NATION AND WORLD
University Daily Kansan, November 3, 1983
Senators accuse contractors of 'criminal' overcharging
By United Press International
WASHINGTON — Senators, enraged by tales of $9,609 wrenches and $7,417 steel pins, yesterday demanded an end to "criminal" overpricing by defense contractors and accused the defense industry of giving way to a "footing mentality."
Pentagon officials testifying before the Senate Government Affairs Committee acknowledged that some contractors had overcharged for military equipment and said that the military was ferreting out and punishing the offenders.
Rear Adm. Joseph Sansone, deputy chief of Navy material, said that 53 firms or individuals have been suspended or barred from doing business with the Navy this year for pricing abuses.
Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Thayer blamed overcharges on insufficient competitive bidding, contracts that failed to specify prices and purchasing agents who met the requirements to determine what is a reasonable price.
THE COMMITTEE cited proposals by General Dynamics Corp. of St. Louis, which sought to charge the Air Force $9,609 for a hexagon wrench committee aides found priced at 12 cents in a hardware store and $7,417 for a 3-inch steel piads said they could get free from a
Washington-area electronics supply store.
General Dynamics withdrew the price proposals after learning of the committee investigation, the committee aides said.
"These prices are unconscionable," said Sen. Winnie Roth, R-Del., chairman of the panel.
"It's kind of a looting mentality",
Sen. William Cohen, R-Maine, said.
"I'ts tantamount to being crimin-
tion, that it is in my judgment (is
fraud)."
But Thayer said Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger's 10-point program to end price abuses, put into effect in July, has had a throughout the Defense Department and within our defense industries."
Rear Adm. R.D. Johnson, who oversees the purchases of the F-18 jet fighter, said there were examples of overpricing for some plane parts that "cannot frequently be accounted for."
Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., emphasized the need for vigilance by the Pentagon, warning that contractors "are going to get away with murder if they fail."
He charged the Pentagon has resisted the idea of competitive bidding.
"You would think we were trying to turn the Pentagon into a four-corner building," he said.
TOKYO — Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasao will dissolve Parliament and call an election before the new year to end a political crisis over the Lockheed bribery scandal, news reports said yesterday.
Kyoto News Service, quoting "informed, party sources," said early elections for the law-making house of the Diet, or Parliament, would probably be held Dec. 18 or Dec. 23 — before its first 16-year term expires.
By United Press International
Parliamentary proceedings stalled after the opposition demanded that Kakui Tanaka, Nakasone's political
mentor, resign his parliament seat over his conviction last month for taking $2 million in bribes from Lockheed Corp. while prime minister in the 1970s.
THE ELECTION would turn an embarrassment for Nakasone to his advantage. It would follow visits this month by President Reagan and Senator Hillary Clinton, Party chief Hu Yaohang, both of whom are expected to help Nakasone's image.
Nakasone calls for early Diet elections to end Lockheed crisis
Tanaka, 56, one of Japan's most powerful politicians, has stubbornly refused to resign or acknowledge guilt despite his conviction. He is appealing his four-year prison sentence and $2 million fine.
Although he resigned from the ruling Liberal-Democratic Party in 1976,
Tanaka still sits in Parliament as an independent and controls the Diet's largest LDP faction from behind the scenes.
Opposition parties, strengthened by support from minority groups within the LDP, have demanded that Tanaka step down before they act on any other legislation.
NAKASONE, who alone is empowered to dissolve the Diet under Japanese law, has apparently decided his administration will survive a test at the polls and might be served better by a vote than by prolonging the impasse.
The media reports speculated that the prime minister will extend the
current Diet session, due to end Nov. 16,
for about 10 days to enable Hu to
address the assembly during his visit
the following week.
Both the visits of Reagan and Hu, added to this week's trip by West German Chancellor Helmut Kohl, were not expected to produce any disgracements and rather shore up Nakasone's posture as a world statesman.
The dispute brought a rare show of unity as the chief opposition party, the Socialists, joined other minor groups to pressure the LDP to introduce a motion demanding that Tanaka quit the lower house.
Opposition groups believe early elections might help them.
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A STANLEY KUBRICK FILM
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IN THE WEEKLY
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Friday and Saturday November 4 and 5
7:00, 9:30 $1.75
12:00 MID. $2
UNIVERSITY FILM SOCIETY
Downs Auditorium in Dyche Hall
!!GRADUATE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE ELECTIONS!!
November 16 & 17
Nominations-Self Nominations due in Graduate Student Council Office, Kansas Union
By Friday, 12 pm November 4, 1983
Also soliciting names of write in candidates for graduate student senators.
(STUDENT SENATE-FUNDED AD)
TURKEY TROT
8th Annual Turkey Trot, Sat., Nov. 19 23rd & Iowa - KU WEST CAMPUS
COST: FREE
REGISTRATION: From 8-8:50 a.m. on the day of the race at ShenK Complex. Entry forms should be delivered or mailed to Recreation Services, Robinson, KU campus, 66045, or Lawrence Parks and Recreation Department, Box 708, 4th Floor, City Hall, Lawrence, Ks. 66044. We prefer you enter the Turkey Trot before the day of the race, but you may show up and enter during the 8-8:50 registration time.
DIVISIONS: RACE TIME IS 9:00 a.m. FOR ALL DIVISIONS
COURSE: APPROXIMATELY 3 - 3.5 miles. It will not be shown until the day of the race.
KUHASKELL STUDENTS MEN & WOMEN
KU/HASKELL FACULTY/STAFF MEN
WOMEN
OPEN DIVISION MEN & WOMEN (anyone from Lawrence)
AWARDS: KU/HASKELL STUDENTS, FACULTY/STAFF, AND OPEN DIVISION WINNERS WILL RECEIVE TURKEYS. ALSO, IN EACH OF THE THREE DIVISIONS THE INDIVIDUAL WHO CLOSEST TO HIS/HER PREDICTED TIME WILL RECEIVE A TURKEY.
Sponsored by KU Recreation Services and
SpecialThanks to Rusty's and KLZR 106.
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Bring in this coupon
No other coupons accepted with these offers.
THE
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