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Bernie Sanders: Audit The Department Of Defense, Contractors Wasting Money While Sold

Re: Bernie Sanders: Audit The Department Of Defense, Contractors Wasting Money While

HowardBThiname said:
The Department of Defense Inspector General regularly audits the DOD.

That's not the problem.

The problem lies in competition between DOD contractors.

There is very little competition, and because of that, charges are steep.

Currently, a defense contractor must be a "union contractor," in order to bid on projects. If Congress were to open bidding to ALL contractors, we'd soon see competition in bids and very likely higher quality as meritocracy shops stepped up.

Bernie's right that audits are necessary. He's wrong if he thinks they're not commonplace.
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Bernie's point was that the DOD has never been able to issue 'audited' financial statements with an opinion attached. They are such a mess the auditors cannot sign off on them. Like you, I also doubt if that's the reason we spend so much on defense, but it's an indication of a long period of financial mismanagement when the entity as a whole simply cannot prepare accurate financials.

And obviously (IMO), a long term point of the consolidation in the defense industry is to do what you suggest - reduce competition so the companies can bid up the cost. I don't agree on unions since if we're going to spend all that money, I'd rather have at least a big chunk of it going to support middle class families with good wages and benefits, instead of just lining the pockets of shareholders and executives of the defense industry.
 
Re: Bernie Sanders: Audit The Department Of Defense, Contractors Wasting Money While

Thoreau72 said:
Well, it seems to me that one must consider the efficiency and efficacy of the audit process. One must choose one's target. Otherwise, we might spend more $ on the audit process that we might possibly save.
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Well in that case then shouldn't you first look at social security as that program takes over double the number of tax dollars as the military does.
 
Re: Bernie Sanders: Audit The Department Of Defense, Contractors Wasting Money While

fmw said:
Thanks. I would conclude from that that the DOD is too big succeed and should be cut to a manageable size.
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This I couldn't agree more. The problem is that every time there are cuts they take it from the exact wrong places first.
 
Re: Bernie Sanders: Audit The Department Of Defense, Contractors Wasting Money While

braindrain said:
This I couldn't agree more. The problem is that every time there are cuts they take it from the exact wrong places first.
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There are entire cabinet departments that could be closed down. Defense is not one of them. The whole government is beyond bloated.
 
Re: Bernie Sanders: Audit The Department Of Defense, Contractors Wasting Money While

braindrain said:
Well in that case then shouldn't you first look at social security as that program takes over double the number of tax dollars as the military does.
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No, because SS is $ that was taken from citizens by force of law, and it is only fair that it be returned, with interest.

The Pentagon is just another word for "fraud" or "deception" or "waste". We need the military, but it's way out of control.
 
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