Defense contractors to DoD – “The taxman is calling; it’s for you”

January 28, 2010 — Forseti

Contractors ask DoD to reimburse offshore payroll taxes

By ELISE CASTELLI | Jan 27, 2010
In 2008, Congress passed a law to force contractors to pay payroll taxes for employees who are U.S. citizens working for their offshore subsidiaries. The IRS is collecting more taxes as a result, but much of that new tax revenue is leaving government in the form of higher contract costs for the Defense Department.

Defense contractors have billed the department for more than $140 million in reimbursements for payroll tax expenses they’ve paid since the law was passed, a new Government Accountability Office report says.

And that’s just on five contracts — worth a combined $6 billion — that were reviewed by GAO.

Executives from some of the biggest Defense contractors — including Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Northrop Grumman, General Dynamics and KBR — told GAO that, before the law was passed, they hired U.S. citizens at their offshore subsidiaries as a way to lower their costs and remain competitive. The companies say they only use the offshore subsidiaries to hire employees to perform work overseas.

Overall, GAO said the law is accomplishing its intended effect: forcing offshore companies to share the tax burden for social security, Medicare and federal income tax payments. GAO recommended Congress expand the legislation to force contractors offshore to contribute to state unemployment insurance programs so workers can collect when they lose their jobs.

In 2009, one state, Texas, denied unemployment claims of 140 individuals employed by several of the contractors because they were employed by offshore subsidiaries that did not contribute to the state’s unemployment insurance programs. GAO chose Texas because several major contractors have corporate offices there. (Click HERE for original article)

David Isenberg wrote an excellent article on this in the Huffington Post, click HERE to read that article.
———————————————————————————————-

Okay I have to admit, I wish I could find a way get someone else to foot the bill and pay my taxes. I guess I have to give these folks credit for their creative thinking.

These companies mission statements must read something like:

Maximize the Project, More Cost, More Plus (I think screw the taxpayer, is in there somewhere too)

I have to wonder if the reason the DoD appears to turn their head the other way and not support legislation like the Franken Amendment is because these contractors have them by the short hairs and the proposed law will just up the price of the contract.

Eventually the DoD or Congress will demand that contract costs be cut arbitrarily and these contractors will comply by outsourcing the jobs to foreign nationals and the US taxpayers will be left holding the bag and the bill AGAIN.

Forseti

KBR employee brutally raped at Joint Base Balad in Iraq(Updated)

December 4, 2009 — Ms Sparky

rape I just received this email from a reader. I have not verified the authenticity of the original email (my disclaimer) but it appears to be authentic. (UPDATE-I have received a copy of the original email with the header info and I have updated below.) I have also not been able to verify the date of the rape, but am deducing it occurred on Nov 30, 2009. (UPDATE-The date in fact was Nov 30, 2009 and the time was approx 10-11 am) In an effort to help you understand this email, I have described the acronyms used in parentheses. A Life Support Area (LSA) is a collection of living quarters consisting of buildings, tents, or trailers (CHU’s)Other than that, I have made no changes to the email.

As you read this keep in mind this is not the first brutal rape that has occurred in Iraq.

Subject: Rape of a KBR female at JBB (UNCLASSIFIED)

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Some of you may have already heard about a report of a rape occurring 1100 Monday at JBB (Joint Base Balad-Balad, Iraq), in the KBR LSA (Life Support Area). This is particularly disturbing in that it happened in broad daylight, to an employee sleeping in her CHU (Containerized Housing Unit-trailer) after pulling night shift duty, possibly assailed by a maintenance worker that might have had a key to the CHU.

Some conjecture, but I’m painting a picture for us to be careful towards. The victim is in intensive care, face badly beaten, and arm possibly broken.

Please pass this to all J7 members through your own methods, and to the dangers even in broad daylight, and possibly by those having access to our CHUs. Though at JBB, VBC (Camp Victory) reportedly has between 8-20 sexual assaults per week…What might not be known is that statistically, 70-80% of these assaults are by an EODT (EOD Technologies) or KBR member, so stats are stats, please be aware of what to look out for.

SGM (Sergeant Major)- Let’s please talk tomorrow about buddy rules for females and actually all Servicemembers, Government Civilians and contractors. Thanks…

R

LTC K

JEFFREY S. KING
LTC, EN
USF-I J-7 CoS
DSN 485-2058
SVOIP 242-0193
AKO: jeffrey.s.king@us.army.mil
SIPR: jeffrey.s.king@iraq.centcom.smil.mil
AKO-S: jeffrey.s.king@us.army.smil.mil

—–Original Message—–
From: Guy LaBoa [mailto:Guy.LaBoa@kbr.com]
Sent: Monday, November 30, 2009 3:32 PM
To: (Removed for Privacy of Recipients)
Subject: Rape of a KBR female at approximately 1100hrs 30Nov2009 at JBB

FIRST REPORT

For all:

At approximately 1100hrs, Roger Singleton the acting PM (Project Manager) for JBB called with a report of a Sexual Assault (Rape) of a Female KBR Expat in the KBR LSA at JBB. The employee was in her Chu a sleep. She works the night shift in the HQ (Headquarters) operations cell. The employee was severely injured; her face was very badly beaten and may have a broken arm. She has worked with KBR 14months. She is currently in the hospital at JBB in intensive care. She has stated she did not know how the individual got into her room but she did not open the door. Apparently, on Thursday, a man knocked on her door and posed as a tradesman inspecting the Chu, she questions why he was there but did not report the incident. This lead is being follow up.

CID (Army Criminal Investigation Command) and Base Military Command have been notified. The appropriate actions for lock down and control of all personnel leaving the base have been taken. A 100% accountability check of our personnel with eyes on each person is complete The SCW (subcontract workers) subcontractors have been notified and are conducting a 100% accountability check . The victim has reported that she did scratch and bite the assailant. Some evidence has been recovered which may help identify the assailant who she has described a light skinned Indian male.

Roger Singleton acting PM is taking actions to ensure that all our female personnel are properly protected as they return to the Chu’s tonight and as them move around the base until this incident is closed and the assailant is caught.

