Postal Service's 'Conflict of Interest' is Democrat Cronyism & Corruption

An article at TheHIll on a possible 'conflict of interest' at the  United States Post Office fails to mention key facts. Omitting key details is another form of bias in the media and another way the media protects the Democrat party and its leadership.  What are the details that have been overlooked ?  What about cronyism and corruption ?  Take a look at the first half of the article excerpted below or follow the link to TheHIll for the complete article.

Postal Service urged to end deal with real estate broker

The Postal Service needs to end its relationship with a major commercial real estate broker, a federal watchdog said this week. 

USPS’s inspector general said the agency’s set-up with CBRE, in which the real estate broker sometimes represents both sides of a lease or sale, sparks “conflicts of interest.” 

Both the Postal Service and CBRE have defended their current arrangement. But the inspector general said it’s concerned that “CBRE may not negotiate property sales and lease transactions in the Postal Service’s best interest.” 

Before the Postal Service and CBRE teamed up, the inspector general said, potential landlords used to negotiate directly with the agency.

But now, the watchdog says it has heard complaints from building owners about CBRE demanding commission payments. In all, CBRE collected roughly $20.6 million in commissions on roughly 3,400 leases.

On top of that, the inspector general said that it believes the Postal Service – which lost some $5 billion in the most recent fiscal year – could be overpaying by about $9.5 million a year on rent due to leases negotiated by CBRE. Those overpayments, the inspector general said, went toward commissions for CBRE. 

For those reasons and more, the inspector general said the Postal Service should get rid of CBRE and allow other companies to bid to be the agency’s broker.

The article does state the case for a possible 'conflict of interest' at the USPS, but is looking for cronyism and  corruption a conspiracy theory?  Should the reader have been informed that CBRE is connected to Democrat Senator Dianne Feinstein's husband Richard C. Blum.  Consider the following :

'The US Postal Service intends to sell 56 buildings, so it can lease space more expensively. The real estate company that has been charged to handle the sale should pocket approximately $1 billion in commissions. The company designated to handle the transactions is none other than that of the California senator’s husband, Richard Blum. '

'In March 2011, Blum’s company, CBRE, was selected as the sole real estate agent on sales expected to reach $19 billion. It went unnoticed by most voters that Blum is a member of CBRE’s board and served as chairman from 2001 to 2014. Already questions about appraisals and transaction prices, and whether or not the post office has received fair value for its properties or if CBRE select clients have received special deals on preferred properties.

The media ignored this not uncommon feat of federal spousal support after Feinstein’s office stated the senator had nothing to do with the USPS decisions to award the brokerage of the sales to CBRE '

Not only was Donald Blum chairman of the board at CBRE, he is still  listed as a director.

Another 'conflict of interest' is when the liberal media reports on anything connected to the Democrats. This isn't the first or last time the media will cover for the Democrat party, but Senator Dianne Feinstein seems to get very special treatment, even for a Democrat.   My previous blogs followed the money trail that started at death and destruction and lead right to the Senator and her husband's door. 

Democrat Dianne Feinstein: A Bridge Too Far

Politicians Suppress Report on 2nd Failed URS Bridge Project 

The Martin Olaf Sabo Bridge-The Fix is In

Democrat Dianne Feinstein: A Bridge Too Far

35w Bridge Collpse Mpls MN

Company that Consulted in MN Bridge Failures Seeks New Project

"The engineering firm that consulted on the collapsed 35W bridge and the Sabo Pedestrian Bridge that had a broken cable may get another large project in Minnesota.
URS corporation is hoping to get a seven year, $94 million contract for the Southwest Light Rail transit line.
A Met Council Committee was set to vote Monday afternoon but decided to table the issue.

35W Bridge Collapse Mpls MN

They first want to learn more about the problems with the Sabo Bridge."  By: Leslie Rolander

2 Cable Anchors Failed on Martin Olaf Sabo Bridge

Sabo Bridge- Support Cable Failure

Martin Olaf Sabo Bridge Failure

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Local Media Coverage @kstp

URS in deal to acquire Washington Group


"URS has a history of anticipating change in the industry, and this transaction is the next logical step in building for future growth," URS Chief Executive Martin Koffel said, noting the firms' strength in power production and infrastructure and environmental management.
The combined company, to be called URS, would have an order backlog of more than $11 billion in more than 50 countries. The two companies currently have 54,500 employees worldwide.
The deal is designed to give the companies additional heft in a competitive global arena. In April, URS led the Engineering News-Record's annual ranking of top 500 design firms.
Federal contracting would be key for the new company, whose combined 2006 revenue is $7.6 billion, the fourth-highest among . publicly-traded engineering and construction companies.
The new company would be one of the top five providers of defense technical services. This month, URS was one of two companies that won a contract to help manage post-disaster housing inspection services for the Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency.
This year, activists attacked Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) for having an alleged conflict of interest because she held key positions on the Senate's military construction appropriations subcommittee while her husband, Richard Blum, had financial interests in URS. Feinstein's office denied any ethical problems."
 


The media fails to explore the connection. Why is that important. Check the date of the contract and completion of the of the project for the Sabo Bridge in the following image. Martin Olav Sabo Bridge

Sabo Bridge Specs

Now we look at video of the 35 W bridge collapse, the date of Aug 1, 2007.  A variety of government projects for URS that were great for them, but not so great for the citizens and taxpayers.

  In 2003 the state department of transportation contracted with URS Corporation to inspect the bridge and recommend repairs.  In 2007 the department awarded a contract to a construction firm to repair the bridge.  Repairs began in June 2007 with the intent to be completed in September 2007.  While the repair work was still in progress, however, the bridge collapsed and thirteen people were killed and more than 100 were injured.  Statute of Repose Bars Indemnification Claim against Engineer that Designed Bridge that Collapsed


Aug 1, 2007 Bridge Work turns fatal.  A URS project


It is amazing what the leftist media is willing to overlook to keep the Democrat Party in power and the campaign contributions flowing. Imagine the power and influence of a senior Senator on powerful committees during the Democrat party's majority reign. With the media's complicit silence, the corrupt democrats and the party machine feeds off the treasury. 

#urscorporation #diannefeinstein #richardblum #35wbridgecollapse #martinolafsabobridet #democrats #cronycapitalism #campaign cash.