Department of Defense Spends $11,764 On Four Commissary Radios!

[JABBS]

Let's pretend for a moment that the Department of Defense can defend the $1.1 billion of contracts with public relations, advertising and media firms it paid out from fiscal years 2003 to 2005.

Check out page 56 of the report released Feb. 13 by the Government Accountability Office:

Four defense commissaries -- Dugway, Fort Wainwright, Memphis NAS and Lemoore -- contracted to spend a combined $11,764 to "provide and maintain in-store radio for background music."

Haven't these guys heard of an electronics store? The most expensive radio offered by Best Buy, for example, sells for $249.99.

I'm sure DOD has some tough requirements for "in-store radios," but the price variance among the four commissaries is startling. Dugway spent $730. The other commissaries spent between $2,088 and $5,706! Even taking into consideration size differences at the commissaries, it seems someone didn't do a great job of price shopping.

Maybe if somone had gone to an electronics store, DOD would have had enough money remaining to buy a U.S. soldier in Iraq some decent body armor.

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This item first appeared at JABBS.

[JABBS]

1. this is from the GAO