Guy

Regards,

Guy LaBoa
Principal Program Manager
KBR LOGCAP III
Victory #43382
APO, AE 09344
Office: 281-669-5600
DSN: 485-3697

When I hear about a rape in Iraq I think of Jamie Leigh Jones, LaVena Johnsen or Tina Priest. But there are so many more.

If you have any information regarding this crime please come forward. I would also like the original of this email forwarded to me with date stamps and names.

Ms Sparky

Cornyn & Inouye BFF’s?

October 24, 2009 — Forseti

Politics make strange bed fellows but Cornyn and Inouye - Bipartisan Friends Forever?

cornyn-inouye-luv

Apparently Government Contracting is the last bastion for snake oil salesmen to ply their trade. It appears that 30 Senators want to maintain this status quo, even if it means blocking victims of violent crime from seeking justice. The mere fact that legislation had to be drafted to protect employees from companies, that do business with the US Government, both in the US and overseas, is in itself reprehensible but the fact that elected officials voted against the amendment is even more disturbing.

Meanwhile the Subcommittee on International Organizations, Human Rights and Oversight held a hearing, October 21, 2009 on “International Violence Against Women: Stories and Solutions.” How can we expect to lead this effort on a global scale when we cannot, or will not, protect our own citizens effectively? It appears that our moral compass needs to be replaced or at the very least recalibrated.

While some columnists seem to deem this as a partisan attack against 30 Senators, it is clearly a non-partisan guilt fest. The list of elected officials and government organizations that have failed to act or follow through is long. Here are a few:
Department of Defense
Department of State
Department of Justice
Former Senator now Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
Condoleezza Rice
Secretary of Defense Robert Gates

Here is a letter written by Senator John Cornyn (R-Texas) providing his version of why he voted No on the Franken Amendment:

Distortion of the facts
Re: Oct. 19 letter “Where Cornyn stands.”
The letter omitted some important facts.
I opposed this amendment prompted by the Jamie Leigh Jones case for many of the same reasons the Obama administration did.
First, the rape allegations in the Halliburton case were not subject to arbitration (according to Jones v. Halliburton, U.S. district court), so citing them as the reason for passing the amendment in the defense appropriations bill is misleading.
Second, the amendment is a blatant attempt to benefit trial lawyers. It effectively bans defense contractors and subcontractors from entering arbitration agreements. Arbitration greatly reduces litigation costs for employers and employees while ensuring victims are fairly compensated by streamlining the litigation process and limiting lawyers’ fees.
I sympathize greatly with victims of rape and have voted repeatedly to increase sentences for the perpetrators of such heinous crimes.
Liberals have claimed senators who voted no are pro-rape. That is ludicrous. Attempts to manipulate the tragic events in the Halliburton case to line the pockets of the trial lawyers are disgusting.
U.S. Sen. John Cornyn
R-Texas (Link to original)

Well, Senator Cornyn if this amendment is not a viable solution, what do you suggest? First before you answer keep in mind that I will be weighing your response based on these facts:

Your home state is Texas, which you were elected to represent and that includes Jamie Leigh Jones.
It was fellow Texan and Congressman Ted Poe that initiated the rescue of Jamie Leigh Jones from Iraq, while both you and Texas Senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson remained silent and made no effort to assist in her rescue. By the way rescuing a constituent from life threatening peril is not a spectator sport.
Approximately 53% of the the registered voters in Texas are women. The stats on how many you have alienated with this vote are not available yet.

Senator Cornyn, your letter also omitted some important facts about the Franken Amendment. It explicitly bars contractors that force their employees into binding arbitration for cases of sexual violence, acts of violence and where the employees basic civil and human rights have been violated, it does not ban arbitration as a means for employers or their employees to seek resolution to a dispute should both parties agree to arbitrate the issue.

In the spirit of Bipartisanship let’s take a look at Senator Dan Inouye. In recent years, Inouye has become known for his ability to bring federal money to his home state, and he even declared himself “the No. 1 earmarks guy in the U.S. Congress” in August.

“Inouye either will get the amendment taken out altogether, or water it down significantly. If they water it down, they will take out the Title VII claims. This means that in discrimination cases, they will still force you into a secret forced arbitration on KBR’s (or other contractors’) own terms — with your chances of prevailing practically zero. The House seems to be very supportive of the original Franken amendment and all in line, but their hands are tied since it originated in the Senate. And since Inouye runs the show on this bill, he can easily take it out to get Republicans and the defense contractors off his back, which looks increasingly likely. (Ms Sparky’s Original Post)

Senator Inouye will be up for re-election during the 2010 mid-terms and this would be an excellent time to let him know how the public feels about giving corporations preference over the citizens of the US.

Updated - Is this a conflict of interest?

Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii)
In October 1992, Republican Senate nominee Rick Reed began running a campaign commercial that included a surreptitiously taped interview with Lenore Kwock, Inouye’s hairdresser. Kwock said Inouye had sexually forced himself on her in 1975 and continued a pattern of sexual harassment, even as Kwock continued to cut his hair over the years. Inouye, seeking a sixth term, denied the charges. And Kwock said that by running the commercial, Reed had caused her more pain than Inouye had. Reed was forced to pull the ad, and while many voters took out their anger on the Republican, Inouye was held to 57 percent of the vote – the lowest total of his career. A week later, a female Democratic state legislator announced that she had heard from nine other women who claimed Inouye had sexually harassed them over the past decade. But the women didn’t go public with their claims, the local press didn’t pursue the story, and the Senate Ethics Committee decided to drop the investigation because the accusers wouldn’t participate in an inquiry.

Here is the contact information for both Senators. Feel free to give them a call and inform them that they are public servants and dependant on the votes of their constituents who will not tolerate corporate puppets:

Senator John Cornyn: 202-224-2934

Senator Dan Inouye: 202-224-3934

No Conractor Left Behind Part IV: Congress’s Powerless Probe

October 16, 2009 — Ms Sparky

No Contractor Left Behind is a series by DC Bureau.org chronicling how a toxic time bomb followed three Army National Guard units home from Iraq. It reveals how a notorious military contractor (KBR) exposed American soldiers to a cancer-causing carcinogen on the battlefield and how the Pentagon tried to downplay the consequences. And it describes how Congress has relegated its investigation to a toothless forum that lacks the political clout and oversight powers to ensure effective accountability.

