This is typical with what I have seen in the DC area for 40 years. There are certain projects that are minority set-asides & only certified minority firms can bid. A few perform well, but most do poor work, cut corners, etc. Again, they get away with this because they are a minority. In DC everything for their government is bid as an 8A minority. Many minority firms have gotten rich from this system. Its standard practice for non-minority firms to give a kick back to a minority firm so they can bid DC work. I'm an engineer with 50 years experience in the high voltage field & specifications being issued on electrical products has never been worse. Transformers incorrectly specified & the project I referenced had 15KV switchgear. The Navy specified vault mounted switches, then pad mounted gas switches, & finally pad mounted fusible switches. The drawings indicated the correct product - switchgear. The design engineer constantly disapproved our submittals because they did not meet the specification which was incorrect. Letters that were written were ignored. Then panic set in when the switchgear was needed & 100% overtime was paid. The manufacturer lost money because of all the engineering work in preparing resubmittals & having to reorganize production. We could reduce the construction & weapon purchase budget by 50% & not lose anything if efficiency could be obtained. Unfortunately, I don't see that happening. Every where we turn as tax payers there is inefficiency & waste in government, including the military, & both Democrats & Republicans continue down the same old road.
+1 here. I have always opposed any form of set-asides (minority, small business, etc.). I want the best product at the lowest cost.
