Tag: Oversight

This Is What I Have been Talking About!

Since the US has taken it upon its checkbook to finance the war in Ukraine I have been bitching about the money that is being wasted with very little return.

I recently read a story about this conflict and the War Department’s lack of oversight.

More than $1 billion in weapons that were shipped to Ukraine have not been properly tracked by the Pentagon, a report from the Defense Department’s inspector general has found.

The report examined $1.699 billion in weapons sent to Ukraine that are subject to enhanced end-use monitoring (EEUM), which includes Javelin anti-tank missiles, Stinger anti-aircraft missiles, night vision goggles, AIM-9X air-to-air missiles, Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles, and other types of weaponry.

The IG report found that the majority of the EEUM arms, nearly 40,000 weapons in total worth approximately $1.005 billion, have not been accounted for after being sent into Ukraine. Smaller, more portable weapons are subject to EEUM since they’re more likely to be smuggled and sold on the black market.

Robert P. Storch, the Pentagon’s inspector general, said there’s “no record” of inventories being taken. “It doesn’t mean they’re not there, or they’re not being used,” he said, according to The New York Times. “[But] because of their sensitivity, their vulnerability to diversion, or misuse, or the consequences of that, it’s particularly important to have this additional tracking and accountability in place.”

The US policy of pouring weapons into Ukraine has been done with very little oversight, and the shipments examined in the IG report are just a fraction of the over $40 billion in military equipment the US has provided or committed to Ukraine since the Russian invasion last year.

(antiwar.com)

This is a continuing problem and no one seems to care that this situation continues war after war.

This is what we get when we allow lobbyists and special interests run our foreign policy.

But let’s not worry about this…..better yet lets pretend the border is more important or cutting Social Security or Food programs.

You should be shouting from the treetops that your money is being mishandled in such a way….but sadly you will not.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

 

Ukraine Aid Oversight

Since the US began dumping millions of dollars into Ukraine I have been concerned that there was no oversight on how it the cash was spent or the weapons used….and it seems daily that we, the US, send more cash and stuff to Ukraine…..when will there be any oversight?

If it is up to the White House there will be no oversight at all.

The Joe Biden administration has come out in opposition to Congress creating an inspector general’s office to oversee weapons transfers to the Ukrainian government. 

The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) includes a provision that will create an inspector general for the proxy war in Ukraine modeled after the Special Inspector General for Afghan Reconstruction (SIGAR). 

SIGAR John Sopko detailed the rampant American failures during the Afghan War for years. His quarterly reports routinely embarrassed American officials who tried to portray the situation in Afghanistan as improving. 

Sopko has warned that an inspector general’s official for the Ukraine war needed to be established to prevent a repeat of the situation American aid created in Afghanistan, which saw massive corruption. “There is an understandable desire amid a crisis to focus on getting money out the door and to worry about oversight later, but too often that creates more problems than it solves,” he wrote in a report submitted to Congress earlier this year. “Given the ongoing conflict and the unprecedented volume of weapons being transferred to Ukraine, the risk that some equipment ends up on the black market or in the wrong hands is likely unavoidable.”

Sopko continued, “You’re bound to get corrupt elements of not only the Ukrainian or the host government, but also of US government contractors or other third party contractors to try to steal the money. There’s just so much money going in, and it’s hard to keep track of.”

https://libertarianinstitute.org/news/white-house-looks-to-prevent-oversight-of-ukraine-aid/

Ask yourself why would the White House oppose any form of oversight?

Apparently someone somewhere has something to hide from the American people, whose money is being used to finance yet another proxy war that will accomplish nothing in the grand scheme of international relations.

Again it amazes me that some Americans go on and on about those ‘lay abouts’ on social programs and have no thoughts about wasted money elsewhere.

Social program fraud is tracked down and punished….can we say that about the fraud in Ukraine?

Do you think the American taxpayer deserves to know where their money is being spent or wasted?

Just wondering.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

No Accountability

Since the early days of the Ukraine/Russia mash-up I have been a staunch critic of all the cash we are spending in ‘defense’ of Ukraine’s sovereignty…..recently a GOP lead push for more oversight was attempted…..but as of this writing the attempt has failed.

The House Foreign Affairs Committee on Tuesday narrowly voted down a bill that would audit the tens of billions of dollars that Congress has approved to spend on the war in Ukraine.

The bill was rejected by the Democrat-led panel in a vote of 26 to 22. The legislation was introduced by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) and a small group of Republicans who oppose US aid to Ukraine, but it received strong support from more hawkish Republicans.

Republican Reps. Thomas Massie (KY), Matt Gaetz (FL), Barry Moore (AL), and Andrew Clyde (GA) cosponsored Greene’s bill.

Greene has said that she will reintroduce the measure in the next Congress when Republicans have a majority in the House. “It’s official the Democrats have voted NO to transparency for the American people for an Audit for Ukraine,” Greene wrote on Twitter after the vote. “But we take over in January! This audit will happen!”

Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX), who is expected to head the House Foreign Affairs Committee in the next Congress, has come out in favor of the audit bill. “The era of writing blank checks is over,” McCaul said, according to The Washington Post.

McCaul has been critical of the Biden administration for not sending longer-range weapons to Ukraine and wants to encourage Ukrainian strikes on Crimea despite the risk of escalation. But he represents the mainstream Republicans who want to keep arming Ukraine but agree there should be more oversight.

Democrats have been critical of the growing Republican calls for more oversight of the Ukraine aid. Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA), the head of the House Armed Services Committee, even dismissed the concerns as “Russian propaganda” and said the calls from Republicans to increase oversight “makes me a little crazy.”

This should leave NO doubt on who the Dems work for in DC….hint–ain’t you.

I have not been kind to MTG in the past….but in this case I agree with her, in principle.

I would expect the “Squad” to be on board with the oversight thing…..but they seem to be as much in favor of wasting taxpayer dollars as the GOP.

You really should be paying attention.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Internet Kill Switch

Closing Thought–05Oct20

Most of us bloggers have made it known that we are part of the defense of a open internet…..but did you know that there is the possibility that Trump or a future president being able to turn off the internet on a whim?

Ever hear of the Communications Act or 1934? How about Section 706 of that Act?

Do not run for the Google button….I can help…..

The Act is here…..

Click to access 1934new.pdf

Section 706 is the most telling….if you are allergic to reading then here is the pertinent section…

SEC. 706. [47 U.S.C. 606] WAR EMERGENCY–POWERS OFPRESIDENT.(a) During the continuance of a war in which the United States is engaged,the President is authorized, if he finds it necessary for the national defense andsecurity, to direct that such communications as in his judgment may be essential tothe national defense and security shall have preference or priority with any carriersubject to this Act. He may give these directions at and for such times as he maydetermine, and may modify, change, suspend, or annul them and for any suchpurpose he is hereby authorized to issue orders directly, or through such person orpersons as he designates for the purpose, or through the Commission. Any carriercomplying with any such order or direction or preference or priority hereinauthorized shall be exempt from any and all provisions in existing law imposingcivil or criminal penalties, obligations, or liabilities upon carriers by reason ofgiving preference or priority in compliance with such order or direction.

I bring all this up because there are a couple of repres that are trying to prevent any interruptions…..

Civil libertarians on both sides of the aisle and in both chambers of Congress have joined forces to call for canceling a little-known executive power.

Sens. Rand Paul (R–Ky.), Ron Wyden (D–Ore), and Gary Peters (D–Mich.), along with Reps. Tulsi Gabbard (D–Hawaii) and Thomas Massie (R–Ky.), introduced bills this week to abolish the so-called “internet kill switch”—a sweeping emergency executive authority over communications technology that predates World War II.

“No president from either party should have the sole power to shut down or take control of the internet or any other of our communication channels during an emergency,” Paul argued in a statement announcing the Unplug the Internet Kill Switch Act.

Rand Paul, Tulsi Gabbard, Thomas Massie, Ron Wyden Join Forces To Unplug the President’s ‘Internet Kill Switch’

I am not a big fan of Rand Paul but I will applaud his attempt here…as well as the candidate that I was supporting until she dropped out Tulsi Gabbard.

Learn Stuff!

“lego ergo scribo”

Do We Really Need A ‘Car Czar’?

U.S. congressional Democrats have been drafting legislation for tight government control of the crippled U.S. auto industry, including the possible creation of an oversight board made up of five cabinet secretaries and the head of the Environmental Protection Agency and led by an independent chairman or “car czar.”

While the form of oversight was still being negotiated by congressional Democrats and the White House, the talks Sunday made clear the extent to which the auto companies would have to submit to substantial government supervision to receive a taxpayer-financed bailout.

Whatever oversight entity is created, it would direct the drastic reorganization plans that the auto companies have said they were willing to undertake in exchange for billions of dollars in short-term government loans to keep them in business, according to a senior congressional aide. A main factor complicating the deliberations was the imminent transition between the Bush and Obama administrations.

The discussions of how strong a hand the government should take with the auto industry came as congressional and White House negotiators sought to make the final touches on a $15 billion U.S. bridge loan to keep Chrysler, General Motors and Ford afloat. The legislation would also impose stringent taxpayer protections, including stock warrants giving the government an equity stake in the three firms, Chrysler, General Motors and Ford; new limits on executive pay; and a ban on stock dividends while the loans are outstanding.

Oversight will be needed but a ‘car czar’?  We have had a ‘drug czar’;, a ‘terror czar’, and an ‘interl czar’…..and how have all those ‘czars’ worked out?  War on Drugs is unwinable, the War on terror is not going as promised, but with some minor success and the ‘Intel’ czar has not brought all intel under one all encompassing leader….so just how effective will a ‘car czar’ be?  Oversight yes, but there has got to be a better way to accomplish that without some ‘czar’ wasting the taxpayers money and accomplishing very little.