Click HERE to read No Contractor Left Behind Part I: KBR, the Pentagon and the Soldiers Who Paid – October 5, 2009
The first of a multi-part account of how KBR management knowingly exposed not only their own employees but hundreds of US Army National Guard troops, British Soldiers and local Iraqi citizens to to the toxic carcinogen known as sodium dichromate at Qarmat Ali in southern Iraq.

Click HERE to read No Contractor Left Behind Part II: KBR’s Negligence - October 7, 2009

In 2003, as part of project RIO, U.S. soldiers would accompany contractors into Iraq from Kuwait as they assessed southern oil sites, including Qarmat Ali. Their orders forbade them from leaving KBR personnel alone at any time. Even when they were working, soldiers had to remain an arm’s length away—which not only exposed them to whatever chemical elements the contractors uncovered during their work, it allowed KBR managers ample time to notify them of any potential health risks.

Click HERE to read No Contractor Left Behind Part III: “Just Suck It Up and Move On” – October 9, 2009

Military Exposure Guidelines permissible exposure limit for chromium: 5,700 parts per million.

Chromium soil concentrations found by KBR samples at Qarmat Ali on August 7, 2003: 16,459 parts per million.

Like KBR, the military failed to look after its own at Qarmat Ali.

“Unfortunately,” Sgt. Russell Powell said in Congressional testimony, “many of the soldiers who served at Qarmat Ali are paying the consequences for the Army’s failure to warn and protect the troops.”

At the treatment plant, as soldiers expressed concerns about sodium dichromate, the military brass remained taciturn and downplayed the danger posed by the chemical. Once the toxic conditions at Qarmat Ali were revealed, the Army relied on a questionable and surreptitiously administered medical test to fend off claims of a hazard, and used the results to deny health care for exposed veterans.

Click HERE to read No Contractor Left Behind Part IV: Congress’s Powerless Probe – October 13, 2009

“When you have contractors that have demonstrated that they have fleeced the government agency or the taxpayer, I don’t think there should be a slap on the wrist or a pat on the back. They should be debarred. …This is the most significant waste and fraud in the history of our country. It’s not even close.” Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-ND)

Thank God for Senator Dorgan and the Senate Democratic Policy Committee. If they had not investigated this and brought it to the attention of the DoD and media, how many soldiers would be dying and not know why?

Ms Sparky

No Contractor Left Behind Part III: “Just Suck It Up and Move On”

October 15, 2009 — Ms Sparky

Click HERE to read No Contractor Left Behind Part II: KBR’s Negligence - October 7, 2009

Click HERE to read No Contractor Left Behind Part III: “Just Suck It Up and Move On” – October 9, 2009

Military Exposure Guidelines permissible exposure limit for chromium: 5,700 parts per million.

Chromium soil concentrations found by KBR samples at Qarmat Ali on August 7, 2003: 16,459 parts per million.

Like KBR, the military failed to look after its own at Qarmat Ali.

No Contractor Left Behind Part II: KBR’s Negligence

October 12, 2009 — Ms Sparky

Click HERE to read No Contractor Left Behind Part II: KBR’s Negligence - October 7, 2009
In this report on Qarmat Ali you will watch video taped deposition testimony from KBR management. Watch how the KBR Safety Manager blames the KBR employees for not reporting the existence of a chemical that they had no idea was even on site. This is a classic example of KBR management at it’s finest. If I didn’t know better I would swear he was my safety manager in Iraq!

KBR won’t get paid for abusing it’s employees anymore!

October 7, 2009 — Ms Sparky

Senator Franken offered and the Senate passed in a vote of 68-30 an amendment to the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2010 to restrict funding to Department of Defense contractors who continue to use mandatory arbitration clauses that force sexual assault victims into arbitration.

The Franken Amendment No. 2588 sends a message to defense contractors that if they want to continue doing business with Uncle Sam, they need to stop the practice of requiring employees to sign contracts that purportedly waive all of their rights to bring a claim in court, even in the case of sexual assault.

Claims arising out of sexual assault, like assault & battery (including rape), intentional infliction of emotional distress, and negligent hiring, retention and supervision, do not belong in arbitration. Neither do Title VII civil rights claims, which were specifically designed to protect vulnerable groups in the workplace.

S. 2588 will not require contractors to change or modify existing employment contracts. It only bars funds to contractors who continue to use these mandatory arbitration clauses in their employment contracts.

Arbitration has its place in our justice system, but it has its limitations. Arbitration does not establish important precedent, arbitration is usually secret, arbitration never provides a jury of your peers, arbitrators are not trained to handle claims of sexual assault or civil rights violations, and arbitration is simply not the proper forum for sexual assault and civil rights claims.

Although this amendment passed, I think it is important to spotlight those Senators who voted against the rights of DoD contract employees. Especially those who are victims of rape. You can see the entire vote result HERE

Alexander (R-TN)
Barrasso (R-WY)
Bond (R-MO)
Brownback (R-KS)
Bunning (R-KY)
Burr (R-NC)
Chambliss (R-GA)
Coburn (R-OK)
Cochran (R-MS)
Corker (R-TN)
Cornyn (R-TX)
Crapo (R-ID)
DeMint (R-SC)
Ensign (R-NV)
Enzi (R-WY)
Graham (R-SC)
Gregg (R-NH)
Inhofe (R-OK)
Isakson (R-GA)
Johanns (R-NE)
Kyl (R-AZ)
McCain (R-AZ)
McConnell (R-KY)
Risch (R-ID)
Roberts (R-KS)
Sessions (R-AL)
Shelby (R-AL)
Thune (R-SD)
Vitter (R-LA)
Wicker (R-MS)

Is your Senator on here?

Ms Sparky

Stanley Baker Hill’s (SBH) answer to their release of 269 Social Security Numbers

October 5, 2009 — Ms Sparky

If you’ve been following this Stanley Baker Hill DAAR (SBH) Social Security number release of information fiasco, you know the original post drew nearly 200 very emotional, angry comments. Most regarding the total lack of concern on the part of SBH management about the disclosure of their personal information to those who have no need to know. Some threatening comments directed at those who exposed this breach could not published but were forwarded. I received countless emails from concerned people wanting to know if they were on the list because no one was ever officially notified of the breach. (click HERE for that original post)

Evidently some Human Resources manager by the name of Bruce Dawson is sending out the following email to people who were on the original list of 269 names and SS# that was email out by Thomas Koch on January 20, 2009. Hopefully he is sending this email out to EVERYONE on the list. At least then they will be officially notified.

