GSA and Defections
Government Executive has an interesting story about the continuing fallout from questions about the Sun Microsystems contract and the allegations that the IT vendor overcharged taxpayers.
In short, it says that two other IT vendors have bailed out of the GSA -- choosing not to renew their contracts to provide goods and services through the schedule program -- "because of increased questioning by the agency's inspector general into their pricing of services and products, with more defections possible, according to federal IT industry sources," the story says.
On Capitol Hill, there's some procurement-related news: The Senate approved legislation that Democratic and Republican sponsors say will combat fraud, waste and abuse, reduce sole-source deals and improve contract management. Here's a link to Sen. Joseph Lieberman's announcement. Here's a statement by co-sponsor Sen. Susan Collins.
More to come on this, especially if this kind of legislation gets traction on the House side.
By Robert O'Harrow |
November 12, 2007; 7:00 AM ET
GSA
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Posted by: Charles | November 13, 2007 12:21 AM
For better contracts, pay the people who write and administer these contracts wages equivalent to what is being paid in industry.
Posted by: John | November 13, 2007 10:55 AM
THESE ALLEGATIONS HAVE BEEN GOING ON FOR THREE YEARS. IF IT'S NOT SENSATIONALISM,THEN WHERE'S THE I.G.? WHERE'S CONGRESSIONAL OVERSIGHT?,,, CHASING OTHER BOGEYMEN?
Posted by: JERRY THE K | November 13, 2007 3:07 PM
From reading these links, I can't be sure whether or not this legislation will address the billions and billions of dollars in government contracts that are awarded to Alaskan Native Corporations through sole source contracts. It is time for that racket to change as well - I hope the House and Senate are willing to take this abuse on as well.
Posted by: John | November 14, 2007 9:41 AM
This type of abuse has ben going on for years. GSA needs to start hiring competent employees to monitor and award these contracts on a competitive basis. Congress needs to stop pushing GSA to award contracts to friends and let then do their jobs the correct way. All prices charged by vendors should be within certain guidelines and not allowed to go beyond those guidelines.
Posted by: Eddie | November 14, 2007 9:19 PM
GSA has been taking the brunt of the contract overcharge criticism for years. While a certain amount of criticism is justified, (some GSA contracting officers are illiterate), the great preponderance of the criticism lies directly with the Congress. Out of one side of their mouth Congress decries the contracting process as burdensome and rife with fraud. Out of the other side of their mouth they constantly badger GSA and other agency contracting officials to "strongly consider" their state.
CONGRESS SHOULD MAKE IT ILLEGAL FOR ANY MEMBER OF CONGRESS TO PURSUE CONTRACT AWARDS IN THEIR STATE - OOPS, THERE GOES 90% OF ANNUAL PORK.
Posted by: Gordon Hamel | November 15, 2007 10:01 AM
Missing the big picture! The Government, Congress, and Businesses have and are in downward spiral to destruction. Actions like these (and much. much worse) have been going on and increasing over Decades. People's greed at all levels is the root cause, and We the People are all guilty. Only catastrope will effect change.
Posted by: Ed | November 18, 2007 12:26 PM
THE REPUBLICANS HAD CONTROL OF THESE CONTRACTS (14 YEARS)ITS SEEM THAT THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN SOME OVERSIGHT. NOW THAT DEMOCRATES ARE RUNNUNG THE OVERSIGHT EVERYBOY IS RUNNING FOR COVER.
Posted by: Anonymous | November 19, 2007 10:11 AM
The comments to this entry are closed.
Solve the problem of corporations that steal tax payer money after winning government contracts by having an SEC inquirer into these companies every 3 months. With a caluse that staates the governemnt can kill the contract with them whenthe government finds fraud. Then the governemnt can choose a different firm to do the job. Or sue for completion of the contract. Companies are very familiar with quarterly reporting, this should come as no "shock to their" systm.