Posted on 03/26/2008 5:28:22 AM PDT by moderatewolverine
The United States has outsourced the manufacturing of its electronic passports to overseas companies — including one in Thailand that was victimized by Chinese espionage — raising concerns that cost savings are being put ahead of national security, an investigation by The Washington Times has found.
The Government Printing Office's decision to export the work has proved lucrative, allowing the agency to book more than $100 million in recent profits by charging the State Department more money for blank passports than it actually costs to make them, according to interviews with federal officials and documents obtained by The Times.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
Why should the Goverment Printing Office be booking a profit from the State Department? Is it like the U.S. Mint?
I don’t think they should be...isn’t that some sort of conflict of interest?
And it’s not like the State Department has their own money. In the end, they’re just gouging us taxpayers.
I just read the full article. It is only supposed to “cover costs” (including costs of expansion). But that’s it.
We need a change in government from the top down. This is out of control.
More madness with our tax dollars.
More insanity from the Bush Administration out for a buck and to make the Little Red Devils even more powerful than they are...And I thought that Clinton’s Loral deal was dangerous to our national security...
Sadly, government is the only true monopoly ... unless some elected official does something about this (which they won't), we are all screwed.
With something as sensitive as passports in time of war and terrorism it's just irresponsible.
Aren't US Border Patrol uniforms made in Mexico?
Completely unacceptable. Rather than limiting big government, all Bush and his cronies have done is inject it with staggering levels of incompetence.
More madness. Shaking my head again...
In addition to the security issues, the administration seems to send some big government contracts off shore a couple of times a month.
BTT
Heck of a job, Brownie!
Just goes to show that such things as passports, drivers licenses and other similar documents are useless for security. The government doesn’t give a damn about these things except in as much as they can be used to control you and I.
Oh, yes the “just outsource it” stupidity once again selling out our security.
Is the passport blank,...or does it have personal information contained within?
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