Whatever you do, don’t attempt to do something for the government which might mean a member of Congress won’t get credit or have the ability to funnel money into their home state.

Sadly, members of the DOD are also complicit in this disgraceful behavior.

That is exactly how I felt after reading this:

Retired Glenwood Springs car dealer John Haines’ hope of donating a giant chunk of snow -white marble to the federal government to replace the cracked Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery is stalled again.

Haines’ hoped-for donation, which has sat outside the Yule Quarry near Marble since it was cut for the tomb in 2003, didn’t even rate a mention in a 34-page Department of the Army report to Congress this week on replacement and repair options for the deteriorating tomb.

Haines’ donation creates problems for the federal government because it is free and has not gone through a pricey bidding and specification process. A quarry in Vermont has expressed interest in submitting a bid.

This week’s report — the latest in a string of tomb reports done since Arlington officials decided the marble needed replacing 18 years ago — estimates the cost of replacing the tomb’s marble at $2.2 million — $80,000 of that for seeking bids, $90,000 for buying and transporting the marble and the remainder for sculpting.

Haines made the final payment for his $31,000 piece of marble last week. He also has lined up donated transport for the rock on a flag-decorated flatbed truck. He did all that after receiving a letter from an Army major general five years ago thanking him for his “most kind and generous donation.”

This is absurd. As the Tomb falls further into disrepair, government officials fiddle.

I certainly understand these sentiments as expressed by Mr. Haines:

“I understand how the government works,” Haines said. “But there comes a point when you just say ‘to hell with it.’ ”

What a generous man offering for this remarkable donation for one of our most revered National Monuments. Shame on those who are balking at accepting his kindness.

HT:Blackfive