Time to Reform Government Contracting As We Know It

President Dwight Eisenhower warned of the "military industrial complex."

Today, government contractors, whether arms merchants or engineers require strict scrutiny.

Putative federal government contracting reforms have increased lack of competitive bidding.

Our Anastasia Mosquito Control District of St. Johns County voted in December 2006 to award a $1.8 million no-bid contract. They broke the law. Courageously, Commissioners changed their minds late last month. They rescinded the contract. They've gotten a full refund. Hats off to Commissioners Jeanne Moeller and John Sundeman for their persistence, and to Chair Barbara Bosanko, former Chair Emily Hummel and Vice Chair Linda Wampler for changing their minds and to the District's lawyer, Doug Wyckoff of DeFuniak Springs, for obtaining a full refund.

Now we expect our St. Johns County Commissioners, St. Augustine City Commissioners and other local officials to be equally reflective and to scrutinize wrongful waste of public funds. We also expect our Congress, President and federal agencies to do so. We need to "reform government purchasing as we know it." Corporate welfare for Halliburton, Lockheed Martin, Boeing and Northrop Grumman must be ended. We expect public officials to work an honest day's work for a day's pay. We must expect nothing less from government contracts. It's our money.