Comments on: The Troubled Waters Of "Deepwater"

Congressman: The Country Is Less Safe Than Before $24 Billion Refurbishment

[imispgh]

thoughtrules
One more point on the radios. The radio was not hand-held - or a walkie talkie as you put it. It was mounted in the dash. Seems like you should get your arm around the facts a bit more. And again. . .to think my issue was that it wouldn't transmit under water is ridiculous. It wouldn't and needed to work in the rain, in sea spray and wave conditions

[imispgh]

thoughtrules
As for the radios being waterproof. Your comment is inane. Fisrt - no one expects a radio to work under water. We are talking about rain, sea spray and momentary dunking due to waves. Second - the CG didn't pick a radio LM did. The CG specified technical and environmental requirements. They picked one the CG did like elsewhere but that was on the bridge of the 270s where it was MUCH drier. The LM PM who picked it had no C4ISR background and had no idea he should have looked at the environmental requirements.
Again - what is your name and where did you get the data? Feel free to contact me through my email associated with the YouTube video. And. . feel free to keep pushing back I have no problem proving my side.

[imispgh]

thoughtrules
Seems like you have access to private information of mine you should not. If you have that information you would know the info you put out is incorrect, incomplete and therefore your accusation is slander. Let's have your real name.
I did not leave LM willingly. I was forced out. I have many documents to prove it including my fighting until the last day. As for the promotion to Colorado. The Moorestown org removed me from DW against my will. Then my manager retaliated gainst me in my performance appraisal - as he said he would- then I was given projects that were well below the level I had been working. I posted elsewhwere and received a promotion to NORAD. (Something no one in NJ had a thing to do with). Then I was put on a "reduction in force list" 2 years later because I was unwilling to lie about the state of the NORAD contract just to keep our contractor staff from looking for other jobs. When i tried to move again I was told by LM personnel who interviewed me that 2 of my last 3 appraisals were so damaging no one would hire me. I have emails to prove that.

[ilovethecg]

TLOSERT: I respect you as a CPO, but let me give you an example of the what we face in the CG as opposed to the Navy. As I write this I am looking across the waterway at a NAVY vessel that is on its way to being decomissioned. Guess when it was built? Sometime in the 80's!! I just came off of a ship that was built in the 60s and was decomissioned once and brought back into the service. Lets talk funding, shall we? How much do you think that pretty grey Navy vessel cost to make? And how long did it run for? And now it shall be a wonderful artificial reef somewhere for the pretty fish to swim around. And what do we have? A failing program? Yup. But guess what? WE PAY TAXES TOO AND WE AREN'T COMPLAINING, we are IN the CG and we AREN'T COMPLAINING. Yes, are cutters are aged, and YES we put a lot of hours into keeping these old things afloat. NO we do NOT complain because we know that the COAST GUARD didn't implement the Deepwter project, a few people made the wrong choice on which contactors to go with. Am I suffering because of it? Sometimes. Do I think my service is failing its duty? NO WAY. So you can talk all you want about the CG and how upset you are. I will hand you a tissue and smile because you don't have a leg to stand on when you "Navy" is sinking a ship that we would love to have for our service because that is what we do......take the old, make it ours and make it WORK.

[ilovethecg]

All of you people posting comments that watched the show are taking ONE VIEWPOINT and calling it gospel. I have to say that I LIVE the job and we are not falling short on ANY of our responsibilities because of the Deepwater project. The CG does a lot for our country and it seems that everyone here badmouths decisions and actions that they know nothing about, nor do they have the ability to fully explore the entire situation. Our service has been running on empty since the beginning as far as funding goes. I read an earlier post that stated that if the CG was given proper funding over the years we wouldn't be in this mess and I agree fully. We have always gone above and beyond with little money, fewer people and less resources that any other service. We save lives, stop drugs from hitting the streets, protect the environment and the coast. I love being in the CG and I trust fully and even if this mess takes another 10 years to sort out we will STILL BE OUT THERE FOR YOU.

[tlosert]

As a mother of a son in the USCG and also a retired Naval Chief, I am appalled at the way the USCG chain of command runs its organization. No wonder the USCG is in the shape that it is in when they have the level of incompetence serving at the helm. The Navy is by no means perfect, but we take the morale and the needs of our Sailors to be as important as that of our mission, because to be able to complete our mission, we MUST have our Sailors at their best. Our Sailors are proud to keep their ships in the best shape, the mission on time and the dollars well spent. USCG....take lessons.

[stooge36]

How could such a blatantly nonsensical acquisition approach get funded for like four years in a row? Steve Kroft could have posed that question to Rep Cummings of Maryland (home of Lockheed Martin) and/or Rep Taylor of Mississippi (home of Northrop Grumman's Gulfport shipyard), but didn't. Perhaps Rep Taylor could have stood while posing his stupefying question and avoided the awkward silence by asking AND answering his own question. I've always considered the phrase "responsible journalism" to be somewhat of an oxymoron. In this case, Steve Kroft may have fallen three letters short.

