OT: This is one bad a$$ congresswomen

thechief96

Check out this exchange http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/3504531 Hope this works

cazzy

Bad a$$!!! Mad respect for her!!

nolaegghead

She ripped that weasel a new a$$hole.  

travisstrick

Disagree!!!!!!!!!! She is scum of the earth. She should be complaining about special treatment for vets, not how someone got them. Vets are not special. If you were drafted, totally different story but for the volunteers, no handouts.

CigarSmokinEgger

travisstrick said:

Disagree!!!!!!!!!! She is scum of the earth. She should be complaining about special treatment for vets, not how someone got them. Vets are not special. If you were drafted, totally different story but for the volunteers, no handouts.

Just **** wow....

sumoconnell

Travis - please explains.  I'm all in for cops and vets like you.   Keep me safe and eggin' and I'm friggen grateful.  Volunteer, ok your choice.. but we don't all sign up to stand on the line.  That's special.  I want you on that wall, I need you on that wall.  I can't handle the truth.  

I vote for BBQ! 

onelikearock

travisstrick said:

Disagree!!!!!!!!!!

She is scum of the earth.

She should be complaining about special treatment for vets, not how someone got them.

Vets are not special. If you were drafted, totally different story but for the volunteers, no handouts.

Have to disagree with you here. Those who volunteer want to serve our country.

fishlessman

volunteers want to serve our country, pretty sure they didnt do it for the handouts

nolaegghead

All kinds of reasons folks sign up.  Some need a job, many come from economically depressed parts of the country.  Some do it for the benefits - GI bill.  Some like Pat Tillman sacrificed successful careers in the private sector to serve.  I'd say that's the exception, but the reasons are as varied as the people serving.

SWVABeanCounter

IMHO, Grandstanding Beotch.  If they spent half as much time actually fixin the mess this county's in instead of these little speeches, maybe something might actually get fixed.

nolaegghead

Yeah, we should just give that guy a purple heart and another 500 million dollar government contract. 

JohnInCarolina

travisstrick said:

Disagree!!!!!!!!!! She is scum of the earth. She should be complaining about special treatment for vets, not how someone got them. Vets are not special. If you were drafted, totally different story but for the volunteers, no handouts.

It seems to me that Duckworth's main criticism here is that this guy was injured playing football in high school, as opposed to in the service of his country, which he claimed.  It is kind of amazing to me that someone could bust their ankle in a high-school football game and claim the status of being a "service-disabled veteran small-business owner".  

Perhaps you have other problems with Duckworth, but calling her scum of the earth for this exchange alone seems pretty out of whack.  

As to your main point, I don't think these companies, the small businesses actually formed by service-disabled veterans, are receiving "handouts" so much as preferential treatment.  I'm all for this, because I don't think it's so easy to come back from the war with a couple of limbs missing and start a business.  I'm just spitballin here though.  

travisstrick

John, when said like that I agree.

Skiddymarker

As an Army brat from a country with only a volunteer force, vets gets the crappy end of the stick all too often. Those that scam the system need to be exposed. I think she did the right thing. Vets, from my experience, do not want handouts, they want and need some help from time to time. To me they deserve it. 

SkinnyV

I didn't step my ass up and sign up. If there are some bad eggs in the bunch so be it , costof business.. Let's go bi&ch about corporate welfare and those handouts. Has that congresswoman spoke out on the banksters? Doubt it....the small guys are easier to call out.

nolaegghead

SkinnyV said:

I didn't step my ass up and sign up. If there are some bad eggs in the bunch so be it , costof business.. Let's go bi&ch about corporate welfare and those handouts. Has that congresswoman spoke out on the banksters? Doubt it....the small guys are easier to call out.

I don't know what your definition of a big guy is, but it must be pretty impressive if half a billion dollars worth of tax payer money is "small guy".

"Over a six-month period in 2012, Strong Castle won contracts with the Internal Revenue Service worth as much as $500 million. Wednesday's hearing followed a damning report that detailed how a senior IRS agent helped Castillo win the government business. The IRS agent in question, Greg Roseman, was dismissed from the hearing after he exercised his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination."

SkinnyV

I read the thread , thought she was going after an ex soilder for benefits he didn't deserve. Didn't get the whole picture of specific issue.

JohnInCarolina

SkinnyV said:

I didn't step my ass up and sign up. If there are some bad eggs in the bunch so be it , costof business.. Let's go bi&ch about corporate welfare and those handouts. Has that congresswoman spoke out on the banksters? Doubt it....the small guys are easier to call out.

