Government Pays More in Contracts, Study Finds

[___closetome]

WASHINGTON - Despite a widespread belief that contracting out services to the private sector saves the federal government money, a new study suggests just the opposite - that the government actually pays more when it farms out work

Comments

[clevermanka]

This is new/s?

Anyone who works for a state agency can tell you that the idea of buying through state contract means cheap is a load of horseshit. We pay more for our computers, more for our paper, more for our damn pens than it would cost to run down the street and pick them up at Office Depot.

[firstwifetracy]

Delurking federal employee here. I've asked this question time and again. I get different answers but the one that made the most sense to me: The cost savings for contractors is on the back end, at retirement age

[hammersxstrings]

contractor here. ty for this :) cause yeah, that second paragraph? SPOT ON. except sometimes the company decides to screw us out of more lol

I'm IT as well; wish they WOULD convert our positions to GS. I'd be on that like crazy

[we_got_caught]

The problem is, the government relies far too long on contract employees to perform daily functions like IT stuff. Those positions should be federal; we shouldn't be paying assloads of money to Dell/Perot for those services. Contractors should only be there for short-term specialty projects.

Yep. I'm a government contractor and the project I'm working on is going to go until at LEAST 2016, if not longer, and once it's done, they will start the next round of revamping it. As nice as contractor money is, I really wish I had the security of being a direct hire.

[firstwifetracy]

Yep, the job security sucks ass as a contractor. My husband was let go from a fed contracting position in 2007 because the GS-12 supervisor didn't like him. Husband made a smart-ass remark about a fellow contractor based on religion (dumbass...the husband, that is) and he was railroaded out of the position.

Hopefully you both can get on as GS employees. There are tons of federal IT jobs but the requirements differ by actual position.

[baked_goldfish]

It's unsurprising, but I'm glad there is a study people can point to when the anecdotal evidence gets ignored.

[celtic_thistle]

What a fucking shock. I honestly am suspicious of any politician who's like "omg the private sector is cheaper/more efficient!" Chances are, they've got something to gain. And this shit just supports that thesis of mine.

[mirhanda]

Does anyone think the repugs want to save the government money? What they want is to be the contractors so they can swindle the people out of even more money.