[glm]

If you don't like the Fed Govt ways of doing business then elect better congress people. I have spent my whole career as a contracting officer for the federal govt. It is the stupid laws that are passed by congress that does this -- if you notice all three items mentioned were laws or exective orders. Believe me, I once had a Senator's aide call me demanding to know why I procured toyota pickup trucks. I had to tell him his boss voted for the trade agreements act of 1979 and if he did not want us to buy japanese products he should not have voted for it.

Blame elected officials - not the government workers that have sworn to carry out these laws.

[KirklandJunction]

Federal Contracting Officer?

So you do what you are told to do, like it or not, to satisfy your bosses, for money.

Chose any name for that profession.

[eno_]

Blame elected officials - not the government workers that have sworn to carry out these laws. quote a block of text

Sorry, but I urge everyone here to do exactly the opposite: DO blame the narc, the EPA weasel, the bureucrat. Make their existence miserable. Why? Because government employees, especially those in enforcement functions, have a strong influence over laws. Police and corrections officers' unions have a lot to say about the WoD. If these people are made paraiahs - if their families become outcast in the community - they will add powerful voices for reform.

[TheCPA]

If enough businesses cease to do business with the federal governemnt because of stupid laws passed by Congress and idiotic regulations promulgated by executive agencies, then Congress and the agencies should get the message and change their ways. I wish the states would also tell the federal government to shove it and decide inter alia what the speed limit and the legal blood alcohol content for driving should be.

[thepitts]

If you don't like the Fed Govt ways of doing business then elect better congress people

Wasn't this (just recently) made nearly impossible?

[litany_of_lies]

Blame elected officials - not the government workers that have sworn to carry out these laws.

I wish it were that easy. True, Congress passes vague laws that give bureaucrats way too much leeway. But the bureaucrats stay up late and night thinking about creative ways to twist the laws even further to harass businesses even beyond the level Congress intended.

I have mixed feelings about HD. My brother, who is a manufacturers' rep for a number of US companies, sells to them, and he's PO'd because they are constantly beating up on him as to when he's going to have his client companies manufacture stuff in (slave labor Communist) China. So on the one hand, I'd be more impressed with HD if they didn't appear to be so hell-bent on getting goods from foreign countries, especially China.

OTOH, I admire them for trying to avoid business with the government. They had better be ready for a helluva fight. The bureaucrats' weapons will at least be the following:

- Conducting stealth purchases by government employees for cash ("temporary exceptions to the GSA's under-$2500 rule"), and telling HD that they're doing biz with the Feds whether they like it or not, and whether they know it or not.

- Sending out every OSHA, EPA, and EEOC auditor they can round up to give their respective root canals to every store, every branch, and every office.

- Pit-bull IRS auditors on every audit relating to their income tax returns and employee-benefits plans

- Rumor-mongering from "sources withing the SEC" about "dubious accounting practices" or "insider trading."

- Antitrust actions from the DOJ, alleging that HD has used predatory pricing to eliminate the small-time hardware stores.

- Lawsuits by the Feds claiming that HD engages in interstate commerce, and is BY DEFINITION subject to the laws and orders they are trying to avoid having to comply with. After all, how do customers get to the store (federally-funded interstate highways)? Who do their trucks pay excise taxes to (the feds)?

- The probably pounding that the stock will take when various items of bad news referred to above are reported.

Like I said, they had better be ready.

[joeyman]

If you don't like the Fed Govt ways of doing business then elect better congress people.

Listen Grasshopper, according to some liberal pollster named Kohut (sp?) Nine, count'em nine!! congressional elections are competative this year. With the fraud and recent immigration of all our new citizens, don't delude yourself with actually thinking your vote counts. Voting today is like peeing in your pants, it gives you a nice warm feeling and nobody notices. (Still I must admit, I do vote every election I can - I just don't think it matters).

[justshe]

Blame elected officials - not the government workers that have sworn to carry out these laws.

Thank you. I tire of people NOT understanding the difference. And there is HUGE difference. Not only do they have to carry out the laws, but can be fired or prosecuted if they don't!

[Joe Hadenuf]

If you don't like the Fed Govt ways of doing business then elect better congress people.

Elect? So we should all go vote right buddy? Vote? VOTE?

I can only say this.

We tried to voting in California. We worked for two years on Proposition 187 and this was the result, thanks to the Federal Government.

The people of the great state of California held a free election and voted 3 to 1 in favor of proposition 187 which would have put a stop to the tax paid support of illegal aliens. WE WON the election!!! However, the federal government stepped in and burned our ballots and declared our election unconstitutional.

LET THIS SERVE AS A WARNING! Wake up people.

Our borders and immigration policies have become a national disgrace, and now a complete national security nightmare.

Vote?

Spit*

[dr_who]

Blame elected officials - not the government workers that have sworn to carry out these laws.

Nice, but that still doesn't mean that Home Depot should have to sell stuff to government workers if they don't want to put up with the hassle that goes with it.