DOGE

[PeoplesElbow]

Here is some waste

US State Department has budget line for 'Armored Teslas' worth $400 million

The US State Department’s procurement forecast for the 2025 budget includes an item called “Armored Teslas” worth $400 million. But...

electrek.co

 

[glhs837]

Here is some waste

US State Department has budget line for 'Armored Teslas' worth $400 million

The US State Department’s procurement forecast for the 2025 budget includes an item called “Armored Teslas” worth $400 million. But...

electrek.co

Hard to say without knowing some more details. What does that break down as price per unit, what other things like repairs or service are being paid for. How does that compare to previous contracts for similar services. Only time I've encountered US govt armored vehicles was during a detacment to El Salvador. Us aircrew went back and forth from the entire small hotel they rented for us in a small bus. The permanent folks who lived on the economy shared an armored Suburban.

 

[PeoplesElbow]

Hard to say without knowing some more details. What does that break down as price per unit, what other things like repairs or service are being paid for. How does that compare to previous contracts for similar services. Only time I've encountered US govt armored vehicles was during a detacment to El Salvador. Us aircrew went back and forth from the entire small hotel they rented for us in a small bus. The permanent folks who lived on the economy shared an armored Suburban.

Putting in the infrastructure alone (chargers, dedicated space etc) is wasteful.

 

[glhs837]

Putting in the infrastructure alone (chargers, dedicated space etc) is wasteful.

I mean any place we've got people they should have 220, adding $500 or $700 level 2 chargers should not cost that much. And you're replacing things like Suburbans so the space should be equivalent.

Which is what I mean by you need to see the contract to understand what they're doing. If they are replacing 8 mi to the gallon armored Suburban s, there's a hell of a lot of savings going to take place.

 

[limblips]

United States Department of Education (ED) Employee Salaries 2023​

The average employee salary for the United States Department of Education (ED) in 2023 was $112,164. This is 56.3 percent higher than the national average for government employees and 45.4 percent higher than other federal agencies. There are 4,127 employee records in 2023 for United States Department of Education (ED).

DOGE the crap out of them!

 

[vraiblonde]

Here is some waste

US State Department has budget line for 'Armored Teslas' worth $400 million

The US State Department’s procurement forecast for the 2025 budget includes an item called “Armored Teslas” worth $400 million. But...

electrek.co

The snark who wrote it clearly thinks it's waste ("TESLA! ") and it's written with such an obvious bias it may or may not even be true. He did have a brief burst of honesty and added this:

The State Department procurement forecast website mentions that the list was last updated in December – before Trump entered office.

So if they want/need armored electric vehicles, who should make them? Tesla is the leader in EV, so they're the obvious choice. That appears to be a bipartisan opinion.

Let's talk about you:

I really want to know this: why are you looking for things to bust on Musk, and Trump by proxy? Are you unhappy with them rooting out government waste and corruption and need to throw a damper on that? I hope you are introspective enough to give an honest answer because I'm genuinely interested in why people are having such a conniption over something they've been saying they wanted for generations.

Is it because you just don't like Elon Musk? Because I get that - I despise Taylor Swift for petty reasons and now she can't do anything right in my eyes.

 

[DaSDGuy]

Here is some waste

US State Department has budget line for 'Armored Teslas' worth $400 million

The US State Department’s procurement forecast for the 2025 budget includes an item called “Armored Teslas” worth $400 million. But...

electrek.co

From a Columbian domain? I wonder why the leaders in illegal drug production would be concerned with our production of armored vehicles?

 

[glhs837]

Here's the video in question. Good on OMG for doing this work. That's a pretty huge smoking gun right there. Especially the admission that all sort of checks and balances to ensure the money goes to groups with internal controls just went out the window in the name of getting the money out the door.

Also note the casual acknowledgement that the Biden infrastructure bill was a climate bill. They all knew.

 

[vraiblonde]

Here's the video in question. Good on OMG for doing this work. That's a pretty huge smoking gun right there. Especially the admission that all sort of checks and balances to ensure the money goes to groups with internal controls just went out the window in the name of getting the money out the door.

