Like Clinton, Obama Calls for Fewer Federal Contractors to Cut Spending

[douglas9]

Source: Washington Post

Like every newly elected president, Barack Obama has spelled out an agenda for how his administration will improve the use of taxpayer money. But as he pushes reforms of the government's $440 billion federal procurement system, he faces tremendous obstacles to success, according to contracting specialists, lawyers and industry officials.

During the campaign, Obama and vice-president elect Joseph Biden pledged to reverse years-long trends, including pork barrel spending by Congress, the tendency of government employees to leave to work for government contractors and a sharp rise in the use of no-bid contracts. Obama also wants to make federal buying systems more efficient and said he would reduce federal spending by $40 billion by using fewer contractors.

Contracting specialists, former federal procurement officials and trade group representatives said that to fulfill those promises, the Obama administration will have to summon the will to effect a huge cultural change inside the government to take procurement more seriously.

Government acquisitions programs have long been plagued by delays and cost increases, but experts say the problems have worsened in recent years as the size of the federal workforce has barely grown even as the amount of spending on services, technology and other goods more than doubled. The Clinton administration cut the number of procurement workers as part of an effort to trim red tape, and the Bush administration accelerated the trend with a philosophical commitment to outsourcing and small government.

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/10/AR2008111002427_pf.html

[SpiralHawk]

1. "But what about MASSIVE PROFITS for underprivileged republicon cronies?" - Republicon cronies

"This is just so unfair to republicon cronies. We've only had 8 years to loot the national treasury. What about our future?"

- Republicon cronies

[notadmblnd]

2. he could out law these private armies ASAP

we don't need the likes of Blackwater contracting out security missions in this country or any other.

[2Design]

3. wow - maybe just getting rid of halliburton and blackwater would save billions n/t

[OwnedByFerrets]

4. And PLEASE begin with Blackwater

[onehandle]

5. "Like Clinton" Expect to hear that phrase a Lot.

Not that it's a bad thing.

[Captain Hilts]

6. Yes, he's doing all the stuff Clinton was criticized for "compromising with the Rs" for. nt

[RaleighNCDUer]

7. Bullshit.

He hasn't 'done' anything yet, and what he has proposed is NOT the kind of compromises that Clinton did. Cutting back on contractors was NOT a Clinton compromise, because the repukes wanted MORE and eventually got MORE.

Clinton compromised on a LOT of shit that we've had to live with, from NAFTA to DOMA to 'don't ask, don't tell'. He also did a lot of stuff that he did NOT compromise on. Had he done less compromising he would have been even more successful than he was.

With the right's ideology thoroughly discredited now, there is no reason to compromise with either republicans or DLCers.

Lets be DEMOCRATS this time around.

[karynnj]

8. Not on this one - this was basic Democratic policy

The Reagan and Bush administration shifted from federal amployees (many unionized) to private contractors (mostly not). This shift back by Obama , just as by Clinton is good.