The Privatization Of Military Housing

[matthewf]

[MADem]

1. Military housing has been under private contract for more than 20 years.

I think it's WONDERFUL.

Why?

Because it costs a fucking FORTUNE to maintain military housing. When it isn't maintained, it is a dangerous eyesore.

When privatized housing no longer meets standards that are acceptable to the Services, the Services can dump the stuff by saying "We're not renewing when our contract is up" and the owners of the buildings can rent to civilians or sell it or what-have-you.

It costs an obscene amount in tax dollars and personnel assets to maintain buildings that crumble over time When you dump a hundred thousand people from the rolls, you can't "dump" the houses they used to live in, if you own them. You have to maintain them, find someone to prevent bugs, animals, leaks, etc--it's insane. Cheaper to contract it out, the owner has guaranteed tenants and guaranteed rents, paid on time, and if the tenants are pigs, they never get away with it--they are called to account. It's a win-win.

One of the biggest Quality of Life boosters is decent housing. The military doesn't have the infrastructure or the "tail" (as in "tooth to tail&quot willingness or money to be a Property Manager around the globe. PPPs (public-private partnerships) are par for the course in a number of QOL ventures, everything from clubs to golf courses.

It's not going away. It's tested, it works.

[flt rsk]

2. Privatization makes money

for the contractor and screws the military and their families. I worked for the DOD all over the country. I saw restrooms on Marine Corps bases that were unusable because contractors had not made repairs for six months. When I was in the Corps, many years ago, if it was broken, it was fixed within 24 hours, even if I had to do the repair myself. I’ve been to an Army base were a Sgt. was reprimanded for cleaning his training building prior to an inspection by the base commander. Private contractors were supposed to clean the building but couldn’t get to it for two more weeks. Privatization is expensive, doesn’t provide the required services, and harms moral. Privatization is the cause Snowden received access to classified information. Senior personal leave the military, change clothes, and go to work for the contractor they were supposed to over see the next day.

[Diremoon]

3. Privatization of military lines the pockets of business

Privatization does nothing to help the military, and anyone who claims otherwise is wrong. Think Halliburton, KBR, Bechtel. All the corporations that charged billions for services, then electrocuted and poisoned our troops. They overcharge, do substandard work, are not accountable to anyone, and we get them for only a thousand times what taking care of the functions in the military would cost. The reason our defense budget is out of control, is that Rumsfeld privatized everything. It is not just bad economically, it is bad for the military preparedness. An army has to be able to take care of all of its own needs. To rely on some corporation to provide services is an invitation to disaster, both economically and militarily.