Duckworth hasn't been in Congress all that long- just since this past January in fact.  Veterans affairs are basically her thing.   

bccomstock

JohnInCarolina said:

travisstrick said:

Disagree!!!!!!!!!! She is scum of the earth. She should be complaining about special treatment for vets, not how someone got them. Vets are not special. If you were drafted, totally different story but for the volunteers, no handouts.

It seems to me that Duckworth's main criticism here is that this guy was injured playing football in high school, as opposed to in the service of his country, which he claimed.  It is kind of amazing to me that someone could bust their ankle in a high-school football game and claim the status of being a "service-disabled veteran small-business owner".  

Perhaps you have other problems with Duckworth, but calling her scum of the earth for this exchange alone seems pretty out of whack.  

As to your main point, I don't think these companies, the small businesses actually formed by service-disabled veterans, are receiving "handouts" so much as preferential treatment.  I'm all for this, because I don't think it's so easy to come back from the war with a couple of limbs missing and start a business.  I'm just spitballin here though.  

I agree with this.. I don't have a problem with veterans getting preferential treatment.  But when someone like this guy who sprained his ankle in a prep school football game goes and stakes a claim for the same benefits as someone who potentially lost a limb in a war actually defending the country, the whole system gets jacked up.  Like she said, there are people waiting hundreds of days just to get their disability rating.

The other part in this case is that they are investigating whether the guy's personal relationship with an IRS contracting official had anything to do with his company receiving the contracts.. 

The guy seems to have just worked the system IMO..

http://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2013/06/26/official-declines-to-testify-in-contracting-probe

SkinnyV

Nt

Hi54putty

In my opinion, the bigger story here is the IRS angle. That, and the guy is a cheater. 

Eggcelsior

Hi54putty said:

In my opinion, the bigger story here is the IRS angle. That, and the guy is a cheater. 

I think it's less "IRS" and more the dude that works for the IRS that was steering contracts to his friend. This is the kind of crap that my wife investigates for the U.S. Treasury. 

Hi54putty

Eggcelsior said:

Hi54putty said:

In my opinion, the bigger story here is the IRS angle. That, and the guy is a cheater. 

"I think it's less "IRS" and more the dude that works for the IRS that was steering contracts to his friend. This is the kind of crap that my wife investigates for the U.S.Treasury". 

-------
Sorry. I don't see the distinction. When one of the guys that work for me does something stupid (or worse) it is my problem and a reflection on me and my company.

JohnInCarolina

Hi54putty said:

Sorry. I don't see the distinction. When one of the guys that work for me does something stupid (or worse) it is my problem and a reflection on me and my company.

To a degree, sure.  But I don't think what happened here is indicative of some kind of systemic problem with the IRS.  

cazzy

JohnInCarolina said:

Hi54putty said:

Sorry. I don't see the distinction. When one of the guys that work for me does something stupid (or worse) it is my problem and a reflection on me and my company.

To a degree, sure.  But I don't think what happened here is indicative of some kind of systemic problem with the IRS.  

All he's trying to point out is that the IRS is accountable for their employees actions. Regardless, if its widespread or not, they're still was one person taking advantage of a loophole. I doubt he's the only one too.

Acn

cazzy said:

Hi54putty said:

Sorry. I don't see the distinction. When one of the guys that work for me does something stupid (or worse) it is my problem and a reflection on me and my company.

To a degree, sure.  But I don't think what happened here is indicative of some kind of systemic problem with the IRS.  

All he's trying to point out is that the IRS is accountable for their employees actions. Regardless, if its widespread or not, they're still was one person taking advantage of a loophole. I doubt he's the only one too.

Well, the contractor may have taken advantage of a loophole claiming that his injury at a military prep school qualified him as a disabled veteran.  The IRS official actually broke the law by steering federal contracts to a friend.  Legally he was required to recuse himself.

WalrusBBQ

Disagree with some comments here but hey, I agree with all of you on our common platform.

cazzy

WalrusBBQ said:

Disagree with some comments here but hey, I agree with all of you on our common platform.

I personally would like to hear your opinion.  I don't think it's a healthy debate, so please share your thoughts on the matter.

fletcherfam

Very interesting to hear considering I work for a GC on government work. We are not any special classification but do compete with companies who are. Very interesting video, thanks for posting.