Thinking Right

By Jim's a Cherry Picker

February 26, 2007 08:34 AM | Link to this

Hi Jim,

I agree. Atlanta and Fulton County are clearly mis-managed.

I’ll be looking forward to seeing your research and resulting recommendations on how to address this issue. I’m particularly interested in surface street paving in the Monroe Drive/10th street areas.

And, as you’re aware, if you don’t make recommendations about how to fix the problem, you’re just a whiny liberal.

By Southern Democrat

February 26, 2007 08:52 AM | Link to this

The old adage that stastics will mean whatever you want them to holds true with Mr. Wooten’s column today. Though I certainly advocate a reduction in size and an increase in efficiency for City of Atlanta and Fulton County’s governments, the comparisons drawn are disingenuous. Atlanta as a city may have a resident population the size of Omaha, but over a million people use its streets and services every day as transient workers; say, Jim Wooten, for example. Should we apply a commuter tax to offset the burden that these workers place on the infrastructure while reaping the benefits of the City? Of course not. But by the same token, we shouldn’t compare Mayor Franklin’s taskings and role to the mayors of Tucson and Cleveland.

Mr. Sherman, former mayor of Bal Harbour, should know this best of all. As most of us know, Bal Harbour is an opulent portion of the island of Miami Beach that derives a large number of its services from Miami-Dade County, and, just for “statistical” purposes, I’d reckon it has about the population of our newest city of Milton, GA.

By CJ

February 26, 2007 09:10 AM | Link to this

If the City of Atlanta decides to layoff hundreds or thousands of employees, then the City of Atlanta should do it — not turn over City functions to a private company so that City leaders don’t get their hands dirty. Privatization to achieve the goal of “workforce reduction” would represent cowardice and stupidity.

In fact, Atlanta will continue to grow rapidly. If we need to bring the size of our workforce down (and as Southern Democrat pointed out – the Fulton County Taxpayer’s Foundation may have used apples and oranges), then implement a hiring freeze until we’re where we need to be.

Jim gave an excellent example of how government can work in yesterday’s column. I’m tired of seeing workers getting punished for the incompetence of management. The real solution (if there is a problem) is to bring in effective management and use the resources we have to give the people a City government that ranks higher than any other in customer service, effectiveness and efficiency. Give the people a bang for their buck.

By jbmlaw

February 26, 2007 09:10 AM | Link to this

Good morning all. Unless 8,631 of those city employees are with either police or fire departments, it is hard to imagine much value they bring to the taxpayers. The leftists on the blog will, as usual, blame the inefficiency on the Republicans, since the conservatives are always culpable for whatever evil exists. Amazing how government bloat rises when the socialists run things.

By Rod

February 26, 2007 09:12 AM | Link to this

Wooten - what happened to your balls? Did you really lose them when the Republicans got spanked sooooo hard last November? Barney the Dinosaur could write this blog with all the wonderful political insight you’ve included! (for Wooten and tftt, that was sarcasm).

Throw some more meat into your thoughts.

By jbmlaw

February 26, 2007 09:18 AM | Link to this

Dear JaCP and Southern, just read your arguments, and I think you are on course. JaCP leave hanging the obvious question of privatization – that’s a curve ball Chipper would like to see.

Southern, I think you too-readily dismiss the obvious solution – the commuter tax. That is an obvious and economic solution to the problem of government bloat; my guess is that a commuter tax could turn Atlanta-proper into a ghost town quickly, with no need for services; that does not make it an invalid solution. Are you certain Cleveland is not a valid comparison? I know the population of Cleveland-proper is not so great, but they have 100 satellite communities also. We listen to WCLV most of the time around our house, and the comparison to Atlanta seems pretty fair to me.

By Dennis

February 26, 2007 09:27 AM | Link to this

Ho hum…. Here we go again with “privitization” will cure everything.

If that wishful thinking was true, we wouldn’t have so many investigations of private firms like KBR, Haliburton, etc. being investigated for ripping off the federal government.

It’s really sad to see such irresponsible journalism and still expect Americans to trust the media.

You don’t have to be a blind conservative not to see it, just an ignorant one to deny it.

By Barb

February 26, 2007 09:29 AM | Link to this

Something tells me that an organization that goes by the name “Fulton County Taxpayers Foundation” was going to recommend privatization no matter what their little “analysis” found. This is a perfect example of an ideology-based organization (all goverment bad - all private companies good) seeking out “facts” to support their pre-determined conclusions.

By time for the truth

February 26, 2007 09:37 AM | Link to this

Hopefully everyone has by now seen/heard this truly delicious example of ‘black humour’.

Whilst the actual subject of slavery is clearly NOT EVER a matter for joking, the fall out from this bestial, evil practice has contrived to deliver one of the most sublimely amusing, freaking hilarious moments of family genealogy imaginable.

