New Kind of Presidential Debate »
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November 20th, 2007 at 9:14 am
A few comments.
1. I am amazed at how many people who want to be policy wonks have such little knowledge of how the government actually works. Program managers are required to give 10% or more of their contracts to small, disadvantaged or minority contractors (8A). However, native Americans and Inuit contractors get first crack at government contracts. The small contractors receive a bonus payment for what a Fortune 500 would receive.
2. Many 8a contractors are just pass through organizations who take the 8a premium and then contract the work in larger, established firms. Every hazardous waste company that deals directly with the federal government is an 8A but all they do is contract with other companies to do the work. On a side note, virtually every company mowing grass or putting up dry wall for the feds is an 8A.
3. The TSA systems mentioned in the article has been around since at least the 1980’s as a DOE/DoD contractor. They make the detectors for places like Los Alamos to detect radioactive material leaving the front gate. They also make instruments for dealing with nuclear weapon (Broken Arrow) events
4. L-3 makes vehicle x-ray systems (as do As&E, Smith Detection, and Rapidscan). They are a competitor to SAIC (who also makes portal radiation detectors after they purchase the Canadian Company Exploraranium). L-3, SAIC, and CSC are all the high tech equivalent of Amway. They are really a bunch of small companies who pay part of their income to the “upchain” owners.
5. There is no gimmick that can overcome the physics involved with radiation detection. No detector is perfect. At least with radiation there is a chance of detection at a distance. With chemical weapons like Sarin or VX, detection is much harder unless their is a release. No only does shielding limit the detectable gammas but their is also a background level that limits detection and there are many legitimate sources that also are detected.
November 20th, 2007 at 10:19 am
I want to save the government a ton of money, whats my share for trimming the pork?
I give you the “Popeil Pocket Fisherman/Dosimeter” at :
We don’t need no stinkin TSA company, give em all badges.
November 20th, 2007 at 10:20 am
So sorry:
http://www.stanforddosimetry.com/SIRAD/walletdosimeter.html