Gao?

[seadoosnipe]

The GAO is a puppet of the Washington cronies. The same cronies who have already been exposed for taking large campaign contributions from Boeing. Boeing was also caught red handed and exposed by Senator McCain for trying to get Air Force officials to accept a higher price for their deal, just to steal our tax payers dollars.

This is like the wolf guarding the hen house.

Yeah, you can probably tell I'm disappointed to the GAO's outcome to a contract that was fair, open and transparent, that Boeing even agreed to, till they were the losing bidder.

What is the purpose of bidding a job/contract, if you have already choosen who you want to build it?

Oh, and the last time I looked, the Southeast United States was still part of this country, though all Washington wants from us is our TAX DOLLARS!:rant:

 

[jr86]

Politicians

When the GAO is allowed to do it's job, it works well. BUT, the results are often hidden or over ridden by the politicians. That is where the problem exists, the politicians in the affected districts. Boeing had previously stated the 767 was not primarily designed to be a tanker. I have to bid on government contracts all the time and they regularly decide on a bid based on factors not important for the success of the project.:ack:

 

[seadoosnipe]

Clout.....

It's all about the clout, financial gains or "pork barrel" support from one senator/congressman, to the other. It's never about the true objective of what they need........

I was in the military and saw the invoices for toilet seats that were $500 bucks a piece. That was just before they came out with the "Waste, Fraud and Abuse" hotline..........

But as pawns in the Governments operation, we are but their paycheck. That's all that matters to any of them.

 

[seadoosnipe]

Cancelled contract.........

Well, Mr. Gates, Department of Defense, has given in to political pressure from the two most disliked politicians in Alabama; Republican Tihart and Representative Norm Dicks, who both sit on the appropriations committee and had direct input on the now cancelled contract on the military's new tanker contract. Both of these politicians had heavy contributioins to their campaigns by Boeing and are active in the states of Washington and Kansas, which had everything to lose in not winning the contract. Talking about a little kid saying, "this is my bat and my ball and if you won't play the game like I want to play it, I'll take my stuff and go home!"..........

We in Alabama worked hard in putting an incentive package together, to try and win this bid. We did when it back in February and Boeing cried foul. Funny how when they were asked back in October, if this was their final bid, they said yes and may the best plane win.

So funny from the day we won, they begain crying foul! Had they won, we'd have seen nothing but smiling faces and if we'd have sent a protest to the GAO, they'd have forced congress, by persuasion, that their tanker was the best and won fair and square!.

#1. They don't even have a tanker or refueling boom assembly made or in service anywhere but on a computer drawing board.
#2. They have been caught rigging bids, padding the pockets of politicians several times.
#3. The most recent investigation by Sen. McCain led to top Boeing and Air Force execs jail time.

If we allow Boeing to be just handed over contracts, we the tax payers will continue to be cheated out of what's best for our American fighter. Our air facility, the Air Forces old Brookley field was the largest base closeure in history. We made and repaired airplanes for WWII and both the Korean conflict and Vietnam. The Brookly complex was closed by President Johnson in 1962 while it was still at it's peak as an Air Force installation, laying off 12,000 civilian workers.

With a 9,600 foot runway, 8ft thick, it's the only other runway NASA's shuttle has ever landed at. The facility is logically the best choice because it is accessible by land, rail, deep water channel to Mobile Bay and from the air in delivering parts for this task.

We'll see in the next Presidents term, Boeing will not win the contract, they'll be given it by the President (Obama has pretty much already made that a forecast if he's elected).

I'm voting for John McCain!