More gross over spending.

[SamSpade]

Until evidence of wrong doing surfaces, I KNOW that $23 is the price. Not $100. Not infinity. I know that, for whatever reasons, these folks beat out their competitors and won the job. My ONLY concern is did someone break the law or the rules?

And this has never, ever been my concern. Because I know if they paid someone 1000 dollars a yard, there's no law being broken. If they paid them 5000 a yard, there's no law being broken.

But SOMEWHERE between 23 and infinity, a line is crossed that says, that's too much. This is how we get 250 dollar toilet seats and 200 dollar hammers.

Didn't the thought of making $20 ever excite you because you only had a dollar?

Heck it still does. It's not as though married life is a boon to my personal finances. I should go to my next door neighbor and tell him I'll mow his lawn for 200 bucks. And if he says sure, hey, there's nothing wrong with that. That's capitalism. When it used to pour down rain in downtown Boston, smart enterpreneurs popped out in Downtown Crossing with cheap 2 dollar ponchos, and they made a fast buck. Good on them.

But if they paid 50 dollars for a poncho that was little more than a garbage bag, they'd go home and their wife would smack 'em and say what the hell were you thinking?

Was a law broken? No. But someone is being stupid. No law against that.

 

[Midnightrider]

But SOMEWHERE between 23 and infinity, a line is crossed that says, that's too much. This is how we get 250 dollar toilet seats and 200 dollar hammers.

No the $250 toilet seats, and $200 hammers is how we get money for all those "dark" programs that aren't offically funded.....
or atleast thats what they said in Independance Day

 

[SamSpade]

No the $250 toilet seats, and $200 hammers is how we get money for all those "dark" programs that aren't offically funded.....
or atleast thats what they said in Independance Day

My dad said it was an accounting stunt that had to do with distributing costs across a project and some other stuff I didn't quite follow.

 

[Midnightrider]

My dad said it was an accounting stunt that had to do with distributing costs across a project and some other stuff I didn't quite follow.

exactly, its kind of like getting into an accident, and having the guy at the body shop give you an estimate for 20% higher than the cost will be, you get to keep some, he gets a little extra and everybody is happy.

 

[Pete]

No the $250 toilet seats, and $200 hammers is how we get money for all those "dark" programs that aren't offically funded.....
or atleast thats what they said in Independance Day

Actually the $250 toilet seat was actually an entire enclosure for the head that the toilet seat was attached to. Molded reinforced plastic, about 40 inches by 48 inches. The hammer I am not sure of.

 

[Larry Gude]

Good thing I have...

...plenty of hair to pull out.

Because I know if they paid someone 1000 dollars a yard, there's no law being broken. If they paid them 5000 a yard, there's no law being broken.

YES THERE WOULD BE a law being broken, the law of supply and demand. The process is and should be designed so that interested parties, who are qualified per the rules, can compete for the work. $23 won. The law is satisfied UNLESS the rules were broken.

And this has never, ever been my concern.
But SOMEWHERE between 23 and infinity, a line is crossed that says, that's too much. This is how we get 250 dollar toilet seats and 200 dollar hammers.

I should go to my next door neighbor and tell him I'll mow his lawn for 200 bucks.

Then do it. I wouldn't start spending the money before you get it though.

When it used to pour down rain in downtown Boston, smart enterpreneurs popped out in Downtown Crossing with cheap 2 dollar ponchos, and they made a fast buck. Good on them.

And if the government were in charge the ponchos would cost $23. And they would have paid $50 for them.

But someone is being stupid.

Who? It's the system. It is government in these modern United States, not small town Williamsburg 20 years ago.


If you want more competition in government services, I'm all for that depending on the particular circumstance.

There was a big blow up over Halliburton charging too much for gas to the military and the investigation turned out that all was fine because the price reflected the increased cost associated with delviery a good and service in an area where IED's were part of the cost calculation.