[proud2serve1]

To the writer with the user name "thoughtrules". I share the same opinion and am very saddened by the sloppy reporting of 60 minutes. The ethical level of companies that bid for these multi billion dollar projects is vastly improving (especially since ENRON...companies are investing millions to train employees to do whats right and take the loss over winning unethically). When even one employee slips up the company pays dearly (astronomical fines). To bash NG and LM is stupid. Look at what these companies have given us in the past, and look how many AMERICANS these two companies employ. Further look how many communities these companies support. Everyone wants to insist on large scale corruption.....but remember these aren't shady financial firms with 100 or less employees that could care less about the longevity of the company. Please realize that engineering is never perfect right off the bat. Mistakes can happen, and we learn from them. Is there anyway we could contact 60 minutes and demand the unedited interview/debate?

[thoughtrules]

Here are some key facts I found out just by doing a little research of my own...Geez...Do you guys have trained and ethical news producers anymore -- or are your "news people" just the nieces and nephews of entertainment division honchos?

The "whistleblower" You Tube guy wasn't removed from the project or fired by Lockheed, as 60 minutes let HIM say (unedited -- which they wouldn't let Admiral Allen be). Rather according to public documents I found he was PROMOTED away from the CG thing to another project, encouraged to communicate his concerns to the shipbuilders, then quit Lockheed on his own accord.

Apparently LM did all sorts of due diligence to see that he was fairly treated in his allegations (a binders worth of documents are in the public record from the LM HR files.) He has been approaching them for a job and increased pay as recently as this year before he made himself a You Tube star. Mmmm... wonder if there is an axe to grind there?

[ov442]

More rampant cronyism and incompetent deal making at the top of the food chain. If it werent for whistleblowers and media, some of these boats would just be forced into service and our brave and HIGHLY trained coast guard officers would be at unnecessary risk of death and harm due to the equipment failures alone.

They already risk life and limb for our protection from harm and crime, but why would the top levels subject the lower level employees to additional, irresponsible harm for the wealth of giant government contractors with no integrity?.... maybe they should check their offshore accounts for deposits from Northrop Grumman.

[blackgaproad]

There are some stories that just don't lend themselves to your 13 minute treatment. Government contracting is almost always boring, except when things go wrong, which they certainly have with the subject patrol boat lengthening program. But in those 13 minutes about all you can do is alarm people. If that was your goal, mission accomplished. You might have given a couple of sentences to explaining that the Coast Guard is saddled with the Deepwater program because Congress for decades never funded them in a manner that would have allowed an orderly replacement of its cutters and aircraft as those assets reached the end of their operational lives.

[cbse3]

CBS,creditability is getting ALL the story right, even if it takes your whole HOUR to do it.Your head of production who let this story air without many of the hard Q & A'S is just as incompetent as the CG or Government official or government marine engineer who approved the designs and or the changes to the ships in question.
Follow up this story, with "the rest of the story", Paul Harvey made it entertaining and Edward R Murrow got it right.

[surfjac]

A few months ago, The New York Times ran a piece on Deepwater citing many of the same things as 60 Minutes. What the Times didn't mention was the speed issue with the National Security Boat. I heard about this through non-media sources. It wasn't really discussed in depth last night but apparently the Boats in question are supposed to travel with Naval Convoys but they are too slow and can't keep up slowing down the entire fleet and reducing the scope of the missions.

Saddest thing is, NO ONE will go to Jail!
They ra$% the american tax payer and no one will go to jail!

[j4401]

As a former government employee, for many years, I am not at all surprised by this story. These types of issues are so typical in all of "our" government agencies. It is not an issue of "Dem" or "Repub" or "left" or "right." It is all about a total lack of leadership and integrity in all levels of our government. This is the future for your children.

[thoughtrules]

Was there a single naval architect or scientist interviewed who doesn't wither want business out of this (like the yo yos the CG Committee brought in to testify) or who wants to screw someone over for some reason (like You Tube man, the retired Coastie and the Politicos.)

FINALLY, the story acts like Deepwater has done nothing in four years but waste money and break ships. However, I found several trustable sources that outline incredible process on several fronts that have turned the Coast Guard from an admirable and quaint arm of the Department of Transportation to probably the finest coastal security outfit on Earth. The copters, planes and radar/communications gizmos they have put in the field (or I guess on the sea) are the envy of the world. They would not have been able to be the Only arm of the Fed to actually make great accomplishments after Katrina in New Orleans without the Deepwater stuff. They have stepped up drug interdictions geometrically thanks to the stuff they have. etc, etc. Producers? Steve Kroft? CBS News put their name on that? As someone who defended them back in the Rather days against the right wing Wackos, I'm ashamed.

Anyway, I knew this thing was off from the moment the story clicked off. I found this stuff since then (AND got a good night's sleep.) This is I guess the final evidence that the Tiffany Network is now brought to you by Wal-Mart. At least Steve Kroft looked well tanned. Perhaps his Q ratings went up.

