4 ms·

You could just light the money on fire instead and get the same result. Contractors routinely screw the tax payer. I once had a job in one of these third partie

You could just light the money on fire instead and get the same result. Contractors routinely screw the tax payer. I once had a job in one of these third parties where the entire operation was effectively defrauding the tax payer by claiming 1hr jobs would take 40.

cuuupid 2mo ago
You are absolutely correct, billable hours are perverse incentives and wrap rates border on predatory, but this status quo is Congressionally mandated and buy commercial as a policy is generally bipartisan.
socalgal2 2mo ago
You seem to be under the impression that the government itself doesn't have the same problem. Government agencies often over bill, over budget. They have an incentive to pad everything and to never lower costs because their budget will be lowered otherwise. Contractors on the other hand, have to compete with other contractors so while they can try to over bill, if they bill too much the government has an incentive to switch contractors. Neither system is perfect.
- wredcoll 2mo ago
  > Neither system is perfect. Yes, thats why people arguing that private companies are always better are so annoying. You get that you're actually agreeing with this post right?
- ipdashc 2mo ago
  > They have an incentive to pad everything and to never lower costs because their budget will be lowered otherwise. Sure, but in the absence of widespread corruption (which until now, the US has been relatively clear of) they don't just get to go home with that budget in their pocket. They're still paid on standardized pay scales. Any extra budget still gets spent on the actual org or project, with the exception of random things like travel or office supplies. The contractor takes home every extra dollar as profit. I don't disagree at all that neither system is perfect, of course, but just saying.
- denkmoon 2mo ago
  Having also worked in a public position like that, there are so many dumb things that go on that didn't need to but the idea of pretending a 1hr job would take 40 would be unconscionable. 1hr jobs could routinely take 10 because of paperwork, approvals, etc (and same for my stupid bigcorp jobs), but not deliberately so they could bill more hours.

cuuupid 2mo ago

You are absolutely correct, billable hours are perverse incentives and wrap rates border on predatory, but this status quo is Congressionally mandated and buy commercial as a policy is generally bipartisan.

socalgal2 2mo ago

You seem to be under the impression that the government itself doesn't have the same problem. Government agencies often over bill, over budget. They have an incentive to pad everything and to never lower costs because their budget will be lowered otherwise. Contractors on the other hand, have to compete with other contractors so while they can try to over bill, if they bill too much the government has an incentive to switch contractors. Neither system is perfect.

wredcoll 2mo ago
> Neither system is perfect. Yes, thats why people arguing that private companies are always better are so annoying. You get that you're actually agreeing with this post right?
ipdashc 2mo ago
> They have an incentive to pad everything and to never lower costs because their budget will be lowered otherwise. Sure, but in the absence of widespread corruption (which until now, the US has been relatively clear of) they don't just get to go home with that budget in their pocket. They're still paid on standardized pay scales. Any extra budget still gets spent on the actual org or project, with the exception of random things like travel or office supplies. The contractor takes home every extra dollar as profit. I don't disagree at all that neither system is perfect, of course, but just saying.
denkmoon 2mo ago
Having also worked in a public position like that, there are so many dumb things that go on that didn't need to but the idea of pretending a 1hr job would take 40 would be unconscionable. 1hr jobs could routinely take 10 because of paperwork, approvals, etc (and same for my stupid bigcorp jobs), but not deliberately so they could bill more hours.