(Insert your name here)

Please see attachment document regarding important information about possible release of Social Security Number. Please enter the word “budget” in the partner/promo code box to reduce the cost from $110 to $99. Doing so will extend your protection to thirteen months.

Thank you.

Regards,

Bruce

Bruce A. Dawson, Ph.D.
Contractor – Stanley Baker Hill (JV)
Human Resources Manager
7912 Bonhomme Avenue, Suite 207
St. Louis, Missouri 63105
Office: 314-863-5105
Cell: 636-627-7497
E-mail: bruce.dawson@LCMSolutions.net

This communication does not authorize work external to SBH, LLC, as only Government officials may issue direction regarding Government contracts or procedures. (end of email)

There is also an attachment. (click HERE for that)

I read the entire attachment and this is what I get out of it…correct me if you think I am wrong.

1. SBH feels there was no breach of personal information when Thomas Koch emailed out the names and SS# of 269 people to 106 email addresses. Many of which were anonymous private email accounts such as yahoo and gmail.

2. SBH feels the only issue is that “someone” violated their non disclosure agreement by sending the information to someone not working on Stanley Baker Hill’s contract. So, because SBH didn’t address the employee concerns and someone felt they needed to find assistance from outside the company they are made to be the villain. That is truly a KBR management style. That line between SBH and KBR is getting fuzzier and fuzzier.

3. Then they add…”This appears to have been done within the last few weeks.” All I can say to that is….then someone else has the list as well.

4. The letter goes on to state “As an immediate first step….” What a joke you people are. It’s been 9 months. And now you’re pretending to be all proactive only because they forced your hand.

Nearly 9 months later and this is the best SBH could come up with. My God. No wonder things are messed up. Is this the same level of concern you put into the management of your electrical inspections? Where in the hell is the DoD?

I do hope that SBH is making a concerted effort to contact each and every person on the list. That would be the one positive thing that comes out of this mess.

It’s time to let the victims chime in. Do you feel this is an adequate response to the initial breach and the 9 months of “It’s no big deal” responses?

Ms Sparky

DoD contractor discloses Social Security numbers for 269 employees

September 24, 2009 — Ms Sparky

Almost daily we hear sad stories about how someone obtains the personal information of another and totally destroys their financial lives by stealing their identities and purchasing vehicles, homes, obtaining credit cards, utilities, medical services, drawing on social security benefits, committing crimes and the list goes on and on. Companies such as LifeLock and FreeCreditReport.com are raking in millions helping people who are trying to avoid becoming victims themselves.

No matter how vigilant you are in protecting your personal information, there are some things that are out of your control. What do you do when the company you work for has disclosed your name and social security number and apparently didn’t even notify you when this breach of information had occurred?

This in fact happened on January 20, 2009, when Data and Reporting Manager, Thomas Koch of Stanley Baker Hill, LLC in Baghdad, Iraq emailed an Army document entitled “Personal Roster For Monthly Check Cashing” with the names and full social security numbers of 269 employees of Stanley Baker Hill and DAAR Engineering to a mailing list of 106 email addresses. Many of the email addresses were non government addresses such as gmail and yahoo. What need-to-know did these 106 people have in order to be sent this highly sensitive information? NONE. In addition, many of the people on the list no longer work for Stanley Baker Hill, LLC and may not even realize this breach occurred. I did notice that Thomas Koch name and social security number are not on the list. According to one former employee on the list, Koch’s response to him when asked about this information breach was, “it’s no big deal”. NEWSFLASH!! It is a HUGE deal!

The DoD has very clear reporting requirements in place and are spelled out in Department of Defense Directive 5400.11 DoD Privacy Program. So I have to ask, “When was this breach of information reported to the DoD?” Isn’t the violation of a DoD Directive by a DoD contractor a contract violation? Where is the DCMA in all this. Where is the Corrective Action Request (CAR)?

SBH is clearly at fault here. Not only for the initial breach, but more importantly for not being pro-active in notifying the people on the list and leading the effort in mitigating the risk for potential identity theft. People screw up, it happens. But to not step up immediately and assist your employees in protecting themselves shows a clear lack of professional ethics and a total lack of concern for your employees. I am starting to wonder if the news of this breach has even reached the corporate offices of Stanley Consutants, Michael Baker Corporation, Hill International, or DAAR Engineering. I have emailed each company to informed them of this article and asked for a statement. As of the publishing of this post, Michael Baker Corporation is the only company to respond. David Higie responded with “No, we will not have a statement for the article.” If anyone else responds, I will post an update.

As many of you already know, I too have all the documents involved in this breach of information. That in itself proves just how vulnerable every person on that list is. But, please be assured, I have no intention of further distributing, selling, or in any way compromising your identities. But you do have a right to know what I have done with the information. I sent the “unredacted” documents to an attorney in an effort to find out what kind of protections the people on the list are entitled to. I will keep you posted on that. I have sent the “redacted” documents to investigators on the Senate Democratic Policy Committee, Commission on Wartime Contracting, House Armed Services Committee, DoD IG/DCIS and DCAA. (“redacted” meaning only the names and the last 4 of the SS# are visible) I supposed if they want “un-redacted” documents they can request them from Thomas Koch or the DoD. There is no way of knowing who has sent these documents to whom. But you must assume that someone who is intent on committing identity theft has your name and social security number and you must take immediate action.

As many as 10 million Americans a year are victims of identity theft. In 2005, I was working in the Green Zone and became a victim of identity theft myself. I’m not 100% sure of how it happened, but someone was able to hack into my bank accounts and write themselves 1000’s of dollars worth of checks. Luckily, I monitor my money daily and caught it before any checks cleared and was able to recover 100% of my funds.

Every person on that list is a victim of an Information Breach and is at very high risk for identity theft.

