Companies that defrauded the United States and jeopardized American lives received new government work despite rulings designed to stop them from receiving federal contracts, government investigators report.
Payments went to a company whose president tried to sell nuclear bomb parts to North Korea, a company that jeopardized lives on the aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy, and a seller of body armor that the Air Force said was defective.
The companies were on a government database of 70,000 individuals and businesses suspended or barred by various U.S. agencies from receiving government contract work.
The Government Accountability Office blamed some of the mistakes on faulty computer searches by officials who left out commas or periods. But it also said the search engine for the database often failed to identify any of the entries on the exclusion list.
A hypothetical suspended company named XYZ Corp., Inc. — with a comma — would escape detection if one searched for XYZ Corp. Inc. — without the comma — the report said.
The investigators found a staggering list of offenses by companies awarded new contracts. They included use of fictitious Social Security numbers, massive tax fraud, delivery of faulty parts for the military, false filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, use of insider information to bid on federal contracts, and Medicare fraud.
Found by William Taylor.
Take away the money, the incentive, and this problem will be substantially reduced, if not outright eliminated.
“Crappy DB programming at the heart of it.”
Ironically the DB programmer was a contractor on the list.
No… I’m a person that hates hypocrisy and am getting tired of people who are all too willing to jump on the Obama administration for stupid crap (really, Joe Biden saying the “number of the website”… is it that important?), but were all too happy to turn a blind eye to the last 8 years.
And although you claim to be a person who requires “hard data,” you have yet to provide any– and much like your claim that you are “with a Pres until he/she starts screwing up”– it’s apparently a figment of your over active imagination.
For the record, I find people who believe Obama walks on water annoying too and destructive to America in their own way.
# 23 Hyph3n said, on February 27th, 2009 at 1:23 pm
“No… I’m a person that hates hypocrisy and am getting tired of people who are all too willing to jump on the Obama administration for stupid crap…”
So what “silly crap” have I jumped on Obama about?
This is news?! I thought everyone knew this.
Oh and for the Obama defenders. Guess what?! Obama is just the newly elected Lap Dog for the Oligarchy. Sheep.
Not withstanding a 20 year old program to CREATE data..
That a $14k per year programmer could fix, or locate a BETTER program in 15 minutes..
WE are probably STILL talking about HARDWARE that is AT LEAST 10 years old..P2 or P Pro..
WHICH the Gov over paid for in the first place.
IF you know how this works, check with any DENNY/Auto parts store/… and find out HOW MUCH they paid for that 486/586 with PROPRIETARY software. About $10k with a MONO MONITOR..
WE are talking about people that have the mentality of a 2 year old, ABOUT hardware and software.. THEY have NO idea of costs, or WHAT is available at this time.
THEY push the buttons, and DEAL WITH IT..
I would also ask about DATA INPUT. As if a “,” is such a MIGHTY FACTOR, then SOMEONE is inserting MULTIPLE NAMES with extra delimiters to bypass HOW the system works..
Easier then Changing the name of the corp, FILE with a “,” in your name?
# 23 Hyph3n said, on February 27th, 2009 at 1:23 pm
“No… I’m a person that hates hypocrisy and am getting tired of people who are all too willing to jump on the Obama administration for stupid crap…”
Stick with your belief thing. Logic isn’t your strong suit.
#16, Cow-Patty,
I’m always with a Pres until he/she starts screwing up, and then only get on ‘em on particular areas of stupidity.
Ok, I guess these were done by someone else.
# 22 Paddy-O said, on December 28th, 2008 at 8:40 am
# 21 bobbo said, “If memory serves, the Obama plan was to increase taxes on those making $250K per year. I challenge you to link otherwise.”
Memory serves you wrong. Under Omama’s plan, taxes on those making $75,000/year will go up in 2010.
You need to actually read & listen to him…
*
# 45 Paddy-O said, on December 9th, 2008 at 1:14 pm
# 44 Fedup said, “First black president led away in hand cuffs in two years. Watch…”
Why do you think he made the appointment he did for Atty Gen?
*
# 11 Paddy-O said, on November 21st, 2008 at 5:32 am
Didn’t Omama vote for FISA so he should have NO problem with this.
# 13 moss said, on November 21st, 2008 at 6:35 am
#11 – encouraging to see your support for intrusion into privacy continues along nutball party lines.
# 15 Paddy-O said, on November 21st, 2008 at 6:40 am
#13 Moss,
Don’t call Omama & his party nutballs.
With the billion dollar stimulus, they can buy some rack mounted Google Search Appliances to cure this problem.
Personally, I have a great deal of faith that the Obama admin will cease doing business with evil entities. And why would they deal with Blackwater, for example, when they have much more benign choices like the Xe Corp?
One of the problems is that there often aren’t that many companies ready, willing, and able to do some of this crap on short notice.
If you need a private sector fighting force based in the states but able to send thousands of troops anywhere on short notice exactly how many companies do you know that can actually do it?
My list is/was Blackwater. Now they’ve changed the name and maybe subdivided the company but they are still the entire list.
Of course it you are willing to out source/subcontract it to organizations based in other nations your options should be bigger but then you don’t know who the bleep you’re hiring either.
# 11 Winston regaled us with this URL to an interesting article (it’s not too long; I recommend reading it):
http://market-ticker.org/archives/835-Remarks-Of-TickerGuy.html
I’d like to say I agree with the guy, except wherever he says “conservative” I’d substitute “American.”
– - – - -
Meanwhile, # 21 LibertyLover said
“Take away the money, the incentive, and this problem will be substantially reduced, if not outright eliminated.”
Well, they’ve certainly done that — the money’s gone. Now what?
Our government has turned into a big wuss. Oh, sure, if you’re a country and you insult us, we’ll bomb your brown asses, but if you’re a corporation we’re on YOUR side, against those pesky American people. Everywhere enforcement has become a joke. Just look at all the ads on TV for companies that will get the IRS to settle for pennies on the dollar for taxes you owe. They call these people customers or clients; I call them shameless CROOKS, LIARS and THIEVES. Likewise law firms that specialize in overturning your being denied disability benefits, and who knows what all else.
It seems to me there was always an undercurrent of this in American society, but it REALLY took off when Oliver North, showing NO remorse and NO shame, said “There are some things more important than the law,” and crooks and grifters everywhere stood up and said “YES! I’M GONNA GET ME SOMMA THAT STUFF!” All you have to do is look at how 50% to 75% of people drive (especially those in SUVs) to realize they all think they are more important than the law, than all the other drivers, than you, than me.
Is it too late for our society? If it really is 50% to 75% of people who feel/believe/act this way, then maybe we have finally completely turned into the Roman Empire. I wonder who will be our Goths and Vandals…
And it is all Obamas fault. He has had his 30 days in office, throw the bum out. Restore the righteous religious right. People who don’t have their head bowed praying keep seeing things they shouldn’t see.
31,
back in the 70′s I used to see notices in the paper, about WHAT was being BID ON, and many would send in the BIDS..
Problem was getting the requirements for the BID, or even filling out the paper work, or EVEN FINDING IT..
BIDS took time to compare and soforth, and it kept getting HARDER, so FEWER bid.
regulations, requirements, PAPER WORK keep getting worse.
Kind of like politicians committing crimes and getting reelected.