.

  In terms of the cheapest energy on earth, we've enjoyed it and taxed it to the tune of billions, if not trillions of dollars over the years. It's in everything we touch and moves or harvests everything we eat. It is our way of life.

  In terms of loss of life, I still struggle with it myself, and try to understand how we value life compared to "them." However, we used them to keep Iran in check and cheap oil flowing. We also used them to keep the former USSR in check and cheap oil flowing.

  So yeah, I my share to help them come along and hope they can get out of the 6th Century at some point. Stability there allows for our way of life, totally dependent on cheap energy, to continue.

  If you really wanted it to stop, don't drive, don't go to work, grow your own food, make your own clothes and encourage everyone you know to do the same. Meanwhile, pony up your money for a high-risk development period (10-15 years) to get the world off cheap oil and on to whatever they can invent.

  This way, the region will no longer matter and you won't have to worry about evil development contractors in Iraq.

  If there's a few bad apples in the bunch, weed them out and let's finish what we started.

  Retread Ground Traffic Observer Posted October 29, 2008 6:19 PM
• 61967
  

  And the Republicans talk about Barack re-distributing the wealth? Unbelieveable! George Bush and the other Republicans have been redistributing the working man's wealth to his rich oil buddies for years. They keep wages down so their friends and campaign donors can walk away with $100 million salaries. O'Reilly, Limbaugh, and Hannity are the worst hypocrites \i have ever seen. They and their Republican minions have been raping the working man for years.

  Jim Bunhouse Posted October 29, 2008 5:10 PM
• 61958
  

  This is the work of Bush & Cheney, get them out and it will fix it's self. Cheney has had his hands in this to long. You Republicans are a bunch of cry babies, when Clinton was in office we had a Republican Congress, but Clinton was to blame according to you Republican's, now we have George W with a Democrat Congress and all the blame goes on Congress. We've had 8 years of this bu** s**t! The people are fed up with your dealings, get a life!!!!!!!!! 911 on the Bush watch......$700 billion bail out for the banks!!!Why don't you blame this on Obama too. Commander & Chief??? He can't even read a speech let alone write it!!!

  Rod Posted October 29, 2008 3:58 PM
• 61948
  

  Well let's see. No oversight on Wall Street, no oversight on Freddie Mac, Fanny May, no oversight on poor performing contractors, no oversight on Halibourton. I guess GAO, the FTC, and the Congress just never cared about the tax payer's money. No wonder Bill O'Riley on the O'Riley Factor is mad as hops at Barney Frank and others. Well I am steaming mad myself that this goes on with no control what so ever. I really hope this all hits home when November 4th comes. Write your Congressman and demand an explanation and demand that you want your money back from those who allow fraud, waste and abuse of the American people's hard earned tax dollars.

  Another Disgusted DOD Worker Posted October 29, 2008 2:02 PM
• 61946
  

  ...and if Obama gets elected, this will all magically stop...get real people.

  John Posted October 29, 2008 1:35 PM
• 61940
  

  It seems that taxpayer "frad" and "ripoff" has thrived for decades and conveniently ignored by "bureaucratic crooks" in Washington. There is plenty of blame. Republicians blamed for "taking us to the cleaners" while Democrats controlled Congress. Accountability and a "house cleaning" is needed in Washington. But that is asking for TOO MUCH. Punish the "good people" and reward the crooks.

  Chaps Posted October 29, 2008 12:26 PM
• 61931
  

  I hate to see, and as a federal employee, to be associated with, some of the things I see going on in the federal government, both here and overseas.

  Maria Posted October 29, 2008 11:33 AM
• 61924
  

  ...and these are the same people who are trying to distract us by calling Obama a "socialist"! There are more than $300,000,000,000 reasons to see who is really redistributing our wealth.

  ritgar Posted October 29, 2008 10:48 AM
• 61914
  

  This is absolutely appalling. Where is the contractor oversight? Who holds them accountable. We are paying more for contractors in Iraq, then we pay the military. Where does this end???

  DOD Employee Posted October 29, 2008 9:54 AM
• 61907
  

  Why in the heck isn't the Iraq government contracting with the contractors? WE are paying Iraqi people, to restore their own filthy rich country--Let them pay the bill, i.e., Iraqi company paid $45 M to "rehabilitate electrical substations..." It makes me sick to my stomach the things our leaders do with OUR tax dollars, while a great percentage of Americans who pay taxes are struggling AND making other countries rich at our expense, while we suffer and struggle from pay check to pay check!!

  DoD Worker Posted October 29, 2008 8:51 AM
• 61906
  

  Why does this suprise anyone ? It is just more taxpayer money going to the "Private Sector" that cannot get the job done right. The taxpayers have bailed out the "private sector" in banks and next will be the auto industry. All supported and condoned by "W" himself. Please tell me again about Obama being a socialist.

  Retired Air Traffic Controller Posted October 29, 2008 8:49 AM
• 61897
  

  Heaven help us. We have turned war into a money grab. I bet if Osama gave money to some politicians we would give him a contract too.

  Wise Old Owl Posted October 29, 2008 7:51 AM
• 61896
  

  I am disgusted.

  a taxpayer and a federal worker Posted October 29, 2008 7:48 AM
• 61895
  

  At least we can say we are nearing the last of this adminstration's corporate handouts. A billion here...$600 million there...Does anyone wonder why our debt is so crushing. Our grandkids will have some questions for us about this - years from now when the bill comes due.

  Don Posted October 29, 2008 7:33 AM