Another 37 Billion $ down the drain.

[PA5COR]

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/03/28/1197647/--37-Billion-Little-Crappy-Ships-Not-Survivable-Writes-Admiral-in-Secret-Memo

Littoral combat ships, known inside the Navy as little crappy ships, are too lightly armed to be effective on offense and too lightly armored to survive on defense according to information released by Bloomberg based on a secret memo written by the commander of naval surface forces, Vice Admiral Tom Copeman. The $37 billion ship program, developed after 9-11, has been beset with cost overruns and materials engineering problems including cracks and corrosion. The cost of the troubled sea turkeys has doubled to 440 million per ship since 2005. The objective was to develop a fast small ship for near shore action but, as the Navy should have learned from swift boats in Viet Nam, lightly armed boats near shore are easy targets to kill. Navy contractors are developing 2 different designs for the LCS, but both are failing. (http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-03-28/ships-costing-u-s-37-billion-lack-firepower-navy-told.html)

[NQ6U]

A billion here, a billion there. Before long, you're talking about real money.

[KC2UGV]

$37 billion here, $122 billion there.... But, we have to cut programs like welfare which costs only about $1 or 2 billion.

[NQ6U]

$37 billion here, $122 billion there.... But, we have to cut programs like welfare which costs only about $1 or 2 billion.

That's because the people on those programs don't generally vote Republican.

[KB3LAZ]

Shit, I spend that daily.

[PA5COR]

One of the biggest MIC scandals hardly anybody knows about, The Integrated Deepwater System Program (IDS Program or Deepwater) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Integrated_Deepwater_System_Program).
To their credit the Coasties seem to have realized what a boondoggle it was becoming and may have straightened things out.

Oversight of contractor performance by the government is largely non-existent, due to contract language developed by the contractor...Because of the scale of the building program exceeded anything done by the USCG before, Deepwater is unique in that the primary contractors were tasked with making design and procurement decisions on behalf of the Federal government. This did not achieve its intended result - assets that were designed to meet mission needs.
Then there is the new fighter that can only fly in nice sunny weather if the engine doesn't blow up...
Your aluminium destroyers aren't the best either...

Belknap was severely damaged in a collision with John F. Kennedy on 22 November 1975 in heavy weather off the coast of Sicily. A fire broke out on Belknap following the collision, and during the fire her aluminium superstructure was melted, burned and gutted to the deck level.

Google the scrapped Sea Shadow.
The list is endless..

[w0aew]

I'm just glad we're not squandering money on single-payer health care or non-war-related infrastructure. After all, the rest of the planet will gang up and destroy us if we fail to protect the pentagon.

[KB3LAZ]

I'm just glad we're not squandering money on single-payer health care or non-war-related infrastructure. After all, the rest of the planet will gang up and destroy us if we fail to protect the pentagon.

They will regardless. ;)

[K7SGJ]

And here I was afraid this thread was going to be another funding story; this time to study donkey dicks.

[N8YX]

And here I was afraid this thread was going to be another funding story; this time to study donkey dicks.

That, or the seizure of Cypriot bank monies.

[kb2vxa]

WHAT Cypriot bank moneys? They lent it to Greece which is like tossing it to the wind, nary a Euro will find its way back home. Donkey dicks? Oh, now you're talking about Corporate Mismanagement feeding one of the PIGS and getting pig's dick in return.

[N2RJ]

$37 billion here, $122 billion there.... But, we have to cut programs like welfare which costs only about $1 or 2 billion.

Uhhh, in which country? Certainly not this one.

Food stamps (SNAP) alone was 78 billion in FY2011, according to the CBO. TANF was about 33.3 billion. This includes cash payments and services for welfare clients. It is true though that the cash portion is rather small but it's not 1-2 billion. It's more than that.

[KC2UGV]

Uhhh, in which country? Certainly not this one.

Food stamps (SNAP) alone was 78 billion in FY2011, according to the CBO. TANF was about 33.3 billion. This includes cash payments and services for welfare clients. It is true though that the cash portion is rather small but it's not 1-2 billion. It's more than that.

Both SNAP and TANF cost less than a non-existent engine, for a non-existent airplane, that the airforce doesn't even want.

[N2RJ]

Both SNAP and TANF cost less than a non-existent engine, for a non-existent airplane, that the airforce doesn't even want.

Yeah but your $1 billion claim is still bullshit.

[WA2OLZ]

Yeah but your $1 billion claim is still bullshit.


As are a large majority of so-called facts spouted by Democrats.

[n2ize]

As are a large majority of so-called facts spouted by Democrats.

