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When congressional Republicans try to figure out how to avert cuts in defense spending, or offset the cost of an extension of unemployment insurance, it is often federal workers they look to for the money.
A dispute over making federal employees pay a bigger share of their pensions was one snarl that delayed the bipartisan accord announced Wednesday night on a bill to extend the payroll tax cut, continue unemployment benefits for long-term jobless people, and avert a 27 percent cut in payments to doctors serving Medicare patients.
Pete Marovich / Getty Images
Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., proposed to come up with the money to fend off cuts to the defense department by hiring only two workers for every three who leave federal employment.
For months, Republicans have been pushing bills to reduce the federal workforce through attrition. Republicans point out that since 2007 the federal workforce has grown by 14 percent, even as the recession decimated private sector jobs.
Earlier this month when Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. and a phalanx of other pro-military Republican senators warned of automatic spending cuts looming at the end of the year, they proposed to come up with the money to fend off those cuts by hiring only two workers for every three who leave federal employment.
Related: House speaker says payroll tax bill won't add jobs
McCain and his allies also wanted to maintain the freeze on cost-of-living wage increases for federal employees until mid-2014. The House voted last month to keep the cost-of-living pay freeze for this year and next year. Even with the freeze, federal workers still do get pay increases based on performance and length of service.
Why do Republicans look to federal workers as the money source?
One obvious reason is Republicans’ aversion to tax increases – and their knowledge that the real struggle over taxes will begin only after Election Day, when a lame-duck Congress and President Obama will get down to haggling over the income tax rates and tax credits that expire on Dec. 31.
But Republicans also turn to federal workers for the money because they point out that they’re better compensated than workers with comparable skills and experience in the private sector, according to an analysis released last month by the Congressional Budget Office.
The CBO said that overall, the federal government paid 16 percent more in total compensation than it would have if compensation had been comparable with that in private sector firms.
The biggest difference is not in pay, but in benefits: “On average for workers at all levels of education, the cost of hourly benefits was 48 percent higher for federal civilian employees than for private-sector employees with certain similar observable characteristics,” the CBO said.
And the thing that federal workers have that most private-sector workers do not -- the defined-benefit pension plan – was a bone of contention in the bargaining over the payroll tax package.
In the end, instead of increasing the amount all federal workers must pay for their pension benefit, the accord makes only new federal employees pay more.
With Maryland having 137,000 executive branch workers, House Budget Committee ranking member Rep. Chris Van Hollen and Senate Finance Committee member Sen. Ben Cardin, both of Maryland, fought hard to limit the damage to those workers in the deal that was announced Wednesday night.
Cardin said Wednesday before the agreement was clinched, that those putting together the deal “are asking… that a large part of the offsets that help working families that are out of work be paid for by other middle-income working families” -- by federal employees. “To me that’s not fair,” Cardin said.
In a joint statement Thursday, Cardin and Van Hollen said that altough they were happy the final deal didn't affect current federal workers, "we still strongly oppose the provision that raises $15 billion to help offset the cost of this package from future workers."
They argued that it was "inherently unfair" that the money to offset the cost of extending unemployment insurance came from "additional sacrifice from other middle-class families rather than the very wealthiest Americans who can afford to pay more but continue to pay less."
The battle over federal workers here on Capitol Hill is another front in the long-running GOP struggle against public-sector unions that played out in Wisconsin last year where Republican Gov. Scott Walker fought to have public-sector workers pay more of their pension and health insurance costs and signed a law curbing their right to collective bargaining.
