The reason the government pays too much for highways, airports, military materials and vehicles

[Lint Head]

is because private corporate contractors like the private corporation Trump owns are taking advantage of the government and the red tape by overbilling

[citood]

1. Most of these jobs are competitively bid

A large factor is Davis Bacon wage rates...unions like them but some in the minority community oppose them. But whatever your opinion, these wage rates set a baseline that nobody can go below when bidding.

[Lint Head]

2. I worked for a company that had to rebid thier federal government

contract every quarter. Believe me. There are a lot of loopholes, intended and non intended, that corporate lawyers fill with money. 'Man hours eliminated' is jargon. The contract does not always go to the lowest bidder because it could mean inferior work which would manifest in an audit. I have been the lead on many federal audits in our company.

[citood]

3. And this company built the highways you mentioned?

Most highway work is bid at the state level.

[Lint Head]

4. The State is considered a government subcontractor when

building 'Interstate' highways. Not State highways. Federal subsidies pay the majority of cost. That has kinda been the norm since Dwight D Eisenhower signed funding for interstate highways. He saw Germany's highways that was built for thier military and said, we need that here.

[citood]

5. I am very familiar with how highways are funded

But the administration...to include bidding...is done by state DOTs. So I ask again if your experience is with highway construction.

[Lint Head]

6. Not highways specifically. But specifically the law, bylaws and

regulations regarding federal contracts which includes federal highway projects and infrastructure.

[citood]

7. Ok. Let me assure you

You cannot lump highway funding into the same pot as the military acquisition process. The vast majority of highway projects are competitively bid by state DOTs to the point of criminal prosecution if there is collusion.

And I don't know what 'federal regulations' you describe, but highway funding is generally funded in its own way - normally called 'the highway bill', and a few called the Transportation Equity Act version 1 and 2.

Finally, the Highway Fund is funded through fuel taxes and is largely not responsible for our deficits or debt.

[Lint Head]

8. The US Treasury is the US Treasury and protecting it from

fraud was one of my main jobs. State governments are contractually subsidized all the time. Obviously you do not know what laws and regulations I'm referring to. Fuel taxes do not always cover the work. Especially when it invloves infrastructure that can impact the movement of federally owned assets. We can end this here or you can continue to respond but I'm done for the evening.

[citood]

9. Surest sign you are losing the argument

I'd tell you that you spoke out if turn when you lumped highways into your op...

But you already know that.

You still havent answered whether or not your company had ANYTHING to do with highway construction...so I'll take that as a 'no'.

Why do you think I'm on this thread? Perhaps if you were to ask me the same question, my answer would be 'yes'.

But humor me...support your assertion in the OP and give me an example of a no bid federal highway contract where the contractor gouged the government. Please be specific....ok maybe 2 examples so we can get the Big Dig out of the way.

[Lint Head]

10. You don't know what your talking about. The discussion is

useless. Nobody "wins" when there is nothing to win.
You're just too witty for me.

[citood]

11. Ok. You do realize you made a claim in the OP and can't back it up, right?

[citood]

12. Ok. You do realize you made a claim in the OP and can't back it up, right?