Army Scammed Into Buying Golf Balls

[DoYouEverWonder]

November 30, 2006

BALTIMORE -- On paper, the U.S. Army was supposed to be getting "a ball bearing assortment" for $1,409. It was bad enough that the order form marked up the price from $682.50. But there was something about the order that was way out of bounds: It was for 420 golf balls for a civilian employee at the Army's Aberdeen Proving Ground.

Douglas Atwell is now facing up to 15 years in prison after pleading guilty in federal court Wednesday to bribery in a scam to defraud the government.

Atwell, 51, placed orders from 2003 to 2004 with co-defendant Wayne Silbersack, a salesman for Lawson Products. The orders were for more than $429,500 in equipment that was paid for by the Army, federal prosecutors said.

"It is disgraceful that a company salesman conspired with a government employee to engage in this scheme to defraud the taxpayers and line their own pockets," U.S. Attorney Rod Rosenstein said in a statement.

http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/nation/wire/sns-ap-golf-ball-scheme,0,6912813.story?coll=sns-ap-nation-headlines

So this guy is facing prison, but KBR/Halliburton who have ripped off the military for millions, just get more contracts.

[TechBear_Seattle]

1. How long until fraud investigations against Haliburton et al.?

Not that I'm holding my breath, mind you, but I would dearly love to Dick the Veep convicted for his part.

[JudyM]

5. Should be in about 5 or 6 more weeks, hopefully. n/t

[mopinko]

7. why do you have that link in you sig?

:wtf:

[karlrschneider]

8. I wonder about that too!..........

???
:wtf:

[brentspeak]

9. Do a search on TechBear's anti-Cantwell posts

as well as some of his/her other dubious opinions concerning Democrats. You'll begin seeing the pattern. (On an entirely unrelated note (chuckle), there also happens to be a loser-lowlife from one of those "other" political websites who used the exact same made-deliberately-to-aggravate avatar gif).

[TechBear_Seattle]

15. "Dubious" opinions?

I consider them to be valid criticisms.

If you want to see a pattern, note that my actual name is Gregory Gadow. By way of liberal credentials, I would direct you to the Washington State Public Disclosure Commission (http:www.pdc.wa.gov) which lists two runs by me for the state Legislature as a progressive candidate, in 2000 and 2004. While my campaign websites are no longer available, I would be happy to discuss the issues I was running on, and I believe that copies of my website and editorials on my campaign are still available on the web. I also direct you to the website of Washington's Secretary of State so you can see an initiative I filed in 2001, I-748, which would have allowed cities and counties more leeway in granting rentor protections: Initiatives filed in 2001, Text of I-748. What, pray tell, are your liberal credentials? Or do you just spend all your time trying to undermine the efforts of others?

My avatar is one I've been using for years. The image itself is a pretty widely distributed one on the web.

[mopinko]

18. ignore is a wonderful thing

posters 8 and 9 are on my list.

[trotsky]

10. As I understand it, it's a tongue-in-cheek response to traditional DOMA.

It takes the logic to its end: since the people who don't want gay marriage basically anchor their argument on the idea that "gay people can't procreate", well then let's go all out and REQUIRE people who want to get married to be able to procreate, AND do it right away. Put the full thing out there in all its nonsensical glory and let people see it for what it is.

[mopinko]

11. irony is so complicated these days

i kept thinking that, but it is hard to keep up with the insanity of these people.

[TechBear_Seattle]

16. Right in one!

The only thing to add to your comment is that the Washington Supreme Court actually put the argument, "Marriage exists for procreation", into their ruling supporting the Washington "Defense" of Marriage Act. In doing so, they effectively nullified every childless marriage in the state! So rather than let the lower courts hash things through over the next dozen years, we are looking to create a framework in which the Andersen decision shall be applied.

We are a civic minded lot, aren't we? :hi:

[trotsky]

19. Bwah ha ha - "marriage exists for procreation"

You can't get any bullshittier than that. Marriage was created to establish a means of property transfer. Period. Hard to believe they can swallow their own baloney.

[TechBear_Seattle]

13. The link about helping to defend marriage in Washington State?

That is an initiative which I and several friends will be filing in January.

In summary: The Washington State Supreme Court ruled back in July that the state Legislature has a vested interest in reserving marriage exclusively for the purpose of having and raising children. For this reason, the state's "Defense" of Marriage Act was constitutional, even though it clearly violated (yes, the Court admitted this) the state Constitution's prohibition against unequal laws. I see no reason why the court ruling that marriage exists solely for the purpose of having and raising children shouldn't be given the force of law. Thus, an initiative that makes procreation a legal requirement to a) be married in Washington, b) have a Washington marriage remain valid and c) have an out-of-state marriage recognized as valid under Washington Law.

The text of the initiative can be found at the website listed in my sig.

[mopinko]

14. i guess i am dense

i see the logic, but i think that it is open to lot of misunderstanding. but whatever.

[TechBear_Seattle]

17. I'm rather hoping for misunderstanding

This spring and summer, we will be collecting signatures in the very conservative parts of eastern Washington by asking people if the Supreme Court's ruling in favor of the Defense of Marriage Act should be given the force of law, which will make it more difficult for a future activist court to overturn. We expect a record number of signatures. :rofl:

[ret5hd]

20. No shit!

[lpbk2713]

2. Yeah, it's a disgrace.

Just who does this guy think he is. A no-bid defense contractor or something?

[Supersedeas]

3. Halliburton is special and word is that they have an inside guy

[w4rma]

4. If only his company was Haliburton. Then this problem would have just gone away. (nt)

[trogdor]

6. You all don't see the humor in this.

This sounds like something Sgt. Bilko would pull on the old Phil Silvers Show.

[Kingofalldems]

12. Looks like they paid $40 per dozen

I hope they were Titleist Pro VIs for that kind of money.