The study found that in 33 of 35 occupations, the government actually paid billions of dollars more to hire contractors than it would have cost government employees to perform comparable services. On average, the study found that contractors charged the federal government more than twice the amount it pays federal workers.
Use of Private Contractors Doesn’t Save Government Money by Ron Nixon for the NY Times.
Is anyone really surprised government workers cost almost half the price of a comparable contractor doing the same type of work?
The only reason the GOP believes government workers are overpaid - and I can tell you first-hand they are not overpaid - is because the GOP is digging deep into the back pockets of these contracting firms (ie. General Dynamics, CSC, SAIC, etc). Most Republicans have a vested interest in ensuring these companies can win high priced government contracts - the very contracts used to pay twice as much for comparable government personnel.
Does it make you feel comfortable to know your taxes are going to good use?
