Now Off Topic: Re: [at-l] Bush Outsources Forestry Jobs

[gwbrown1 at gmail.com (Greg Brown)]

Regarding the outsourcing.. without a doubt, costs could be reduced by
outsourcing.  By handing the work to private employers you could, in the
long term, reduce the Government retirement payroll, if the Forest Service
employees are eligible for Gov. retirement, and I am 99.9% FS employees are.

Taking it a step further the outsourcing company could then make the bulk of
the labor contractors thus reducing cost by eliminating many benefits, such
as retirement, medical, etc.  But they may not take it that far, but I am
sure the jobs in question could be done for less cost.

Sometimes the Government isn't the most cost effective, but there can still
be arguments made that particular functions of running the country should be
kept centralized.  And I'm not sure if this is one of those functions or
not.  I'm leaning towards "yes" but if I keep bitching about deficit and
this is a demonstrable savings to the Government it makes it hard thing for
me to stand against if it is a true reduction of expense.  I still don't
"like" it though.  There is just something that feels wrong about it.

Greg


On 3/14/06, Bror8588@aol.com <Bror8588@aol.com> wrote:
>
>  Great!  So, about the outsourcing of jobs:  I would say that it could be
> a good thing for the companies that take on these jobs may be more
> productive overall than government employees.  I say this only because there
> is more leverage in a private company to steamline the work-force and get
> things done with a minimal of expense.  Of course, the company wants to make
> a profit and so the profit will come at the expense of the workers who may
> not receive the salaries that they might have over time with the government
> as their employer.  The overhead, without Unions interfering, will be less
> and those that profit will be concerned to not endanger their margin by
> allowing poor conditions, etc., whereas now the condition of a camping area
> or a forest can be blamed on cutbacks by the government.
>
> Just my opinion.
>
> Jack
> Skylander
>