It seems that the hateful racist race hustler Sharptongue, the one who disgustingly incited fellow blacks to burn down a clothing shop called Freddies in NYC, burning alive several innocent folks has an interesting family history. Lets not forget either that the same racist Sharptongue thug was also gleefully part of the vanguard in a much earlier Duke University like lynching in NYC by a hateful racist black woman who FALSELY and hysterically screeeched rape against a white man.

Hearing that one of Sharptongue’s ancestors was bought by one of Senator Strom Thurmond’s ancestors was met with admittedly very brief, unconfined hilarity in our house. Obviously Thurmond, a proud demoNcrat during the worst days of segregation had NO part in any of this dim and distant familial history. Clearly Sharptongue is now blatantly seeking richly undeserved media sympathy for an ironic quirk of history.

Sharptongue and Thurmond both have despicable pasts. Thurmond to his credit eventually softened his racist/bigoted attitudes as the world changed. Sadly Sharptongue has NOT. The innocent folks who died in Freddies and the innocent white man in the false racial rape case that Sharptongue to this day refuses to condemn are the unsavoury, living proof of this. Even Bush hating leftist demoNcrat political consultants like Bob Beckel cheerily verbally spit on Sharptongue’s shameful history of racism/bigotry.

How ironic that this emerged on the weekend that the arch black racist numerology nutter Calypso Louis Farracrap gave his final racist rant as the self appointed leader of NOIse in a half empty stadium in Detroit.

By DebbieDoRight

February 26, 2007 09:40 AM | Link to this

The leftists on the blog will, as usual, blame the inefficiency on the Republicans, since the conservatives are always culpable for whatever evil exists

Don’t you EVER sing any new tunes? I’m getting tired of the same old song……….

By JP

February 26, 2007 09:42 AM | Link to this

I would echo SD in that Atlanta is the core of a 5-million person metro area, not a 1-million metro like Omaha or OKC. Compare apples to apples, please.

By Dusty

February 26, 2007 09:53 AM | Link to this

Ho hum….

Everybody here seems to agree that Atlanta is somewhat mismanaged and overburdened with employees. Yet nobody offers a solution that will work.

If the people you voted into office to run Atlanta don’t think we are overloaded, then it won’t do much good to complain.

If you don’t vote in Atlanta, then your complaints won’t amount to a bag of beans. If you don’t like Atlanta, then don’t come here. If Atlanta isn’t good for your business, don’t put it here. Maybe then, the management of Atlanta will get the message.

In the meantime, nobody is listening. Nobody. They like the way it is, overloaded, over burdened and failing in reputation.

By time for the truth

February 26, 2007 09:55 AM | Link to this

I see crackpipe debbie’s usual nauseating intellectual dishonesty is in full swing this morning!! Doubtless it is extremely smugly oblivious to the FACT that its own unremitting, witless Bush hate, blame America bollocks, along with the never ending daily mountain of similarly robotically parroted leftist hate speak garbage puked up on here is also “the same old song”.

By jbmlaw

February 26, 2007 09:58 AM | Link to this

Poor Debbie @ 9:40, you don’t understand – I sing just for you, but you don’t yet comprehend the lyrics. I do suspect it is hurtful for you to hear that every thing you believe is untrue, but socialism does not work, never has, never will – it is flawed in concept. Those of you who put your faith in bureaucrats will be, inevitably, disappointed. There is a sound reason we do not have a “Bureaucrats Hall of Fame,” or a “Time Magazine Bureaucrat of the Year.” The good voters of Atlanta have not yet realized that government payrolls are fundamentally wasteful. I always believe the voters ultimately get what they deserve (e.g., the Sandy Springs secession, in the case of Fulton County voters) even if the true taxpayers don’t deserve what they get.

By Curious Observer

February 26, 2007 10:01 AM | Link to this

Yes, let’s privatize all Atlanta services. In this way, fat cats like jbmlaw and TFTT can see their stock profits soar, while the rest of us can budget closely to meet sky-rocketing prices for services. We will be boosting Free Enterprise and the Free Market, while the elected Atlanta officials will be forced to exercise Personal Responsibility and avoid Bad Choices that create Undesirable Consequences. I will enjoy seeing Private Enterprise go about making street repairs (a task that, in the ordinary course of private contracting, consists of two people working while six others stand around and watch.) Maybe we can hire some state officials to monitor the work—you know, the deregulation they did accomplished wonders in lowering natural gas prices by establishing Competition. We can make Halliburton look like a downright bargain.

By PerfectSolution

February 26, 2007 10:08 AM | Link to this

I’ve got it. Outsource Atlanta gov to private interests through no bid contracts. Allow massive cost overruns and exempt them from being prosecuted for fraud when they steal the taxpayers blind. Seems to be working like a charm in Iraq.

By Dusty

February 26, 2007 10:10 AM | Link to this

I no longer pay any attention to DebbieDoRight. She is over at the Luckovich blog calling our president “a murderer”. That, with her husband in the military.

Free speech if fine but I don’t have to give any credence to this type of derangement.

By Van

February 26, 2007 10:19 AM | Link to this

Well that sounds just like a leftist idea. Lets add more people to the public payroll. If we can get everyone working for a government entity, we can solve all of our problems.

