Profit... At What Cost?

By Bob Goemans

If you were fortunate enough to view the movie Erin Brockovich, then reading Profit…at What Cost? will bring back memories of environmental wrongdoings. Those who read the first outline of this novel said it should be made into a movie, as it's even more riveting and eye-opening! Are you paying attention, Hollywood? Follow an environmental reporter and her sidekick photographer as they search for the truth in two highly emotional yet mysterious environmental situations: above-normal births of deformed children in a small town in West Virginia and what finally leads to the death of thousands when an unknown bacterium is unleashed in the Midwest. And since the author actually wrote the terms and conditions, awarded and oversaw the progress of a similar contract, as described herein for the cleansing of contaminated soils at a USAF facility (one that could have unleashed an unknown bacterium into the wild), only its termination after its first test results became known, may have saved the earth from similar disastrous events, as described in this novel! DO NOT MISS READING THIS NOVEL!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Page Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Nov 15, 2020
• ISBN: 9781646280872

Book preview

Chapter 1

Just Simple Folks

April, Week 1, Thursday

It was almost 1000 hours in DAMco’s executive conference room. Patricia Gomez had gotten there early enough so she could occupy the seat next to where the company president would soon be seated. Richard was also there, but he sat at the far corner of the table, preferring not to be too close to either.

The room was slowly filling with various program directors and their mangers, and everyone engaged in small talk. Photos of the current president of the United States, corporation CEO, past and present DAMco presidents and company products lined the walls. At the front end of the room, there was a small stage with a podium and overhead spotlights. A large pull-down screen, along with satellite communication equipment, filled the area directly behind the podium. At the opposite end of the room, a small table held two full coffee urns, several pitchers of ice water, two large plates of doughnuts, paper cups, and napkins.

Within a few minutes, all attendees were seated, and at exactly 1000 hours, Jay walked in and went directly to the podium. Small talk among the seated attendees ceased in anticipation of his opening remarks.

Placing his notes on the podium top shelf, Jay turned on the necessary switches built into its top edge to light the entire stage. After a long, hard look at each of the main attendees, he opened the meeting. Ladies and gentlemen, we need to do more with less. Next year’s budgets will have to be trimmed where appropriate. He paused to show a slightly pained expression, as if he really cared. It at least looks good, he thought, then continued, We must keep pace with the competition and, at the same time, meet increasing customer demands for lower prices while maintaining the quality of our products.

This was not anything new to those who had attended similar budget meetings held by this company’s president in the past. Many were already thinking that if the new budget numbers were met, they would receive their $5,000 to $50,000 bonus money and he would get his $500,000 bonus from corporate.

Many of the attendees who already knew of the level of desired cuts from some previous personal meetings with him or their management had copies of their presentation and photocopies of certain high points ready to submit when their turn came to discuss their budget for the coming year. Even though they hoped to please him, they needed this opportunity to illustrate which of their areas could or could not sustain cuts. Most invitees simply saw this meeting as the first major step in the annual corporate budget chess game that would continue over the coming weeks until final numbers were agreed upon by Jay, then corporate. Nevertheless, most knew it was meet the so-called goals or be subjected to reduced bonuses; therefore, only some major weapon systems directors had any leverage, if they chose to go down that path.

As he stood at the podium, little beads of sweat formed on his forehead under the intensity of the above spotlights.

Reaching to the shelf under the top of the podium, Jay found a box of tissues and removed one. Then patted his forehead with it and commented with a slight grin, I’m on the hot seat this year, and I’m already beginning to feel the heat!

Everyone in the audience politely chuckled and smiled.

Patricia already knew the drill, and to draw some attention, somewhat loudly interrupted, Jay, we have been reading the handwriting on the wall and believe we are all prepared to meet the challenge. She already knew her budget would please him, and actually hoped some would come out of the meeting looking a little awkward. And with where she was going with her budget plans, felt sure that would happen!

Jay smiled, nodded his head, then continued, This is our first scheduled group meeting of the year to discuss next year’s budgets. What is to be expected and why has already been discussed on a one-on-one basis in my office over the past couple of months. Now, hopefully, your first draft will be in line with company needs. But before we get to that, pausing, then with a tone of sincerity in his voice, continuing, I want everyone to take a message back to all their personnel that I personally would appreciate their input on how to improve our company. Tell them we will soon have defined paths for their input. To accomplish this in an orderly fashion, I have asked Patricia to formulate several ways to incorporate ethics, good work habits, workplace cleanliness, and a team feeling into this agenda. I want the workforce to feel we are listening, they can be heard, and they can make a difference.

Then took another tissue from the box below and again wiped his forehead. Since Patricia leads me to believe everyone is prepared, there is no time like the present to get started, and with that said, let me ask Patricia Gomez, vice president and director of operations to get these presentations going.

