Comments on: Whistleblower exposes defense contractor wrongdoing on YouTube http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2006/09/19/whistleblower-exposes-defense-contractor-wrongdoing-on-youtube/ Protect yourself from government gaffes, bureaucratic blunders and incumbent incompetence Mon, 06 Feb 2012 16:25:45 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: FormerCoastie http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2006/09/19/whistleblower-exposes-defense-contractor-wrongdoing-on-youtube/#comment-21339 FormerCoastie Wed, 16 Nov 2011 15:44:47 +0000 http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2006/09/19/whistleblower-exposes-defense-contractor-wrongdoing-on-youtube/#comment-21339 Can't believe anyone remotely involved with deepwater was surprised at all. It was well known that the Deepwater acquisition was a cluster f***. There were holes in the contract so big you could drive a mac truck through them. There was no way to hold the contractors feet to the fire to get what was needed and properly protect the taxpayers dollar. When questions were raised or attempts were made by acquisition professionals to remedy the problems, one individual and one individual only, squashed all attempts, the contract/concept was her baby and it was going to stay the way she wanted it. Fortunately that individual no longer has direct contact with the acquisition anymore. But when an admiral openly admits, in an open meeting, that he lied to Congress, what do you expect. Glad to see Congress finally looked into the program because the way it was running, per those in uniform, it was going to get someone killed. Can’t believe anyone remotely involved with deepwater was surprised at all. It was well known that the Deepwater acquisition was a cluster f***. There were holes in the contract so big you could drive a mac truck through them. There was no way to hold the contractors feet to the fire to get what was needed and properly protect the taxpayers dollar. When questions were raised or attempts were made by acquisition professionals to remedy the problems, one individual and one individual only, squashed all attempts, the contract/concept was her baby and it was going to stay the way she wanted it. Fortunately that individual no longer has direct contact with the acquisition anymore. But when an admiral openly admits, in an open meeting, that he lied to Congress, what do you expect. Glad to see Congress finally looked into the program because the way it was running, per those in uniform, it was going to get someone killed.

]]> By: Michael Hampton http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2006/09/19/whistleblower-exposes-defense-contractor-wrongdoing-on-youtube/#comment-11239 Michael Hampton Sun, 17 Dec 2006 20:51:32 +0000 http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2006/09/19/whistleblower-exposes-defense-contractor-wrongdoing-on-youtube/#comment-11239 On the sinking Deepwater program? :) Let's see, eight boats out of service, the whole program in jeopardy, and Congress thinks those leaky hulls can be patched up with a few more dollars? On the sinking Deepwater program? :) Let’s see, eight boats out of service, the whole program in jeopardy, and Congress thinks those leaky hulls can be patched up with a few more dollars?

]]> By: Michael DeKort http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2006/09/19/whistleblower-exposes-defense-contractor-wrongdoing-on-youtube/#comment-11238 Michael DeKort Sun, 17 Dec 2006 19:01:00 +0000 http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2006/09/19/whistleblower-exposes-defense-contractor-wrongdoing-on-youtube/#comment-11238 Read Eric Lipton's latest articles (NY Times) Read Eric Lipton’s latest articles (NY Times)

]]> By: The news just keeps breaking - Homeland Stupidity http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2006/09/19/whistleblower-exposes-defense-contractor-wrongdoing-on-youtube/#comment-11237 The news just keeps breaking - Homeland Stupidity Sun, 10 Dec 2006 09:06:49 +0000 http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2006/09/19/whistleblower-exposes-defense-contractor-wrongdoing-on-youtube/#comment-11237 [...] National security whistleblower Michael De Kort went on YouTube last summer to expose deficiencies in the Deepwater program last September with his “preposterous and unbelievable” allegations about the Coast Guard’s $24 billion program to modernize its fleet. Now everyone realizes the program is in serious trouble, with eight refurbished patrol boats pulled out of service due to structural integrity problems, a variety of other technical problems plaguing the program, and lack of effective contract management. Unfortunately, some in Congress think the problem can be solved by throwing more money at it. [...] [...] National security whistleblower Michael De Kort went on YouTube last summer to expose deficiencies in the Deepwater program last September with his “preposterous and unbelievable” allegations about the Coast Guard’s $24 billion program to modernize its fleet. Now everyone realizes the program is in serious trouble, with eight refurbished patrol boats pulled out of service due to structural integrity problems, a variety of other technical problems plaguing the program, and lack of effective contract management. Unfortunately, some in Congress think the problem can be solved by throwing more money at it. [...]

