Potholes and decrepit bridges at home, new and unused military warehouses abroad

[marmar]

Unlike many buildings commissioned by the U.S. in Afghanistan, the new military warehouse facility in Kandahar was well built, an inspector general investigation concluded.

There was, however, one glaring problem: no one was around to use the gleaming, $14.7 million complex. The four warehouses and an administration building were empty, because the intended occupants, the Defense Logistics Agency, had already ended their mission in Kandahar.

The Army had decided to send DLA home in August 2013, six months before the warehouses were completed. The project, however, "continued uninterrupted," without any attempts to reevaluate or downsize it, according to a report by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, or SIGAR. Instead, the military added $400,000 of modifications to the buildings — knowing DLA would never use it, SIGAR wrote in a report released today.

In the end, the facility finished two years behind schedule and cost $1.2 million more than anticipated.

As combat operations in Afghanistan concluded in 2014, a familiar pattern emerged with the military's construction projects: They were routinely over budget, past deadline and often never used. .................(more)

http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/32014-us-military-built-another-multimillion-dollar-building-in-afghanistan-that-no-one-used

[gratuitous]

1. And we can't pass a highway bill

The Bush administration cut taxes on its wealthy pals and launched two invasions and occupations that we're still paying for. And what, besides a well-armed ISIS, do we have to show for it? If we did a little deficit spending on highway maintenance, repair and construction, we'd have a whole bunch of good jobs with good pay, workers who would spend their earnings in their local communities, and better roads.

Okay, I see the problem now.

[Warpy]

2. This is why the generals need to be put on a DIET

and Republicans are not going to be the ones to do it, EVER.

Troop strength has to be specified so they don't just throw soldiers out of jobs.

What needs to be cut are the unnecessary programs including unused buildings in Afghanistan and a death trap of an airplane that is already costing us the GDP over several years.

They have to be STOPPED. It's getting ridiculous, all the trillions spent making rich old men feel safe while the country rots out from under the rest of us.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

5. Exactly right. THIS ^^^^^^^^^^^^n/t

[nationalize the fed]

3. This ripoff will continue

while Americans tolerate it.


http://costofwar.com

Maybe the biggest ripoff in history. The descendants of the Rebels that fought the biggest superpower on earth can't protest their wealth being stolen to bomb and invade lands 8,000 miles away. For shame.

"A Republic, if you can keep it"- Sorry Ben, we failed

[malaise]

4. Stop MIC or

Stop America

[Fred Sanders]

6. On the bright side I am sure the Afghans can find more use for a free building than free bombs.