Big Dig, big trouble

According to news reports, a multi-count indictment has been returned by a federal Grand Jury, charging six individuals employed by Aggregate Industries NE with conspiring to defraud the United States by generating and submitting false records to the Central Artery Tunnel Project (“Big Dig”) and mailing fraudulent invoices to general contractors on this government funded highway project. They are charged with highway project fraud and related offenses for their participation in a scheme to provide concrete to Big Dig projects that did not meet contract specifications, and to conceal the true nature of the concrete through false documentation. If you remember, back in 2002, several of the company's senior managers were investigated after a criminal complaint concerning price-fixing. This is the kind of thing that gives the construction materials industry a bad name, and coming during a time of economic prosperity in the industry, it does nothing to lessen the national perception that big corporations gouge customers. Your comment?