Anything Government Can Do, Industry Can Do Better

Halliburton-KBR has apparently vastly overcharged for meals served Iraq. They've discovered $16 million in overcharges at a single base, and are now extending the inquiry to KBR's other 50 dining facilities. The U.S. government was billed for 42,042 meals per day, but only 14,053 meals per day were served.

And what kind of food service are we paying so much extra money for?

The Pentagon repeatedly warned contractor Halliburton-KBR that the food it served to US troops in Iraq was "dirty," as were as the kitchens it was served in, NBC News reported [in mid-December]. The Pentagon reported finding "blood all over the floor," "dirty pans," "dirty grills," "dirty salad bars" and "rotting meats ... and vegetables" in four of the military messes the company operates in Iraq, NBC said, citing Pentagon documents.

Well. It's a good thing that food service in Iraq was outsourced to private corporations, instead of being left to the bloated, inefficient, incompetent public sector. Everyone knows that industry does everything government can do, but cheaper and better.