Nearly Half Million Apply for U.S. Health Insurance Despite Flaws: Official

[seabeckind]

23. At what point do we start to recognise a pattern?

A few months ago there was a big stink about the new VA benefits computer system. Some many years late, very much overbudget.

Then there's the pay systems interfaces that was in the news and the lack of response to back pay errors in that system. If I remember, one of the symptoms identified was a general called back to active duty who was marked as deceased.

Then there's the problem with background checks and the failure to identify people who shouldn't be permitted to buy guns.

Then there's the recent problems with the Navy yard shooter and Snowden and their security clearances.

At what point does someone high up in the admin start recognising that there is a systemic problem that needs to be addressed? I'm not blaming Obama. This problem has existed for long before he took office. And I suspect that it won't be corrected before he leaves.

It is a result of the revolving door between gov't workers (no, not the guy down the bottom, the SES who drives the systems and rides around in the corporate jet) and private industry.

The other factor is the idea that all contracts must be cost-plus with the contractor defining the specs and extent of the contract. And then anytime anything comes up the immediate response is to add more contractors instead of getting rid of the ones that are there. Especially since even when a system fails, those same contract workers exchange ID cards and keep doing the same shoddy work.

Time to clean house in the executive branch. Lots of deadwood that's been cluttering up that branch for the last 30 years.