Soundbytes: Contracting, Medical Systems and More Missing Laptops

A weekly roundup of comments from Nextgov.com. All comments are presented in their original, unedited form.

On How a lawn mowing contract is changing Defense acquisition

Although folksy by stating lawnmower in title, the article attempts to make something over nothing. The Navy is alway reinventing verbiage to hide the fact that they never comply nor will they ever comply with requirements. Read more from TDKI

When these type of contracts work, they are great! The problem is when you run into a contractor who takes the money and doesn't perform. Finding the COR who can fix it, getting them to talk to you and then actually do something about it... very tough. From AMS

Can't wait to see the "templates for performance work statements, or definitions for what a unit wants to buy". Some contracts are cookie cutter, but there are so many idiosyncrosys to the remainder I for one will be interested in seeing how those will be handled. From Sandra_S_Gore

On VA reports 10 missing laptops, likely no personal data lost

You got to be kiddding me more laptops have come up missing. I think we need to fire some people and get someone in that can handle this. From Charles Kubin

They have. The last time around the VA fired the theft victims, not the IT people who were charged with encrypting the computers, nor the supervisors, nor the people running the encryption programs. The theft is always described as "having the computers stolen from them," as if it is the victim's idea. From John

On Republicans threaten to block support on appropriations bills

Does anyone suspect that anyone from Congress will actually read a bill wehre 12 appropriations are rolled together in to one giant health care like bill? What surprises lay in store for us with this mess? From Max Power

On IRS still reliant on Social Security numbers to identify taxpayers

All that money spent on computer systems and software and a few items got missed. Why is it that more than one person using an ssn still doesn't get detected until after a tax return is filed and the owner gets a letter saying: you have other income and then learns someone else worked under their ssn? Read more from Linda Joy Adams

On OMB kills Justice system, revises another at Interior

Glad to see OMB help overcome failures by department CIOs to do their job in overseeing IT programs. The real question should be "why is the administration not holding the CIO accountable as well". Read more from RobertB

On Senators urge Defense, VA to combine needs for medical systems

Since both departments serve the same customer, they should share the same system, it is ridiculous to do otherwise and has been very, very costly for the taxpayers over the years with faulty results from the VA. From 1234polla