This is what I recommend you do ASAP:

1. Contact your financial institutions and talk to a fraud specialist. Inform them of the breach of information and ask them what measure they can take to protect your cash assets. Some financial institutions may assist you with the entire process.

2. Immediately place fraud alerts with ALL three major credit reporting agencies and tell them there has been a serious breach of information within your company. I would call and talk to a real person rather than do it on-line.

To place a fraud alert with Experian click here or contact or call:

Experian fraud division
888-397-3742
P.O. Box 1017
Allen, TX 75013

To place a fraud alert with Equifax contact

Equifax fraud division
800-525-6285
P.O. Box 740250
Atlanta, GA 30374

To place a fraud alert with TransUnion contact

TransUnion fraud division
800-680-7289
P.O. Box 6790
Fullerton, CA 92634

3. Request a copy of your credit reports from ALL three major credit reporting agencies. You might be able to to that at the same time you are placing the fraud alert. You are entitled to one free credit report annually from each credit reporting agency. You can also request your reports here: www.annualcreditreport.com

4. Check your credit reports for accuracy. Each line item on your credit report should have a contact number for the creditor. Contact the creditor and verify each line item.

5. If you find inaccuracies or fraud:

a. Contact the creditor and dispute it immediately with the creditor and the credit reporting agencies.
b. File a police report with your local police department. This is very important.
c. File a report with the Federal Trade Commission

Updated 09/25/09: I was sent this link to the U.S. Army Privacy Incident Report If you are one of the 269 on this list, please take the time to submit this report to the US Army.

I strongly recommend you sign up for some sort of credit monitoring program. Something that will send you an email right away if there are changes such as new accounts or inquiries. Personally, I prefer Triple Advantage via Experian. I get an email alert if there are ANY changes to my report and it ’s affordable at $14.95/mo. TrueCredit via TransUnion also has credit monitoring. I’ve had LifeLock but I prefer being able to access all three reports 24/7 as with Triple Advantage or TrueCredit. Personally, I would stick with one of the “big three” credit bureaus here.

I am not selling anything and I don’t make a penny so it’s your choice which service you chose to use. I also wrote an article for another blog on Identity Theft. There is a lot more in depth information there as well. Click HERE

Personally, I feel SBH should be assisting you with this. But, they aren’t so…..I will.

If you don’t know if you are on the list email me by clicking HERE and I will let you know.

I will be compiling email addresses in the event an attorney wants to take this on as a Class Action. If you want to be put on that contact list email me by clicking HERE. If you already have a Class Action suit in progress let me know so I can pass it on.

If you have been a victim of identity theft, shoot me an email so we can keep track of how many people have been victimized.

And please DO NOT giving out any more personal information to anyone for anything unless you are 100% sure of who you are dealing with. Not DOB, not mother’s maiden name, not DL# NOTHING!! Please by hyper vigilant. This very well could affect your spouse and children as well.

Please make sure all the Task Force SAFE inspectors and other employees of Stanley Baker Hill and DAAR Engineering are aware of this information breach. I am hoping the AP, CNN or another major news outlet will pick this up. But…with the G20 Summit and the riots in Pittsburgh it’s difficult to get the attention of a reporter right now.

Ms Sparky

Shock and Eeewww!

September 11, 2009 — Ms Sparky

Former Armour Group employee tells it all.

If you are having problems watching this video on MsSparky.com click HERE

I am amazed and confused that the Afghanistan hazing incident is getting such a “shock and eeewww” reaction and so much media attention. The public is finding this so unbelievable and outrageous and yet it happened. So why is it so difficult to believe that a 20 year old woman was gang-raped in the Green Zone by co-workers or that men and women are being brutalized and victimized, discriminated against and harassed. And that managers are promoting prostitution, some owning and operating their own brothels.

Inside of Camp Slayer in Baghdad there was another compound with high walls. It was called the OGA (Other Government Agencies) Compound. I do not know who these agencies were but my sources tell me that they had lots and lots of weapons! They were not under General Order 1. They had a bar and partied and also had a mud wrestling pit. This was all fine and good, but they allegedly had naked women wrestling in the pit for their entertainment pleasure. I’m not sure who these women were, but this was a well known fact at Camp Slayer in the 2004 time frame. The OGA Camp was shut down in the late fall of 2004 supposedly because the wrong people found out about the mud wrestling venue. When the KBR employees were taken into the compound on a tour after OGA vacated, the bar and “naked female mud wrestling pit” was pointed out. This knowledge would lead me to believe that there was some KBR involvement here!

These incidents are just another example of government employees and contractors misbehaving. After the litany of investigations and reports, over the years, this just seems to be another day at the office and it certainly isn’t new news. According to testimony and published personal accounts, the standard operating procedure appears to include threats, intimidation, retaliation, prostitution, sexual misconduct, rape and the list goes on. These atrocities have been reported within the military and on both State Dept. and DoD contracts.

The people coming forward have been ignored, patronized or if they are civilian contractors forced into secret binding arbitration. The victims only chance for vindication or a moral victory in most cases will be validation; to date this has not happened nor has it been attempted. In fact I would wager to guess that the bulk of the victims feel as though they have been further ostracized and their careers put at great risk by going public with their ordeals and have been labeled as lazy, money grubbing, asking for it, etc…

Why is no one looking at all of these cases as an example of a systemic deep rooted problem and moving forward to investigate and rectify the situation? Or is this just another example of the “tail wagging the dog” in Government contracting.

While researching for this article I discovered an incredible amount of information about military rapes. Very Very disturbing. Very disturbing how the military handled it. I will be blogging about that in a day or so.

Ms Sparky

Former KBR Employee (David Breda) Arrested For Raping A Woman In Iraq

July 10, 2009 — Ms Sparky

KBR Employee From Pearland Accused Of Raping A Woman In Iraq

Houston Press
By Richard Connelly in Courts, Crime
Friday, Jul. 10 2009 @ 3:35PM

A KBR employee living in Pearland has been arrested for “abusive sexual conduct” he allegedly engaged in while in Iraq.

NCIS agents (that’s Naval Criminal Investigative Service to you) arrested David Charles Breda, 34, at “a Houston-area barber college,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

According to a newly unsealed indictment, “Breda, a civilian defense contractor employed by a subsidiary of Kellog, Brown and Root (KBR), sexually assaulted a woman at Camp Al Asad, an airbase in Iraq,” the release from the office said.

