October 11th, 2008 by Jon Taplin
There is an amazing story in The Times of a Pentagon insider,Michael Cantrell scamming hundreds of millions in kickbacks on the missile defense system.
With his new wealth, Mr. Cantrell, now 52, built himself a $1.25 million home in an exclusive Huntsville neighborhood called the Ledges.
Mr. Cantrell, who received the bulk of the kickbacks, acknowledges his crime but he ticks off the failings of the system that he exploited: lawmakers who are eager to please contractors and campaign donors; unwillingness by the Army to push back against members of Congress whose agendas were at odds with those of the military; and little scrutiny.
“We just paid for meaningless work,” he said. “And there was so little oversight that no one noticed.”
I gotta say, those Alabama missile boys sure have some moxie. Read the whole thing. It’s why the Military Industrial Complex has to be busted up.
October 11th, 2008 by Jon Taplin
There is an amazing story in The Times of a Pentagon insider,Michael Cantrell scamming hundreds of millions in kickbacks on the missile defense system.
With his new wealth, Mr. Cantrell, now 52, built himself a $1.25 million home in an exclusive Huntsville neighborhood called the Ledges.
Mr. Cantrell, who received the bulk of the kickbacks, acknowledges his crime but he ticks off the failings of the system that he exploited: lawmakers who are eager to please contractors and campaign donors; unwillingness by the Army to push back against members of Congress whose agendas were at odds with those of the military; and little scrutiny.
“We just paid for meaningless work,” he said. “And there was so little oversight that no one noticed.”
I gotta say, those Alabama missile boys sure have some moxie. Read the whole thing. It’s why the Military Industrial Complex has to be busted up.
October 11th, 2008 by Jon Taplin
There is an amazing story in The Times of a Pentagon insider,Michael Cantrell scamming hundreds of millions in kickbacks on the missile defense system.
With his new wealth, Mr. Cantrell, now 52, built himself a $1.25 million home in an exclusive Huntsville neighborhood called the Ledges.
Mr. Cantrell, who received the bulk of the kickbacks, acknowledges his crime but he ticks off the failings of the system that he exploited: lawmakers who are eager to please contractors and campaign donors; unwillingness by the Army to push back against members of Congress whose agendas were at odds with those of the military; and little scrutiny.
“We just paid for meaningless work,” he said. “And there was so little oversight that no one noticed.”
I gotta say, those Alabama missile boys sure have some moxie. Read the whole thing. It’s why the Military Industrial Complex has to be busted up.
“Missile defense shield” is equivalent to “intelligent design.”
There is another story more recent. A Huntsville resident who worked at the Woods Hole Institute had the idea that just won the Nobel Prize. His funding ran out and he provided the research to two other investigators as a courtesy. They won the Nobel Prize. He now drives a courtesy van at a local car dealership.
The world doesn’t always play fair, but they caught and are prosecuting Cantrell. Douglas Prasher needs a new job.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=95545761
@len, Ouch! Another Rosalind Franklin story there.
It probably says something that this story got so few comments. Eh, we think, a guy who scooped up a few million dishonestly–small potatos. Chump change.
We’ve lined up well over $1.5 billion in corporate welfare to keep from being submerged by a tidal wave of Wall Street misery. That’s enough to give a million dollars to 1,500,000 American households. Or enough to give about $10,000 to every American household.
If I had money to invest, I’d go into the high-end cigarette boat and yacht building business. There’s going to be a hell of a boom.
Cantrell was easily caught. The doofus built a house in the most expensive neighborhood in town. So no one had to look hard. It takes time to build a case even when the proof is sitting on a hillside for the world to see.
If you want to see the really scary make your paranoid knees knock, look up the history of a M Sgt William E Higdon (circa 1971). You’ll have to dig for it. It helps to understand how difficult oversight can be when someone in middle position is corrupted and has firepower to back it up.
Don’t be too cynical but if you don’t think bad guys seep into the cracks and fester, you aren’t being cynical enough. On the other hand, good guys catch them and sometimes at great risk.
Higdon was a scary dude.
But understand, if you think Obama is going after the MilSpec world, you are hallucinating. He will increase the military budget.
Anyone want to take odds?
And not for “he got corrupted” reasons. He will do it for the same reason you buy another car when the old one’s mileage and parts replacement rate exceeds the value of the car.
The miracle money will come out of social programs. Right now you’re being sweetened with sugar water, but after the election, the hammer will fall.
Can anyone tell me what has recently happened to Cantrell? Also, does anyone have a picture of the guy?
I need a picture of Michael Cantrell. Can anyone help me? Thanks.