Our experiences are a bit different. I've been 25+ years working with Fed, state, and local gov employees. I have great respect for them as a whole. I think they are every bit as motivated as corporate employees. I get the idea that you believe money is the main human motivating element, or perhaps should be. I disagree. Obviously a motivating factor, but to many enough is enough, more than enough is more than enough, and other factors take precedence.

If one of the main human purposes is the pursuit of happiness and happiness is an individual pursuit, then it is likely there is great diversity in where and how to find that happiness. It is not likely to always be at the top of the corporate chain, or the six figure W2.

I work with Fed Subject Matter Experts who are overworked, underpaid, and over tasked from Continuing Resolutions, Congressional cuts, and Sequestration. Yet they know how critical their work is and they carry on. They could indeed be making more money elsewhere and will likely take retirement and double-dip at some point, but they are as highly motivated and competent as any in the industry I am familiar with.

To a large degree the reason there are so many regulations is because corporations are often corrupt and constantly try to game the system. The more corporate corruption the more necessary the regulations. Thus the more cumbersome the process. Without corporate corruption the cumbersome regulations would not be necessary. Therein is the source of the problem.

If the FDA employees working on LL/VX are of the same nature as those I work with they will have a healthy degree of skepticism, a strong desire to do the right thing, and the patients to work properly through the issues to achieve the the most advantageous outcome for the purposes of their agency.

The above said, I hate Contracting Officers and their structured inflexibility. Which, I believe, is part of your point. So we are not galaxies apart. <grin>