NSA Spending?

[Monster]

I'm sitting here watching my local news. They just did a story about Sacramento County's wire tapping program. I was shocked (and a bit doubtful) that they have only had to use wire tapping once this year and, on average, about 3-6 per year the last few years.

Whether I believe that or not is irrelevant. They mentioned that it costs $30,000 per wiretap!!! How is that even possible? It seems like an incredibly high number and I am sure there should be a way to do it at a fraction of that price.

What I'm wondering is that if Sacramento County's cost per wiretap is $30k, what about the NSA? If they were wiretapping and spying as much as has been alleged, how much was the bill? And not just the phone taps, but add in their ability to get into emails or electronic devices...how much money has been wasted? We all know that the government is wasteful in spending, so exactly how crazy is the NSA's bill? Is there even a way to know? If you had a number could it be reliable?

 

[Mitchrapp]

I would think much less to but I saw this..

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2013-07-08/average-cost-official-wiretap-us-50452

They apparently do many more than 3-6 and the average cost over 50 grand..with the highest being over 800 grand. That's if you believe it all..

 

[Monster]

That's disgusting.

 

[Michchamp]

it's even more disgusting...

the NSA/feds share information (information collected UNCONSTITUTIONALLY AND ILLEGALLY) about people with local police, who go and bust them for minor drug offenses... but who have to "launder" the evidence so it appears they obtained it legally.

http://www.wired.com/2014/06/feds-told-cops-to-deceive-courts-about-stingray/

hoping the judiciary gets pissed. usually they do when they find out they've been lied to, but a lot of judges are conservative and will go along with whatever, as long as the power of the state is behind it.

 

[Michchamp]

this goes back to those Bush-era debates, where some people who give a shit about the constitution complained that the wiretapping was Unconstitutional, illegal, and frankly unnecessary. The excuse was "fighting terrorism" and it's shocking how many people were okay with that, even though it didn't pass muster logically when you really got down to it.

 

[Gulo Blue]

this goes back to those Bush-era debates, where some people who give a shit about the constitution complained that the wiretapping was Unconstitutional, illegal, and frankly unnecessary. The excuse was "fighting terrorism" and it's shocking how many people were okay with that, even though it didn't pass muster logically when you really got down to it.

Bush? Again? Man, that guy started everything. Congress knew it was a bad idea when they banned it during WWI, but Bush ignored them during prohibition 'cause he had to smoke them bootleggers out of their holes. He expanded the FBI's jurisdiction after the Lindberg baby kidnapping. In the 40's, he issued the secret executive order authorizing wiretapping of subversive types. Later, McCarty gave him an excuse to expand the program again. Most of all of that was illegal. In '68, Bush finally got legal backing for wiretappings related to organized crime and kidnappings. In '75 and '76 the Church Committee reported on Bush's illegal wire tapping activities. The Pike Committee too. The Bush established the FISA Courts in '78 because a secret judicial system is really the solution to this problem. In '94 he passed the Digital Telephony Act which required all fiber optic switches be built to facilitate wiretapping. It all goes back to Bush.

 

[Michchamp]

Bush? Again? Man, that guy started everything. Congress knew it was a bad idea when they banned it during WWI, but Bush ignored them during prohibition 'cause he had to smoke them bootleggers out of their holes. He expanded the FBI's jurisdiction after the Lindberg baby kidnapping. In the 40's, he issued the secret executive order authorizing wiretapping of subversive types. Later, McCarty gave him an excuse to expand the program again. Most of all of that was illegal. In '68, Bush finally got legal backing for wiretappings related to organized crime and kidnappings. In '75 and '76 the Church Committee reported on Bush's illegal wire tapping activities. The Pike Committee too. The Bush established the FISA Courts in '78 because a secret judicial system is really the solution to this problem. In '94 he passed the Digital Telephony Act which required all fiber optic switches be built to facilitate wiretapping. It all goes back to Bush.

the most recent, widespread abuses STARTED under Bush, so yes, it goes back to him. the capabilities to do this existed before him, but all evidence links the drastic expansion to his first term in office.

the process has continued under Obama who voted for the Immunity deal in '08 (i think it was) after promising during his campaigns that he would oppose it.

