"talented people are going to work for privately-held companies"
So what? Let them go......
"Smart" and "talented" people are what put us in the dump to begin with. What we really need is a few 2nd tier people who have common sense, integrity and a love for their country and countrymen.
These are scarce commodities these days, with the "best & brightest" (and morally bankrupt) MBA's coming from the Ivy League schools