Breda no longer works for KBR. (more…)

How About A “Hire American Act”!

April 14, 2009 — Ms Sparky

There’s a Fly America Act and a Buy American Act how about a “Hire American Act“?

I’ve been listening to CNN all morning and hearing about the 5 million plus Americans who have lost their jobs in the US. The business that are closing. The States that are in a bind due to reduced revenues due to closed businesses due to lost jobs. It’s just a big ole vicious circle.

I have a “novel” idea. What if we implemented a “Hire American Act”? In a nutshell, if a job is being payed for by US taxpayer dollars, you have to hire US Citizens to work it. Or at the very least a very large percentage of the workforce should be American. This goes for work in the US and around the world. The US is spending billions of dollars building US Embassies, US Consulates and US Military facilities all over the world. Not just in Iraq and Afghanistan. At these facilities the largest group of employees, probably 75% are normally locals or third country nationals.

I understand boosting the local economy. But it’s time to boost our local economy and send that money home not to Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bosnia or Mexico. Plus in many job classifications, such as electricians, there are quality and qualifications issues. Not to mention people being kidnapped and brought to other countries to work against their will for The Americans, also called “Human Trafficking”. Yes…your tax dollars do support Human Trafficking!

Also included in this Hire American Act should be the following provisions:

Only legitimate US companies can bid on US Government contracts.
No bogus shell companies like KBR’s SEII & OAS will be allowed to supply manpower. The contractor will pay appropriate payroll taxes including state unemployment taxes.
Employees will be protected by US labor laws. No more threatening to fire people for not keeping their mouth shut when fraud or crimes are committed!
Employees will be protected by OSHA (safety) protection. (SOME exceptions may apply in a war zone)
Job position qualifications will be established. Such as electricians much be licensed or have equivalent verifiable training.
A real workers compensation insurance program needs to be established. The DBA and AIG have got to go. It’s a money pit and it doesn’t work.

If an act like this were passed into law, I think it would level the playing field and make the bidding more competitive. Especially for those companies who would like to bid the work, but just can’t sink as low as KBR can.

This is my personal opinion….I think only “cleared” Americans should be making the food and water for our soldiers. Talk about a weak link in not only the security chain but health and hygiene as well!

Tell me what you think should be in the Hire American Act.

Ms Sparky

KBR Employee Held At Al Asad For Military Court Martial

February 6, 2009 — Ms Sparky

Detention in Iraq of U.S. Civilian Challenged

Courthouse News Service
February 05, 2009

WASHINGTON (CN) – An attorney has filed a habeas petition for a civilian contractor who has been imprisoned at Al Asad Air Base in Iraq since November, and whom the U.S. military wants to court martial – though he is a civilian. David Breda Jr. says the military confiscated his passport, and claims he was “never officially notified of the nature of the pending charges which allegedly confer jurisdiction on the United States military to hold (him) against his will at Al Asad Air Base.”

Breda says he served 6½ years in the U.S. Army and was discharged as a sergeant in 2001. He was working for KBR as a civilian contractor when he was detained on Nov. 26, 2008. (more…)

How Does The “US-Iraq Security Pact” Affect KBR And Other U.S. Civilians?

November 28, 2008 — Ms Sparky

US-Iraq Security Pact, by the Numbers

November 28, 2008
Agence France-Presse

Iraq’s parliament on Nov. 27 endorsed a landmark military pact that will govern some 150,000 U.S. Soldiers assigned to 400 bases across the country beginning Dec. 31, when the United Nation’s mandate now governing the troops expires.

Here are the main points of the deal, spelled out in the official English version of the 24-page agreement.

Article 4: All military operations undertaken in Iraq must be conducted with the agreement of the Iraqi government and should be “fully coordinated” with Iraqi authorities through a joint U.S.-Iraqi committee. However, U.S. and Iraqi forces have the right to “legitimate self defence within Iraq” as defined by international law.

Article 12: Iraq will have the right to prosecute U.S. troops and associated civilians for “grave premeditated felonies” committed “outside agreed facilities and areas and outside duty status.” Should they be arrested however, they must be handed over to U.S. custody for the duration of the investigation and trial, and U.S. forces are responsible for certifying whether the alleged crime took place while the individual was on “duty status.”

No such immunity is extended to private security contractors, over whom the agreement grants Iraq the “primary right to exercise jurisdiction.” (more…)

Is KBR Increasing Their Uplift…Again?

November 24, 2008 — Ms Sparky

Uplift has ALWAYS been a HUGE issue with KBR/SEII Employees.

Uplift is a percentage in addition to the base pay. When I worked for KBR the uplift was 55% on the first 40 hours. Then in the fall of 2006 it was raised to 75%. Again, only on the first 40 hours.

Current uplift for Iraq and Afghanistan consist of the following:

International Bonus 5%
Area Differential 35%
Hazardous Conditions 35%

Evidently KBR does not feel the last 44+ hours in your work week are as hazardous as the first 40 because they DON’T pay Uplift and they don’t pay overtime.

There have been many lawsuits against KBR over uplift and overtime. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe that all cases have been dismissed. One of the big issues is, you don’t actually work for KBR. You work for SEII or OAS, offshore shell companies of KBR. US laws don’t apply. Plus…you signed that damn contract.

I have several questions:

1. Who approves uplift increases? When I worked for KBR we were always told it was the “Client” (DoD/DoS) that would NOT increase our uplift. Is it the “Client” or is it KBR?

2. What is KBR charging the “Client”? Have they been charging uplift for every hour worked? If so what percentage are they charging? 100%? I think it’s time for an audit! I have all my pay stubs if anyone in DoD or Congress wants to compare what KBR charged for me to what I actually got paid.

3. Is there a planned uplift increase in the near future? If so…who approved it, the “Client” or KBR? Is it only on the first 40 hours or on every hour worked? How much will it be? 100%?

Personally, I think every person over there deserves 100% uplift on EVERY hour worked!

