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From: lauren@vortex.UUCP (Lauren Weinstein)
Newsgroups: net.misc
Subject: Re: $1288 ashtrays
Message-ID: <733@vortex.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 3-Aug-85 12:53:34 EDT
Article-I.D.: vortex.733
Posted: Sat Aug  3 12:53:34 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 5-Aug-85 07:38:11 EDT
References: <250@ncr-sd.UUCP>
Organization: Vortex Technology, Los Angeles
Lines: 23

Hmmm.  If the contractors are all so squeaky honest, why are we
now seeing them offering refunds, money-back guarantees (that's
a first, apparently) for overcharging, and refunds left and right?
I think it's still very clear that many contractors took a tempting
situation, with high costs built in, and added on whatever 
extra margin they could for themselves.  Maybe they figured that
since the prices were already 3X higher than they should be, nobody
would notice if they made them 6X higher.  Once again, the refunds
and specific line items brought out (especially for standard parts
without special specs) have resulted in admissions of guilt on the
part of several major contractors.  One can only assume we're seeing
only what was able to be dragged up.

Oh yes, I'm still waiting to hear about how these honest contractors,
who wouldn't dream of cheating the government, felt it was OK
to charge their office parties, company-enhancing give-aways, 
pet supplies, and other unrelated costs to specific military
contracts, when such "overhead" charging was specifically forbidden.
A drop in the bucket compared with the other overcharging, of course.
But it gives a window on their overall attitude of "what they thought
they could get away with"...

--Lauren--