Halliburton charges 20.75 for lunch to soldiers

[u2spirit]

My wife just talked to one of her co workers whose son just returned from Afghanistan. He told her that the soldiers were charged 20.75 every day for lunch and most days it was hot dogs and mashed potatoes. He also said the bus boys made 7,000 a month while he only made 2,000. If that isn't the definition of fleecing the american taxpayer, I don't know what is. This is sickening beyond belief.

[Fovea]

1. What, no shrimp scampi?

No cuba libres? If they are going to charge the government 20bucks a meal, it better be one tasty treat!

[PatriotGames]

2. It is sick, isn't it? Bish thinks that's a bargain...

[lil-petunia]

3. yeah but do you know how hard it is to make

mashed potatoes?

You open up the box, mix the contents with water, stir on low heat (that's the hard part), let sit, then serve.

Jeez, that took actual labor to accomplish!

[gratuitous]

5. And think of the manufacturing job created

Making instant mashed potatoes. It's like you libruls WANT America to fail!

[K8-EEE]

25. LOL!! That Was Funny

I am still giggling over the Potato Buds manufacturing jobs! Thanks for that...

ha!

[SoCalDem]

4. My friend works at a base where they train reservists.. They charge

$11.00 for breakfast.. That's what the military pays per soldier..whether they eat the food or not.. It's a buffet line..

We are being fleeced EVERYWHERE..

[nostamj]

6. $11 for breakfast?

it DAMN well better include a mimosa! every $11 brunch in NYC does.

[lil-petunia]

7. Hey DU, lets try

DUing drudge and see if he finally reports this.

as an experiment.

[merh]

14. The repukes are doing it everywhere they can.

The repuke appointed college board (encouraged by the repuke gov) just closed the cafeteria and on campus meals at the University. Now if students want to buy meal tickets they can eat at the privately owned and operated buffet restaurant. Oh, forgot to add, privately profiting buffet.

Our gov intends to do what texas & florida has done, DIVIDE & PRIVATIZE

[LifeDuringWartime]

8. i can understand $20 for dinner

if its really fucking good (like the restaurant where i work).

but hot dogs and mashed potatoes? McHalliburton has to go!!

:wtf:

[kysrsoze]

20. Funny how local Chicago charities can provide 4 meals for $1 to the poor

and I can get a great lunch downtown for $7. When you add in transportation and some labor, how does that get jacked up to $20?

Answer: Greed. Nothing else.

[AmerDem]

35. LOL

:toast:

[bobthedrummer]

9. They were charging wounded GI's in US military hospitals for meals too!

http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=21368

:mad:

[brook]

10. Outrageous!

I work for a senior nutrition program - institutional but nutritious lunch. We ask for $2.25 donation. Actual cost is about $6.00 with the overhead built-in. Of course we make minimum wage. The Halliburton busboys make a month just about what I make a year. Jeebus!

[Mandate My Ass]

11. $20 hot dogs are nothing

After all, the Pentagon is still buying $500 hammers and $600 toilet seats to pay for their black ops. </end sarcasm>

Ripping off the taxpayers and abusing the troops like this is nothing short of treasonous. :grr:

[Bozita]

12. $100 to wash 15 pounds of laundry

Everything on a cost-plus basis.

http://sydney.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=44730&group=webcast


"In testimony submitted to members of Congress, one truck driver explained in detail how taxpayers were billed for empty trucks driven up and down Iraq and how $85,000 vehicles were abandoned for lack of spare tires. A labor foreman said dozens of workers were told to "look busy" while doing virtually no work for salaries of $80,000 a year. An auditor related how the company was spending an average of $100 for every single bag of laundry and $10,000 a month for company employees to stay in five-star hotels."

lots more...

[LifeDuringWartime]

13. thats sick

anybody know where there is a list of costs of necessities for soldiers?

[htuttle]

15. The next time someone says 'We have the strongest military in the world'

...simply because we outspend everyone else, think back upon this story and so many others. Then ask yourself what the Chinese government probably has to pay for their soldiers' dinners (and their rifles and their uniforms, etc...).

"We have the most expensive military in the world." -- Of that there is no doubt.

[PatriotGames]

16. They are making a KILLING! Pun intended. $$$$$

[chimpy the poopthrower]

17. I'm sorry to sound skeptical.

I can well believe that Halliburton (if that is who is in charge of meal service in Afghanistan) is overcharging our government. But 7,000 a month for a busboy seems hard to believe. Is this American dollars we're talking about? I mean, I know they'd have to pay people well to do any job in such a dangerous place, but if the company is fleecing the government, wouldn't they want that money in their own pockets? I mean a busboy is not exactly a high-level exec. This has all the makings of an urban legend although, as I said, I can well believe companies like Halliburton are over-charging big-time.

