OPINION:
Once again, President Trump uses common sense and a business mindset to cut the taxpayers’ loses. He’s ordered the Navy to return to steam catapults instead of continuing to fund a big defense contractor with more money for the electromagnetic catapult system that will never come to fruition.
The entire building of the first nuclear aircraft carrier, USS Enterprise, cost the taxpayers $360 million. The cost for the unfulfilled contract for the Ford-class aircraft carriers started out at around $125 million and has steadily risen through the last decade to more than $900 million. The taxpayers still haven’t gotten a return on that “investment.” Where is the accountability by the Navy in the NAVSEA Program Office for this outrageous expenditure and cost overrun? Where is the accountability by the contractor in returning the taxpayers’ money for the unfulfilled delivery of this contractual obligation?
This is demonstrable proof that the taxpayer is viewed as a cash cow by unelected, unaccountable bureaucrats. While investment in technology for our armed services is impressive, at some point the Pentagon must take a realistic view of unfulfilled contractual obligations and start holding accountable those who have ripped us off.
AL QUARTARARO
Virginia Beach, Va.
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