86'ing A-76
Brian Friel, a reporter from our sister publication National Journal, is covering a House Budget Committee hearing where Robert Hale, DoD comptroller is testifying. Friel says that House Budget Committee Chairman John Spratt asked Hale why DoD’s costs have gone up so much higher than the rate of inflation over the past decade. Hale said one of the reasons is that jobs that have been outsourced to contractors have been more expensive than in-house personnel were. To get costs under control, Hale said the Pentagon will look at converting contractors back to government personnel. We “need to look carefully at how many contractors we’re using,” Hale said.
This is a pretty cut and dry statement from the comptroller. Unions have long claimed that outsourcing costs the government more, while contractor associations have disputed this. It's increasingly looking like there will be more than a suspension of Circular A-76, there may very well be a significant reversal.
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Government Executive Staff Correspondent Alyssa Rosenberg takes a look at news affecting the management and operations of the massive federal bureaucracy.
The cost burden with Government emplooyees used to be the CSRS retirement entitlement. That cost needed to be reduced and it was by FERS. Now, the highest cost is assocaited with Healthcare. An employee working only a short time can get benefits for life which is fine for the employee, but costs the taxpayers a lot of money. The healthcare benefit needs to be prorated and that would help as well.
US Posted Wednesday, March 18, 2009 11:20 AMRight lets see how many CS will be employed in Iraq to provide security. There is a big difference between defending a typewriter and someones life
dan ketter Posted Wednesday, March 18, 2009 11:55 AMDan Ketter needs to go back to the Marine Corps foxhole he crawled out of 20 years ago. Just remember pal that some of us were in a foxhole and working the actual firing line as well and now work on the CS side. When you have worked on both sides then your opinion will mean something to those of us who have done both and NOT just one. Then maybe you'll step away from your "typewriter" (I.e. computer keyboard)and figure out that you have no legs to stand on. Get it? Got it? Good!
Ketter Krusher Posted Wednesday, March 18, 2009 1:39 PMMy gosh are they now just finding out being more expensive. Many studies done years and years ago. Results: $65k per year with a GS-6 (includes all benefits) vice contracted out over a couple of years grew to $106K per year. A-76, Congress allowed contractors to bid without all the perks such as leave, medical, etc being considered. Guess who wins, not the Taxpayer. Really leary of de-contracting. Contractors will compete for and have the inside track and to think those so oriented towards profit will become part of the Civilian Corps. No Thanks keep em at bay.. They will have to make all the positions rather high grade to get those that know the secret operations. Say, some are arguing that the big bonuses to AIG needed to unravel the bloody complicated messes they created. Is the same true for Government work? Shame all those that once knew how to do it long long gone and leaving, with NSPS being the straw that broke the camel's back.
GAL Posted Wednesday, March 18, 2009 2:17 PMMy gosh are they now just finding out being more expensive. Many studies done years and years ago. Results: $65k per year with a GS-6 (includes all benefits) vice contracted out over a couple of years grew to $106K per year. A-76, Congress allowed contractors to bid without all the perks such as leave, medical, etc being considered. Guess who wins, not the Taxpayer. Really leary of de-contracting. Contractors will compete for and have the inside track and to think those so oriented towards profit will become part of the Civilian Corps. No Thanks keep em at bay.. They will have to make all the positions rather high grade to get those that know the secret operations. Say, some are arguing that the big bonuses to AIG needed to unravel the bloody complicated messes they created. Is the same true for Government work? Shame all those that once knew how to do it long long gone and leaving, with NSPS being the straw that broke the camel's back.
GAL Posted Wednesday, March 18, 2009 2:17 PMThe expensive contracts are not necessarily ones that resulted from A-76. Those contracts are a very small percentage of total contracts in DoD. Take a look instead at sole source contracts and "advice and assist" contracts which were used to augment in-house workforces when sufficient civilian pay (or military end strength) was not provided to hire the number of staff needed. But there were other dollars available so contacts were let. I know of what I speak--I've been military, a contractor with DoD, and a DoD civilian.
SLP Posted Thursday, March 19, 2009 7:34 AMThis is what happens when a question is asked of a civilian who doesn't know the answer and then shoots from the hip. Looks like another potential cabinet pick
dan ketter Posted Thursday, March 19, 2009 11:49 AM