All good little socialists must love the city of Atlanta. Between the growth of the Federal work force and the city of Atlanta, it seems we are in a race to see who can hire the most.

BTW, the federal work force is one of the fastest growing sectors - all being paid out of your taxes.

By time for the truth

February 26, 2007 10:19 AM | Link to this

COME ON NOW FOLKS … LET’S BE ‘AVING YOU …

I know for a fact I’m NOT the only one who found the racist Sharptongue’s richly ironic distant familial history bloody funny!!

Where were you, and wot were U doin’ when U heard the bloody funny news?

By Jim's a Cherry Picker

February 26, 2007 10:23 AM | Link to this

Jbmlaw,

Privatization of what?

You can’t just slap that term down on the table as a solution and say “Mission Accomplished”.

While potentially practical, privatization isn’t some kind of silver bullet. There are all kinds of problems that can and will crop up with managing vendors in a business to business relationship, much less a government to business relationship (can you say “no-bid contract for a current official who used to run a company that contracts with the organization”).

The potential for corruption and malfesance are greater than if it’s just plain ol’ bureaucracy.

So if that’s your solution, what exactly should be privatized and how will taxpayers benefit? Who’s going to manage these contracts? What controls will be in place to protect the public interest? etc…

By PerfectSolution

February 26, 2007 10:27 AM | Link to this

Ok you guys. Where are YOUR solutions? You seem to be long on rhetoric and real short on solutions. I have only seen 2 solutions so far. Let’s hear it folks! Van, the balls in your court. TFTT, jbmlaw, JIM WOOTEN!

By Jim's a Cherry Picker

February 26, 2007 10:33 AM | Link to this

Van,

Re your comment about the federal workforce being the fastest growing “sectors”, last time I checked Republicans had been running the show for the last 12 years.

By Curious Observer

February 26, 2007 10:33 AM | Link to this

BTW, the federal work force is one of the fastest growing sectors - all being paid out of your taxes.

Van’s ignorance is abysmal. Actually, the only growth in federal employment is in private contractors. They take the place of civil service employees and cost the taxpayers more because the hapless taxpayer is paying not only for salary and benefits but also for a profit for the contracting firms for which these contractors work. The typical federal agency consists of 37 percent contractors and 63 percent civil service employees. This payback of campaign contributions for firms like Lockheed and EDS is ripping the taxpayers off big-time, but it’s a Bush administration priority. But then, the Bush administration can do no wrong, can it Van? Actually, the number of full-time civil service employees has declined drastically over the past six years.

By Dusty

February 26, 2007 10:36 AM | Link to this

PerfectSolution,

Are you new here? Jim Wooten is out of town. He mentioned that last week.

By PerfectSolution

February 26, 2007 10:41 AM | Link to this

They are always really good at crowing “privatization” but not a single one of them can tell you how to control the costs (overruns) and more importantly keep some of these “businessmen” from stealing us blind. If the private sector were as efficient as these guys would have you think, there would be zero cost overrun. But to a “businessman” the beauty is that you can bid low, overrun the bid by double or triple and still get paid. Privatization is absolutely no silver bullet. When you factor in the overruns, ie, inefficiency, the theft, and the fraud, maybe even the hanky panky during the bid process itself, it is obvious that in many ways privatization is at times far worse than government.

By deegee

February 26, 2007 10:49 AM | Link to this

I wonder how many contract workers are employed by the city to actually perform the work that the 8,632 city workers were hired to do?

By PiedmontParkResident

February 26, 2007 10:50 AM | Link to this

A couple of questions for those on this blog:

By PerfectSolution

February 26, 2007 10:55 AM | Link to this

American GI toting rifle in Iraq, mid grade. 30000.00 a year if that. American toting rifle in Iraq gets out and goes to work for Blackwater for 100000.00 to 15000.00 per contract. Totes rifle in Iraq. And Blackwater is making a profit off of this rifle toter. Now someone please tell me how he is more cost effective as a “private” soldier. My next door neighbor is that rifleman folks, and he laughs his azz off about the rags to riches gov to priv scam that we all are paying for.

By PerfectSolution

February 26, 2007 11:05 AM | Link to this

Your point PiedmontParkResident? You are homeless? You live in the park? What can be done for you?

By Southern Democrat

February 26, 2007 11:06 AM | Link to this

Call me an eternal optimist, but I think that Atlanta will continue to have a vibrant economy and drive the resurgence of the Southeast. In furtherance of these goals, I think that the City of Atlanta’s government has stepped in to fill a temporary vacuum left by the private sector. The concentration of top-notch tourist attractions around the Centennial Park area coupled with Zoo Atlanta expected to draw over a million panda cub visitors means that the economy’s reliance on corporate income should be lessened. The departures of Scientific Atlanta, Newell Rubbermaid, Ford, GM, Georgia Pacific, etc., can be lessened by growth in other areas. The danger, as Mr. Wooten aptly pointed out in a column a few months ago, is our local governments not being disciplined to scale back and/or reduce incentives when the ship is righted (a la Fulton County looking at ways to spend a surplus rather than consider paying down debt or a rebate). Thus, I am fine with a temporary upswing in City employees (particularly over contracters/price gougers), so long as there is fiscal discipline, employee attrition, and cost-cutting once the opportunity presents itself.