I guess what your saying is, since the abuse of state power has been going on since states existed, we can't discuss it's current manifestation, today, in a thread directly about this particular abuse?

 

[Gulo Blue]

the most recent, widespread abuses STARTED under Bush, so yes, it goes back to him. the capabilities to do this existed before him, but all evidence links the drastic expansion to his first term in office.

the process has continued under Obama who voted for the Immunity deal in '08 (i think it was) after promising during his campaigns that he would oppose it.

I guess what your saying is, since the abuse of state power has been going on since states existed, we can't discuss it's current manifestation, today, in a thread directly about this particular abuse?

Nope. As always, you guess incorrectly. There's a consistent history of the executive branch pushing for this stuff and the courts pushing back, but I'm not defending Bush. He escalated the warrantless wiretapping dramatically and that's bad and that deserves plenty of ridicule. What I'm saying, is that the knee-jerk reaction to focus criticism on Bush for continuing executive behavior, even in Obama's 6th year, is no better than people suddenly discovering they have a problem with these things now that Obama's president after not complaining when Bush did them (one of your favorite things to complain about.)

 

[Thumb]

The wiretapping costs are just normal government inflated costs. Just like when the Pentagon was paying thousands of dollars for single things like screwdrivers and toilet seats. Any goods or service sold to the US government probably has about a 3000% markup right off the bat.

 

[Spartanmack]

The wiretapping costs are just normal government inflated costs. Just like when the Pentagon was paying thousands of dollars for single things like screwdrivers and toilet seats. Any goods or service sold to the US government probably has about a 3000% markup right off the bat.

Well, in that case...

 

[TheVictors]

Why are you so upset about wire-tapping??

Do you have something to hide??

Because if you didn't have anything to hide, the wire-tapping wouldn't bother you ...but it does.

So you do..

Like the fact that you're clearly not one of US, but one of THEM ...an un-Patriotic, un-American, libtard, pinko, commie!

 

[Monster]

Why are you so upset about wire-tapping??

Do you have something to hide??

Because if you didn't have anything to hide, the wire-tapping wouldn't bother you ...but it does.

So you do..

Like the fact that you're clearly not one of US, but one of THEM ...an un-Patriotic, un-American, libtard, pinko, commie!

Lol never had an issue with reasonable spying. I just don't like the idea of having so much money invested in something with very little reward. It's like the war on drugs. Nice thought, horrible execution, no chance of winning.

 

[mhughes0021]

im not complaining about any money we spend.....I just read were going to spend 1.2 billion on making a balloon to catch an asteroid. Debt Schmedt....

 

[Thumb]

im not complaining about any money we spend.....I just read were going to spend 1.2 billion on making a balloon to catch an asteroid. Debt Schmedt....

Well how the fuck else are we going to catch one?

 

[mhughes0021]

Well how the fuck else are we going to catch one?

superman...duh.

 

[Thumb]

superman...duh.

Be realistic dumbass. The asteroid could contain Kryptonite.

 

[TheVictors]

Sorry, my post was directed at MC .....


who is clearly a terrorist

 

[Gulo Blue]

im not complaining about any money we spend.....I just read were going to spend 1.2 billion on making a balloon to catch an asteroid. Debt Schmedt....

I think that's one of the more worthy things we do with our resources. $1.2 billion...what is that? Half a B2 bomber?

 

[mhughes0021]

Be realistic dumbass. The asteroid could contain Kryptonite.

Lold in rl.

 

[turok]

Well how the fuck else are we going to catch one?

Maybe we should make the CDC HQ in Atlanta go out and catch it, since they seem to want to catch just about everything else...cough...anthrax...cough...nowadaze.