[thoughtrules]

The "composite" hull issue: Guess what, it is on there because it will last 20-years LONGER than a metal hull, and I think is lighter but I haven't been able to get a second confirmation on that.

Several new Navy ships are using the same technology. Note that 60 Minutes interviewed ZERO people in that story who were objective (Elijah Cummings -- again it pains me to say -- runs UNOPPOSED in Balitmore every two years, and is interested in discrediting the GOPpers who preceded him in the committee (such as LoBiando I think.) As ranking member during this whole Deepwater process as it unfolded beginning 4 years ago, WHERE WAS Mr. Cummings. He never expressed concern on these issues before. I have seen texts of Rep. Taylor speeches up and down the Gulf Coast praising Deepwater, the CG and the industry partners over and over again. (Once again, in 12 hours I have found this... Where are the producers?)

[thoughtrules]

Then there was the "boy aren't they dumb" garbage on waterproof radios. Here's a news flash: (Just read the SWORN testimony and you would have gotten this: The US Government specified these radios because this is what other agencies (some of them with boats) use. Another news flash: You can't transmit with a walkie-talkie underwater--there isn't yet a radio that is practical for a boat, that has come forward in any request for bids or whatever the government procurement process is called, that is "waterproof." Doesn't exist, even in the blessed US NAVY. Yeah, yeah, some guy working out of his basement is going to call in and say he could make such a radio -- but no credible supplier can supply such a thing to the specifications demanded by the US Government. Did anyone check this out at 60 minutes. It's in the testimony and I found it in various place in 12 hours. Who are these producers anyway?

[thoughtrules]

Here are some key facts I found out just by doing a little research of my own...Geez...Do you guys have trained and ethical news producers anymore -- or are your "news people" just the nieces and nephews of entertainment division honchos?

The "whistleblower" You Tube guy wasn't removed from the project or fired by Lockheed, as 60 minutes let HIM say (unedited -- which they wouldn't let Admiral Allen be). Rather according to public documents I found he was PROMOTED away from the CG thing to another project, encouraged to communicate his concerns to the shipbuilders, then quit Lockheed on his own accord.

Apparently LM did all sorts of due diligence to see that he was fairly treated in his allegations (a binders worth of documents are in the public record from the LM HR files.) He has been approaching them for a job and increased pay as recently as this year before he made himself a You Tube star. Mmmm... wonder if there is an axe to grind there?

[thoughtrules]

Boy is 60 Minutes off on this one. I'm usually just itching to see corporate fat-cats caught with their hands in the jar; I was troubled by this story as any progressive American should be, but made curious by Admiral Allen's refusal to be interviewed unedited, I smelled a rat. My impression is the admiral and most of the "firemen on boats" who serve int he Coast Guard are exceedingly honorable people. Hence my interest.

Here is my general conclusion on this awful and very amatureish bit of newsjournalism -- 60 minutes either let themselves be used by politicos on what amounts to a very minor and fixable issue (and it pains me as a progressive to say the users in this case are Dems); it is also my guess they were ALSO manipulated by commercial competitors of these contractors (Lockheed and Northrup) who are scheming themselves to get the contracts opened up to bid again. (Look at the stuff on-line and in the public record and it seems clear that this Congressman Gene Taylor guy positioning himself as some kind of hero is doing EXACTLY that. He just happens to have in his Mississippi district a shipyard that would likely benefit in the hundreds of million in orders if the Bollinger shipyard in Louisiana is discredited on the small littoral ships business --which the Navy is teeing up right now. (Did anyone look into this at CBS...my God, I mean it's been 12 hours since the story and I already got this info.)

[thoughtrules]

Boy is 60 Minutes off on this one. I'm usually just itching to see corporate fat-cats caught with their hands in the jar; I was troubled by this story as any progressive American should be, but made curious by Admiral Allen's refusal to be interviewed unedited, I smelled a rat. My impression is the admiral and most of the "firemen on boats" who serve int he Coast Guard are exceedingly honorable people. Hence my interest.

Here is my general conclusion on this awful and very amatureish bit of newsjournalism -- 60 minutes either let themselves be used by politicos on what amounts to a very minor and fixable issue (and it pains me as a progressive to say the users in this case are Dems); it is also my guess they were ALSO manipulated by commercial competitors of these contractors (Lockheed and Northrup) who are scheming themselves to get the contracts opened up to bid again. (Look at the stuff on-line and in the public record and it seems clear that this Congressman Gene Taylor guy positioning himself as some kind of hero is doing EXACTLY that. He just happens to have in his Mississippi district a shipyard that would likely benefit in the hundreds of million in orders if the Bollinger shipyard in Louisiana is discredited on the small littoral ships business --which the Navy is teeing up right now. (Did anyone look into this at CBS...my God, I mean it's been 12 hours since the story and I already got this info.)