By Laurie

February 26, 2007 11:14 AM | Link to this

PiedmontParkResident,

If you’re implying at 10:50 that only City residents have the right to post an opinion on this matter, I remind you that this blog is for a metro-wide readership. Just my opinion — but, I doubt that Wooten intended to limit this discussion to City residents only. Wooten has a point of view, and privatization is part of it. Today’s discussion has become as much about the costs and benefits of privatization as it is about the City of Atlanta.

In addition, just because somebody doesn’t pay City taxes, doesn’t mean their opinions aren’t worth considering. I read this blog because I actually learn something from time to time. You’re a City resident. Maybe you’ll come across something worthwhile to pass on in a letter to your Council person or Mayor Franklin.

By jm

February 26, 2007 11:18 AM | Link to this

While size tends to breed inefficiency, the fact that Atlanta has more employees per 10,000 than comparable cities does not mean it is any less efficient than those other cities. Unlike jbmlaw@ 9:10, I would include water as a core function (water like air is a public asset) of a city. What services are the voters (remember them?) asking the city to provide?

By Dusty

February 26, 2007 11:20 AM | Link to this

Curious Observer,

Do you know how to build military jets for the Air Force? Lockheed does. That is why they get contracts.

Do you know how to run a worldwide huge company that can conduct business around the world even during war time? Halliburton does and that is why they get contracts.

Perhaps you should send the government a list of companies who can do these kinds of work. I do mean American Companies. It is always kinda nice to support our country. Did you know that?

By Amy in the ATL

February 26, 2007 11:23 AM | Link to this

Okay, before we get all worked up about this one, let’s analyze the stats. If Hartsfield-Jackson employees are being counted as city employees, then the City of Atlanta probably isn’t as fat as it would otherwise seem, since you definitely need quite a few people to run the world’s largest hub. And none of the comparable cities have anything close to what one would consider a major airport. Jim, any ideas?

By Richard

February 26, 2007 11:30 AM | Link to this

Dusty - what part of “Bush is a murderer” do you disagree with? HE IS.

He had us attack Iraq with no provocation, murdering thousands of Iraquis. Now, he is leaving our soldiers over there being killed for no purpose.

He murdered Iraqies, now he’s murdering US Soldiers.

Bush is a murderer and guilty of treason. That’s a fact.

By PerfectSolution

February 26, 2007 11:35 AM | Link to this

By PerfectSolution

February 26, 2007 10:55 AM | Link to this

American GI toting rifle in Iraq, mid grade. 30000.00 a year if that. American toting rifle in Iraq gets out and goes to work for Blackwater for 100000.00 to 15000.00 per contract. Totes rifle in Iraq. And Blackwater is making a profit off of this rifle toter. Now someone please tell me how he is more cost effective as a “private” soldier. My next door neighbor is that rifleman folks, and he laughs his azz off about the rags to riches gov to priv scam that we all are paying for.

Great try at trying to avoid the issue Dusty. Please tell us all how private armies are more efficient and cost effective than the real deal!

And Dusty, based on the mess that Halliburton has made of many of it’s contracts in Iraq, frudulant charges, cost overruns, and that infamous signing from their friend GW that lets them steall the U.S. taxpayers blind and avoiding prosecution, are you sure that you want to use those guys as an example?

By Curious Observer

February 26, 2007 11:35 AM | Link to this

Dusty,

You misinterpret what I was writing. Of course the government has no business building airplanes. What I was trying to point out is that Lockheed is a major contractor in furnishing employees to fill slots ordinarily held by civil service employees—such positions as analysts, administrators, and other support positions that have nothing at all to do with Lockheed’s field of expertise. It is a major area of profit for such companies. Ditto for EDS and other private companies.

Worse, these contracting employees are not required to take an oath of office, nor are they required to adhere to the code of ethics under which regular federal employees must work.

Take the time to stand outside a building housing a federal agency and observe the number of employees who wear a badge bearing a yellow stripe on the bottom. Then you will get an idea of how badly taxpayers are being ripped off.

By jm

February 26, 2007 11:44 AM | Link to this

Dusty@11:20 - I think the issue that CuriousObserver has (and I) is that Halliburton got many of its Iraq War contracts without having to bid on any of its contracts. The Department of Defense bypassed its normal procurement process to award the contracts to Halliburton. Since many of those contracts were cost plus contracts means that the graft was built in from the start.

If you want to talk about the virtues of privitization of government services, look at cost plus contracts sometime. Of course, I should not complain too much, it was because of a cost plus DoD contract that I got my first job out of college.