Thank you, Jay, Patricia responded as she stood up. Then walked to each of the seated program directors and laid a copy of her draft budget on the table in front of them. Then gathered her laptop and made her way to the podium, where she handed Jay a copy before he went to his chair at the head of the table.

After placing her laptop on top of the podium, Patricia looked upward at the lights. You’re right, Jay. I can also feel the heat.

Attendees again chuckled; however, it was more a pained political reaction than a genuinely natural response!

Then making eye contact with each program director, said in a firm voice, As Jay noted, next year is going to be another difficult year where our budgets are concerned. Corporate realizes the Cold War has been officially over for a long time, and even with continuing global threats and an unofficial cold war, there still may be reduced military spending in some areas. And with less funding in military programs a valid possibility, broad-coverage overhead costs that we pass through to corporate must be reevaluated.

Twenty-five slides followed, each describing the various plantsite areas under her authority. Emphasis was placed on plantwide security, facility construction and alterations, company-related environmental services, and her administrative control of broad-coverage overhead expenses sent to corporate.

Pausing for a few seconds, then walked away from the podium, retrieved a cup of ice water from the table in front of her chair, took a sip, and took it back to the podium. And again, she briefly looked at each of the various program directors, as it was her way of sending them a signal they were targeted for a change in the level of her support!

By this time, some of the attendees sensed they were about to be screwed!

After another eleven slides, some with animated subject matter to make a special point, it was time for the main jab. And with no new firm federal dollars in sight for the coming year and corporate reducing my budget for our broad-coverage overhead expense account at this weapon systems segment, I’ve found it necessary to end the flow of unnecessary expenditures being passed through to corporate, as that affects overall bottom-line profits, which negatively impact overall company stock prices.

Pausing with a slight smirk creeping across her face, she continued, There will simply be no more free rides, and from this moment forward, any fees for services or particulars that cannot be charged against the end product may ultimately be back-charged to the entity requesting said pass-through. As an example of unnecessary charges, just in the past ten months, this overhead account incurred various program disposal costs associated with supplies or spills deemed hazardous to the sum of $3,387,562. Of this amount, $452,962 were solely for the removal of outdated or surplus stock. Again, should happenings such as these repeat themselves or what could reasonably be deemed unnecessary expenditures come to my attention, they will be back-charged to the requesting entity! Carelessness or inadequate attention to normal operating parameters will not be rewarded. Period!

With that said, there were numerous groans, head shaking, and eye rolling by all the military program directors. This was the first they heard of these changes, which would skew their perceived write-offs to general company overhead and now shoot some holes in their planned budgets. Most realized this was how she played the game: smiling to their faces and stabbing them in the back. As long as she looked good, screw everybody else! What a bitch! many thought.

She realized said actions would in some cases cause some project profit numbers to diminish. And should that happen, the director’s following year pay raise would also be negativity affected!

Knowing what was just said would cause a tightening of procedures in affected departments, Jay stood up with an ear-to-ear smile. That-a-way, Patricia, as this will send a message to our customers we remain open-minded as to cost savings wherever they can appropriately be had, and said savings will eventually reduce product end cost.

Patricia knew he would like that idea, as anything that could generate greater profits and at the same time be used as a publicity ploy was certain to please. Then went on to explain, slide by slide, the remaining aspects of her coming year’s budget, which was 17 percent below the present year’s budget, one that would very possibly reduce the profit margins of almost every director’s budget!

Just another win-win situation for me! she thought.

* * *

In Dayton, Ohio, it was early morning, and Col. Ronald Harrison looked down at the stacks of paperwork on his desk and reached for today’s to-do list. There was an asterisk penciled in at the top of the list with an arrow pointing to a name at its bottom. It read, Call Sam Martin. Quickly reaching for his phone, he punched in a series of numbers.

When answered, Ron replied in a highly authoritative voice, Good afternoon, this is Col. Harrison, group ACO commander at Wright Patterson Command Headquarters. I would like to speak to Col. Martin.

He listened to the response for about a minute. He is? What is his ETA?

Ron paused as he received some more information. Afterward, he said, Thank you. I’ll meet with him when he gets here, if there’s time. Then hung up and thought, What a stroke of luck. He’s on his way to Wright Pat to meet with Lt. Gen. Dilling later today. Then pushed the red call button to speak to his secretary.

Jean, an old friend is coming here from Germany today at 1100 hours. His name is Col. Samuel Martin, and he has a meeting with the general later today. Would you check his itinerary and see if there may be time for us to renew an old friendship?

Certainly, sir. I’ll call for the roster and get the information you need and flag it to your computer.

Well done.

About five minutes later, a flashing red flag icon appeared on his monitor. The words Message awaiting your review appeared next to the icon.

