Citing deficit, Obama freezing federal worker pay. I feel for those who can barely make it, but how about reducing some of the piggery sized administrative salaries?
President Barack Obama has announced a two-year pay freeze for federal employees, saying the step is necessary to help bring the federal deficit under control.
The freeze would apply to all civilian federal employees but would exclude military personnel.
Really, the piggery has gone too far.
The government is now outpacing the private sector.
“On average, the government is paying a typical employee 30 to 40 percent more in total benefits — both wages and salaries — than a similarly educated and skilled private sector would receive,” he says. “But … there are, in fact, some federal employees who are getting underpaid because the federal pay system doesn’t reward experience or hard work — it’s basically entirely seniority-based.”
November 29, 2010 at 1:20 pm
Federal workers of course including our troops. But not Congress or the boob in chief.
November 29, 2010 at 1:39 pm
Excluding troops.
November 29, 2010 at 1:22 pm
Sorry- meant to say I believe the military pay has already been frozen- COLA – just like seniors- there is no inflation so there is no COLA. And I think the military insurance benefit is changing and co-pays are going up just like ours.
November 29, 2010 at 1:39 pm
I have not heard that yet. I hope not.
November 29, 2010 at 3:48 pm
Sorry- I read so many things it is hard to keep track- I found the thing I had read- it is a proposal contained in the cat food commission report
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2010/11/military-debt-commission-recommendations-111010w/
November 29, 2010 at 3:51 pm
Who knows PMM. This guy lies. The freeze is not going to affect the legislative branch. Special.
November 29, 2010 at 3:51 pm
November 29, 2010 at 3:00 pm
Watch out!
I heard from a federal employee that they are still getting their automatic pay grade increases of several thousand dollars per employee.
November 29, 2010 at 3:28 pm
He must not know what is coming his way? Or Barack is lying? Either could be true.
November 29, 2010 at 3:41 pm
They won’t freeze anyone in the legislative branch, aren’t you surprised?
November 29, 2010 at 8:45 pm
that pos Erskine Bowles is from NC. we had the good sense to not elect him to the senate twice (I actually voted for an antiabortion wingnut republican, Elizabeth Dole, in his first go around, I think him that bad a candidate) but he’s a freaking insider since who knows when, voilà the catfood commission.
as for the government employees making a better salary: that’s a reflection on how badly the private sector pays, not how generous the government is, becasue it assuredly is not.
http://www.truth-out.org/tax-rich-a-deficit-plan-that-doesnt-hit-we-the-people65449
November 30, 2010 at 7:05 am
I’m in the private sector and you only get promoted based on productivity Nom, not seniority. I worked for the government and I know waste when I see it. There are too many people who are overpaid compared to what the private sector makes.
November 30, 2010 at 11:52 am
“compared to what the private sector makes”
that’s incorrect: the oligarchs head the private sector.
the problem is the oligarchs at the top not the people in the middle
I’ve paid for my fucking Social Security for 30 years and it’s fucking well my money and I’d better fucking well get back what I paid in adjusted for cost of living
November 30, 2010 at 12:06 pm
Give it up…neither you nor I will ever see it. They borrowed and wallah it disappeared. Where is it? Only the air knows for sure.
November 30, 2010 at 12:08 pm
$2.2 Trillion Congress has removed from the Social Security account over the past few decades. I’m looking at how metals are trading right now and we will never see that money Nom. We might see aluminum pennies, but never what we paid in.
November 30, 2010 at 8:37 pm
I do not think I will see my money again, but I have done my part supporting those who retired before me with my money and I am fucking well entitled to the same. the funding “crisis” is fraudulent.
http://www.ianwelsh.net/social-security-trustees-report-no-social-security-crisis/
November 30, 2010 at 9:15 pm
Like I said, we will never see any of it. It’s gone…poof.
