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Topic:
Publicly traded Defense Contractors - Best interests of the country or stockholders?
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Date Posted:
1/1/00 12:00am
Subject:
Publicly traded Defense Contractors - Best interests of the country or stockholders?
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SoBaKi posted:
What should be the primary goal of a publicly traded Defense Contractor? Maximize return to its stockholders OR ensure highest level of support to the Government.
Before any of you state it should do both, it cannot. One side or the other suffers or both do.
I've recently found myself on the wrong end of a new edict from upper management to achieve a profit margin that is ridiculously high. So much so that over the weekend, I came to the conclusion that the ONLY way to ensure the goals are achieved is at the potential expense of one or two people's jobs which will subsequently decrease the support I provide to the Government client.
After thinking about this most of the weekend, I came to the conclusion that Defense Contractors should be treated in such a way that profit is capped, say at 10%. That way, the corporation is still making money, albiet on a much more defined basis but it also helps focus the Defense Contractor's support BACK to the Government client.
Anyway, I'm sure this will make a lot of people's heads assplode, but after what has come down from upper management, I don't care.
Does the government have any oversight staffers on its side of the equation? I don't believe that setting an arbitrary limit to profits will have any effect beyond companies lawyering what counts as profits and/or tucking profits in via other means. The problem seems more contracting and oversight or regulation by the government itself. The corruption and negligence on that front is more controllable (I think) than general corporate greed.
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I radiate more heat than light.
I know what you're trying to do but you're just sailing another failboat over the falls. - imaloon1
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Yukishiro1
Posts: 3,243
Registered: 2002-9-20 23:52:57
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Date Posted:
1/1/00 12:00am
Subject:
Publicly traded Defense Contractors - Best interests of the country or stockholders?
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There are whole government departmental divisions devoted to oversight but they don't really do much.
Government contracting is the biggest scam in the country. Privatization with the gubmint footing the bill is the worst of both worlds. So of course it's the compromise our politicians decide to make. 
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Date Posted:
1/1/00 12:00am
Subject:
Publicly traded Defense Contractors - Best interests of the country or stockholders?
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Perhaps honest was not the correct word. The trait was "Their word is their bond". In other words if they way they will do something they will do it. That means honest to me but perhaps others will not see it that way.
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There are three kind of liberals;
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Date Posted:
1/1/00 12:00am
Subject:
Publicly traded Defense Contractors - Best interests of the country or stockholders?
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Yukishiro1 posted:
There are whole government departmental divisions devoted to oversight but they don't really do much.
This is kind of my point, Yuki. I believe the government needs to mend its internal conflicts rather than attempt an external fix that exists in large part because of the internal conflicts.
Also, sounds like you have a crappy choice ahead there Sobaki.
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I radiate more heat than light.
I know what you're trying to do but you're just sailing another failboat over the falls. - imaloon1
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Yukishiro1
Posts: 3,243
Registered: 2002-9-20 23:52:57
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Date Posted:
1/1/00 12:00am
Subject:
Publicly traded Defense Contractors - Best interests of the country or stockholders?
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Why would the gubmint want to mend its internal conflicts? Politicians are the ones who end up prospering from all those campaign contributions and cushy lobbying jobs after they retire.
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Date Posted:
1/1/00 12:00am
Subject:
Publicly traded Defense Contractors - Best interests of the country or stockholders?
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Fist_de_Yuma posted:
Perhaps honest was not the correct word. The trait was "Their word is their bond". In other words if they way they will do something they will do it. That means honest to me but perhaps others will not see it that way.
If you truly believe this, you must absolutely trust everything John Kerry says, right? How about Jared Polis? Mark Warner? Jay Rockefeller? Hilary and Bill Clinton? These folks are all members of "the very rich", so they must be honest and their words are their bond. You said it yourself right?
Based on your own statements, you trust Bill Clinton and believe he keeps his promises. Because after all, he is rich.
-----signature-----
I radiate more heat than light.
I know what you're trying to do but you're just sailing another failboat over the falls. - imaloon1
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Date Posted:
1/1/00 12:00am
Subject:
Publicly traded Defense Contractors - Best interests of the country or stockholders?
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Yukishiro1 posted:
Why would the gubmint want to mend its internal conflicts? Politicians are the ones who end up prospering from all those campaign contributions and cushy lobbying jobs after they retire.
I know, right? Given that, I just don't believe that setting a profit ceiling on the contractors who throw money at the government is going to work the way Sobaki wants it to work.
-----signature-----
I radiate more heat than light.
I know what you're trying to do but you're just sailing another failboat over the falls. - imaloon1
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DemonicXH
Title: Camelot Vault Staff
News Editor
Posts: 584
Registered: 2003-12-1 08:14:17
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Date Posted:
1/1/00 12:00am
Subject:
Publicly traded Defense Contractors - Best interests of the country or stockholders?
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There are limits to how much profit insurance companies can make.
Doesn't stop them from making ass loads of money. They just find different ways as to what they define 'profit' as.
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Kjarhall
Title: The Pungent One
Posts: 915
Registered: 2002-3-1 15:47:21
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Date Posted:
1/1/00 12:00am
Subject:
Publicly traded Defense Contractors - Best interests of the country or stockholders?
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Fist_de_Yuma posted:
Perhaps honest was not the correct word. The trait was "Their word is their bond". In other words if they way they will do something they will do it. That means honest to me but perhaps others will not see it that way.
That didn't improve it one iota. I wish i could give you the benefit of the doubt and say you're just naive, but posting history says you're incoherently biased.
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You're a crazy moron*
*http://vnboards.ign.com/outpost/b22180/115147923/r115151508/
hah! true story tho i'm a woman an i even love boobs..how can you not??- HallowEve
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Groucho48
Posts: 821
Registered: 2003-10-22 03:00:14
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Date Posted:
1/1/00 12:00am
Subject:
Publicly traded Defense Contractors - Best interests of the country or stockholders?
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Problem with the oversight committees is that they are full of people hoping for sweet, sweet contractor jobs as soon as their gig with the government is over.
As for the suggestion that the government take over all design and production. Wouldn't that like double the size of government?
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“Science is like sex: sometimes something useful comes out, but that is not the reason we are doing it.†– Richard Feynman
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