Army Assistant Secretary Parker Is Fired

Newsday ^ | March 6, 2002 | JOHN HEILPRIN -- Associated Press Writer

[eureka!]

Re#40 Give him time. As to the "fishing piers", true. I love surf casting. See ya 'round, gotta get some things done...

[jtill]

The Corps of Engineers had to do a "flood control" project on Wild Cat Creek in Richmond, CA three times before they got it right - and since I left the Agency that had to deed them land the last time they worked on the creek, I'm not even sure they have it right yet!

[Howlin]

. If the Corps is limited in what it does for the American people, there will be a negative impact."

Can you tell me when this type of stuff started, underlings acting like THEIR position is more important that the rest of the government? The "jobs" cut were probably all PORK anyway.

This sounds like something Mary Frances Berry would make.

[gaspar]

Wasn't the greatest Corps of Engineers boondoggle of all time the Yazoo River cut in Mississippi?

[#3Fan]

Can't say that I ever saw a truck that could haul 1500 tons of coal down the highway.

Ain't no boats that can haul 1500 tons of coal down a highway either.

[Willie Green]

Can you tell me when this type of stuff started, underlings acting like THEIR position is more important that the rest of the government? The "jobs" cut were probably all PORK anyway.

He certainly does sound like he thinks he's still a pompous congresscritter.

Nevertheless, I am concerned about the depth of the cuts. For all its warts and blemishes, the Corps of Engineers HAS produced many worthwhile and beneficial projects over the years.

[gov_bean_ counter]

Speaking as one who knows, the COE civil works mission is overstaffed (especially in operations) and full of fluff. Many multiple purpose projects can be operated by remote, but still have a powerhouse full of personnel. Too much of the COE cw mission are studies. A certain percentage of those studies (along with contracts in general) are required by law to be given to minority contractors. (In many cases, the contractor selected is not equiped to do th job and a real contractor has to come in an do it right) My best guess is that this is the part that worries Conrad the most.

[Grampa Dave]

The firing of this petty porker, is a small first step for tax payers.

The department appreciates Mr. Parker's contributions and wishes him the best in his future endeavors,"

Good luck porker, er Parker, and don't let the door knob hit your clymer on the way out.

Take out about 100,000 of these do nothing clymers and GW has a good start on balancing the budget! Anyone doubt that there are at least 100,000 porkers like this one who could be fired today and never missed!

[gov_bean_ counter]

The Tennessee-Tombigbee will never generate the type cost/benefit estimates used as justification for building.

[linn37]

your right my Uncle contracts work in Ft.Hood,Tx. He won a bid on a job,it was canceled and he still got paid.

[Go Gordon]

This is one of the oldest scams in the books. The contractors still get paid but the work doesn't get done.

Wrong. The government has termination for convenience clauses in its contracts. The contractor is paid for the work he did. The remainder of the money goes back into the coffers.

Then they will be contracted for the work again and get paid again. And of course all the studies that were done on the project will have to be done over too. This is called stuffing the pockets of government contractors and California is famous for it. Insiders get these contracts, you know, the ones who make the biggest donations to candidates and parties.

Wrong. The Corps of Engineers' typical construction contracts are awarded to the lowest responsible bidder. Sometimes they're bid at lump sum, sometimes on unit rates.

Nice try....

[Poohbah]

your right my Uncle contracts work in Ft.Hood,Tx. He won a bid on a job,it was canceled and he still got paid.

Depends on the cancellation. If it's "for the convenience of the government," there's usually some very hefty cancellation fees. If it's for contractor default, the government usually gets very aggressive in recovering monies already paid out.

[Willie Green]

Ain't no boats that can haul 1500 tons of coal down a highway either.

The Inland Waterway System

 

Some 41 states are served by over 25,000 miles of navigable rivers and canals of which 12,000 miles are operated and maintained by the federal government as commercial waterways.

Commercial carriers pay a special user tax of 20 cents per gallon on fuel consumed while operating on these waters. These taxes are deposited in a trust fund in the U.S. Treasury to help finance future improvements.

