LETTER: Space program escaped chainsaw
There seems to be a large omission from the “government efficiency” project: the space program. This program produces few direct benefits to the American people, yet billions are spent on it. Lately the space program seems more like a playground for the wealthy, yet it has escaped the big chainsaw that was applied with abandon elsewhere.
Actually, it seems like the space program is a template for what corporate billionaires would like to do with the rest of the government. NASA is just a shell of what it once was, and its functions are now carried out by government contracts. Corporations such as Spacex and Blue Origin have made plenty in profits, with the federal government as its primary customer. The “efficiency” program seems to be aimed at cutting down other agencies to shells; later, when the public realizes what is missing, contracts will go out to private corporations to take over what used to be government programs.
Some may think that businesses can handle government projects more efficiently, but that has often not been the case. Businesses with large government contracts have no incentive to carry them out efficiently. They can make bigger profits by being wasteful and having cost overruns, knowing the federal government will still pay.
For example, look at the history of Boeing, the airplane manufacturer. Decades ago, Boeing split into two divisions: one for their corporate clients, and the other for federal defense contracts. Airlines received a good product at a fair price, but the defense products have been characterized by shoddy workmanship and massive cost overruns. We’ve heard stories for years about the defense department paying hundreds for a hammer, and this is one source for those stories. Boeing has milked the American taxpayers for years, making huge profits. Meanwhile Navy jets continue to have accidents. Corporations have no conscience, and will make profits any way they can. The federal government, by contrast, does have an obligation to the American public.
John Bogaard
Houston