Also note the casual acknowledgement that the Biden infrastructure bill was a climate bill. They all knew.

This is what happens when we allow UNELECTED BUREAUCRATS *ahem* to spend other people's money. There's no accountability and no reason to be good stewards.

FINALLY last night on (I think it was Laura Ingraham?) some talking head had the presence of mind to point out that nobody in a President's administration is elected. Those USAID people doling out our money like TicTacs - we didn't elect them. I think that's the dumbest Democrat talking point....yet Republicans are so dumb they don't counter with the obvious.



We need to elect more intelligent people.

 

[PeoplesElbow]

The snark who wrote it clearly thinks it's waste ("TESLA! ") and it's written with such an obvious bias it may or may not even be true. He did have a brief burst of honesty and added this:



So if they want/need armored electric vehicles, who should make them? Tesla is the leader in EV, so they're the obvious choice. That appears to be a bipartisan opinion.

Let's talk about you:

I really want to know this: why are you looking for things to bust on Musk, and Trump by proxy? Are you unhappy with them rooting out government waste and corruption and need to throw a damper on that? I hope you are introspective enough to give an honest answer because I'm genuinely interested in why people are having such a conniption over something they've been saying they wanted for generations.

Is it because you just don't like Elon Musk? Because I get that - I despise Taylor Swift for petty reasons and now she can't do anything right in my eyes.

I'm not, I just believe you are being exactly what you bitch about the Democrats are, blind loyalists.

I think an electric armored vehicle is stupid, being armored it is an "emergency need" vehicle, it takes 30-60 minutes to refuel, the infrastructure also has to be in place to charge them. Imagine needing an armored vehicle but it is still on charge.

PS this was an initiative started under Biden.

 

[Ken King]

I think an electric armored vehicle is stupid, being armored it is an "emergency need" vehicle, it takes 30-60 minutes to refuel, the infrastructure also has to be in place to charge them. Imagine needing an armored vehicle but it is still on charge.

Maybe it could be designed like the Formula E racing vehicle where a battery could be swapped in about a minute.

 

[vraiblonde]

I'm not, I just believe you are being exactly what you bitch about the Democrats are, blind loyalists.

I think an electric armored vehicle is stupid, being armored it is an "emergency need" vehicle, it takes 30-60 minutes to refuel, the infrastructure also has to be in place to charge them. Imagine needing an armored vehicle but it is still on charge.

PS this was an initiative started under Biden.

Well, you don't know that it won't get the ax. Musk hasn't gotten to the State Dept yet.

I don't know if it's waste or not. I know that sex changes for Guatemalans shouldn't be our problem, but armored EVs are outside my sphere of judgement. For all I know there's a perfectly good reason why we need these, I just don't know what it is.

So you can say I'm being a blind loyalist all you want, but 1) you don't know anything about this expenditure either; 2) you don't appear to be interested in finding out; and 3) you're citing a clearly and obviously biased article. And 4) I'm not being loyal, I'm just not jumping on some bandwagon to bitch about things I know nothing about.

You, however, were quick to jump on it and I'm interested in knowing why.

 

[PeoplesElbow]

Maybe it could be designed like the Formula E racing vehicle where a battery could be swapped in about a minute.

That is actually what I want for EVs

 

[Hijinx]

I'm not, I just believe you are being exactly what you bitch about the Democrats are, blind loyalists.

I think an electric armored vehicle is stupid, being armored it is an "emergency need" vehicle, it takes 30-60 minutes to refuel, the infrastructure also has to be in place to charge them. Imagine needing an armored vehicle but it is still on charge.

PS this was an initiative started under Biden.

Someone said that the armored Suburban's only got 8 miles to the gallon.
Well the same thing that makes the armored Suburban's get 8 miles to the gallon will also mean the armored Tesla has to charge a lot more frequently meaning we have to burn more coal to get it charged.
The down time for refueling that Suburban is 15 minutes tops even if the driver has to take a leak while getting it done. The Tesla well a few hours, IF they can find a place to plug it in.

There is an old saying. Weight spelled wait-- broke the wagon down.
Waiting for that charge breaks down the justification for EV's.

