The Air Force tanker contract appears to be good news for our area at least, but the whole process to get this aircraft built reads like a TV sitcom. A very funny sitcom. It goes something like this:
The Air Force calls for bids to build an airplane. Air Force says it has winner, decides to award contract. Loser cries foul. Air Force changes specifications. Former apparent winner cries foul. Quits competition, saying Air Force men and women have been deprived of tanker long enough. Loser becomes winner.
The Air Force says not to worry, that it is ready to award a no-bid contract, and has had plenty of practice at this. Halliburton agrees. Meanwhile, the Air Force, and apparent winner, and politicians race to nearest microphone to assure taxpayers how good a deal it is for them. Halliburton agrees again.
Then the funniest line in this tale is the one about the winner having to be careful about under-bidding the job and taking on a money-losing contract for the tanker. What? No $500 toilet seats? Ain’t it curious how pork from your own pigs tastes so much better?
Don Curtis
Clinton
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