Comments on: The Cost Of Food Put Into Perspective http://jlynne.exit-23.net/2007/09/18/the-cost-of-food-put-into-perspective/ Displaced. Dysfunctional. Discombobulated. Fri, 14 Aug 2009 09:28:37 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8 hourly 1 By: Blog Stew: 22 September 2007 http://jlynne.exit-23.net/2007/09/18/the-cost-of-food-put-into-perspective/comment-page-1/#comment-379 Blog Stew: 22 September 2007 Sat, 22 Sep 2007 17:51:16 +0000 http://jlynne.exit-23.net/2007/09/18/the-cost-of-food-put-into-perspective/#comment-379 [...] puts the cost of food into deep [...] [...] puts the cost of food into deep [...]

]]> By: J. Lynne http://jlynne.exit-23.net/2007/09/18/the-cost-of-food-put-into-perspective/comment-page-1/#comment-343 J. Lynne Wed, 19 Sep 2007 19:20:18 +0000 http://jlynne.exit-23.net/2007/09/18/the-cost-of-food-put-into-perspective/#comment-343 Having worked for two government contractors, I know what you're saying. I just wanted to point out the absurdity of it. $4.55 for a soda? You could feed a whole homeless family a complete meal for that. Having worked for two government contractors, I know what you’re saying. I just wanted to point out the absurdity of it. $4.55 for a soda? You could feed a whole homeless family a complete meal for that.

]]> By: KMcDougan http://jlynne.exit-23.net/2007/09/18/the-cost-of-food-put-into-perspective/comment-page-1/#comment-341 KMcDougan Wed, 19 Sep 2007 17:33:42 +0000 http://jlynne.exit-23.net/2007/09/18/the-cost-of-food-put-into-perspective/#comment-341 Having recently bid on a job for the USDOJ myself, here is what tends to happen: 1) contract is bid on, and they go with the lowest bidder; 2) because it's the government, prices are inflated anyway (the trick is to inflate, yet underinflate the other bidders); 3) as the job progresses, extra costs are billed in, and, because you already have teh contract, going over budget is just par for the course, and the government pays it. This is because they cannot write a check for something if they don't have a bill, yet the bill cannot be created until the work is done. Compounding this problem is the fact that the government employees are trying to make an extra buck by not discounting their per-diem for the free meals - thus, double dipping on the costs. I am by no means saying that this is right. K Having recently bid on a job for the USDOJ myself, here is what tends to happen: 1) contract is bid on, and they go with the lowest bidder; 2) because it’s the government, prices are inflated anyway (the trick is to inflate, yet underinflate the other bidders); 3) as the job progresses, extra costs are billed in, and, because you already have teh contract, going over budget is just par for the course, and the government pays it. This is because they cannot write a check for something if they don’t have a bill, yet the bill cannot be created until the work is done.

Compounding this problem is the fact that the government employees are trying to make an extra buck by not discounting their per-diem for the free meals – thus, double dipping on the costs.

I am by no means saying that this is right.

K

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