Reaching for his mouse, Ron clicked the icon. Within a few seconds, Sam’s itinerary came up on the screen.

Col. Samuel Martin

ETA 1120 hours

Temporary quarters: Visiting officers’ barracks, B18

1400 hours meeting with Lt. Gen. Phillip Dilling (invited staff only)

ETD 0200 hours, following day

Local transportation: motor pool car and driver

In at eleven twenty and out tomorrow at two in the morning. Must be something very sensitive, Ron thought. Again he pushed his red call button.

Jean, let me know when Col. Martin’s flight touches down.

Yes, sir.

* * *

It was late afternoon at General Medical West Center, one of many large medical buildings on the northern side of downtown Deming. It housed some of their medical staff and equipment that provided initial services to many of their local subscribers.

Doctor Bryan Mickleson, a family practitioner, was about to see his fourteenth patient of the day. Before opening the door to the small room containing his next appointment, he took the patient’s chart from the holding shelf just outside the door and read this new patient’s complaint.

John Lornenso

Age: 59

Blood pressure 165 over 90

Pulse 85

Complaints: stomachaches, cramps, dark spots in bowel movements

Hopefully, it’s not anything serious, he thought as he opened the door.

Good afternoon, John. I’m Dr. Mickleson, entering the small room. How are you today?

John, who was sitting on a chair next to the examining table, looked up and, in a low voice, said, Well, Doc, I’m having stomach and bowel problems and wondering if it might be caused by my wife’s cooking, as she uses a lot of spices in the things she makes. And these problems have continued on and off for about the past year.

What do you mean by on and off?

John paused, as if a little lost for words. Well, sometimes I get a stomachache, sometimes just bad cramps. It can happen day or night. Yet they don’t lead to bowel movements. Again he paused, as if searching for the right words. They just come and go, sometimes just annoying, other times quite painful.

Sit up on the table, and point to where you have these aches.

Once on the table, John pointed to his lower stomach. Across this area and sometimes a little higher up to this area, pointing to the area just below the ribcage.

Lie back, and open your belt, and lower your trousers a little bit.

John undid his belt and slid his trousers slightly down so the doctor could see his bare stomach area.

Dr. Mickleson then pressed on his stomach in various areas.

Ouch… That’s a little sore in that spot, John remarked when touched in one area.

Seeing it was the liver area, then asked, Do you consume much alcohol?

One glass of red wine per day, but nothing more, as I don’t want to become an alcoholic.

Nothing wrong with that. Now sit up and raise your shirt.

With the shirt raised, Dr. Mickleson pressed several areas on the back and over the kidney areas, but John did not respond with discomfort. Tell me more about those dark spots in your bowel movements.

Don’t always see them, but sometimes the stool seems dark in places. John paused and then added, And I experience an occasional ache in the middle back on both sides sometimes.

Kidney areas, thought Dr. Mickleson. What kind of spices does your wife use, and how much and how often does she use them?

We’re Italian, and black pepper, bay leaves, basil, thyme, oregano, garlic, and paprika are used. Yet mostly black pepper and garlic, I would guess. But she has reduced their usage over the past year because of this problem.

Needing more information, Dr. Mickleson said, John, I want to check one thing further before you get dressed. It may not be too comfortable, but get up and turn around, and lean over on the table. Drop your pants and shorts. I’m going to get a little bit of a stool sample and spread it on this small card. The results will tell me if there is any blood in them.

Getting up, John turned around, bent over, and leaned on the table. In a joking tone of voice, said, You’re not gay, are you, Doc?

No! replied Dr. Mickleson in a half-laughing tone. Now drop your shorts. Then took one of the general-purpose nitrile gloves from a box on the countertop and pulled one over his hand. One size fits all, he jokingly said so to get a little satisfaction from John’s unnecessary comment. Then applied some K-9 petroleum jelly to his covered middle finger and inserted it into John’s anus. There, that’s over, he said quickly and spread some of the stool sample onto the test card. There are some tissues on the counter. You can wipe yourself and get dressed.

Within a few seconds, the test area on the card changed to a color indicating there was blood in the stool. Are you ever bothered with hemorrhoids?

John began to look a little worried. Sometimes.

That could be the reason why we have a positive test for blood. But to be sure where it’s coming from, I’m going to send you for an additional test. Once we have the information back, we can take it from there.

Then Dr. Mickleson thought it would be informative to know where John worked, just in case there might be some aspects about that employment that would shed further light on his patient’s condition. Where do you work?

I work at Dynamic Aircraft Missile Company, but I’m not one of those factory workers. I work in an office, and I’m just a paper-pusher.

Is it a stressful job with lots of pressure and deadlines?

