The Sept. 17 BDN editorial, “Contracting Improvements,” was correct when it claimed that “the overriding problem is that government oversight hasn’t kept pace with the rapid growth in government contracts,” and this is especially so in the case of U.S. government no-bid contracts to American corporations operating in Iraq.

More than $20 billion of U.S. taxpayer money has been lost or stolen because of U.S. government mismanagement. At least part of the blame for mismanagement must be shouldered by Sen. Susan Collins who chaired the Senate oversight committee and, yes, failed to provide adequate oversight.

For the BDN to praise Collins for introducing legislation to curb the problem at this late date only calls attention to Sen. Collins’ past mismanagement.

Roger W. Bowen

Prospect Harbor