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John wrote: >Tis a vast apparatus operating well beyond the cover >story of the famous 13. How far it extends into the >private sector is a most interesting question, sometimes >examined here but not as much as it deserves, Deep, and getting deeper all the time. A fascinating theorist from Brookings refers to this as "the shadow of government", and people like our many friends here who take money for government contract work "the shadow federal workforce": The Shadow of Government The shadow government casts through its vast inventory of private, nonprofit and state and local partners is a blend of intent and accident. On the onehand, it reflects decades of perfectly appropriate contracting for impeccably commercial activities and non-inherently governmental functions. On the other hand, the shadow also reflects decades of personnel ceilings, hiring limits and unrelenting pressure to do more with less. Under pressure to create a government that looks smaller and delivers at least as much of everything the public wants, federal departments and agencies did what came naturally: They pushed jobs outward and downward into a vast shadow that is mostly outside the public's consciousness. That creates a truth-in-advertising problem. It is impossible to have an honest debate about the role of government in society if the measurements only include part of the government. The government also is increasingly reliant on non-federal workers to produce goods and services that used to be delivered in - -house. Not only does the shadow workforce create an illusion of smallness that may mislead the public about the true size of government, it may create an illusion of merit as jobs inside government are held to strict merit standards, while jobs under contracts, grants and mandates are not. It may also create illusions of capacity and accountability as agencies pretend they know enough to oversee their shadow workforce when, in fact, they no longer have the ability to distinguish good product or service from bad. The government knows virtually nothing about its shadow. Neither the Office of Personnel Management nor the Office of Management and Budget has ever counted the full-time-equivalent non-federal workforce, let alone analyzed its appropriateness. *** Wheres the incentive for anyone here or elsewhere to step forward and admit youre working for the CIA, NSA or wherever? How much business can you take before you wake up and realize you're working for a front company? "Hey, back off man, my paycheck coming is from the private sector. Nevermind whos footing the bill or where my research product goes. Its not a front company, the DoD is a uh um just someone we do business with. They didnt even tell me who the real client is. So dont blame me." You can cut as many smelly little deals with the Devil as you please, but at the end of the day when you look in the mirror you really ought to see yourself for what you are. Feds are bumbling fools but somehow you, the genius beyond-cool cypherpunk contractor, are any different? Blinding you with your passionate commitment to the free market, not bad. What a brilliant con. ~Faustine. *** He that would make his own liberty secure must guard even his enemy from oppression; for if he violates this duty he establishes a precedent that will reach to himself. - -Thomas Paine -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: Hush 2.1 Note: This signature can be verified at https://www.hushtools.com wl4EARECAB4FAjxIizMXHGZhdXN0aW5lLkBodXNobWFpbC5jb20ACgkQGwpHwwWoj8UL rACgqsMSSwuWDcC2WrpN4QFsFpVxky4AoJJrS9wFzX4LSNfWhrwkmtDKwKvZ =Uzmg -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----
