In 2017, Senator James Lankford (R-OK) produced a report called Federal Fumbles Vol. 3: 100 Ways The Government Dropped The Ball. The report lists lists $473.6 billion in wasteful and inefficient federal spending.

In this report, Senator Lankford outlined $30,000 by the NEA to grant a production of “Doggie Hamlet.” According to Senator Lankford:

“As evidenced in previous editions of Federal Fumbles, the American public’s love for William Shakespeare has sometimes translated into unusual and unnecessary federal expenditures. For instance, tens of thousands were spent to support a production of Silent Shakespeare in 2015.18 However, the strangeness of those fumbles pales in comparison to a $30,000 NEA grant to support a production of Doggie Hamlet.

Doggie Hamlet actually includes humans yelling or running toward very confused sheep and dogs.20 The production, which does not include any actual lines from Hamlet, is conducted outdoors in a 30-by-50-foot field in New Hampshire. The play is described as “a beautiful and dreamlike spectacle weaving instinct, mystery, and movement into an unusual performance event.”

Many people view art subjectively, and there are likely many who would enjoy watching this play. However, with $20 trillion in national debt, it is difficult to explain to taxpayers in Oklahoma or Montana—even the people who work with sheep daily—why $30,000 was spent for a few people to run around a field yelling at sheep. The NEA should refocus its efforts and its support on grants that advance the arts and our national interests.”

In December of 2018, I filed a FOIA request for records relating to this grant. Below, you will find the records that came back under the FOIA.

Document Archive

Doggie Hamlet – $30,000 Production by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) [26 Pages, 1MB] – This was NEA FOIA Case F19-008.

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The post Doggie Hamlet – $30,000 Production by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) first appeared on The Black Vault.

FERC currently leases and occupies 400,000 rentable sq. feet. In order to comply with General Services Administration (GSA) mandates to reduce the current footprint, FERC will undergo a phased renovation of the headquarters building at 888 First Street NE, Washington D.C. 20426. To accomplish this goal, new office and workstation area standards are being defined in order to reduce the overall square footage of occupied space, while providing sufficient space to meet the current and planned future FERC FTE head-counts.

In support of this effort, the “FERC Headquarters Renovation Project and Field Office Refresh: Initial Outfitting, Transition, & Commodities (10T&C)” procurement provides for the following requirements: manufactured furniture, partitions, shelving, chairs, including wood office furniture; furniture installation services, office move and transition services; and information technology (IT) equipment, audio visual equipment, security programming services, and comprehensive light auditing services.

In August of 2017, I requested from FERC all emails between their agency, and the GSA, regarding this “Modernization Project”.

I received a very large (nearly 1 gig) of emails, regarding the project.  I am archiving it in this format, since there are thousands of individual files. The PDF portfolio is the best way to view the archive, although, it is very large.

It is recommended to download the PDF onto your computer, rather than opening it in your browser.

Document Archive

 FERC Headquarters Modernization project Email PDF Portfolio [4,220 Pages, 865MB]

The post FERC Headquarters Modernization Project first appeared on The Black Vault.

I was curious how much some agencies spent, in regards to advertising on social networks.  So, in October of 2016, I filed to the Social Security Administration (SSA) for records pertaining to this, and was surprised to see a huge influx in spending in 2015 compared to the other years released.

According to the SSA’s website:

Document Archive

 Social Security Administration Social Network Spending, 2013-2016 [3 Pages, 1.1MB]

https://documents.theblackvault.com/documents/ssa/SSA-SocialNetworkAds-2013-2016.pdf

The post Social Security Administration Social Network Spending, 2013-2016 first appeared on The Black Vault.

Under its contract for the Idaho Cleanup Project, CH2M-WG Idaho LLC was to design, construct, and operate the Sodium-Bearing Waste Treatment Facility (SBWTF) to treat 900,000 gallons of radioactive liquid waste that is currently stored in underground waste tanks at the Idaho National Laboratory.

The 1995 Settlement Agreement required the Department to complete processing of the sodium-bearing waste by December 31, 2012. Following treatment, as required by the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, the waste tanks were to be removed from service by December 2014.

However, the project had cost and schedule issues, leading the Department of Energy’s Idaho Operations Office to delay the planned start of operations a number of times. In December 2010, to address cost overruns, the Department implemented a contract modification where it placed a cost cap of $571 million for the construction of the facility. Any construction costs above that amount were to be borne by the contractor. Operating costs are fully reimbursable, are not subject to the cost cap, and begin after construction is complete.

In April 2012, the Department declared construction complete, beginning the project’s operation phase, and in June 2012, CH2M-WG Idaho LLC initiated comprehensive performance testing, which involved operating the plant at high temperature with a nonradioactive simulant to prove full performance of the facility. On June 16, 2012, during testing, the facility experienced a “system pressure event” which led to the shutdown of the facility.

The Department’s investigation into the event revealed both operational and design deficiencies and the facility has been shut down since the event for modifications and repairs to the facility and process. We initiated this audit to determine whether the Department effectively managed the startup of the SBWTF.

Management of the Startup of the Sodium-Bearing Waste Treatment Facility, March 2016

https://documents.theblackvault.com/documents/doe/DOE-OIG-16-09.pdf

The post Feds Spend Over $700 Million On A Radioactive Waste Plant That Doesn’t Work first appeared on The Black Vault.