John smiled. Actually, I like it. The place is air-conditioned, it pays well, I like the people I work with, and can drink all the coffee I want.

How long have you been employed there?

A little over fifteen years.

How much coffee do you drink a day?

Oh…about eight to ten cups a day, maybe more.

Decaf or regular?

Decaf, as I don’t want to be hyper or have an acid stomach.

Dr. Mickleson finished writing his observations down on John’s chart.

John, I’m referring you to Doctor Anderson, who will give you an internal examination. It’s called a colonoscopy, which your chart shows you have never had. When you make the appointment, they will explain how to prepare yourself for that test. The actual procedure will only take about twenty minutes.

Isn’t that where you have to drink a gallon of some crappy-tasting stuff to flush out your plumbing? Then the next day they shove a mile-long hose up your rear end? with a slight grin creeping across his face.

Yes, but it’s not painful.

Easy for you to say.

Later that day, Dr. Mickleson went to the door of another small waiting room to see his last patient for the day.

The medical center would be happy with my production today, he thought.

Taking the patient’s chart from the holding slot on the door, read the patient’s complaint.

Jim Gonzolas

Age: 47

Blood pressure: 170 over 84

Pulse 86

Complaints: stomachaches, cramps, dark spots in bowel movements

Odd, he thought, second one today with the same symptoms and also a new patient. Then opened the door and entered the exam room. Good afternoon, Jim. I’m Dr. Mickleson. How can I help you?

Hi, and it’s nice meeting you. It’s just like what I told the nurse—cramps on and off at all different times of the day. Sometimes they hurt bad. Lately, I’ve noticed black spots in my stools.

How long have the cramps been occurring?

About six months.

Since Jim was already sitting on the end of the examining table, Dr. Mickleson requested he point to the place or places where the cramps were worse.

The routine was the same as with his earlier patient who had the same problem, and because of it, Dr. Mickleson also decided to ask, Jim, where do you work?

I work at Dynamic Aircraft Missile Company, where I’m a design engineer. I’ve been employed there for the past eighteen years.

Exactly what does a design engineer do?

I design the section of a missile that carries the electronic gyroscopic guidance mechanism. Kind of top-secret stuff, so I can’t go into detail.

Is that mostly paperwork and computer stuff?

Where I’m concerned, that’s 100 percent of my work.

Dr. Mickleson looked at him and, at the same time, foresaw the answer to the question he was about to ask. So…you’re never subjected to chemical solutions or their vapors in the course of your work?

No, never. It’s a nice, clean, air-conditioned environment.

Dr. Mickleson moved his head slightly up then down in response to guessing right. Then hoped he would guess the answer to the next question wrong. Do you drink coffee at the plantsite?

Why, yes, I do…probably about eight to twelve cups a day. But it’s mostly decaf.

Again, Dr. Mickleson moved his head slightly up then down. Another patient for Dr. Anderson!

A short time later, he sat in his small ten-foot wide office, going over his medical notes for the day and reviewing his list of patients to phone before he could call it a day.

When finished, he reread the files on two of the day’s new patients: John Lornenso and Jim Gonzolas, both employees of DAMco, a local missile-making company.

Strange, he thought, two new patients, both from the same company, both with similar symptoms, both possibly having cancer, and the only visible connection I can see just now is, they both drink a lot of coffee, mostly decaffeinated.

Even though coffee had for a very long time been decaffeinated using various solvents such as trichloroethylene (TCE), a known cancer-causing ingredient, Dr. Mickleson doubted whether it would be at fault since its use was discontinued many years ago.

Millions of people have consumed decaf coffee, and they have not become susceptible to cancer because of it—or have they?

It was his opinion that there was never a study good enough to resolve that situation. Maybe it was because the coffee industry had for decades wanted it that way, something like how the cigarette industry didn’t want certain technical data concerning their products to become too public. He also realized that most people didn’t pay enough attention to how smooth some big corporations were when it came to covering up certain product aspects if it could be seen as detrimental to their profits!

Or could there be a drinking-water quality problem? Defense plants used many different kinds of carcinogenic chemicals.

Deciding to elevate these names to his patient watch list for follow-up, Dr. Mickleson placed their charts in a basket labeled File Room so they would get sent to storage.

* * *

The day had gone by slowly for Robyn and Harry as each lounged around in their motel rooms, watching TV or walking the nearby streets while waiting to meet this early evening with Arthur and check out the Meadows and his contact.

It was now midafternoon, and there was knocking on Harry’s door.

It was Robyn, and when he opened the door, said, Let’s leave a little early and grab some of Arthur’s great cooking before we visit his source and this place called the Meadows.

Good idea, he responded in a grouchy tone of voice, as I’m certainly not doing anything more important around here. Then paused, and with a smile coming across his face, mumbled, "And besides, he’s a damn good