- Aug 4, 2011
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"There is an unmistakable pattern of friends of the Obamas getting rich by receiving special treatment. Recall Solyndra, the California-based company that made solar panels. In spite of widespread predictions that the company was not viable because of recurring losses, cash flow problems and a decreasing worldwide market for the companys products, the White House pushed hard to give Solyndra huge infusions of cash because Obama crony, campaign contributor and frequent White House visitor George Kaiser owned an equity firm that backed the company.
"Solyndra did fail but only after delaying the announcement of massive layoffs until after the 2010 mid-term election as requested by administration officials. (That kind of strategy is representative of another Obama administration pattern: letting politics dictate government actions, to the detriment of the public interest.) And because President Obama and Secretary of Energy Steven Chu structured the deal in an unusual way so that private creditors interests were placed ahead of those of the government, the taxpayers lost the $528 million they put into Solyndra.
"A second example concerns a company called Siga, whose flagship product is a drug to treat smallpox. The Los Angeles Times headline and sub-headline summarize the story nicely: Cost, need questioned in $433-million smallpox drug deal; a company controlled by a longtime political donor gets a no-bid contract to supply an experimental remedy for a threat that may not exist.
"
Siga was given the contract for 1.7 million doses of the drug, called ST-246, for about $255 per dose, well above the $170 that government contract specialists had considered fair and reasonable. (By contrast, the vaccine costs about $3 a dose.)
Siga was offered the contract on a sole source procurement basis meaning that no other company was asked to bid.
When government contracting specialists balked at both the huge markup permitted to the company and the sole-source arrangement, political appointee Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services Nicole Lurie replaced the lead negotiator.
ST-246 is not needed, nor is it likely that the FDA would ever approve it.
The U.S. biodefense stockpile contains 300 million doses of smallpox vaccine, enough for every eligible man, woman and child in this country. An anti-viral drug would be needed only for people who were exposed to the smallpox virus but were unable to get the vaccine within four days of exposure. In a worst case, in the event of a smallpox outbreak, ring vaccination could encircle those infected with a barrier of immunity and stop the spread of the disease."
And it's only good for 36 months. It's the gift that keeps on giving.
Obama Cronyism Enriches Friends, Shortchanges Others - Forbes
"Solyndra did fail but only after delaying the announcement of massive layoffs until after the 2010 mid-term election as requested by administration officials. (That kind of strategy is representative of another Obama administration pattern: letting politics dictate government actions, to the detriment of the public interest.) And because President Obama and Secretary of Energy Steven Chu structured the deal in an unusual way so that private creditors interests were placed ahead of those of the government, the taxpayers lost the $528 million they put into Solyndra.
"A second example concerns a company called Siga, whose flagship product is a drug to treat smallpox. The Los Angeles Times headline and sub-headline summarize the story nicely: Cost, need questioned in $433-million smallpox drug deal; a company controlled by a longtime political donor gets a no-bid contract to supply an experimental remedy for a threat that may not exist.
"
Siga was given the contract for 1.7 million doses of the drug, called ST-246, for about $255 per dose, well above the $170 that government contract specialists had considered fair and reasonable. (By contrast, the vaccine costs about $3 a dose.)
Siga was offered the contract on a sole source procurement basis meaning that no other company was asked to bid.
When government contracting specialists balked at both the huge markup permitted to the company and the sole-source arrangement, political appointee Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services Nicole Lurie replaced the lead negotiator.
ST-246 is not needed, nor is it likely that the FDA would ever approve it.
The U.S. biodefense stockpile contains 300 million doses of smallpox vaccine, enough for every eligible man, woman and child in this country. An anti-viral drug would be needed only for people who were exposed to the smallpox virus but were unable to get the vaccine within four days of exposure. In a worst case, in the event of a smallpox outbreak, ring vaccination could encircle those infected with a barrier of immunity and stop the spread of the disease."
And it's only good for 36 months. It's the gift that keeps on giving.
Obama Cronyism Enriches Friends, Shortchanges Others - Forbes
"Chicago" is a racist code word.
