here's an interesting question about Iraq . . .

[OneBlueSky]

given that the Bushies are using companies like KBR to perform a lot of the tasks that would normally be undertaken by the military, I'd love to know how much KBR employees in Iraq are being paid relative to the average GI . . . my guess much, much more . . . which strikes me as just one more criminal aspect of this whole criminal enterprise . . .

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/03_37/b3849012.htm

"No company is better positioned to take over those jobs than KBR. Over the past decade, the company has housed, fed, and maintained American fighting forces in some of the most geographically remote and politically dangerous regions on earth. It has proven itself capable of efficiently mobilizing its own vast army of engineers, cooks, and logistics experts, often on short notice."

(snip)

"For its work in support of the invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan, KBR has billed the U.S. government about $950 million for work completed under contracts capped at $8.2 billion. At the same time, KBR is in line to earn tens of millions of dollars more to maintain the archipelago of U.S. military bases that now arcs from the Balkans south to the Horn of Africa and east to Afghanistan and Kyrgyzstan. Closer to home, KBR built the detention camps in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, that house Taliban and al Qaeda prisoners. All in all, no corporation has played as central a role in America's global anti-terrorism campaign -- or profited as handsomely from it -- as KBR."

- much more . . .

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/03_37/b3849012.htm

[ewagner]

1. Yes..that's a very good question

Privatizing or outsouorcing is supposed to save the taxpayers money. With these figures, how can any money be saved? And better yet, are the services actually being provided?

[FloridaPat]

2. Don't forget the kick-backs in the form of campaign

contributions. Nice circle - Bush gives them the big contracts and they give big contributions.

Why aren't the people in this country outraged???

And don't forget the Carlyle Group. The Bush family is making a fortune there, which means when Bush 1 dies, Shrub will inheret. No wonder he wants to get rid of the death tax

[bryant69]

3. Well,

You'd need the stats on how much it would cost for the US military to do it; the article pretty clearly states that a lot of these functions have been shrunk since the end of the cold war. I mean if we had an orginazation in place with the resources that KBR brings to the table to accomplish our mission, and we choose to pay KBR more that would be criminal.

If, however, we don't have that organizition in place; and would have to build one up from the ground, well, we might be getting the best alternative.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[NewGuy]

4. The savings in going contract

are in efficiency of operation and in not using untrained personnel. The military requires a continuous turn over of young people to make it possible to maintain the fitness level needed to fight a war. Additionally each of the people involved has to train in combat skills as well as day-to-day skills. This is an inherently inefficient use of manpower. Defense contractors can use primarily military retirees and honorably discharged military members. This means the people are already trained in the task. Then by upping the productive time (in the direct peacetime task) to 80% or greater vs 50% - 60% for military you can reduce the manning requirement and save a huge amount of money.

These savings are real and easy to achieve. E.G. a contractor running vehicle maintenance needs only ten folks full time in vehicle maintenance to replace twenty military vehicle maintenance personnel who get 30 days leave, unlimited sick leave, periodic deployments, rotation/discharge of 25% per year, training to do the job, training for possible future deployments (often unrelated to the primary job), etc. Of course if you are in a combat situation, you still need the military guy or gal.

[farmbo]

5. And no pesky Freedom of Information Act requests from reporters...

Not that the spineless SOB's would request them anyway.

:grr:

[spinbaby]

6. Unemployed? Get a job in Iraq

You can search through KBR jobs here:

http://www.halliburton.com/careers/careers_kbr.jsp

There are literally hundreds of job postings in Iraq--some for very mundane jobs like laborer--but no pay ranges are given.

[arcane1]

7. this is a totally treasonous, un-American question

:evilgrin: