November 10, birthday of the United States Marine Corps is just a week away; and it is painful to see a fellow veteran of the Corps pop up on the pages of The Washington Post : not for some heroic deed; not because he stood up for the rights of the little guy; but because he has been identified as the author and continuing facilitator of a group that not only feeds porkily at the public trough, but which operates tax-free.
Here is a brief quote from The Post:
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Concurrent Technologies began two decades ago doing metalworking research in Pennsylvania's struggling rust belt. In the years since, the Johnstown, Pa., company has become a federal contracting chameleon.
It is an intelligence adviser, an environmental consultant and a software engineering specialist. It has trained mine-detecting dogs and managed religion-based initiatives. It oversees construction projects, organizes conferences and studies ways to use hydrogen for fuel in Pennsylvania and South Carolina. Missile-defense research is part of its portfolio. So is the development of special armor for combat vehicles in Iraq and "solid waste technology" in Florida.
And it is a nonprofit charity.
Behind the rise of Concurrent is Rep. John P. Murtha (D-Pa.), chairman of the House Appropriations Committee's defense subcommittee, who helped arrange funding to launch the organization in 1988. Murtha has since arranged millions of dollars more in directed congressional appropriations called earmarks. Now Concurrent has nearly $250 million in annual revenue and 1,500 employees.
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Senator Murtha is no stranger to "controversy". In the 1980's, the FBI conducted a large "sting" operation,called ABSCAM , in which several Congressmen were caught on tape accepting $50,000 bribes from a supposed Arab sheikh, who was actually an undercover FBI agent.
Murtha was among those "tested" - (and caught on videotape) - but declined to accept the offered "walking around money": a wise decision on his part , as he was about the only one not charged. (He did wind up having to testify against his fellow Democrats.)
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I felt some relief at the time , because Murtha's actions - questionable as they might have been, had been taken on behalf of his hard-pressed Congressional district , rather than for his own benefit, and did not reflect dishonorably upon the Marine Corps.
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In May of 2006, Congressman Murtha accused his fellow Marines of " cold-blooded murder" in Haditha, Iraq : claiming 30 to 60 innocent civilians had been killed by the troops - without justification. CNN has a pretty thorough report.
Like many Americans, I assumed Murtha had "inside information" ; and, although I deplored his rather blatant attempt to exert "command influence" over any resultant court martial proceedings , I remained silent out of respect for a man who had been an outstanding Marine officer.
Little by little, the Haditha charges have been falling apart as the truth emerges: Investigators became aware the Marines had been set up deliberately by al-Qaeda - but because of pervasive command influence, their reports had been set aside,so that scapegoats could be selected and punished.
After learning this, I decided all bets were off as far as Jack Murtha was concerned.
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With no further ado, I return you to the pages of The Washington Post for the rest of the story.
Oh, by the way, Federal Election Commission reports show the following:
Since 2000, CTC employees, board members, and their families have donated $113,375 to Rep. Murtha’s election campaign and since 2006, have donated $3,250 to his political action committee, Majority PAC.
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