By PiedmontParkResident

February 26, 2007 11:51 AM | Link to this

Perfect Solution - While I do appreciate sarcasm from time to time, I am most certainly not homeless. However, it is apparent that my two simple questions stepped on a very raw nerve. Are you perhaps jealous because you cannot afford to live in Midtown?

Laurie - 1. While you have the right to opine on anything that you wish, if you do not vote in Atlanta or own property here (and thus pay taxes here), the city officials are not accountable to you. 2. Do you remember Atlanta’s attempt at privatizing the water and sewer services and how that ended in a fiasco (Atlanta had to terminate the contract)? 3. Since you seem to have no problem telling my city officals how to spend my tax money, would you like for me to go into your home and tell you how your money is to be spent?

By Dusty

February 26, 2007 11:58 AM | Link to this

Richard aka traitor,

I don’t answer to people like you.

PerfectSolution,

The military is composed of people wanting to serve their country by volunteering for the military. Their service is honorable and praiseworthy and worth support for a lifetime.

People working for Blackwater signed a contract for dangerous work. It is a job. They are supported only by the terms of their contract which ends with the job. It is honest work but it is a job, not a calling.

Curious Observer,

You are telling me that our government is hiring people from Lockheed, not for their expertise but for some other reason. That doesn’t make sense.

I have neither the time nor the desire to stand outside of federal buildings and observe official badges. Is that how you get your information?

By jbmlaw

February 26, 2007 12:00 PM | Link to this

Dear JaCP @ 10:23, Perfect Solution @ 10:27, and Amy @ 11:23 – you all raise comparable questions. The jbmlaw view is that police/public safety the only function of city government that should not be privatized – even fire and water (suggested by our friend jm @ 11:18) can be reasonably privatized, although we need to guard against monopoly. Even police would be less necessary if we would eliminate those laws that do not merit execution. As to the airport, Atlanta is foregoing a serious amount of potential revenue, for the sake of allowing the politicians to grant sweetheart deals for their cronies who vend goods there; too bad this city places such a high value on preserving political graft.

By Grampus

February 26, 2007 12:10 PM | Link to this

Governments do not make efforts to manage themselves efficiently or fiscally unless outside forces demand it. Atlanta and Fulton County are no different. Nothing will change as long as the two of them, as well as the majority citizenry who elect them, mutually view government as “what’s in it for me”.

Until the majority citizenry changes its perception of government, then the only hope for the minority of the voters who see government as something more than a jobs program or a dispenser of favors in return for votes will be to splinter off and create governments that instead dispense services equitably in return for taxes.

By jbmlaw

February 26, 2007 12:10 PM | Link to this

Dear Dusty, ignore the jackals. Dear jackals, Halliburton is a great example of the best America has to offer. Other than the French multinational Schlumberger, nobody provides the no-bid services. I certainly understand why you would wish to steer taxpayer monies to cheese-eating surrender monkeys rather than hard-working Americans – that is the leftists’ normal thought process.

By getalife

February 26, 2007 12:10 PM | Link to this

Wingnuts,

They found Jesus’s bones so Easter is cancelled.

By ron

February 26, 2007 12:15 PM | Link to this

Might I remind you that occasionally I post on this blog on matters of general interest and I don’t even live in your country.

By time for the truth

February 26, 2007 12:16 PM | Link to this

WOT THE BLOODY HELL??

I truly can’t believe the disappointedly lackluster response from my glorious piece of ironic news!!

What can only top the freaking hilarious idea of Shartongue’s great great grandpappy belonging to the Thurmond family is if the vile racist Franklin traced her lineage and disappointingly discovered that she was descended from a mulatto concubine of Governor Perdue’s ancestors!! HA HA HA HA!!

By Amy in the ATL

February 26, 2007 12:24 PM | Link to this

PiedmontParkResident—it’s fairly obvious from how far this one’s gotten off track that you and I are probably the only 2 City of ATL residents / voters on this site right now (I have a house in Grant Park) and thus the only 2 who have a direct financial stake in this one. Personally, I think Mayor Franklin has done a very good job in turning around the city, although we still have a long way to go. But I’ve noticed a dramatic improvement in the quality of my interactions with city personnel and how quickly they respond to complaints, so I actually feel like I’m getting more for my money tax-wise than I used to. Also, I agree with you that this is really a city issue, and really shouldn’t concern Metro residents in general. I think the only reason Wooten brought this up was to instigage another round of city bashing to support his preference for suburban development. However, there are plenty of metro wide discussions we all need to have, like long-term metro-wide traffic planning, water resources, etc. But I don’t particularly care what someone in Cobb or Gwinnett thinks about the number of city employees or whether or not they should be privatized.

By Jim's a Cherry Picker

February 26, 2007 12:24 PM | Link to this

Jbmlaw,

Yep…the best America has to offer allright:

Palm Beach Post Editorial

Monday, February 26, 2007

If Democrats try to withhold money to stop President Bush’s Iraq “surge,” Republicans will allege that they are cutting off support for troops in the field.

