Ray Sansom's Blackwater Deal

In 2008, former Florida House Speaker Ray Sansom inserted an amendment that would privatize five state prisons. The contracts would go to Blackwater. The company is now known as Xe Services LLC. Blackwater best known for the controversial killing of 17 Iraqi civilians. Judge Ricardo M. Urbina dropped the charges against the accused Blackwater guards.

Florida Sen. Paula Dockery is opposed to the Blackwater contract. The town of Sneads's economy depends of the state jobs provided by the prison. Dockery issued a press release.

Senator Paula Dockery (R-Lakeland), is strongly opposed to the lengthy proviso language that was quietly inserted into the Senate’s proposed budget during last week’s Ways & Means Committee hearing. “The proposal to close unnamed existing correctional facilities resulting in the layoffs of over 1,000 state corrections officers to move inmates to private facilities is a policy decision that deserves to be vetted through a completely transparent process. As chair of the Senate Criminal Justice Committee, I find it outrageous that major change in how we run our state correctional facilities was not reviewed by committees that were created for this explicit purpose,” said Senator Dockery. “Transparency cannot exist when there has been no opportunity for debate or testimony.”

A hush contract given to Blackwater. Maybe this is what Ray Sansom meant by saying he was a man of values. Those same values allowed Sansom to use the Republican Party of Florida credit card to buy expensive meals and tuxedo rentals. Sansom's strong values allowed him to never repay the RPoF for his lavish spending.

Mercenary Contractors Still Abusing Tax Dollars

Blackwater changed their name to Xe. Unfortunately, the Obama administration is still using the marcenary company's services in Iraq. Xe will continue to provide helicopter transport to embassy officials to and from the green zone. DynCorp International is to take over duties. DynaCorps have experienced the same problems as Blackwater/Xe.

The company is not short on controversy. Under the Plan Colombia contract, the company has 88 aircraft and 307 employees - 139 of them American - flying missions to eradicate coca fields in Colombia. Soldier of Fortune magazine once ran a cover story on DynCorp, proclaiming it "Colombia's Coke-Bustin' Broncos."

US Rep. Janice Schakowsky, an Illinois Democrat, told Wired magazine that hiring a private company to fly what amounts to combat missions is asking for trouble. DynCorp's employees have a history of behaving like cowboys," Schakowsky noted. "Is the US military privatizing its missions to avoid public controversy or to avoid embarrassment - to hide body bags from the media and shield the military from public opinion?" she asked.

The Obama administration isn't attempting to change the dependence on private military personal. The Defense Department is switching to DynCorp because they are a less offensive name brand to progressives and the media. DynCorp has the same level of corruption and incompetence. April G. Stephenson, director of the Defense Contract Audit Agency Commission on Wartime Contracting in Iraq and Afghanistan. Stephenson told the commission DynCorp overbilled the Defense Department by $50 million.

There is more: DynCorp subsidiary Global Linguist Solutions was awarded a $4.6 billion contract to provide linguistics services. GLS cut a deal with L-3 Communications. In total, GLS awarded $2.9 billion of it's DoD contract to 18 subcontractors. Stephenson testified that these subcontracts never underwent Defense Department review.

During the 2008 campaign, Obama was asked if he intended to stop using companies, such as Blackwater and DynCorp. Obama made it clear he will continue to use private contractors. Obama is more concerned with image than changing the current military culture that awards mercenary contractors.

I want you to walk to a mirror and say, "Obama is change I can believe in."

Xe

In need of an image makeover, Blackwater Worldwide changes it's name to Xe. If becoming a laughingstock is Blackwater's new PR goal then mission accomplished. I can't wait for the new logo.