Vehicle costs obscure

[thedrifter]

Vehicle costs obscure
Marines resist FOIA request
Joseph Neff, Staff Writer
The Freedom of Information Act doesn't free all information.

In late October, The News & Observer got a tip that the Marine Corps was buying rebuilt Vietnam-era jeeps to send into combat. The tipster said the Marines were paying $125,000 for the vehicles, known as Growlers, which the manufacturer sold over the Internet for $15,000.

A quick trip to the manufacturer's Web site showed the vehicles selling for $14,750. Another Internet search found the Marine Corps' budget submission to Congress. The Marines planned to buy 132 similar vehicles at an average cost of $127,000. While this gave the bare bones of the story, it was not enough.

In dealing with the federal government, reporters or citizens can't just call an agency and ask for certain documents to be sent. They must file a written request, then wait for the government to respond within 20 business days.

Here's how things worked after that:

OCT. 27, 2005: The N&O's request is filed via e-mail to the Marines Corps System Command, asking for a copy of the Growler contract, the specifications, the solicitation documents and all amendments. The request noted that all these documents had once been posted at a public Marine Corps Web site, and it asked for an expedited response.

NOV. 3, 2005: The Marines responded quickly, though not with documents. In a letter postmarked Nov. 3, the Marines wrote that they had assigned the request to the "complex category." The Marines would give General Dynamics, the contractor, a month to weigh in on the information to be released.

NOV. 8, 2005: The N&O received the letter and responded that day in a faxed letter. The N&O questioned the "complex category," noting that almost all of the documents had been posted previously on the Internet, and that reactivating the Web site would satisfy most of the request. The N&O followed up with phone messages Nov. 17, Dec. 2 and Dec. 5.

JAN. 8, 2006: Relying on documents from other sources knowledgeable about the program, The N&O published two news articles on the Growler (www.newsobserver.com key word Osprey).

JAN. 18, 2006: The Marine Corps provided copies of documents known as the statement of work and the award. General Dynamics had covered up all dollar amounts, making it impossible to see what the company said it would charge for specific pieces of work. The N&O asked for the dollar amounts to be restored and the rest of the request to be filled. The figures have not been revealed.

FEB. 13, 2006: The Marines sent a compact disc with the specifications, solicitations and amendments, documents that had been posted on the Web in 2004.

Requests for federal documents are not always this cumbersome. During our reporting, The N&O learned that Carolina Growler had sold similar vehicles in 2002 to the Dominican Republic, in a transaction insured by the U.S. Export-Import Bank. Wanting to know the cost of the vehicles, The N&O filed a request on Dec. 7 for the application, cover sheet and memo to the bank's board.

The Export-Import Bank provided the documents on Dec. 22, 2005, sending a copy via traditional mail and fax. The following week, the bank's information specialist called to make sure all documents were provided. Several appendices were missing from the application; the officer faxed them later that day.

The Dominican Republic had paid $33,000 per vehicle.
Staff writer Joseph Neff can be reached at 829-4516 or jneff@newsobserver.com.

Ellie

[OLE SARG]

Another good example of our tax dollars being spent without knowing where or for what our money is being spent. That's like the last case I know of where our federal government was paying something like $300.00 for a damn wrench that cost like $12.00 at Lowe's. These arseholes that are ripping the government off should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

SEMPER FI,

[junker316]

I know that all you have heard about the " Million Dollar Bolt ". It was hung on a Christmas Tree in 1989 because of the price paid for it. You could have gotten one at the local hardware store for under $2.00. But when questioned about the price our Govt said that it was specially manufactured. I went out and bought one exactly like to see where the manufacturing specialty was. To my knowledge there was no difference. Except that the one that cost the most had a small crack in it and would have needed replaced again in a week. I have also seen where other tools that we could get for less than what the Govt pays has been bought. Like an adjustable wrench for $245.00 or a socket set for just under $700.00. Looks liek our Country's leadership is really looking out for tax dollars.

[cgkades]

scarry stuff

[yellowwing]

Surely you've seen the movie Independence Day?

Scene Inside Area 51 Bunker

PRESIDENT
"I don't understand. Where did all
this come from? How did this get
funded?"

MOISHE
"You didn't think they actually
spent ten thousand dollars for a
hammer and thirty thousand for a
toilet seat, did you?"

Maybe The Corps has a new skunk works project we have to ante up for. There's a few news articles floating around about a sub-orbital rocket that can send a FAST Platoon anywhere on the globe in 45 minutes.