US: $20 Ice Trays Rile Whistleblower But not Pentagon

[Jared Moya]

WASHINGTON -- A retired Army Reserve officer called the Pentagon's fraud hotline last year to complain that the Defense Department had overpaid for kitchen appliances: $1,000 for popcorn makers and toasters, $5,500 for a deep-fat fryer that cost other government agencies $1,919.


Although the officer provided a four-page spreadsheet showing 135 cases of higher prices, the Defense Department dismissed the tip without checking with him.


"We've got an agency that is not doing its job of being a watchdog for the taxpayers," said Rep. Walter Jones (R-N.C.).


Documents acquired by Knight Ridder under the Freedom of Information Act reveal Paul Fellencer Sr. tried to blow the whistle on what he estimated was as much as $200 million of wasteful spending.


At issue is a multibillion-dollar Pentagon purchasing system called the prime vendor program, which uses middlemen who set their own prices, instead of direct purchases from manufacturers or competitive bidding.


A Knight Ridder investigation of the program found that, for 102 of 122 pieces of food equipment, the Pentagon had paid higher prices to prime vendors than the government did to contractors outside the system. For example, the Pentagon paid $20 apiece for ice cube trays that retail for less than a dollar.

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[MorphineInduced]

well why should the governement care since we all will be here for the months to come....... im sure they will make that up by taxing us some more

[Potato]

Four toasters bought in September 2003 for $1,025 apiece that other federal agencies were buying for $790.60.

My toaster cost $8.

[Auggie2k]

Sounds like a good deal Tater. Our kettle was like €5 but it's a slow as shit. I used one the other day and it was like the Ferrari of kettles.

I would in my arse pay €100 for a kettle thought (thats what they did). I love tea BTW.

[Potato]

Sometimes the toast pops up but not far enough so that you can actually reach it.... so you have to go digging around with something to get it out. Something about that just doesn't seem safe.

[Auggie2k]

True, I stuck a knife in my toaster to try get it out (it was the really thick bread) and I shorted the houses power.

Ah sure I was only young and the knife was insulated. I was naive but not stupid *Goes and makes toast*

[kokanezub]

Four toasters bought in September 2003 for $1,025 apiece that other federal agencies were buying for $790.60.

these toasters should pleasure me sexualy at that price

[black_magiic]

You could buy a whole god damn army of toasters for that kind of money.

[bobhss]

Who is eating toast? Not the guys in the field. Shouldn't the generals back in DC eat before they come to work?

[Atheist Icon]

and I'm sure you guys all have industrial appliances....

[mountain_rage]

I could see the toasters costing that much if its one of those toasters that can toats like 100 toast in 10 minutes.

[DigitalJunkie]

Big corporations & big government both have this problem! They (a dept. of corp. or a branch of gov.) get certain amount of this budget to spend as expenses. If they don't use it, their budget will get cut next time around. So, they wasted our money while their budget gets bigger & bigger!

Instead of wasting money, those money could be used elsewhere. So if they think it's not their money, personally I feel they are unpatriotic as hell!

In business, at least there are some competition. So, they will do something & trim expenses! With gov., this is just business as usual.

[CRLocky]

That money should be going to the space program.

[Mels_Smileys45]

They say the paid that much for that junk but the money goes into bank accounts of military VIPs and such.

That money should be going to the space program.

Sho nuff. Scientist need our support

[shawners]

Maybe the government needs to shop at the Salvation Army store. I heard along ago about a 800 dollar toilet seat that was paid to go on a plane.. Other stuff they spend money on blow my mind. Why cant government create money and jobs. Have their own casino, movie studios, recording studios. Anything selling goes toward the federal debt and tax purposes.