]]> By: Michael DeKort http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2006/09/19/whistleblower-exposes-defense-contractor-wrongdoing-on-youtube/#comment-11236 Michael DeKort Mon, 06 Nov 2006 22:06:56 +0000 http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2006/09/19/whistleblower-exposes-defense-contractor-wrongdoing-on-youtube/#comment-11236 MediaTech tried to sell us $40k in switches I did not need and already had. When I tried to complain about this as well as the poor service they had been providing relative to their site maintenance contract the owner (Fran Markette former PM for the LM program) said he would sue LM for slander if I was not removed and he be given sole source for the effort. That is blackmail (Other engineers complained about the poor service on the maintenance contract including the site Chief Engineer. All I wanted was open bidding - like on the rest of the job. See link below to learn more baout Markette and my management at the time. Speed was my site manager at the time these events occured) http://www.tsjonline.com/story.php?F=1667979 MediaTech tried to sell us $40k in switches I did not need and already had. When I tried to complain about this as well as the poor service they had been providing relative to their site maintenance contract the owner (Fran Markette former PM for the LM program) said he would sue LM for slander if I was not removed and he be given sole source for the effort. That is blackmail (Other engineers complained about the poor service on the maintenance contract including the site Chief Engineer. All I wanted was open bidding – like on the rest of the job. See link below to learn more baout Markette and my management at the time. Speed was my site manager at the time these events occured)
http://www.tsjonline.com/story.php?F=1667979

]]> By: Michael Hampton http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2006/09/19/whistleblower-exposes-defense-contractor-wrongdoing-on-youtube/#comment-11234 Michael Hampton Thu, 21 Sep 2006 00:51:30 +0000 http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2006/09/19/whistleblower-exposes-defense-contractor-wrongdoing-on-youtube/#comment-11234 Pete, you are quite right that Mediatech doesn't manufacture video switches themselves, and you'll have to take up that bit of poor reporting with the Military.com reporter who made the mistake, rather than De Kort, who got it correct: he said Mediatech wanted to <em>supply</em> the switches. The facts reported are still substantially true: Mediatech does <em>supply</em> the video switches, which are manufactured by Extron, and Mediatech's controllers are designed specifically to work with Extron's switches. Pete, you are quite right that Mediatech doesn’t manufacture video switches themselves, and you’ll have to take up that bit of poor reporting with the Military.com reporter who made the mistake, rather than De Kort, who got it correct: he said Mediatech wanted to supply the switches.

The facts reported are still substantially true: Mediatech does supply the video switches, which are manufactured by Extron, and Mediatech’s controllers are designed specifically to work with Extron’s switches.

]]> By: Pete R. http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2006/09/19/whistleblower-exposes-defense-contractor-wrongdoing-on-youtube/#comment-11233 Pete R. Wed, 20 Sep 2006 23:53:51 +0000 http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2006/09/19/whistleblower-exposes-defense-contractor-wrongdoing-on-youtube/#comment-11233 DeKort has his facts skewed. Anyone checking Mediatech's website (www.gomediatech.com) will see that they don't even manufacture video switchers (and never have). They are a small company that specializes in furniture and AV control systems. I suspect Mr DeKort has a serious case of sour grapes due to his termination from Lockheed and is looking for any reason to bring himself into the limelight. DeKort has his facts skewed. Anyone checking Mediatech’s website (www.gomediatech.com) will see that they don’t even manufacture video switchers (and never have). They are a small company that specializes in furniture and AV control systems. I suspect Mr DeKort has a serious case of sour grapes due to his termination from Lockheed and is looking for any reason to bring himself into the limelight.

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