The US taxpaying citizen is very ill-served.

Where is the evidence for this statement. Well here it is:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39AO-axUd-k

The F-35 has cost nearly a trillion US$ to produce and it is still not up to its desired flight metrics.
Someone is pocketing a lot of money. It is so because you can't count accurately one billion. So, how on earth do you keep track one trillion.
By the way there is a YouTube on the F-35 in which it describes it has a LEMON.