Good people want to work at places with stock options and bonuses for good performance, the government can not offer that. Government is more suited for people interested in management, not pure technical people
1. competent technologists
2. competent technology managers who can communicate to the suits who are in charge of the budget that these things are needed for a functional quality tech environment
#2 is a much rarer skill than #1, and those people will get paid way more and will have to deal with way less BS working in tech companies than government positions.
At some point it will become obvious that software complexity is a national security issue. I feel that point still hasn't arrived, for whatever reason. Perhaps the realization has arrived, but those offering the realization have biased the reports to favor themselves (i.e. Deloitte, et. al.)
"U.S. national security increasingly relies on software to execute missions, integrate and collaborate with allies, and manage the defense enterprise. The ability to develop, procure, assure, deploy, and continuously improve software is thus central to national defense."
We already know it's a national security issue. Nothing is done about it.