> If so, that should have produced competitive rates per project, no?
What makes you think that those rates aren't competitive?
Govt projects have lots of overhead. Some comes from procedures intended to keep them from being cheated. Some comes from trying to make sure that the "right" people get the job. (Some sounds okay, such as"diversity", but is actually a cover for graft.) Some comes from all of the stakeholders. And on and on.
because reading this line is somehow not surprising at all..
"The problem is no one knew how much these people were being paid, because their salaries don’t appear in normal city records."
I've dealt with city contracts and it's a culture where the oldest members of the club always land the contracts, no matter what. Finding ways to bury the actual amounts through loopholes or channels is what keeps city officials at work. ha!
Comments
> If so, that should have produced competitive rates per project, no?
What makes you think that those rates aren't competitive?
Govt projects have lots of overhead. Some comes from procedures intended to keep them from being cheated. Some comes from trying to make sure that the "right" people get the job. (Some sounds okay, such as"diversity", but is actually a cover for graft.) Some comes from all of the stakeholders. And on and on.
because reading this line is somehow not surprising at all..
"The problem is no one knew how much these people were being paid, because their salaries don’t appear in normal city records."
I've dealt with city contracts and it's a culture where the oldest members of the club always land the contracts, no matter what. Finding ways to bury the actual amounts through loopholes or channels is what keeps city officials at work. ha!