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In what is basically a Sick, Sad World report, Jen DiMascio writes in Politico:
Defense contractors developing the Army’s largest modernization program — the Future Combat System — also were paid $91 million in 2007 to report back to the Pentagon on how well the program was performing, according to a new inspector general report, adding fuel to demands for tougher conflict-of-interest rules. The Nov. 24 Defense Department inspector general report, reviewed by POLITICO, was sparked by an anonymous tip. The probe found that the $100 billion FCS program contained numerous conflicts that went unreported and that, between 1987 and 2007, the Pentagon increased its reliance on contractors for quality assurance and other tests by 375 percent.Of course, some contractors can be necessary. But the private sector is mighty good at keeping itself in business and creating reasons, or "new markets," to stay and expand -- not exactly good news for an armed presence trying to convince civilians that an occupation isn't happening. Several contractors accused of abuses of funds by outside commissions continue to operate in Iraq and Afghanistan. It's already pretty egregious to waste taxpayer dollars on legitimate oversight if you're not going to enforce it, but throwing $91 million at a company so they can tell you what a good job they're doing? They might as well drop the cash from fighter jets as they fly over Afghanistan. And I’m sure I can think of a few other budgets where the cash injections would be very much appreciated.--Laura Dean