Before making that accusation, Republicans might want to explain why, when they ran Congress, they never made sure that the billions American taxpayers have sent to help the troops in the field actually benefitted the troops in the field.

This month, the new Democratic Congress called three auditors to testify about Iraq spending. They reported that $10 billion spent on contractors had been wasted, resulted from overcharges or simply wasn’t accounted for. That total included items such as $212 million paid to Halliburton Co. for meals for U.S. troops - part of an estimated $2.7 billion in improper charges from Halliburton - and $100 million for troop housing.

Perhaps $10 billion doesn’t seem like that much in the scope of a $350 billion war bill. Consider, then, that the auditors have been able to look at only about $57 billion of the expenditures. The total also doesn’t include other shockingly wasteful practices, such as the administration’s blase handling of 363 tons of cash - about $12 billion - shipped in shrink-wrapped packages to Iraq during the early stages of the war.

Almost all of that money vanished without any attempt at proper accounting. That money theoretically came from Iraq’s oil-for-food program. In fact, it was under the control of Paul Bremer, who ran Iraq - very badly - for the Bush administration.

Misspending money like that - and the hundreds of millions Halliburton squandered on oil fields the company was supposed to repair - might not have been destined for direct aid to U.S. troops. But since it was part of a reconstruction effort that was supposed to provide the economic stability necessary for creating a politically stable Iraq, wasting that money has been just as bad as wasting money that could have been spent on better vehicle armor or other safety equipment.

Republicans who watched as more and more units rotated through Iraq for unprecedented tours of duty now want to present themselves as protectors of the troops’ safety in the field. That from a bunch that did not ensure that there were enough troops to begin with, shrugged off complaints about inadequate equipment and closed their eyes to waste and mismanagement. Now that conditions have deteriorated so drastically that a troop “surge” has dubious chances of success - why do they think 21,500 will be enough? - the GOP still claims that, for them, the troops come first.

If Republicans really want to protect the troops, they will join with Democrats in passing tougher legislation to punish war profiteers and make sure that Pentagon contracts are based on merit rather than connections. Even more important, they will join with Democrats to make sure that the administration’s new request of nearly $100 billion for Iraq and Afghanistan is justified. They will require that any troops sent to take part in the “surge” are properly trained and equipped.

Right now, most Republicans are sticking to their line that congressional oversight of Iraq spending somehow is an attack on the troops. That point of view - as this war painfully has shown - is itself a danger to the troops.

By jm

February 26, 2007 12:26 PM | Link to this

jbmlaw@12:10 - being one of the jackals, I would have no problem with Haliburton receiving the contract for services if it had gone through the normal procurement process. Are you suggesting that they automatically get government contracts of this nature because they are the only american company that provides these services?

By Dusty

February 26, 2007 12:30 PM | Link to this

jm

You never told me what companies could manage work worldwide with any past experience during wartime. Just whom should the DOD get to bid against each other with this kind of expertise and work record? How much time do they have?

Cost plus usually goes with a contract when the limits and conditions of the work are unknown. You may know what you need in war but you cannot tell under what conditions it will have to be delivered or performed. Halliburton would not be in business today if they undertook questionable conditions without the cost plus addition. Have you any experience in the construction or delivery business during war?

By PerfectSolution

February 26, 2007 12:30 PM | Link to this

By PiedmontParkResident

February 26, 2007 11:51 AM | Link to this

Perfect Solution - While I do appreciate sarcasm from time to time, I am most certainly not homeless. However, it is apparent that my two simple questions stepped on a very raw nerve. Are you perhaps jealous because you cannot afford to live in Midtown?

Not at all. East Cobb is just fine with me.

By Van

February 26, 2007 12:34 PM | Link to this

jm,

That was the reason they got the big contracts in Bosnia under Clinton.

By RC

February 26, 2007 12:39 PM | Link to this

Mr.Wooten - It is doubtful that as you say, “Fulton County officials discovered too late — after the City of Sandy Springs was created — that it would have been smarter to pay attention to their pleadings years earlier.”

Fulton County officials are too busy playing racial politics in order to keep getting re-elected. Objectively analyzing the debacle of their own creation is not something they are inclined to do. If they have discovered anything, it is just another source of race baiting fodder for the masses who are inclined to see Sandy Springs creation as another way for whitey to screw them out of something.

You can count on these same officials being elected next time because the voters who keep them in office don’t appear to learn from experience either.

By Sam

February 26, 2007 12:41 PM | Link to this

After all PiedmontParkResident, you did say you lived IN the park. So don’t be such an azz! You brought it on yourself.

By Jackie

February 26, 2007 12:42 PM | Link to this

The Pentagon Inspector General has found that $20 BILLION dollars is not accounted for. The $10 billion that you hear is only part of the problem. There documentation to show that money was loaded onto pallets on C-130’2 and flown into Baghdad with the total weight of the money being 262 tons. When the invasion of Baghdad began, it was shown where a lone US soldier was standing in front of the Bank of Iraq guarding a pallet of US currency. He was asked what his responsibility was, he responded he was to guard these pallets on money - sitting on the street - by himself. Sounds like a plan that would be in our best interest.