But since the ink of his signature hit the bill, it has been surrounded with question marks.  Where is the money going?  What is it going to?

Well many news agencies followed the trail, and reported excessive spending on programs not worth the time.  Who should you believe?

To watch the dollar signs, I have filed multiple FOIAs for the exact contracts related to stimulus spending.  Below, you will find the documents that have been received, and you decide — is it worth OUR money?

$18,000,000+ for the software to run Recovery.gov?  Note the amount of blacked out information

•  Documents regarding this contact, compliments of ProPublica [156 Pages, 15.5mb]

$16,700,000+ for Canned Pork?

Contract Number AG3J14120297195

Funding Amount $16,784,272
Recipient Name LAKESIDE FOODS INC
Contracting Office Name AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE
Description of Work/Service performed: CANNED PORK

Link to the Recovery.gov contract listing

 Documents obtained from the FDA regarding this contract [141 Pages, 8.8mb]

$1,500,000+ for Cheese?

Contract Number AGDPDVVDOC02503

Funding Amount $1,562,568
Agency Name Department of Agriculture
Description of Work/Service performed: MOZZARELLA CHEESE
Recipient Name MICELI DAIRY PRODUCTS COMPANY

1.  Documents obtained from the USDA regarding this contract [290 Pages,6.9mb]

 $1,400,000+ to repair a door?

Contract Number: 0006

Funding Amount: $1,444,100
Project Location: DYESS AFB
Recipient Name AFCO TECHNOLOGIES, INC
Description of Work/Service performed: REPAIR DOOR BLDG 5112

Link to the Recovery.gov contract listing

1.  Documents obtained from Dyess Air Force Base regarding the above contract [60 Pages, 1.3mb]

The post Stimulus Package Watch first appeared on The Black Vault.

Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus announced today that Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Pacific awarded a contract to Pacific Energy Solutions LLC, for the procurement of electricity produced from renewable energy generation systems.

 

Pacific Energy Solutions, based out of Boca Raton, Florida, will design, construct, own, operate and maintain various solar photovoltaic (PV) power generation systems that will provide renewable electricity to Navy and Marine Corps bases on Oahu, Hawaii. The total amount of power generated is anticipated to be about 17 megawatts of alternating current that will be shared between the Navy and Marine Corps.

 

“This is a large project with 10 roof top photovoltaic systems and four ground-based or elevated systems, built on three different bases,” said Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus. “In the first year alone we expect that these systems will save the taxpayers $1.6 million. That’s the equivalent of the electricity that can be generated from 54,000 barrels of oil here in Hawaii. It’s the amount of electricity needed to power more than 5,000 average homes here. And that’s just in the first year. This program will be generating those savings for decades. The work we are doing here will serve as a model for other projects around the world.”

The big question, is how did they calculate the “savings” of $1.6 million per year for the American taxpayer?  $334,135,534 spent to save $1,600,000 a year, for a system that will only last 25 years?  That’s a grand total savings of $40 million.  $334,135,534 to save $40,000,000?  Something doesn’t add up.

I quickly filed a FOIA request for all records pertaining to the determination of how this array would save money, the research that was done to see if it would be effective, etc.

 Records released under the FOIA from NAVFAC PAC, September 20, 2014 [ 5 Pages, 0.9MB ]

https://documents.theblackvault.com/documents/controversies/DON-NAVY-2014-008036.pdf

The post Navy Goes Green In Hawaii – But Is It Worth It? first appeared on The Black Vault.

U.S. taxpayers have to foot the bill $486 million dollars worth of aircraft the Defense Department decided to destroy, according to interim research conducted by the inspector general.

While all 20 of the G222 military transport planes purchased from Italy were supposed to see combat in Afghanistan, 16 of them are now being sold for scrap to an Afghan construction company for the total sum of $32,000, amounting to 6 cents per pound. The other 4 planes are sitting dormant at the Ramstein Air Base in Germany. The program to purchase planes for the Afghan Air Force ended in 2013 after it was determined that the planes had serious performance and maintenance problems.

Inspector general John Sopko for reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan expressed frustration at the sudden decision to destroy the planes, writing in a letter to Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel that the Secretary must inform him first before similar plans are made to scrap the remaining 4 planes.

Sopko’s investigation is ongoing, but sent the interim letters to try and prevent kneejerk decisions from being made. He additionally requested the Air Force Secretary Deborah James to turn over documentation relevant to the decision-making process involved in scrapping the 16 planes and also asked for proof of whether any alternative plans were considered for the planes, such as pursuing refunds under warranty.

“We value the oversight provided by inspectors general and audit agencies, and incorporate their findings and recommendations into subsequent efforts,” Pentagon spokesman Maj. Brad Avots said in response to the concerns Sopko highlighted. “Working in a wartime environment such as Afghanistan brings with it many challenges, and we continually seek to improve our processes. The point of the destroying the planes, Maj. Avots added, was to minimize impact on drawdown of U.S. forces in Afghanistan.”

The following are documents relating to this Inspector General report, and incident. More FOIA requests have been filed, and will be posted when available.

Office of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction Records

 October 3, 2014 Letter from SIGAR to the Secretary of the Air Force [ 4 Pages, 0.6MB ]

 October 3, 2014 Letter from SIGAR to the Secretary of Defense [ 9 Pages, 1.2MB ]

The post Half a Billion Dollars Lost After 20 G222 Cargo Planes Scrapped first appeared on The Black Vault.