Report: ‘Shadow Goverment’ Of Private Contractors Explodes Under Bush

http://thinkprogress.org/2007/06/27/waxman-contracts

Report: ‘Shadow Goverment’ Of Private Contractors Explodes Under Bush

A new report by the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform concludes that, under the Bush administration, the “shadow government of private companies working under federal contract has exploded in size. Between 2000 and 2005, procurement spending increased by over $175 billion dollars, making federal contracts the fastest growing component of federal discretionary spending.”



But while private contractors — such as Halliburton and AshBritt — have been reaping huge profits, “billions of dollars of taxpayer money have been squandered.” Some highlights from the report:

– Halliburton has been the “fastest growing contractor.” Under the Bush administration, federal spending to Halliburton “increased over 600% between 2000 and 2005.” The Government Accountability Office recently found that the government has wasted at least $2.7 billion to Halliburton on “overpriced contracts or undocumented costs.” At the end of 2005, Cheney’s stock options were valued at more than $8 million, a 3,281 percent gain from 2004.

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– Noncompetitive contracts skyrocket. Sole-source and noncompetitive contracts grew by “an even faster rate than overall procurement spending, rising by 115% from $67.5 billion in 2000 to $145 billion in 2005.” Many of these no-bid contracts during the Iraq war and Katrina reconstruction went to Bush administration cronies who wasted money and performed shoddy work.

In the report’s review of 500 contracts, 118 contracts worth $745.5 billion “experienced significant overcharges, wasteful spending, or mismanagement over the last five years.” A recent report by American Progress Senior Fellow Scott Lilly has more details about the Bush administration’s procurement process problem and what Congress can do to clean up the mess.

k and r - corrupt republicons stealing from America and Americans

Republicons lacking in all honor

Why do republicon pigs HATE America and all that is fair and honest?

their being, what they are all about as evidenced by their works.

...do when the war is finally over? Stay and occupy? If they come back to the States, what will they do then?

Inquiring minds want to know...

:shrug:

their intention is that the war will never be over

Smirk keeps trying to brag that he has created jobs and that the economy is booming. But subtract the killing-related jobs and support-for-the-killing related jobs and the result is fewer real productive jobs and an ever-growing national debt.

real waste, fraud and abuse.

....that was their entire intent. IMHO, these faux Repubs never intended to do anything but commit crimes for profit.

They are criminals

how about that

In his book, "Toward the End of Time," all government function has been subcontracted to FedEx. Not much different than what that asshat bush has done with his repug cronies.

you compassionate conservativism for ya.
Have they done anything legally, or morally sound?

to pay his lawyers.

Geez... talk about one from the "no shit, sherlock" file.