The New Jersey Way
Three contractors are bidding to fix a broken fence at the White House
in D.C. — one from New Jersey , another from Tennessee and the third,
from Florida . They go with a White House official to examine the fence.
How it works:
The Florida contractor, Jonathan, takes out a tape measure and does some
measuring, then works some figures with a pencil. “Well,” he says, “I
figure the job will run about $900: $400 for materials, $400 for my crew
and $100 profit for me.”
Cletus, the Tennessee contractor also does some measuring and figuring,
then says, “I can do the job for $700: $300 for materials, $300 for my
crew and $100 profit for me.
Vito from New Jersey doesn’t measure or figure, but leans over to the
White House official and whispers, “$2,700.”
The official, incredulous, says, “You didn’t even measure like the other
guys! How did you come up with such a high figure?”
Then Vito whispers back, “$1000 for me, $1000 for you, and we hire the
guy from Tennessee to fix the fence.”
“Done!” replies the government official.
And that, my friends, is how it all works!
Three contractors are bidding to fix a broken fence at the White House
in D.C. — one from New Jersey , another from Tennessee and the third,
from Florida . They go with a White House official to examine the fence.
How it works:
The Florida contractor, Jonathan, takes out a tape measure and does some
measuring, then works some figures with a pencil. “Well,” he says, “I
figure the job will run about $900: $400 for materials, $400 for my crew
and $100 profit for me.”
Cletus, the Tennessee contractor also does some measuring and figuring,
then says, “I can do the job for $700: $300 for materials, $300 for my
crew and $100 profit for me.
Vito from New Jersey doesn’t measure or figure, but leans over to the
White House official and whispers, “$2,700.”
The official, incredulous, says, “You didn’t even measure like the other
guys! How did you come up with such a high figure?”
Then Vito whispers back, “$1000 for me, $1000 for you, and we hire the
guy from Tennessee to fix the fence.”
“Done!” replies the government official.
And that, my friends, is how it all works!