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You don't think they 'actually spend $20k on a hammer, $30k on a toilet seat, do you'[1]? If this is not an error, I think we just found the best justification

You don't think they 'actually spend $20k on a hammer, $30k on a toilet seat, do you'[1]? If this is not an error, I think we just found the best justification I've seen for making all budgets/purchases etc. in government publicly available via API, as this and the ones below are amazing finds. [1] http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0116629/quotes?item=qt1534129 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0116629/quotes?item=qt1534129

mludlum 12y ago
Jefferson county in WV did pay $189 per a latrine though...
abritishguy 12y ago
I can't find the 20k hammer or the toilet seat.
- lifeisstillgood 12y ago
  It's a quote from "Independance Day" explaining how the us govt was able to keep the funding of area 51 secret. I think the quote is not the main thrust of the GP point - but it's pretty hard to make any sensible comments with billions in hardware being given away.
superuser2 12y ago
Not to excuse it all, because I'm sure there's plenty of waste and fraud, but sometimes militaries/governments need things that are more robust than the seemingly just-as-good civilian alternatives. Why doesn't Curiosity run on a Dell Inspiron? Why can't the President drive a used Honda Civic? Why can't the drone programs just retrofit toy helicopters? (Hint: there are good answers to all of these questions.) I've always found this West Wing clip interesting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7R9kH_HOUXM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7R9kH_HOUXM
- ithought 12y ago
  As another point, the book Burning Money from the Chairman of Reagan's Committee on Cost Control, J. Peter Grace: "The Federal government is Burning Money and it is your money. An actual case. One day the US Navy decided to buy a hammer, the kind you buy for $7 at the corner hardware store. To the $7 cost of the hammer, add: $41 to order the hammer and figure out how to use it. $93 to make sure the hammer worked. $102 for "manufacturing overhead. " $37 to make sure there were spare parts for the hammer. $3 for packing the hammer for shipment. $90 for the contractor's general administrative costs. $56 for the finder's fee. $7 for the capital cost of money. The U.S. Navy ended up buying a $7 hammer for $436, and who paid for it? You." http://www.paperbackswap.com/Burning-Money-Waste-J-Peter-Grace/book/0025449303/ http://www.paperbackswap.com/Burning-Money-Waste-J-Peter-Gra...

mludlum 12y ago

Jefferson county in WV did pay $189 per a latrine though...

abritishguy 12y ago

I can't find the 20k hammer or the toilet seat.

lifeisstillgood 12y ago
It's a quote from "Independance Day" explaining how the us govt was able to keep the funding of area 51 secret. I think the quote is not the main thrust of the GP point - but it's pretty hard to make any sensible comments with billions in hardware being given away.

superuser2 12y ago

Not to excuse it all, because I'm sure there's plenty of waste and fraud, but sometimes militaries/governments need things that are more robust than the seemingly just-as-good civilian alternatives. Why doesn't Curiosity run on a Dell Inspiron? Why can't the President drive a used Honda Civic? Why can't the drone programs just retrofit toy helicopters? (Hint: there are good answers to all of these questions.) I've always found this West Wing clip interesting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7R9kH_HOUXM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7R9kH_HOUXM

ithought 12y ago
As another point, the book Burning Money from the Chairman of Reagan's Committee on Cost Control, J. Peter Grace: "The Federal government is Burning Money and it is your money. An actual case. One day the US Navy decided to buy a hammer, the kind you buy for $7 at the corner hardware store. To the $7 cost of the hammer, add: $41 to order the hammer and figure out how to use it. $93 to make sure the hammer worked. $102 for "manufacturing overhead. " $37 to make sure there were spare parts for the hammer. $3 for packing the hammer for shipment. $90 for the contractor's general administrative costs. $56 for the finder's fee. $7 for the capital cost of money. The U.S. Navy ended up buying a $7 hammer for $436, and who paid for it? You." http://www.paperbackswap.com/Burning-Money-Waste-J-Peter-Grace/book/0025449303/ http://www.paperbackswap.com/Burning-Money-Waste-J-Peter-Gra...