Ms Sparky

Casey Releases Latest Letter from Petraeus on Electrocutions

October 7, 2008 — Ms Sparky

Senator Casey, a democrat from Pennsylvania asks General Petraeus for an update to the electrocution issues in Iraq.

General Petraeus reports that the dedicated Task Force he established earlier this year has begun to implement action plans to reduce the risk of electrocution, shocks and electrical fires;

General Petraeus has asked the U.S. Army Combat Readiness Center, based at Fort Rucker, AL, to deploy a team to Iraq to perform an independent analysis/assessment, taking a look at past electrical incidents. The team has already concluded that the two root causes of the series of electrocutions were human error and facility material failures;

The Task Force General Petraeus is referring to is Task Force Safe.

Click HERE to read the entire Press Release.

Ms Sparky

Did KBR Give Anyone Their Raise in Iraq and Afghanistan?

October 4, 2008 — Ms Sparky

It’s past payday!! Did ANYONE get their promised raises? Plumbers, HVAC, Generator Mechanics or Electricians? Did some get it and some didn’t? People are asking from all over. Let us know what’s going on.

Also, why is it that some of the KBR recruiters are telling the Master electricians that they aren’t hiring anymore Master electricians at Master pay and some are saying they are. Also, several recruiters seem to be luring plumbers and others to Houston with promises of the higher wage and then when it comes time to sign the contract the wage is much lower.

I’ m not a lawyer. But there sure seems to be something stinkin’ going on here. People in Iraq being promised raises and not getting it. People being lured to Houston with promises of higher wages and after investing all that time, it’s much lower. Is there not a lawyer out there who wants to take a look at this for a Class Action suit. This is all KBR’s doing. They can’t blame SEII for this one.

I have a simple solution for this. GIVE THEM THE DAMN RAISE YOU TOLD THEM THEY WOULD GET!

Ms Sparky

I’m Calling You On Your Crap … KBR!!!

October 2, 2008 — Ms Sparky

When I first heard that KBR was claiming all electrical installations in Iraq were being done to the British Standards and not the U.S. National Electrical Code (NEC) I just about fell out of my chair laughing. This, they claim, is why the electrical installations in Iraq don’t meet US Codes. I totally disregarded this information when I first got it. It was good for a laugh but was just too unbelievable to be true.

I have since received numerous reports of this claim. They even called on the expertise of their so call “British Standards expert”, William Black to try to support it. Who in the hell comes up with this crap? Does KBR have an “Office of Bogus Bullshit” somewhere? People who’s job is to do nothing more than sit around and come up with these outrageous lies. Camp Victory Maybe? How embarrassing it must be to work for KBR and be told you have to say “We do things to the British Standards” and look like you mean it. I couldn’t do it.

If all this British Standards crap is true, then why was KBR training management on the NEC in Balad? Hmmm Shouldn’t the managers supervising electricians already know the NEC? Just a thought. And you don’t meet British Standards either.

Here’s the truth according to Ms Sparky aka: Debbie Crawford Green Zone July 2004-July 2006. I don’t want to be accused of hiding behind a pseudonym.

There were never any British Standards!
There was never any mention of British Standards!
We didn’t do work to British Standards!
We had to fight and argue to do work to the NEC!

All the electricians I have talked to recently agree…see previous post comments on Attention KBR Electricians Past & Present THERE WERE NEVER ANY BRITISH STANDARDS!! (yes…I am yelling!)

KBR, you had many many great electricians that have supported our troops since 2003. Many great electricians who wanted to do a good job and do the right thing. Many great electricians who stood up and tried to defend doing the right thing. And what did you do? You totally disregarded them. Totally disrespected them. They were labeled as troublemakers. They were threatened to be sent home. They were sent to crap jobs as punishment. If given a chance, these great electricians may have been able to prevent the deaths that have occurred.

So…KBR…I understand you don’t like my blog. Too damn bad. You made your own bed and now I’m just going to throw camel spiders in it! Don’t they have the First Amendment in Texas? I will continue to do my best to expose you. I can only hope you get what you deserve. In my opinion, that would be Federal Prison for the whole executive level and then some.

As for those in the DoD that don’t like my blog. First of all. THANKS FOR SERVING!! It is because of you that there is a First Amendment. Second, it should never have gone this far. Why did it take a civilian, Cheryl Harris the mother of SSG Ryan Maseth, to blow the lid off this thing? You lied to Cheryl Harris. You lied to Larraine McGee. Where’s the Honor? Added after published: Is there any General anywhere that can get the answers to Cheryl Harris’ questions?? I don’ think that’s unreasonable. What’s unreasonable, is after 8 months she still doesn’t have the answers.

To Major General McHale and the members of Task Force Safe. I am 100% committed to the success of Task Force Safe. Lives are counting on it. God Bless You All!! You are all heroes in my book. If I ever post anything that puts the success of Task Force Safe at risk, just tell me.

To my readers…THANK YOU!!!

To my friends and family who are worried that KBR is going to “whack” me, sue me or somehow disrupt my blogging… “So be it!” There are many others who will pick up where I leave off. And..if I just disappear…I did not run off with the “pool boy”.

Ms Sparky

Attention KBR Electricians Past & Present

October 1, 2008 — Ms Sparky

I am compiling some much needed information for an ongoing investigation. I need current and former KBR electricians to answer the following questions for me. PLEASE

What country did you work for KBR/SEII/OAS in? Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, Other
When where you there? This is helpful info but not mandatory
What was the number and name of your Camp, FOB or Base? Again helpful information but not mandatory
How were you told to make your electrical installations? As per the National Electric Code (NEC), The British Standards, or no code was mentioned.
Did your camp have a copy of these standards readily available? The NEC, The British Standards

These are my answers.

Iraq
July 2004-July 2006
Green Zone
NEC-But without the tools and material nearly impossible.
My personal copy of the NEC/British Standards were never mentioned.

You can leave it in a comment. Anonymous is OK….PLEASE be honest. Or email it to me at mssparky@mssparky.com Your name and email address will never be divulged. Please forward to other KBR electricians who may not be aware of my blog.

Thanks in advance from me, the soldiers and their families.