Locks and dams are constructed on most waterways to overcome the natural fall of the river from its headwaters to its mouth. The "slack water" pools formed by these structures help ensure more dependable channel conditions. Like much of the nation’s infrastructure, the 235 locks operating on the waterways are aging and are becoming outmoded. The average age of all the locks now exceeds 50 years.

Water transportation is the most efficient, less expensive, and most environmentally safe means of shipping large volumes of bulk-type commodities or heavy products long distances.

Compare Cargo Capacity:

One Barge 1, 500 Ton 52, 500 Bu 453, 600 Gal	1 Rail Car 100 Ton 3, 500 Bu 6, 804, 000 Gal	100 Car Train Unit 10, 000 Ton 350, 000 Bu 3, 024, 000 Gal	Large Semi 26 Ton 910 Bu 7, 865 Gal

Source: Iowa Department of Transportation

Energy Efficiency:

(Number of miles one ton can be carried per gallon of fuel)

Source: U.S. DOT Maritime Admin.

 

or  Environmental Quality:

(pounds of emission per ton-mile)

Mode	Hydrocarbons	Carbon Monoxide	Nitrous Oxide
	0. 0009	0. 0020	0. 0053
	0. 0046	0. 0064	0. 0183
	0. 0063	0. 0190	0. 1017

Source: C. Jake Haulk Ph.D. - Inland Waterways as Vital National Infrastructure: Refuting "Corporate Welfare" Attacks

 

and Safety:

(per billion ton-miles)

Mode	Deaths	Injuries
	0.01	0.09
	1.15	21.77
	0.84	N/A

Source: Haulk

Commerce and Jobs

Over 600 million tons of commerce are shipped on waterways each year. Water transportation accounts for more than 95 percent of all international trade, both exports and imports.

Principal Commodities Shipped on Waterways

16% Other	28% Coal
7% Chemicals	24% Petrol
11% Aggregates
14% Food and Agriculture

Cheaper water transportation:

1. Helps attract new industries to a waterway region;
2. Fosters plant expansion by increasing productivity of existing industries;
3. Greatly expands markets for a region's resources and products, especially those of low values;
4. New water related recreation and tourism activities as well as increased demands for services caused by induced industrial development generate more small business opportunities; and
5. About 800,000 workers in parts of 24 states are employed by industries that are dependent on inland waterways.

Waterways are one of the few investments the federal government makes that return more benefits to the public for a period of more than 50 years. For every dollar spent, the U.S.Treasury receives about six dollars in revenue.

Other Waterway Benefits:

1. Provides more protection against loss of life and property damages from floods;
2. Enhances water quality by providing greater capacity to assimilate treated effluents; and
3. Increases capacity and dependability of municipal and industrial water supplies.

 

[BushWonGore'sDone]

Willie, you wouldn't happen to work for the Corps?

[PatrioticAmerican]

"If the Corps is limited in what it does for the American people, there will be a negative impact"

Spoken like the democrat he really is. "Yeah, if the goobermint doesn't do it, the people will suffer. Everything should be done by the goobermint."

[deport]

Willie, you wouldn't happen to work for the Corps?

LOL... Willie's too busy posting who go laid off threads.... but then working for the corps may give him time to do just that.

[Swanks]

At a hearing before the Senate Budget Committee last week, Parker said the cuts would require the Corps to cancel $190 million in already contracted projects providing 4,500 jobs.

So doing some quick math, $190M / 4500 headcount = average salary of $42k. But we know if benefits are factored in (say: $10,000 / per) the average salary of these "Projects" = $32k.

Hardly. I'm sure the mean average for engineering salaries is more like $50K +. But the bottomline here is that EVEN at the $42k figure, there's no money for anything other thean salaries on these "projects". Wheres the funding for capital equipment, supplies, construction, etc.

And that's the deal; the taxpayer gets NOTHING other than 4,500 gov't voters (er, servants) on the dole for their money.

Parket even admits it in his numbers.

[Howlin]

And I love it because he obviously is a Republican!

[Willie Green]

Willie, you wouldn't happen to work for the Corps?

Nope.

[#3Fan]

I said "highway".