Gov't Waste
<font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">=</font><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">12/15 node</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">right sez gov can do no right, justify tax cuts as painless b/c just get rid of waste, fraud and abuse; also rathonale for no new pgn until cut, but never seem to findany, despite military boondoggles, and serves as excuse to cut entitlement/aka safety net; unfort since middle class officially a minority 12/15</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">also ironic that orgs that claim to cut waste are BS fronts</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">=</font></div><div><p style="margin-top: 8px; margin-bottom: 8px; font-size: small; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">=</font></p><p style="margin-top: 8px; margin-bottom: 8px; font-size: small; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">an 1219</font></p><p style="margin-top: 8px; margin-bottom: 8px; font-size: small; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></p><h3 class="magcat-titlte entry-title" style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; letter-spacing: 1px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><a href="https://www.alternet.org/2019/12/americas-afghanistan-anti-drug-boondoggle-nears-the-9-billion-mark/" style="text-decoration-line: none; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; transition: all 0.3s ease 0s; cursor: pointer; display: block; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 1.4;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">America’s Afghanistan anti-drug boondoggle nears the $9 Billion mark</font></a><a href="https://www.alternet.org/2019/12/americas-afghanistan-anti-drug-boondoggle-nears-the-9-billion-mark/" style="text-decoration-line: none; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; transition: all 0.3s ease 0s; cursor: pointer; display: block; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 1.4;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000" /></a><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000"><a href="https://www.alternet.org/author/phillip-smith/" title="Posts by Phillip Smith" class="author url fn" rel="author" style="text-decoration-line: none; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; cursor: pointer;">Phillip Smith</a> / <a href="https://www.alternet.org/author/independent-media-institute/" title="Posts by Independent Media Institute" class="author url fn" rel="author" style="text-decoration-line: none; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; cursor: pointer;">Independent M</a>edia inst</font></h3><p style="margin-top: 8px; margin-bottom: 8px; font-size: small; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">=</font></p></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"></font></div><div><a href="https://projects.propublica.org/graphics/afghan" style="text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">https://projects.propublica.org/graphics/afghan</font></a></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
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</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">=</font></div><div><p style="margin-top: 8px; margin-bottom: 8px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"></font></p><p style="margin-top: 8px; margin-bottom: 8px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">5/15</font></p><div class="entry-content" style="margin: 5px 0px; word-wrap: break-word; line-height: 24px;"><div itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Article" itemref="comments" style="margin: 5px 0px;"><div itemprop="articleBody" style="margin: 5px 0px;"><p style="margin: 5px 0px; padding: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Scathing reports have once again spotlighted the massive cost and delays surrounding the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, a jet designed for multiple branches of the military that has been dubbed the single most expensive weapons program in history. Even as criticism has rained down upon them, though, the four main contractors on the project have made sure campaign funds flow to lawmakers who are instrumental in keeping government payments coming for the jet. And all four contractors upped the ante last year with record contributions.</font></p><p style="margin: 5px 0px; padding: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><a href="http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-15-364" style="text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">One of the recent reports</a>, from the U.S. Government Accountability Office, is critical of engine failures and software glitches that have caused delays in manufacturing and testing. Notably, an <a href="http://www.ibtimes.com/f-35-has-more-engine-troubles-its-been-through-worse-1901865?ft=3aj78&utm_medium=Apr_30_2015_0401_201096&utm_source=TailoredMail&utm_term=%20Two+More+Reports+Slam+The+F-35&utm_campaign=Apr_30_2015_0401" style="text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">engine fire last summer grounded the entire fleet</a>, some of which were expected to enter active service by the end of this year. The engine is designed by Pratt & Whitney, a subsidiary of <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/totals.php?id=D000000209&cycle=2014" style="text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">United Technologies</a> — a company that also took fire in a separate report from the Department of Defense Inspector General this month, <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-04-27/f-35-engines-from-united-technologies-called-unreliable-by-gao" style="text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">which mentioned more than 60 breaches in the company’s compliance with Pentagon requirements and policies.</a></font></p><p style="margin: 5px 0px; padding: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">F-35 procurement is expected to cost nearly $400 billion, according to the GAO report, and the Pentagon’s budget for it is projected to rise from $8.4 billion in 2015 to $12 billion in 2018.</font></p><p style="margin: 5px 0px; padding: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">A <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2011/12/buying-the-joint-strike-fighter-caucus/" style="text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">2011 OpenSecrets blog report</a> linked members of a then-new group of F-35 enthusiasts on Capitol Hill — the Joint Strike Fighter Caucus — to the contractors. But a new analysis of 2014 data shows that some of the top recipients from the contractors are powerful legislators: party leaders and chairs or ranking members of influential committees and subcommittees.</font></p><p style="margin: 5px 0px; padding: 5px 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">All together, United Technologies,<a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/totals.php?id=D000000104&cycle=2014" style="text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Lockheed Martin</a>, <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/summary.php?id=D000000170" style="text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Northrop Grumman</a>, and <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/totals.php?id=D000000583&cycle=2014" style="text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">BAE Systems</a> donate millions of dollars every couple of years to lawmakers in the Capitol.</font></p></div></div></div></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"></font></div>