[godfry n. glad]

This is a very good reason why 'contracting out' in any form is just as bad, if not worse, than bureaucratic empire-building within government agencies.

Another aspect is that political types have the 'friends and family' program going on. This is where contracts with the government agency are awarded to those who know about them, when they are available, how, and to whom, to respond at the agency level...even as far as having bidder requirements written to match a specific contractor. Means are made for friends and family members to have preferential access to lucrative government contracts. Witness Halliburton; but this goes on at the local level in my municipal government. The players are different, but the game is the same.