[PatriotGames]

19. It might not be far off. Truck drivers get 100,000+ for what?

Just to drive a truck 10 miles in Iraq.

[u2spirit]

21. That's just what the soldier told his mother

Whether that's accurate, I wouldn't know for sure. However, it is standard practice for these treasonous criminals to offer big dollars to people for menial jobs

[Bozita]

22. The Pentagon pays its bills with American dollars

Halliburton doesn't submit its bills in Iraqi or Afghan currency.

[Bandit]

18. Things sure have changed

When I was in we were given an extra $43. a month for (rations not available) and it was considered a good deal. We had much better food than regular army chow and had civilians to wait on us and do KP. We had steaks twice a week. How can these guys possibly live on their pay if they are being charged for their meals? That is part and parcel to being in the military. Room and Board plus clothing. Not to mention free legal advice and medical care. If this is what is happening under the Bush* Cabal then they sure can't be seen as supporting the troops. They are supporting Halliburton not the troops.

[wurzel]

23. Haliburton probably did not even make the hot dogs. n/t

[Stephanie]

24. Are you sayng the SOLDIERS personally have to pay it?

Is there any way to verify this? If we could get actual stats on this I think we could start a revolution.

Are they deducting meals from soldiers paychecks?

[Batgirl]

26. stop your bitchin'

And take a moment to realize that "Price Gouging Saves Lives!" (As discussed in a thread from yesterday.)

This columnist was talking about the hurricane victims. But why shouldn't these bedrock principals be applied to our soldiers as well? Don't they deserve the same advantages?

Wednesday, August 18, 2004
Price Gouging Saves Lives
by David M. Brown

"If we expect customers to be able to get what they need in an emergency, when demand zooms vendors must be allowed and encouraged to increase their prices. Supplies are then more likely to be sustained, and the people who most urgently need a particular good will more likely be able to get it. That is especially important during an emergency. Price gouging saves lives."

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=2230587&mesg_id=2230587


http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=2230587&mesg_id=2230587

[Batgirl]

27. in fact, only some kind of Saddam-lover

could possibly object to price gouging when it comes to the very food that keeps our soldiers bodies functioning until they are blown up.

[SoCalDem]

28. That's what the companies charge the MILITARY for their food

some soldiers are not even THERE to eat it.. The 'adopted soldiers" were "out in the field" for weeks on end...on their own with 2 bottles of water per day (125 degrees) and MRE's ..sometimes only 1 a day.. but you can bet anything, KBR charged the full amount for them:(

[Stephanie]

30. How can we find exactly how much they are charging?

I don't think people are aware of this - I sure wasn't. Does anyone have a link or anything that shows the prices being charged?

[SoCalDem]

31. Good Luck.. That kind of embarrassing info is hard to come by

Maybe FOIA?? but that takes forever:(

[Bozita]

34. IMHO, the best Halliburton website is halliburtonwatch.org

http://www.halliburtonwatch.org/

[The Revolution]

29. This should be a major campaign issue.

This Halliburon business alone should be enough reason to vote the neo-cons out of power. The no-bid contracts, the overcharging, all while cutting benefits to the people actually fighting the war. Its nothing short of criminal. Its just disgusting...the whole situation literally makes my stomach turn.

[Keirsey]

32. Gatoradegate

From Stars and Stripes:

Prices are hard to swallow

I have a question as to the regulating of the prices at the Army and Air Force Exchange Service.

The prices at the AAFES at Camp Anaconda, Iraq, for a case of Gatorade have more than quadrupled since the “heat” has increased. You used to buy a case for $5; now it is $21 per case.

I have convoyed to other camps in this theater and they serve Gatorade in the chow halls. Why is allowed to “price gouge” during these periods of higher temperatures? I thought AAFES was here to help serve the soldiers, not just lighten the load in their wallets.

Chief Warrant Officer 3 Neil Burke
Camp Anaconda, Iraq

http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=125&article=23846

[TrustingDog]

33. BushCheney: "Let them eat lead".

damn murderous pirates

[karlrschneider]

36. Jeezus, I had a great t-bone steak with all the trimmings for less than

that last night!
:eyes: :grr:

[DU GrovelBot]

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[AmerDem]

37. Somethings never change... Read This!!

This is a must read and take note of the year it was published.

Gen Smedley Butler is an unknown hero of our country. It's said he saved us from becoming a fascist regime!


http://www.scuttlebuttsmallchow.com/racket.html

[Tsiyu]

38. This Hurts to Hear

Greedy, gluttonous parasites. The definition for Halliburton and their beloved administration.

[napi21]

39. What do you think about writing to your Senator and Representative

about this? We don't have any news site to reference, but I think it's worth asking them to look into it.

I wouldn't reference the pay rate for the soldiers v/s bus boy. There's way too many ways to skew that one. But I have a hard thime guessing what the excuse would be for the outrageous charges for food.