B-ALLS!!! (and govt stupidity)

[socal]

This one will go down in the hall of fame:
www.nytimes.com/2008/03/27/world/asia/27ammo.html?hp=&pagewanted=all


Summary:
tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/03/todays_must_read_304.php

I'm proud to present to you a brand new member of the Bush Administration War Profiteer Hall of Shame: 22 year-old Efraim Diveroli, who's company AEY has been awarded approximately $300 million in contracts by the Pentagon.

How does a 22 year-old get a multi-million dollar defense contract? you ask. “AEY’s proposal represented the best value to the government," the Army tells the Times. (Never mind that AEY was headed by a guy who'd been busted by the police for carrying a fake ID.)

AEY's fattest contract came in January of last year, when a Pentagon contract made AEY, "which operates out of an unmarked office in Miami Beach,... the main supplier of munitions to Afghanistan’s army and police forces." AEY's VP is 25 and a licensed masseur. AEY also had a $5.7 million contract for rifles for Iraqi forces, among others.

As the Times found out, AEY fulfilled that contract by dealing with a variety of shady arms dealers (one Czech, one Swiss) to get their hands on ammo stockpiles in the old Eastern bloc. And as far as ensuring the quality of the munitions? Here's how it went in Albania:

Albania offered to sell tens of millions of cartridges manufactured as long ago as 1950. For tests, a 25-year-old AEY representative was given 1,000 cartridges to fire, according to Ylli Pinari, the director of the arms export agency at the time of the sale.

No ballistic performance was recorded, he said. The rounds were fired by hand.

......

[NOTTHOR]

The contract crossed W's desk a few days ago and he signed off on it. What a schmuck. God forbid the government end it's set aside programs for disadvantaged individuals and small businesses. We need to make sure evil corporations like Raytheon or some other big evil corporation are not put in charge of delivering munitions. Their multi billion market caps were achieved through fraud and non-performance of contracts and they should not be trusted. We should trust small disadvantaged companies instead and the libs need to make sure such set aside programs are increased in the wake of this incident.

This shows the government's strength in performing due diligence. I want them to invest more of my money for me. Abolish the SS cap and raise taxes to 75%.

[socal]

bigtimeralph said:

The contract crossed W's desk a few days ago and he signed off on it. What a schmuck. God forbid the government end it's set aside programs for disadvantaged individuals and small businesses. We need to make sure evil corporations like Raytheon or some other big evil corporation are not put in charge of delivering munitions. Their multi billion market caps were achieved through fraud and non-performance of contracts and they should not be trusted. We should trust small disadvantaged companies instead and the libs need to make sure such set aside programs are increased in the wake of this incident.

This shows the government's strength in performing due diligence. I want them to invest more of my money for me. Abolish the SS cap and raise taxes to 75%.

I didn't know that Raytheon made parts and ammo for AK-47's.

[The Bluzmn]

socal said:

bigtimeralph said:

The contract crossed W's desk a few days ago and he signed off on it. What a schmuck. God forbid the government end it's set aside programs for disadvantaged individuals and small businesses. We need to make sure evil corporations like Raytheon or some other big evil corporation are not put in charge of delivering munitions. Their multi billion market caps were achieved through fraud and non-performance of contracts and they should not be trusted. We should trust small disadvantaged companies instead and the libs need to make sure such set aside programs are increased in the wake of this incident.

This shows the government's strength in performing due diligence. I want them to invest more of my money for me. Abolish the SS cap and raise taxes to 75%.

I didn't know that Raytheon made parts and ammo for AK-47's.

Now, now, socal. Don't let the absence of facts get in the way of a political rant.

[NOTTHOR]

Sorry if I didn't read your daily kos article or whatever the hell it was saying the munitions had to be for AK-47s. Notice I used Raytheon as merely an example of a company that has dutifully filled billions of dollars of government contracts. You as a taxpayer are counterparty to a contract. If the contract is breached, who would you rather see dragged into court to pay the damages for breach - Raytheon (or a similarly situated well capitalized defense contractor) or some shitbag who is judgment proof? Let me guess, there was a daily kos article a week ago saying the federal judiciary has now made every large defense contractor judgment proof under executive order.

[socal]

bigtimeralph said:

Sorry if I didn't read your daily kos article or whatever the hell it was saying the munitions had to be for AK-47s. Notice I used Raytheon as merely an example of a company that has dutifully filled billions of dollars of government contracts. You as a taxpayer are counterparty to a contract. If the contract is breached, who would you rather see dragged into court to pay the damages for breach - Raytheon (or a similarly situated well capitalized defense contractor) or some shitbag who is judgment proof? Let me guess, there was a daily kos article a week ago saying the federal judiciary has now made every large defense contractor judgment proof under executive order.

If the article had something to do with Raytheon buying surplus North Korean missile parts to outfit the Israelis with parts to our missiles (under a contract with our government)... you'd be closer.

[NOTTHOR]

You're right, the excerpt you posted had nothing to do with government contracting. Sorry for pointing out the stupidity of the government using some shitbag small business that it did no due diligence on because in all likelihood the contract at issue was earmarked for a small disadvantaged business under a big government set aside program. Sorry for posting anything about the mechanics of government contracting, it's over your head. Since my wife is a "disadvantaged individual" under the government's rules, she is in the process of setting up a business contracting for the government, except she will perform the contract honestly. The margins on those contracts are insane.

[lpcalihawk]

bigtimeralph said:

You're right, the excerpt you posted had nothing to do with government contracting. Sorry for pointing out the stupidity of the government using some shitbag small business that it did no due diligence on because in all likelihood the contract at issue was earmarked for a small disadvantaged business under a big government set aside program. Sorry for posting anything about the mechanics of government contracting, it's over your head. bince my wife is a "disadvantaged individual" under the government's rules, she is in the process of setting up a business contracting for the government, except she will perform the contract honestly. The margins on those contracts are insane.

Is she going to manufacture AK-47munitions? If so, I know some people in SE Iowa who are going to be pissed.