I will state that $23 sounds like an awful lot at first glance, but, I fully trust that those in the business who feel they were cheated will act in THEIR own interests and persue investigation and legal proceedings.

My reaction will always be 'wow, that sounds expensive; must be alot to it' rather than 'wow, that sounds expensive, must be something wrong here'.

So, let's see if there is an investigation and what it finds. If the rules were followed AND someone put $20 out of every $23 straight in their pocket because they were low bidder, I say good for them.

 

[Midnightrider]

Actually the $250 toilet seat was actually an entire enclosure for the head that the toilet seat was attached to. Molded reinforced plastic, about 40 inches by 48 inches. The hammer I am not sure of.

so what was your cut

 

[camily]

I thought this thread was going to be about Chasey.

 

[FromTexas]

The problem here would be the access and knowledge to becoming a government contractor. Some people are great at it and spend their lives doing it. Other people don't have a clue (the ones usually doing the grunt work). Is that the problem of the government? No. If they only got certain bidders for their contracts, then thats who they pay. If they only have certain recognized sources (because those sources went through the process), then the other companies are at fault for missing out... not the government.

The government can't set the rate. The government must bid the rate with rules and procedures in place to protect the bidding process. That is capitalism. The problem is the other people haven't thought about how to come to the bidding table... or they could have bid $16, $15, etc... and taken a good chunk of the work.

On a side note, I love this quote:

“I have not seen a better example of waste and ineptness in my lifetime,” says Troy Hebert, a part-time Louisiana state legislator and full-time owner of a debris removal company.

You are a legislator in Lousiana and haven't seen a better example?
Also, you own a debris removal company and apparently couldn't figure out how to bid or are feeling shafted because you bid higher than $23...

 

[Pete]

so what was your cut

Nairy a cent.

 

[Larry Gude]

What????

Nairy a cent.

...that's FAR too much. Why, it should be done for...uh...well...less than that I can tell you.

 

[Larry Gude]

That's like...

You are a legislator in Lousiana and haven't seen a better example?
Also, you own a debris removal company and apparently couldn't figure out how to bid or are feeling shafted because you bid higher than $23...

....Hillary Clinton saying Ann is mean.

 

[SamSpade]

YES THERE WOULD BE a law being broken, the law of supply and demand.

Is that a felony, or a misdemeanor?

 

[Larry Gude]

It's a...

Is that a felony, or a misdemeanor?

...catastrophe, that's what it is.

 

[SamSpade]

...catastrophe, that's what it is.

I didn't know you COULD break it.

I need to be able to break the Law of Gravity. Any ideas?

 

[FromTexas]

I didn't know you COULD break it.

I need to be able to break the Law of Gravity. Any ideas?

Sure you could. Government could dictate pricing. Now you may have something people really demand but no one wants to supply because it doesn't benefit them to supply it. Therefore, supply price does not equal demand. Supply will only equal artificial demand... the demand that is perceived at whatever cost the government has determined. So, do your supply curve and find that cost and that will now tell you what the demand is but not what the consumer really would pay or how much they really would need.

The same is true if the government set the price too high. Now, the supply will greatly increase causing waste.

 

[Larry Gude]

You've been proposing...

I didn't know you COULD break it.

I need to be able to break the Law of Gravity. Any ideas?

...breaking it.

law of gravity? Get a better lawyer or...move to the moon.

 

[dck4shrt]

...breaking it.

law of gravity? Get a better lawyer or...move to the moon.

That law applies throughout the universe.

 

[Larry Gude]

Not if you have...

That law applies throughout the universe.

...the right lawyer.

 

[Bruzilla]

Actually the $250 toilet seat was actually an entire enclosure for the head that the toilet seat was attached to. Molded reinforced plastic, about 40 inches by 48 inches. The hammer I am not sure of.

I've used that toilet seat on the P-3C. It's not very comfortable, but it wasn't designed for comfort. It was designed so that it would survive a ditching at sea without breaking loose and killing the ordnanceman sitting on the other side of the head bulkhead.