Pentagon Racked $720 Million in Late Fees

Think that your overdue library book's late fee was bad? Well, that ain't nothin' compared to what the Pentagon paid in late fees in returning rented containers ...

The Pentagon has spent more than $720million since 2001 on fees for shipping containers that it fails to return on time, according to data and contracts obtained by USA TODAY.

The containers — large metal boxes stowed on ships and moved from port on trucks — are familiar sights on bases in Iraq and Afghanistan where troops use them for storage, shelter and building material. Yet each 20-foot container returned late can rack up more than $2,200 in late fees. Shipping companies charge the government daily "container detention fees" after the grace period ends for the box to be returned.

Thankfully, the Pentagon can afford it, as its budget is about $553 billion. Link


that is $72,000,000 a year. it includes housing and storage (protection) from the bad people over there... it is part of a stimulus plan to help keep the container business in check. If we didn't give them fees, we fwould give them bailouts...
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Oh great, our wonderful selfish lazy government working hard to spend our money wisely. Pretty sad when the people that were born here, and have worked hard their whole lives, will struggle more than the people responsible for this...irresponsibility. Our government sucks.
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Actually, that sounds extremely fishy to me. Sounds like those funds got rerouted somewhere else. $700 million towards something Congress wouldn't approve. I seriously doubt that was a legit expenditure.
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"It's unclear how much shippers charged the Pentagon between 2001 and 2004 because the fees weren't closely tracked, according to the Army."

Yeah, that screams incompetancy right there.
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Just one more reason for NO new taxes. The government wastes enough, has enough fraud and overlap to run and probably pay off some of the debt as well.

I'm a supporter of a strong defense, but this is obviously $700M the Pentagon doesn't need.
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