The weight of the large battery, plus the weight of the armor and the wait to get it charged fuggit about it

 

[Sneakers]

Maybe it could be designed like the Formula E racing vehicle where a battery could be swapped in about a minute.

NIO EV battery swap stations are getting popular in Europe and can swap a car battery in 3-5 minutes.

 

[my-thyme]

TV covering some USAID debate this am.

Some D congressman in there HOLLERING about Trump Admin not able to do what they've done because CONGRESS has financial over site.

Well, where has your oversite been? You're OK with this list of spending I've been seeing?

 

[Hijinx]

NIO EV battery swap stations are getting popular in Europe and can swap a car battery in 3-5 minutes.

I am a little bit confused about this. So this guy doesn't want to wait for a charge for his new EV so he swaps out his brand new battery for one that is maybe not so new. In fact it may be on the verge of death. There is no way of knowing.

I don't think I would want to do that. Plus, what does this operation cost?

 

[Sneakers]

I am a little bit confused about this. So this guy doesn't want to wait for a charge for his new EV so he swaps out his brand new battery for one that is maybe not so new. In fact it may be on the verge of death. There is no way of knowing.

I don't think I would want to do that. Plus, what does this operation cost?

Lots of info if you want to look it up, but the pacs that are taken out are diagnosed and recharged. Just like a propane bottle exchange. Your bottle is old, beyond stamp date, so you trade it in for a fully safe and refurbished unit. In the case of a new car and pac, you make the choice to either charge it yourself or swap it for a fully charged one. Who cares if your trade-in new or old, you still get a fully functioning charged battery.

 

[PeoplesElbow]

Well, you don't know that it won't get the ax. Musk hasn't gotten to the State Dept yet.

I don't know if it's waste or not. I know that sex changes for Guatemalans shouldn't be our problem, but armored EVs are outside my sphere of judgement. For all I know there's a perfectly good reason why we need these, I just don't know what it is.

So you can say I'm being a blind loyalist all you want, but 1) you don't know anything about this expenditure either; 2) you don't appear to be interested in finding out; and 3) you're citing a clearly and obviously biased article. And 4) I'm not being loyal, I'm just not jumping on some bandwagon to bitch about things I know nothing about.

You, however, were quick to jump on it and I'm interested in knowing why.

I only posted the article to show the State Dept was buying armored EVs.

I think armored EVs are a waste of money no matter if Tesla, Rivan, Ford etc. I only thought it was funny because it was Tesla.

I'm all for the hack and slash for things like Guatemala sex changes, but that isn't the only thing being hack and slashed, other things should have a more studied approach to make sure to get the correct stuff.

The thing government does better than anything is over react and then over compensate after they realized they over reacted in the first place. I've seen 25 years of do more with less, let's save money etc for it to only end up costing more in the end.

I think the next president most likely will be a Democrat and things will just go back to the way they were, government employees that were fires being rehired and given back pay.

With presidents like Biden I had no hope of him doing the right thing, with Trump I believe he can so I am going to be more critical when I think he is making a mistake and I think Musk is a mistake.

Id really like to know how he got back the supercharger team that he fired, if he had to pay them more to get them back, that info isn't public though. If I got fired and then a "never mind come back" the pot would have to be sweetened to get me back.

 

[glhs837]

SSo you have

Someone said that the armored Suburban's only got 8 miles to the gallon.
Well the same thing that makes the armored Suburban's get 8 miles to the gallon will also mean the armored Tesla has to charge a lot more frequently meaning we have to burn more coal to get it charged.
The down time for refueling that Suburban is 15 minutes tops even if the driver has to take a leak while getting it done. The Tesla well a few hours, IF they can find a place to plug it in.

There is an old saying. Weight spelled wait-- broke the wagon down.
Waiting for that charge breaks down the justification for EV's.

The weight of the large battery, plus the weight of the armor and the wait to get it charged fuggit about it

So you have to look at the use case of an armored vehicle for this type of duty. Most of these are not running open road large mileage. Nobody's hopping into these and driving 150 mi out and back. They running people around town in town back and forth to different places in cities.