Ms Sparky

KBR’s Tom Bruni & Joe Tedesco? What A Team

September 30, 2008 — Ms Sparky

UPDATED!!! SEE BELOW!! Can it be?? Has KBR hired the electrical code expertise of Joe Tedesco? The Joe Tedesco?? “Joe Almighty?” KBR must think they are in real hot water because according to Joe, he didn’t come cheap.

Joe Tedesco has been one of those names in the electrical industry that has been around since I was an apprentice ….DON’T GO THERE!! Anyways, I had always been in awe of “Joe Tedesco the God of Electrical Code”. When he contacted me a while back I was just all starstruck. The mighty Joe Tedesco had honored “little ole me” by gracing my blog with his mere presence. By commenting on my posts. The comments are still there! You know how it is …when you shake hands with someone really important you think “I will NEVER wash my hand!!” Well, I thought…”I will never delete those comments!”

He told me he wanted to work in Iraq. He said he was doing a lot of Corp of Engineer training and wanted “hands on” experience. He asked about working for KBR. Naturally, I went right into my anti-KBR speal…KBR Bad!!! KBR Bad!!! I gave him DETAILS about how bad KBR was to work for. We were talking on a daily basis. He even called from a class in Virginia and put me on speakerphone to talk to his Corp of Engineer students who were deploying to Iraq. He even sent me pics…

Then I got an email about Task Force Safe and how they were hiring master electricians to be inspectors. They would be inspecting all of the DoD buildings. Most of which are maintained by KBR. I emailed Joe and said..”Send your resume here…NOW!!” He sent his resume to Stanley Consultants. He called me a day or so later and said he had been hired, $300,000 plus a year. We started going over all the stuff he was going to need and the stuff he wouldn’t need. Chit chatting…blah blah blah.

Then he started asking me about “living” at Camp Victory. Hmmm. I knew that working for Stanley (SBH), he would probably be moving around a lot. I thought, well…maybe SBH was going to use him in another capacity, so I answered his questions.

When I hadn’t heard from him in a couple of days, I decided to give him a call. That’s when he dropped the bombshell! “I’m going to work for KBR”. “Oh My Freakin’ God” just stab me in the freakin’ heart. I couldn’t freakin’ believe it. I said “You’ve got to be shittin’ me!” I was dumb founded. It’s like when Aniken Skywalker crossed over to the dark side and became Darth Vader and Tom Bruni was the Evil Emperer. I kind of felt like this was some kind of KBR intervention reality show and I was looking around for the cameras!!

He said…and I quote “KBR offered me DOUBLE what Stanley offered!” OK-Let’s do the math. Stanley offered $300,00 plus. So that means…KBR offered $600,000 plus? Plus he said he got his own room and own office next to Tom Bruni.

So….instead of working for SBH and performing an admirable service for our soldiers and civilians. Joe Tedesco chose to work for KBR. Chose to defend KBR. Chose to protect KBR. I’ll pass that on to Cheryl Harris, the mother of Staff SGT Ryan Maseth or Larrainne McGee the mother of Staff SGT Christopher Everett.

Once I denounced him publicly, he started harassing me by calling my house. He told my husband…in a nutshell…he needed to get control of me. That I needed to “back off”. My husband just started laughing his ass off. He has called many other people in the middle of the night to tell them to “back off”.

So, I think Joe Tedesco is a perfect fit for KBR. I have one question for Tom Bruni. If Joe calls and harasses someone while under the employ of KBR/OAS… does that make KBR/OAS responsible?? Just curious.

I’m just thoroughly disturbed that my childhood electrical hero is so superficial and ______(you fill in the blank). And if you don’t believe me…check out these threads.. and these are just the ones that haven’t been closed.

UPDATE: 10-15-08 JOE TEDESCO HAS HAD HIS MEMBERSHIP IN INTERNACHI REVOKED! I can only assume it is for the vile, vulgar, disgusting, childish participation on the Forum. And the alleged stalking and harrassing of other InterNACHI members that are planning on filing suit. Every day he shows just how well he will fit in with KBR executives.

http://www.nachi.org/forum/f19/cant-we-just-get-along-33264/ Joe Starts is harrassment on about page 2.
http://www.terrylove.com/forums/showthread.php?t=13681
http://www.nachi.org/forum/f19/ok-im-done-tedesco-32661/
http://www.theelectricalguru.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1221822866
http://www.nachi.org/forum/f19/electricial-inspectors-wanted-iraq-33065/
http://www.nachi.org/forum/f19/just-so-you-know-you-dealing-33200/
http://forums.jlconline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=37504

Also, KBR electricians. Joe claims he was trying to track down my KBR employee commentors via KBR HR. For what… I can only imagine. So…take a good look at the photo and be careful.

OK-now you decide… I am now in need of a good electrical therapist. Feel free to refer me.

Personal message to Joe Tedesco-Don’t bother commenting your nasty vile hateful vengeful crap, that’s my job! If it’s not an apology…I will delete it. My blog…my rules. As far as the photo goes…it’s on the freakin’ internet!

UPDATE-I TAKE IT BACK. HIRING JOE TEDESCO IS THE BEST THING KBR CAN DO FOR ANYONE THAT IS FIGHTING THEM, SUING THEM OR OTHERWISE IN ANY KIND OF ELECTRICAL DISPUTE WITH THEM. MUST FORWARD THIS LINK. WHAT A JOKE. CLICK HERE TO READ JOE’S LATEST AND GREATEST INANE BABBLE.

Ms Sparky

CATEGORIES

BLOGROLL

FAVORITE SITES

LAW FIRMS I LIKE

Contractors ask DoD to reimburse offshore payroll taxes

Other Related Posts:

Other Related Posts:

Politics make strange bed fellows but Cornyn and Inouye - Bipartisan Friends Forever?

Other Related Posts:

Other Related Posts:

Other Related Posts:

Other Related Posts:

Other Related Posts:

Other Related Posts:

Other Related Posts:

Other Related Posts:

Other Related Posts:

Other Related Posts:

Other Related Posts:

US-Iraq Security Pact, by the Numbers

Other Related Posts:

Other Related Posts:

Other Related Posts:

Other Related Posts:

Other Related Posts:

Other Related Posts:

Other Related Posts:

Donate With PayPal

Follow Ms Sparky:

Recent Comments

Post Archives

Recent Visitors

Other Sites