George, You are correct. Logic and Government are incompatible. I fight it daily.
Rahe Loftin, PE Fire Protection Engineer (AHJ) General Services Administration Design & Construction 7PCE 817-371-3102 On Mon, Oct 24, 2011 at 12:07 PM, George Church <[email protected]>wrote: > Not that it would be any justification for the employee's actions, but > doesn't it seem odd that we pay a preference for domestic steel, then send > a billion dollars in foreign aid to those that would have produced the > goods for us? > I know, if I want logic, why would I look to the govt? > > George L. Church, Jr., CET > Rowe Sprinkler Systems, Inc. > PO Box 407, Middleburg, PA 17842 > 877-324-ROWE 570-837-6335 fax > [email protected] > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: [email protected] [mailto: > [email protected]] On Behalf Of Justin Reid > Sent: Monday, October 24, 2011 12:33 PM > To: [email protected] > Subject: Re: Buy American Act Article > > Cecil, > > You are probably correct in all of those statements. I apologize if me > posting this article was interpreted as being about this company. It seems > to me to be clear from the article that the incident was conducted by an > individual. I would think that many would draw the same conclusion as there > is only so much you can supervise in the execution of the work. I had not > hear about this case until today and simply passed information on a public > website. The purpose of the posting was for awareness and that is all. > > Thanks, > > Justin Reid > > On Mon, Oct 24, 2011 at 11:46 AM, Sprinkler Academy - C Bilbo < > [email protected]> wrote: > > > > > This article is over six months old and the case was from three and a > > half years ago. > > > > This is one incident by a rogue employee that I believe was > > terminated. It made a great company look bad and that great company > > quickly made ammends to the situation. > > > > I feel terribly for the people that work at this company that they > > would be subject to emails such as this. > > > > I know many of them and I know that their level of professionalism > > would NEVER allow the kinds of practice that happened here. > > > > Their reputation may have been tarnished by this individual, but they > > have such a stellar track record, that they have quickly moved on from > > this incident. > > > > > > > > Sincerely, > > > > > > Cecil Bilbo > > Academy of Fire Sprinkler Technology > > Champaign, IL > > 217.607.0325 > > www.sprinkleracademy.com<http://www.sprinkleracademy.com> > > > > [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]> > > > > > > > > OUR STUDENTS SAVE LIVES!! > > > > > > > > ---------------------------------------- > > > Date: Mon, 24 Oct 2011 11:30:41 -0400 > > > Subject: Buy American Act Article > > > From: [email protected] > > > To: [email protected]; [email protected] > > > > > > An interesting article regarding the Buy American Act - J. Reid > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > http://progress-index.com/news/fort-lee-subcontractor-faces-possible-2 > > 0-year-prison-term-1.1135712#axzz1bi3Kb3qG > > > > > > > > > > > > FORT LEE - An employee of a subcontractor hired to install fire > > sprinklers > > > in the Army Sustainment Center of Excellence at Fort Lee has pleaded > > guilty > > > to a charge of knowingly altering documents to obstruct a federal > > > investigation. > > > > > > Claude Winston Gibson pleaded guilty on Monday to one count of > > obstruction > > > and is scheduled for a sentencing hearing on July 15 in U.S. > > > District > > Court > > > in Richmond. He faces a possible maximum sentence of 20 years in > > > prison > > plus > > > three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. In his > > > plea agreement, he also agreed to pay restitution of $22,917 to the > > > Norfolk Engineer District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. > > > > > > According to court documents, Gibson was the manager in the > > > fabrication > > shop > > > of Virginia Sprinkler Co. Inc., a subsidiary of VSC Fire & Security > Inc. > > of > > > Ashland. In April 2008, the company received a $643,000 subcontract > > > to install fire sprinklers in the Sustainment Center. > > > > > > VSC's subcontract was awarded under a $52 million prime contract for > > > construction of the center and was subject to the Buy American Act > > > of > > 1933, > > > which requires the federal government to give preference to > > > U.S.-made products in its purchasing decisions. Specifically, the > > > company's subcontract required Virginia Sprinkler to buy a type of > > > pipe fitting > > known > > > as a "weld-o-let" from American manufacturers. > > > > > > According to court documents, "From April 2008 until July 2008, in > > > order > > to > > > save money for his department within Virginia Sprinkler, Gibson > > > began to > > use > > > foreign-made weld-o-lets during the fabrication of the piping systems" > > for > > > the Sustainment Center. At the same time, prosecutors said, "Gibson > > directed > > > the welders of his department to grind off the foreign-made markings > > > on > > the > > > weld-o-lets." > > > > > > For reasons not disclosed in court filings, in August 2008 the > > > Defense Criminal Investigative Service started an investigation of > > > the > > Sustainment > > > Center project for possible noncompliance with the Buy American Act. > > > A > > month > > > later, DCIS requested paperwork from Virginia Sprinkler concerning > > > the weld-o-lets. > > > > > > "Shortly after the request, Gibson directed an employee to alter > > > certain source documents ... by adding the letters 'USA' on the > > > project documents provided to the welders," court documents state. > > > "By doing so, Gibson > > made > > > it appear that the welders had been instructed ... to use domestic > > > weld-o-lets, but on their own had ignored the 'USA' notation and > > > instead used the foreign weld-o-lets." > > > > > > The case against Gibson was filed in federal court in Richmond just > > > a > > month > > > ago. Gibson waived his right to formal indictment and entered his > > > guilty plea at the first hearing held in the case, which originally > > > was > > scheduled > > > only as a bond hearing. > > > > > > The federal Buy American Act passed in March 1933 superseded an > > > earlier > > law > > > dating to 1875 that gave preferential treatment to American-produced > > > materials in contracts for public improvements. > > > > > > The act states in part that "only such manufactured articles, > > > materials > > and > > > supplies as have been manufactured in the United States, > > > substantially > > all > > > from articles, materials or supplies mined, produced or > > > manufactured, as > > the > > > case may be, in the United States, shall be acquired for public use." > > > > > > - Michael Buettner may be reached at 804-722-5155 or > > > [email protected]. > > > > > > Read more: > > > > > http://progress-index.com/news/fort-lee-subcontractor-faces-possible-2 > > 0-year-prison-term-1.1135712#ixzz1biIQLgCP > > > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was > > > scrubbed... > > > URL: < > > http://fireball.firesprinkler.org/mailman/private/sprinklerforum/attac > > hments/20111024/57a98f07/attachment.html > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > Sprinklerforum mailing list > > > [email protected] > > > http://fireball.firesprinkler.org/mailman/listinfo/sprinklerforum > > _______________________________________________ > > Sprinklerforum mailing list > > [email protected] > > http://fireball.firesprinkler.org/mailman/listinfo/sprinklerforum > > > -------------- next part -------------- > An HTML attachment was scrubbed... > URL: < > http://fireball.firesprinkler.org/mailman/private/sprinklerforum/attachments/20111024/3ca65ae2/attachment.html > > > _______________________________________________ > Sprinklerforum mailing list > [email protected] > http://fireball.firesprinkler.org/mailman/listinfo/sprinklerforum > _______________________________________________ > Sprinklerforum mailing list > [email protected] > http://fireball.firesprinkler.org/mailman/listinfo/sprinklerforum > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... 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