Federal Contracts Up 86% Under Bush; Halliburton Rises 600%

Federal contracts up 86% under Bush; Halliburton rises 600%

http://www.rawstory.com/news/2006/Re...nder_0619.html

Published: Monday June 19, 2006

Top contractor Lockheed got contracts larger than budget of Congress, Dept. of Interior

WASHINGTON -- A new report claims that a "shadow government" of federal contractors has exploded in size over the last five years.

The document, compiled at the request of Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA) and distributed to RAW STORY, indicates that procurement spending increased by over $175 billion between 2000 and 2005, making federal contracts the fastest growing component of federal discretionary spending.

500 reports, audits and investigations by government and independent bodies, including the Government Accountability Office and the Defense Contract Audit Agency, were used to compile the data.

That spending increase -- an astonishing 86 percent -- puts total US federal procurement at $377.5 billion annually. The increase means spending on federal contracts has grown more than two times as fast as other forms of discretionary government spending.

Nearly $800b in contracts questioned
Waxman claims that overcharging -- by mistake or outright fraud -- has been a frequent occurrance. In all, the report identifies 118 federal contracts worth $745.5 billion that have been found by government officials to include significant waste, fraud, abuse or mismanagement.

Each of the Bush Administration's three signature initiatives -- Homeland Security, the Iraq war and reconstruction in Iraq and Hurricane Katrina recovery -- has been linked to wasteful contract spending.

Spending is categorized in the report as highly concentrated on a few large contractors, with the five largest contractors receiving over 20 percent of contract dollars awarded in 2005. Last year, the largest federal contractor, Lockheed Martin, received contracts worth more than the total combined budgets of the Department of Commerce, the Department of the Interior, the Small Business Administration and the U.S. Congress.

But the fastest growing contractor under the Bush Administration has been Halliburton. Federal spending on Halliburton contracts shot up an astonishing 600% between 2000 and 2005.

Waxman plans to make all 118 "problem contracts" available on the Internet as part of a searchable database with Internet links to government audits.

This probably deserves to have a link to an article discussing the increasing numbers of people “achieving” (as in being dumped into) poverty status in the USA.

Who’s the welfare momma, again?




And then there is the mentioning in other articles that some significant portion of this ill gotten money procured by Halliburton is being used to build elaborate “detention” centers for the anticipated flood of “illegal” immigrants in the coming years.

So, I’d instead surmise the odds are high that the money is being stolen to build facilities to eventually lock up people more or less like us.

Well, that is a portion of my nightmare, but at least I realize I’m living in one.

Do a search for Halliburton on this site.

I've said it before in ither other threads, and I'll say it again now. If you pay income taxes you are directly supporting terrorrism. I can't believe these slimy fucks are getting away with this. Like stealing it, AND WE'RE WATCHING THEM DO IT!! Sorry, but I get so fucking pissed off, and I watch these boards, and I keep waiting for something to happen, and nothing does. We're watching it happen. What do we do? There is a line of demarcation where the debate ends and the action begins. Where is that line, folks?

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Originally Posted by AuGmENTor

I've said it before in ither other threads, and I'll say it again now. If you pay income taxes you are directly supporting terrorrism. I can't believe these slimy fucks are getting away with this. Like stealing it, AND WE'RE WATCHING THEM DO IT!! Sorry, but I get so fucking pissed off, and I watch these boards, and I keep waiting for something to happen, and nothing does. We're watching it happen. What do we do? There is a line of demarcation where the debate ends and the action begins. Where is that line, folks?

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Debate is action, to an extent. What sort of action do you propose?

As for sponsoring terrorism - yes, you do it through taxes, you do it by pruchasing Saudi oil... There is plenty of "legitimate" terrorism of a business-friendly variety.

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Originally Posted by borepstein

Debate is action, to an extent. What sort of action do you propose?

As for sponsoring terrorism - yes, you do it through taxes, you do it by pruchasing Saudi oil... There is plenty of "legitimate" terrorism of a business-friendly variety.

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You know, it's funny. I get asked that question ALOT with all the shit I talk around the BBs. I don't really HAVE a clear idea of what I'd like to see done about this. Just a sort of impotent rage that I can't focus on any one thing. That is why I watch these boards, to see if someone smarter than me has an idea. I guess in that way I'm a follower to an extent. Some of us have to be followers, so I 'm ok with my lot in life. But I REFUSE to follow these assholes, and pay their taxes that amount to almost HALF of my income. And watch them kill Americans on Fox 5 news @ 10.

Oh yeah, just to clarify. I am not an angry person in the other aspects of my life. I'm actually kinda easy-going. I wish all this shit wasn't going on, or since it is anyway, that I hadn't found out about it. I just want to see it taken care of so my kids have an OK life, and I can get back to chainsmokin and workin all the time.

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Originally Posted by AuGmENTor

Oh yeah, just to clarify. I am not an angry person in the other aspects of my life. I'm actually kinda easy-going. I wish all this shit wasn't going on, or since it is anyway, that I hadn't found out about it. I just want to see it taken care of so my kids have an OK life, and I can get back to chainsmokin and workin all the time.

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I don't want this to come off sounding bad but you can't worry too much about people's problems all over the world. That's too much weight for any man's shoulders. If I felt bad everytime something bad happened to someone I'd of been dead a very long time ago from all that emotional trauma.

I'm not saying you shouldn't feel sympathy for anyone, I'm just saying you gotta take care of yourself and let other people worry about they're problems.
But don't get me wrong, I'm not an asshole. I'm one charity doing mothafucka-as all good people should be.

Bottom Line: Don't make other people problems your own or else you'll never be happy yourself, and that's what's most important.

No worries PG, I know you guys well enough to know that you just don't attack people or say things with the intent of bein an asshole. I really only sweat this stuff for my kids future, and to protect my own freedom. If what I see in all of these documentaries is true, they have us half in the bag already. Now all they have to do is turn loose a backpack nuke, or a little bird flu. Then these fuckin sheep will be lining up for the FEMA busses, and dropping off their guns before they get on. I definetely see one of the above happening SOON.

PS... I could give a FUCK about the rest of the world. No one appointed us the world police. I say pull the fuck out of EVERY country we're in. No foreign terrorrist has EVER attack on American soil (without permissiom). And they never will if all our troops are home.