By B. Moore

February 26, 2007 12:43 PM | Link to this

Private businesses are successful through competition. They succeed for the benefit of the consumer and their business.

I would like to see politicians eliminated from the bidding process altogether.

Let a committee of local business leaders oversee the government bidding process. They’re motivated to improve the image of Atlanta.

It increases their potential sales by drawing potential employees to the companies getting the contracts.

If you leave it all up to government then you’ve got a taxpayer funded monopoly. Where’s the incentive to succeed there? It will be in the votes they get for doing pretty much nothing all the while promising to deliver during the next election.

No contracts could go to committee members overseeing the bidding process. They can recuse (sp?) themselves while the other members vote.

Privatization works for me. Government doesn’t but wants me to believe they do. They work for themselves.

By Amy in the ATL

February 26, 2007 12:46 PM | Link to this

Of course, if we really want to talk about Fat City, all you need to is visit the suburbs on a Saturday. I was up in Cobb visiting relatives on Sunday, and people are HUGE. Not a little overweight, but HUGE.

By Richard

February 26, 2007 12:50 PM | Link to this

Yeah Dusty - you don’t answer to me because you know I’m right. Bush killed Iraqies and now he’s continuing to cause the death of US Soldiers every day because his ego is to bloated to admit he’s wrong and bring our soldiers home!

By jm

February 26, 2007 12:52 PM | Link to this

dusty@12:30 - If you understood the government and DoD procurement process you would not have asked that question. Just because today, Haliburton is providing those services does not mean that some other company would not put together a bid to provide those services “if” the government put out an RFP. The government does not go shopping for services. However, since you seem to want a specific company, Dyncorp is one that has bid against Haliburton in the past.

Van@12:34 - Those contracts followed the normal procurement cycle and were awarded based on competitive bidding, the first one being during the first Bush administration.

By Mullah Reece

February 26, 2007 12:52 PM | Link to this

Govornments is for the poeple which elects them to there offices. Those whose have voted for others have no rights to complane if they do not get some things for nothing. Govorments looks for those who suppurts it an not those whose thinks there color an money make them above others. Atlanta is not for those.

By Redneck Convert

February 26, 2007 12:59 PM | Link to this

Well, I see Ol Strom’s folks owned that Al Sharpton’s granddaddy or something. Al better get hisself a DNA test. He may be a blood relative of Strom. See, the Thurmonds were kind of fond of using women servants for things other than house cleaning. It would be really something if Al found out he was a second cousin of Strom. He would probly have to become a Republican then. The NAACP and other groups would have to drum ol Al out.

I don’t much care how many workers Atlanta has. The city is full of Those People, and they are always figuring ways to get their hands in white peoples billfolds. Like trying to tax folk that don’t live there but work there.I don’t go down there no more. You never know when a cop is going to get in a bad mood and beat you to within a inch of your life or lock you up in that jail where toilet water floods the floor. Just be sure they stay in the city part and leave the regular folk to do their job.

By DebbieDoRight

February 26, 2007 01:01 PM | Link to this

Poor Debbie @ 9:40, you don’t understand – I sing just for you, but you don’t yet comprehend the lyrics. I do suspect it is hurtful for you to hear that every thing you believe is untrue, but socialism does not work, never has, never will – it is flawed in concept. Those of you who put your faith in bureaucrats will be, inevitably, disappointed.

PLLLLEEEAAASSSEEE!!! You have no idea what I believe in!! Get a grip! I’ll tell you what I DONT believe in though, that tin dictator you call a President, Dumbya the Adolescent, and his group of “merry” men.

By J Jones

February 26, 2007 01:04 PM | Link to this

Atlanta can’t be compared to the cities mentioned because Atlanta is a major city. The cities mentioned aren’t. Major event happen here,it has the nations largest airport,its one of the nations top tourist and convention city. And its has a large amount of people coming to work in its city limits daily. Although Atlanta has a small population in its city limits it has it provide service to many more outside the city limits which require a large staff.

By TFTrealTruth

February 26, 2007 01:22 PM | Link to this

Here is the good news DebbieDoRight! The wingnuts are done. You can stick a fork in them. America won’t get fooled again.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 24 — A group of influential Christian conservatives and their allies emerged from a private meeting at a Florida resort this month dissatisfied with the Republican presidential field and uncertain where to turn. The event was a meeting of the Council for National Policy, a secretive club whose few hundred members include Dr. James C. Dobson of Focus on the Family, the Rev. Jerry Falwell of Liberty University and Grover Norquist of Americans for Tax Reform. Although little known outside the conservative movement, the council has become a pivotal stop for Republican presidential primary hopefuls, including George W. Bush on the eve of his 1999 primary campaign. But in a stark shift from the group’s influence under President Bush, the group risks relegation to the margins. But in the aftermath of the stinging defeats in the midterm elections, and with discontent over the Iraq war weighing heavily on the public, some Christian conservatives worry that they may find themselves on the sidelines of the presidential race.

