Pentagon Faults Senators On Plane-Lease Proposal

[cthrumatrix]

Pentagon Faults Senators On Plane-Lease Proposal
Defense Says Speed Outweighs Savings

By Renae Merle
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, September 24, 2003; Page E02


The Pentagon said yesterday that a Senate committee's proposal to scale back its plan to lease and then buy 100 Boeing Co. tankers was "potentially unexecutable," even as it acknowledged that the plan could save $2.7 billion.

Sens. John W. Warner (R-Va.) and Carl M. Levin (D-Mich.), ranking members of the Armed Services Committee, proposed leasing up to 25 of the planes, which refuel fighter jets in flight, and buying the remaining 75 under the traditional procurement process. In a letter responding to the proposal, Deputy Defense Secretary Paul D. Wolfowitz said the plan would require at least a year-long delay and would attract less enthusiasm from Wall Street investors needed to help finance the deal.

"The biggest drawback to this approach is the need to negotiate totally new contracts," Wolfowitz said.

snip

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A54873-2003Sep23.html

So Wolfowitz thinks it takes a year to change the terms of a contract from lease to buy? And this is worth spending a few "billion" more of your tax dollars.

[RC]

1. The real reason why they want to lease...

"...would attract less enthusiasm from Wall Street investors needed to help finance the deal."