Essay about United States Department of Defense and Service Members

Submitted By Samantha-Rupf
Words: 374
Pages: 2

Samantha Rupf
Economics 103
2-2-15

An issue that affects the economy that I would like to address is the issue of military spending. I believe the government spends too much money on non-essentials and not enough where it's needed the most. Our service members for example, are on the front lines risking their lives to protect our freedom, yet many of them make less money than an In and Out employee.
This is a problem that negatively affects our entire country. Financial worries and stress are not conducive to a strong military and he or she will not be able to perform to the best of their ability. Although a bit more on the dramatic side, this could potentially affect our country in a very grave manner.
In 1981 the government founded Project on Government Oversight (POGO), a non-profit company in Washington, D.C. POGO is an investigative organization that seeks to document and expose any evidence of corruption, waste, fraud or abuse within the U.S. Government and was originally put into place to expose the insanely overpriced military spending on frivolous items they were purchasing at the time. One such item was a $7,600 coffee maker. They were also found to have spent $436 on a hammer. Just last year, the Pentagon was found to have allowed contractors to overcharge taxpayers up to 18 times the amount they should have paid for parts.
According to Bloomberg, the Pentagon paid Textron, Inc.'s Bell Helicopter unit $8123.50 each for gears that should've cost $445.06. The