By jbmlaw

February 26, 2007 01:23 PM | Link to this

Dear jm @ 12:26, yes. Having so answered your question, I totally agree with your argument, on preference for a normal bidding process. Only an emergency can justify a no-bid contract, and such a contract should be limited in scope and duration to the actual emergency need. I am not sufficiently informed to argue that the Halliburton contracts were such emergencies, but wartime/war zone needs fit my broad definition of emergency needs.

Dear Debbie @ 1:01, your socialist words say “no, no,” but your mind says “yes, yes.”

By time for the truth

February 26, 2007 01:34 PM | Link to this

since you filthy bloody wankers won’t laugh at my shartongue stuff, i’ll just go back to knitting whilst rogering the remains of J. Edgar Hoover.

feckpig, gibberish, gibberish, nambla, gibberish, giggerish, filth, gibberish, gibberish, etc.

By getalife

February 26, 2007 01:50 PM | Link to this

WASHINGTON, Feb. 25 — Vice President Dick Cheney made an unannounced trip to Pakistan on Monday to deliver what officials in Washington described as an unusually tough message Gen. Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan, warning him that the newly Democratic Congress could cut aid to his country unless his forces become far more aggressive in hunting down operatives with Al Qaeda.

Thank you Dems. Make them do their jobs!

By Dusty

February 26, 2007 01:51 PM | Link to this

Oh bother,

DebbieDoRight tells us on every post what she believes in but doesn’t want us to know. Oh, and the old “tin dictator” line from her. More support for the Commander-in-Chief, her husband’s boss!!

J Jones does not think Cleveland is a big city comparable to Atlanta. Ah well, maybe we could compare it to Tallapoosa or some other metropolis.

RedNeck,humorous hick of northern heitage, I won’t tell you just whom I think you are descended from but it surely isn’t a Southerner. Bug off before I throw a copperhead in your truck.

jbmlaw, keep the jackals at bay. It won’t be a problem as they are always retreating. Bye for now.

By Curtis Malone

February 26, 2007 01:53 PM | Link to this

Amy in the ATL wrote, “I was up in Cobb visiting relatives on Sunday, and people are HUGE. Not a little overweight, but HUGE.”

That was Dusty and Van that Amy saw in Cobb County on Sunday.

By harold

February 26, 2007 03:31 PM | Link to this

Atlanta’s number of employees per 10,000 population is 53 percent higher than the average of comparable cities

That’s because hardly nobody lives in the atlanta city limits, but they still need police and fire and sewer during the day when they at work.

So what????

By Who's Counting?

February 26, 2007 03:33 PM | Link to this

New slogan for the ATL, “Atlanta: There Are Eight Worse Places To Live”

Check out the related article posted on the AJC home page

By Former Resident

February 26, 2007 03:47 PM | Link to this

Did it ever occur to the participants of this blog that BOTH parties have been expanding government? Neither party has a recent track record of cutting costs.

As far as favorite projects go - the Republicans are just as bad as the Democrats. Remember the bridge to nowhere.

Politicians of any stripe will continue to spend our money freely until we hold them accountable and vote them out of office.

By steve-o

February 26, 2007 04:02 PM | Link to this

This blog is D-E-A-D dead.

By Van

February 26, 2007 04:08 PM | Link to this

Curtis Malone,

Sorry to disappoint you, that was me at the pistol range Sunday. I haven’t been in Cobb in years.

By Van

February 26, 2007 04:11 PM | Link to this

Dusty,

Ever notice how the lefties all have the same point of view, as if they were programmed from birth to be close minded?

I guess diversity of opinion is okay as long as it agrees with Madam Pelosivich’s dogma.

Same with those city dwellers. As long as they think everything is okay, the sky high taxes are okay with them.

By Dusty

February 26, 2007 04:45 PM | Link to this

Van,

Wanna go with me to the pistol range after church on Sunday? After that, we can hit a great all-you-can-eat joint near the big chicken.

By Van

February 26, 2007 04:53 PM | Link to this

Dusty,

You complete me.

By Dusty

February 26, 2007 04:54 PM | Link to this

Van,

You had me at hello.

By Devastator

February 26, 2007 05:15 PM | Link to this

Van and Dusty,

Why don’t you two right wing losers just get room. You’re just like your president:A lot of hot air with no substance or intelligence.

By Van

February 26, 2007 05:17 PM | Link to this

I guess the handle thieves are at it again. My last post was 4:11.

getareallife, grow up.

By Van

February 26, 2007 05:37 PM | Link to this

Dusty,

I heart you.

By Markus

February 26, 2007 05:50 PM | Link to this

WARNING: I will now be wanking myself openly for the remainder of the time that this blog is open. Beware of bolded caps and b.s. http links flying at high speeds. Protective eyewear and raincoat are strongly advised!

By Markus

February 26, 2007 06:00 PM | Link to this

My a$$ is still sore form a long weekend of boyjoying.