Privatization Costs Exceed Value of Care, Says AFGE

[cal04]

The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), whose veteran membership is over 40
percent, today called for a full evaluation of the privatization process that has created a debacle
at department of Defense (DoD) medical facilities across the country.

The recent inquiries into care at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center highlight the fractures in service that privatization has created at DoD facilities, while at the same time inducing an exodus of highly trained government employees and the egregious mistreatment of those needing care.

"Troops returning from war, who have risked both life and limb, deserve the best treatment possible but instead are being victimized by the waste, fraud and abuse of power of the current administration," said AFGE National President John Gage.

AFGE's review of Walter Reed's privatization records reveals a botched system in which costs have far exceeded the savings it was to produce. Stemming from a June 2000 solicitation that was legally bound not to exceed 48 months, Walter Reed's contractor (IAP) was not named until January 2006, 68 months after the initial solicitation. Following 16 amendments to the original solicitation and 1,500 changes to the final version, the Army requested the Pentagon end the process, but later was refused.


(snip)
"The Army carried out this illegal and wasteful privatization process because, like other agencies, it is under extreme pressure by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to review for privatization large numbers of federal employees every year. Left to its own devices, the Army would likely have suspended this privatization effort. However, the political pressure from OMB left Army officials with no choice but to go forward, even if that resulted in unsatisfactory care to the nation's veterans," said Gage.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/usnw/20070309/pl_usnw/privatization_costs_exceed_value_of_care__says_afge

[havocmom]

1. Privatizing what the military used to do for its self had given us the circle-jerk of Iraq

Troops maimed and killed protecting PRIVATE convoys supplying food, water, ammo to troops protecting PRIVATE convoys supplying food, water, ammo to troops protecting PRIVATE convoys supplying food, water, ammo to troops protecting PRIVATE convoys supplying food, water, ammo to troops protecting PRIVATE convoys supplying food, water, ammo to troops protecting PRIVATE convoys supplying food, water, ammo to troops protecting PRIVATE convoys supplying food, water, ammo to troops protecting PRIVATE convoys supplying food, water, ammo to troops protecting PRIVATE convoys supplying food, water, ammo to troops protecting PRIVATE convoys supplying food, water, ammo to troops protecting PRIVATE convoys supplying food, water, ammo to troops protecting PRIVATE convoys supplying food, water, ammo to troops protecting PRIVATE convoys supplying food, water, ammo ...

America pays with the treasury going to the brass of the PRIVATE companies, with the blood of our sons and daughters, and with enough tears here and Iraq to keep our fleets afloat.

It is all just a heist. Huge corporations have fleeced the small investors for all they could and now they rely on raiding the US Treasury to keep their CEOs in gold bathroom fixtures and private jets.

Federal workers work and pay taxes. Workers for private companies generally get less and pay less taxes. The brass of the companies look for ways to save pennies while taking in hundreds of millions for themselves. They outsource to foreign laborers (who pay NO taxes to the US) as much as they can.

Google outsource tax return preparation. Be sure you are sitting down, lest you fall over in a faint considering the ramifications of THAT one little industry incursion on what used to be done by federal employees in the US.

[MissWaverly]

2. totally agree

they built a cash cow and are living off it, they are literally profiting off death and
suffering.

[robinlynne]

3. don't forget the embroidery on the white towels in Baghdad, and the

empty trucks driving back and forth at $10,000.00 each run.