There's a Fox In The Henhouse

Conservatives are known for their belief in the ability of the private sector to outperform the public sector (government) in virtually every regard. I personally don't buy it - there are faults to be found at every level and usually the electorate at least has some control over the public sector, whereas the private sector is out of our reach.

It is for this reason that I believe that government oversight of the private sector is very important to the safety and welfare of all of us. Sometimes, when private sector flunkies are moved into the oversight positions, not much control goes on and then things sort of fall apart.

From the New York Times...

A North Dakota manufacturer has agreed to pay $2 million to settle a suit saying it had repeatedly shortchanged the armor in up to 2.2 million helmets for the military, including those for the first troops sent to Iraq and Afghanistan.

Twelve days before the settlement with the Justice Department was announced, the company, Sioux Manufacturing of Fort Totten, was given a new contract of up to $74 million to make more armor for helmets to replace the old ones, which were made from the late 1980s to last year.