The same holds true for republicans and a wide range of information sources found across the media representing the extreme republican right and sometimes the left as well. The real issue is that both parties suck, perhaps one more than another, but both are beholden to special interests, I wish people would stop defending "brands", i.e right versus left, dems versus repubs, and start focusing on real issues that affect Americans along with other s throughout the world. Needed change is never going to come from voting for either of the two major parties.

[KC2UGV]

Yeah but your $1 billion claim is still bullshit.

Which doesn't change my main point: We purportedly need to slash the social safety net programs, which in totality are less than a single DoD boondoggle program.

[w0aew]

As are a large majority of so-called facts spouted by Democrats.

Oh yeah? OH YEAH? Well, you're a doodyhead!

[NQ6U]

As are a large majority of so-called facts spouted by Democrats.

Easy to say, but do you care to back that up with something more than rhetoric?

[NA4BH]

Oh yeah? OH YEAH? Well, you're a doodyhead!

Let's watch the name calling. Poopyhead would be a more PC response.

[N2NH]

Let's watch the name calling. Poopyhead would be a more PC response.

I dunno. The Jerky Boys 'sweetcheeks' has a certain something...

[N2RJ]

Which doesn't change my main point: We purportedly need to slash the social safety net programs, which in totality are less than a single DoD boondoggle program.

It actually does. You are trying to frame welfare spending as an insignificant piece of the pie. It's not.

The sequester was a $90 billion cut to the increase in spending, spread out across the federal budget. The President seems to think that it spells doom for the country. Yet $78 billion in food stamps plus how much else for social programs is insignificant?

[KC2UGV]

It actually does. You are trying to frame welfare spending as an insignificant piece of the pie. It's not.

The sequester was a $90 billion cut to the increase in spending, spread out across the federal budget. The President seems to think that it spells doom for the country. Yet $78 billion in food stamps plus how much else for social programs is insignificant?

$78 billion for an entire swath of social safety net programs vs. $122 billion for a single project in the DoD...

[N2RJ]

$78 billion for an entire swath of social safety net programs vs. $122 billion for a single project in the DoD...

Yes, I agree that we waste too much on useless boondoggles, some of which are defense related. Never said that we didn't.

[W3WN]

Which doesn't change my main point: We purportedly need to slash the social safety net programs, which in totality are less than a single DoD boondoggle program.What we NEED to do is quit re-electing some of these bozos (apologies to all real Bozos out there, and clowns in general as well), and start electing some actual leaders who will be willing to set aside partisian politics and actually LEAD (*gasp!*), who will be willing to work for the good of the country, not sway to the winds of the current political party and sell out to whatever will get them re-elected.

Problem is, the people who are best equipped to do that are all too smart to be willing to run for office.

[PA5COR]

One failed plane = 1 project of the army = 400 billion up to now.
4 years social service which helps millions one failed plane is just taking space before it gets scrapped.

[N2RJ]

I honestly don't care so much about the money. I care about the principle. Let people work for their money. Is work really that bad? I have been told by people that they should be given the option to not work and still live a decent life. Not retirement, but while they are young and able bodied.

If you really fall flat on your ass, yes you should get help. But if you have no desire to lift a finger, then society should not be taking care of you. And if you come to this country to go on welfare, unless you are facing persecution and are a genuine refugee, then you really have no business being here.

[KC2UGV]

I honestly don't care so much about the money. I care about the principle. Let people work for their money. Is work really that bad? I have been told by people that they should be given the option to not work and still live a decent life. Not retirement, but while they are young and able bodied.

If you really fall flat on your ass, yes you should get help. But if you have no desire to lift a finger, then society should not be taking care of you. And if you come to this country to go on welfare, unless you are facing persecution and are a genuine refugee, then you really have no business being here.

Which is exactly what welfare is: Median time spent collecting benefits is 19 months.

[kb2vxa]

"$78 billion for an entire swath of social safety net programs vs. $122 billion for a single project in the DoD."

Too many guns and too little butter eventually brought down the Soviet Union.

"And if you come to this country to go on welfare, unless you are facing persecution and are a genuine refugee, then you really have no business being here."

That sounds uncannily Australian re: boat people.

"Which is exactly what welfare is: Median time spent collecting benefits is 19 months."

In NJ it's called Workfare. It works like Unemployment, the able bodied are required to actively seek work and homeless seek permanent shelter and fill in search forms just like Unemployment. Contacts, ten per week must be verifiable and forms submitted every two weeks, those who fail to actively seek work/shelter are disqualified. The disabled waiting for SSD to kick in are exempt from the search, however doctor's certification must be submitted monthly. Again failure results in disqualification.