November 30, 2010 at 10:05 am
Let me wade into this swamp! McNorman I’m not really aware of promotion based on seniority within the government ranks. I’m more familiar with promotion of incompetents and “trouble makers” (those that file complaints and win), and of course the ass kissers which are the most highly promoted group.
As to federal workers being overpaid well it’s true some of them are. It’s also true some of them are underpaid. (I’d be happy to give examples of both) I think the biggest factor truly is the bloated bureaucracy within each agency. There are too many managers particularly middle managers. Look at any federal agency and their suggested staffing rates and you’ll most likely find worker bee positions understaffed and management either fully staffed or over staffed.
As for salaries being frozen well OK whatever, yawn. Trust me federal employees are used it, it happens from time to time as do furloughs. You know full well my husband is a federal employee, but you might not know that W froze ATC pay during his second term. He also cut newly hired (less than 3 years) ATC pay in half. Those young people won their case in binding arbitration and I truly hope this freeze doesn’t affect them. The arbitrators set out a multi year plan of pay raises to bring their salary in line with what it would have been in 2005 by 2016 or 2017, so it will still be less than it would have been with COLA’s and such.
I also hate to see the freeze for the lowest level federal employees (clerks, typists and such). Those at the bottom of the pay scale are not overpaid and those ranks include a lot of single moms.
All of the above being said, the truth is freezing salaries is but a drop in the bucket. It is a start though. Hey federal employees are taxpayers too you know. Freezing pay is sort of a lazy way to curb spending though. They should force the agencies to cut back in other ways. There is far too much unnecessary travel. The US government pays far too much for all manner of supplies from furniture to staples. As I said above most agencies are bloated particularly with middle management. Those are just the civilian agencies….the pentagon budget is huge, but cutting their budget shouldn’t come on the backs of our soldiers. I personally think it’s horrid that so many rank and file military are on food stamps and even if they’re not they qualify.
November 30, 2010 at 10:08 am
Wow that was one long post huh?? I don’t think I waded in, I think I went for a swim, LOL!!!!
November 30, 2010 at 10:43 am
You’re right Somebody, it’s overated and bloated. I have worked for the government and have seen it all just as you stated. I will disagree with you on the bottom rung. When you add the benefits, they are still paid far more than the private sector. I know, because I was one of them.
November 30, 2010 at 11:11 am
Well as for the bottom rung. I think it honestly depends on which area you’re speaking of. In some cities and especially in smaller cities and towns, it’s still a good salary and yes the benefits are good although not what they once were. In some larger areas you could make more doing basically the same job working for a corporation. That’s probably true of a lot of jobs in both the private and public sector. I think it depends on the markets in the area where you live and what the minimum wage is for the area.
If you’ve been on the inside then you know there are honest and hard working federal employees out there. I hate it when all the employees are painted with the same brush. I understand that sentiment though because I know how many worthless positions there are embedded within various agencies. I know it sounds stupid but just once I’d like to see some panels made up of actual working employees for each agency and let them come up with some budget cutting ideas. I know that would never happen though because too many cronies would get the ax, LOL!!
November 30, 2010 at 11:35 am
True the area of the country you are residing in makes a difference. I will however add that the indemnity plans offered as health insurance beat all private plans at a huge discount. Then there is the retirement plan…currently federal workers place very little into the retirement plan as opposed to the private sector. The benefits are huge. You won’t find the same benefits in the private sector. Unlimited lifetime health coverage is a thing of the past except for federal workers.
There are many honest and hard workers, but my argument remains the same…the government pays far better. Somebody, I worked in OMB years ago. Freezes come and go, what never goes away is the vast amount of bureaucracy. It is ridiculous. Quite frankly, 2 billion is a drop in the bucket. I worked in Accounting and as long as the taxpayer was paying, there was an unlimited amount of $$$ to work with.
November 30, 2010 at 11:36 am
To add insult to injury, why is the legislative branch pay not being frozen? I hate this administration.
November 30, 2010 at 11:41 am
Cronies go? NEVER!
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