waste

Similar to Iraq, the use of contractors by the U.S. government in Afghanistan stands at unprecedented levels. In fact, contractors in Afghanistan outnumber American troops –and will continue to do so despite Obama’s troop increase in 2010. more »

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Ignoring earlier recommendations of the Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates, the 2010 defense bill throws funding lifelines to failed weapons systems slated to be cut. Resisting the call to reform, the House Armed Services Committee showcased their protection of the defense lobby instead. more »

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Secretary of Defense Robert Gates announced Monday a proposal to reform the defense budget by cutting or scaling back some major weapons programs and strengthening oversight of the acquisitions process. The recommendations made by the Secretary should be applauded, but it is only a small step to curb defense spending. Looking forward the budget for FY 2010 and beyond maintain current levels of funding, without pressuring the Pentagon to make substantial cuts. Instead, it appears the Administration is relying on the Pentagon to trim spending and end waste on its own. If the past is any indicator, this approach won’t work. more »

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The conservatives proclaiming now is a time of “fiscal responsibility” must have forgotten that they enacted tax cuts for the rich and spent $12 billion a month in Iraq. Now there is a growing right-wing movement to cut so-called “wasteful entitlement” programs such as Social Security as a means of balancing the budget. more »

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