David Thomas: “The FAA recently announced it was awarding a contract of about $150 million for data processing and information…”

“The FAA recently announced it was awarding a contract of about $150 million for data processing and information technology to the Department of Agriculture. The problem is that there are plenty of private-sector groups that are more efficient or more capable of doing that job. When you think of technology, do you think of the Department of Agriculture? I do not think so. When you talk about doing payrolls and managing the FAA's technology, do you think of the Department of Agriculture? I do not think so. That is because information technology is not part of the Department of Agriculture's core mission. The folks down at OMB and the Clinton administration will tell you it is a great thing; it is encouraging entrepreneurial Government. But I think we ought to be encouraging private business and entrepreneurial enterprise, not Government. By recruiting contracts from other agencies to offset budget cuts, we are maintaining big Government at the expense of businesses in the private sector, especially small businesses. We are also cheating the taxpayer. Studies have shown that outsourcing can save the Government up to 30 percent.”