Talking Turkey
On October 2nd we posted Article 1 in this Volume 33. We complained about the amount of taxpayer funds being granted by the “Defense” Department for the design work – just the design work, mind you – for the Navy’s newest super carrier, the USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79). Because just those eight awarded contracts added up to $ 849,849,676, we knew we were seeing the tip of the iceberg.
We then noted – in Article 11 – that some of that iceberg that was underwater made that initial funding for CVN-79 look like chicken feed. From October 3rd to October 22nd, 27 announcements revealed that the “Defense” Department had awarded a cool $ 2,444,276,312 to the Navy for the development of more sophisticated weaponry. And that was just the Navy’s funding. Awards for Army and Air Force “Defense” systems – which we haven’t tallied – are much, much higher.
We’re well along into November at this writing and Thanksgiving Day is upon us. Conditions being what they are, we’re sorry to say that there’s not much to be thankful for. On second thought there is something that should brighten the day. Thanks to Thanksgiving Day, November is a “short” month for “Defense” Department employees, and it appears that in this shortened period less of our money will be thrown at the military-industrial complex. Only 19 contracts have been awarded so far totaling a mere $ 1,026,316,385. This list is just for the Navy awards, though. We don’t have the stomach to look at all the “Defense” Department giveaways.
Nov. 1 – $ 65,000,000 to Stanley Associates, Inc., Fairfax, VA
– $ 7,515,877 to San Diego Gas and Electric Co., San Diego, CA
Nov. 6 – $ 15,000,000 to HBA Architecture & Interior Design, Inc., Virginia Beach, VA
– $ 11,904,247 to CSC Applied Technologies, LLC, Lexington Park, MD
– $ 9,282,864 to Northrop Grumman Co., Inc., Woodland Hills, CA
Nov. 7 – $ 98,764,000 to Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Atlantic, Charleston, SC
Nov. 8 – $ 31,279,117 to Aliant Techsystems Operations LLC, Clearwater, FL
Nov. 13 – $ 7,893,315 to URS Federal Technical Services, Inc., Germantown, MD
Nov. 16 – $ 88,828,706 to General Dynamics Electric Boat Corp., Groton, CT
Nov. 19 – $ 49,983,813 to DRS C3 and Aviation Co., Herndon, VA
– $ 24,000,000 to BAE Systems, Minneapolis, MN
– $ 23,280,000 to The Boeing Co., St. Louis, MO
– $ 72,547,020 to Tactical Engineering and Analysis, Inc., San Diego, CA
Nov. 20 – $ 30,062,354 to Bechtel Plant Machinery, Inc., Monroeville, PA
– $ 93,261,183 to Exelis, Inc., Alexandria, VA
– $ 61,695,425 to Electric Boat Corp., Groton, CT
– $ 19,385,ooo to Exelis, Inc., Amityville, NY
– $ 9,754,212 to ManTech Telecommunications Corp., Herndon, VA
– $ 6,879,152 to Simmonds Precision Products Inc., Vergennes, VT
That $ 1.026 billion is just a fraction of the monthly “Defense” Department dole, of course, because we haven’t tallied the Army and Air Force takes. We taxpayers are the “turkeys” on Turkey day.