The Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics is modernizing it computer-assisted data entry system -- and the U.S. Census Bureau of the U.S. Dept. of Commerce is paying for it. The Bureau on Sept. 7 announced via Solicitation #51-SO-BC-11-00082 that it intends to award a noncompetitive contract to the Greenbelt, Md.-based Jmat Systems, LLC, to support the project. It says the sole-source contract is justified because the company "is the only known source with the knowledge and experience needed to provide additional in-country deployment, setup, configuration, and disaster recovery services" for the Bangladeshi endeavor.
The Bureau, however, did not offer justification as to why U.S. taxpayers are paying for it.
Steve Peacock Interview with Talk-Show Host Peter Boyles
Today I was tracked down by Denver radio talk-show host Peter Boyles (710KNUS), who took note of my reporting primarily via WND on the issues of drones -- unmanned aerial systems -- and other forms of electronic surveillance. We spoke for nearly 20 minutes about some of the following articles, while Mr. Boyles also allowed me to briefly pitch my website U.S. Trade & Aid Monitor and talk about my background as a Capitol Hill reporter covering the final years of the Clinton Administration through the start of the George W. Bush Administration.
Many thanks to Mr. Boyles for this amazing opportunity. He expressed a strong desire to have me return as a guest on his show, to which I am very much looking forward. -- S.P.
Obama deploying drones around U.S. -- Contracts show units to be used to enforce regulations (WND; July 21, 2013)
Media Ignored Big Picture of NSA Surveillance, Focused on Jobs (Patriot Update; June 27, 2013
Drone training anyone? Army ramping up plans -- Subjects include 'search for targets, ' record details for analysis (WND; June 28, 2013)
Feds recruit private sector to expand drone use -- Seek traffic control experts to launch more spy planes over U.S. airspace (WND; July 8, 2012)