> I might be inclined to suggest that a
> guy who works for a government agency may not fully appreciate these
> concerns,

Oh boy, you said that right!   Back when I had an annual government contract
to operate the historic site, I had to prepare a new business plan each
year's contract.   One year, when gigantic cuts were announced for the next
year's budget, I chose to put myself on half-time for several months in the
new plan to help balance the books and still keep some cash flowing.   The
government Manager (daydreamer) was puzzled and almost too embarrassed to
take the plan forward to the Heritage Trust Board for approval, saying "But,
where is your vacation time?  It just doesn't look right in the plan that
you don't have any vacation time."

For me as a private business, vacation meant no income.   For him, he could
not comprehend any other work/life style than the government one he had done
since college graduation 30 years before.

He also told me that he had recently been sent to a course in government
contract management (given by a government hired consultant) in which he was
told that contractors always add 25% to any government contract, so he, as a
manager, was perfectly justified (and commanded to do so) to demand a lower
price after bidding selection for any contract about to be signed.

cp in not commie bc

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