I agree, but think about this specific location... It is on Cuba. That means everything has to be flown or shipped in, including every person that will work on it. They can't just go to a lumber yard or a hardware store either.
The workers also have to be cleared. You can't use locals for any of it. They may save a little on labor by using military workers but they still have to be "paid for" by reimbursing the specific units for their work, or reserve/guard pay, etc.
There will still be kickbacks, but this will legitimately cost way more than if it was built somewhere like Pensacola.
Also it isn't just military stuff that costs more - pretty much all of government does. When you have to try to use "minority companies" that are run by women/certain races/etc they will obviously charge more. US Government has some really stupid rules and regulations. A lot of times if the govt wants to buy something they have to first try to buy from a minority-owned or woman-owned firm. What ended up happening is a lot of small firms popped up that are registered to a woman or minority but really run by other people. They bid and win, and the front person gets paid. It's sick.
I agree, but think about this specific location... It is on Cuba. That means everything has to be flown or shipped in, including every person that will work on it. They can't just go to a lumber yard or a hardware store either.
The workers also have to be cleared. You can't use locals for any of it. They may save a little on labor by using military workers but they still have to be "paid for" by reimbursing the specific units for their work, or reserve/guard pay, etc.
There will still be kickbacks, but this will legitimately cost way more than if it was built somewhere like Pensacola.
Also it isn't just military stuff that costs more - pretty much all of government does. When you have to try to use "minority companies" that are run by women/certain races/etc they will obviously charge more. US Government has some really stupid rules and regulations. A lot of times if the govt wants to buy something they have to first try to buy from a minority-owned or woman-owned firm. What ended up happening is a lot of small firms popped up that are registered to a woman or minority but really run by other people. They bid and win, and the front person gets paid. It's sick.
I was at Gitmo back in the 1970s. At the time there was nothing there except for an EM club and supplies for the ship.
My wife was a military brat there. She lived there for two years. They would go swimming with flip flops because of the rocks.
I remember that shitty beach and I also remember drinking part of a beer there until the sand fleas soon chased us back to the EM club.