Yea, but a good retirement plan would be nice.......
or a couple of nice incentives would be nice!
No doubt!
If we find the Bomb, I would think it would be fair for us to trade our expenses and a fair profit margin for the location. That's how my business works with all of my clients. The difference is that normally, I have an agreement with the client PRIOR to finding said item. In this case, the negotiations will happen AFTER the item is found.
I'd also like to enter into an agreement with them to find other items that they'd be interested in... And preferrably get some help from them (boats, funds, access to information) so that I could continue to do what I do, but with a government contract.
To me, that would ensure my company's future prosperity and get some "rocks out of their shoes."
It would also improve national security risks and help ensure this country's safety.
I have no intentions of trying to "get one over" on anyone - I am motivated for the challenge of the search and for the benefit of everyone - including the rightful owners (the Federal Government), it's people, AND my company.
If the Feds aren't intersted in the location or even the Bomb itself (they seem disinterested altogether in many ways), then our only option to recoup our expenses would be through selling the exclusive rights to images and the story.
Those are the only two ways that I can think of to make this situation financially worthwhile... Which, of course, is the goal of my company.
The only other glaringly obvious method of financial gain from finding the Bomb would be to either retrieve the Bomb and sell it to another nation... Or at least provide another nation the location. This, of course, has many risks associated with it... For one, we'd clearly be breaking the law that the Feds put in place in 2004... Second, we could easily be found guilty in all kinds of ways for treason. Thirdly, giving another nation something like this would clearly put Americans - and probably my local area - at tremendous risk.
So aside from the fact that I would never consider giving access to this device to another nation for financial gain, it also wouldn't make sense for me to do so. Not only would it be against my beliefs, but it also would have no gain for my company or me.
Nonetheless, I expect that when the day comes that I know the Bomb's location, I expect that interested parties will be very motivated to want to do business.
Some of my "hot" buttons, in case they're reading, are these:
1. Expenses for our search for the past 12 years covered, including appropriate salaries for searchers and salvors.
2. An operating profit margin for my company consistent with it's current margins.
3. An exclusive, well-laid contract for finding our next target (another nuke off of Jacksonville).
4. A research vessel equipped with the proper electronics, dive systems, ROV, manned submersible and helicopter, with options to hire additional crew out of government employees.
5. Four land grants for the project - two residential (one on a local island, and one in Tucson, AZ), one commercial, and one with undefined zoning in one of the US's outlying territories.
6. Grant capital to accomplish our next mission to the best of our ability.
7. Permanent and indefinite federal income and corporate tax immunity for my family and my company.
Most of these things won't cost the Federal Government a dime directly... And yet, would benefit all parties nicely.
I dunno... Put it on my mantle? 
