Tuesday, March 31, 2009

All about the Benjamins. -OR- Relativity Peek

Guess how many of the Pentagon's 96 funded weapons systems came in at or below the original estimate?
Guess what the cost overruns were in $$$ billions?

Try just 22 and $296 respectively. And that IS billions with a B.
Arms audit
This has been an annual circus that has cost far more than has been spent to date on the bailouts. The only difference between military cost overruns and the bailouts is our conditioning to accept one while being goaded into hating the other for political gain.

How's that for perspective?

As we try to grapple with the stories and images flying at us from every direction it's important to find and maintain a perspective that sees more than just the outrage de jour.

So when you hear TRILLIONS being the deficit or debt, understand that most of it is being accumulated because of the current spending and overhead of government. In the much questioned out-years the potential savings and revenue growth (read: taxes)may blast the projections to oblivion. Re-allocation of resources away from non-priority, non-productive, non-essential and/or redundant expenditures frees up funding for the future and/or paying down the debt.

We've done it before. Never on this scale, but the principle applies.
When a business retools, it has significant front-loaded costs. In a real estate transaction if the buyer's current home hasn't sold they carry a bridge loan on two properties until it sells. There were two Yankee Stadiums, two Chicago Stadiums, two Comiskey parks all had sizable carrying costs.

The right-wing noise machine is screaming because fear and blame are their only arsenal. When it comes to making shit that works, they got nothing. Their way put us in this ditch. Getting out doesn't interest them. YET. Why? Because it won't enrich them.

3 comments:

Woody (Tokin Librul/Rogue Scholar/ Helluvafella!) said...

Re-allocation of resources away from non-priority, non-productive, non-essential and/or redundant expenditures frees up funding for the future and/or paying down the debt.

It also threatens the status quo/Establishment.

"thePrez" is a dyed-in-the-wool creature of those interests.

Ergo, I shall not hold my breath...

Rehctaw said...

I hear ya Woody.

I'm not holding my breath either, but I'm not widoid ricsas-sing like the neo-surrender monkeys of the right-wing noise machine.

The first step for any clean-up project is to assemble the resources.

The first step in any battle plan is to acquire superior fire-power.

The SECOND step into any minefield is the dicey part.

My cynical self thinks some think they've left behind an impossible mission. For which they will be able to blame on the usual suspects and ride in as the cavalry to save the day.

To their great shock and disappointment, the script is undergoing a re-write.

I see an exit strategy and victory as one possible future. I'm also on the look-out for BOHICA.

Seen enough defeats snatched from the jaws of victory to be conspicuously wary, but won't let it stop me from urging progress.

Cirze said...

Nice dissection!

Re-allocation of resources away from non-priority, non-productive, non-essential and/or redundant expenditures frees up funding for the future and/or paying down the debt.

We've done it before. Never on this scale, but the principle applies.


Or reelect them.

Getting out doesn't interest them. YET. Why? Because it won't enrich them.

That's the same thing now that I think about it.

The only difference between military cost overruns and the bailouts is our conditioning to accept one while being goaded into hating the other for political gain.

Thanks for covering this. As a former project manager who lost her job in the defense industry (which is not run by librul types) because I had the bad habit of doing good work on time, I've been trying to publicize this to disbelieving ears for years.

Overruns are the name of the game. Even when the contracts were awarded for three times the costs.

And now they are done by H1-B untrained workers and others who were just hired and now need to get some edication.

But I'm not bitter.

S