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I have a masters degree in a physical science and they hired me for 38700 dollars a year. I took this job because I wanted to do something with my life that had some meaning beyond just going to work,brining home a paycheck and enriching some fat cat executives off my hard work. Still,I have to live,I need a roof over my head,and food on my table. 38700 dollars a year,the pay for pay grade GS7 (if you don't believe that number look it up) is not a lot. We do however get reasonable health benefits. They are not particularly cheap compared with the plans available to employees of private sector companies,but its not that bad and it covers most things and the co-pays are not that crazy. We get somewhat decent retirement benefits. We can put money into something that is much like a 401k. There are some employer matching funds up to 5%,so really,if I take advantage of that my pay is about 40650 taking that into account. Of course I pay taxes like anyone else on that,so really,I don't take how that much money. After deductions for taxes,retirement contributions and health care premiums,its about 900 dollars a pay check. Remember,I have a masters degree,and years of experience both private and public sector. My retirement DOES contain a defined benefit portion,and they take money out of my check each month to help pay for it. (its not free,but my employer DOES pay a large part of it) However,when I retire,it will not replace my wages. Not even close. Not even close to half. Its expected that the money in my TSP (the account that is much like a 401K) will also be part of my retirement,and that will depend on things like how stock market does. Many people I work with lost half or more of theirs in the last few years. Additionally,I have to pay social security like everyone else. When I retire,Its expected that I will collect social security,although the amounts will be far less than I would get if it was the only source of income I had. Of course,I STILL pay as much social security as everyone else,I just don't get to collect as much in the end,that's if I get to collect it at all and it has not been eliminated. The benefits are not much,compared to the hard cash I could get working for someone like BASF or Aerojet,but they are enough that I can survive on and maybe if I scrape my pennies together I will be able to retire when I'm 70 or 75 so I can enjoy the very few years I will have left before my health fails (assuming it has not already failed by then) and I die. Cut those benefits and I will go elsewhere.
Some people who are opposed to what we do at the agency I work for would like that,but the fact is,most people want the government services most of the various agencies of the executive branch provide and in fact,when something slips by us,to spite our best efforts (which is more often than we would like,but happens because we are massively understaffed for the job we are asked to do),they cry and whine and say "Why didn't "somebody" do something. How could "somebody" let something like this happen. Why oh why did "somebody" not protect us
?" I and people like me are in fact that "somebody" The answer is,we wanted too.We took low pay and accepted that we were the scape goats of both sides in the budget debate. We took the insults and the accusations of being lazy with a grain of salt and turned the other cheek,and simply tried to remember that we were doing important work for our country and fellow Americans. We tried our best with the resources we were given and usually were successful,but ultimately we just did not have the people or the resources and sometimes something slipped by us or maybe we knew full well what was happening,but simply lacked the man power to do everything,and had to choose the most serious issues to deal with,and unfortunately,we could only do 5 out of the 10 things we had on our plate,and yours was the sixth most serious one,so you didn't make the cut.
Next time some government agency fails to meet your expectations for the help or services you need,remember,it may not be becuase some mindless beuracrat does not care,but becuase someone who wants to help cant because they were asked to do the impossible with nothing,and ended up doing the practical with what they had.
Good post. The problem with our government is that it is trying to do too much. There is also a lot of waste at the management level. When private sector companies merge, the mid-level managers get laid off. If there are layoffs in government, they tend to lay off the person with the least seniority.
If you can make more somewhere else then go. I sure didn't ask to hire you I am one among many who are footing the bill. The government reallhy needs to cut back, both salary and employees.
I agree, Mike. I have a Master's and am a GS-9. Tell me I wouldn't make more elsewhere. They are comparing us to McDs workers and Walmart workers. NO offense to those workers but you can't expect pay and benefits to be comparable.
The people voted for these idiots and are getting there reward. If you want to fix this vote none of the above and get these idiots out of office.
Sure. Like that is an option.
It is impossible to sustain millions of middle class jobs in the US because of global competition, high levels of immigration legal and illegal, and the trade policies that make importing goods cheaper than manufacturing them here at home.
Millions of manufacturing jobs moved overseas with the passage of most if not all of the "free trade" agreements. Free trade pretty much means the US can import goods and services from overseas from countries paying their workers very little with little to no benefits. The only way to compete is to lower wages and benefits in the US enough to make it more economical to make in the US again. A down side here is those low paying US jobs must be subsidized by the government with entitlements like Earned Income Credit, AFDC, WIC, subsidized housing, SNAP, Medicaid, and other government funded programs to aid the working poor.
Allowing high levels of immigration (legal and illegal) helps lower the overall wage scale as more workers compete for jobs. This is a plus if you want to make the US more competitive in the global economy but not so much if you want to see a large middle class. This also causes chronic deficits as both the federal and state governments need to devote more and more resources subsidizing these low paying jobs with entitlements.
The trade policies that sent jobs overseas remain unchanged and neither party plan to do anything about it. Free trade does mean cheaper goods for the US consumer but at the cost of our industrial base and millions of middle class jobs.
There is some truth to this, but there are also a lot of other factors that go into this beyond the labor costs. Our tax policy and burdensome regulations also play a role. Probably the most important thing is the growth of the middle class of the developing countries. Now companies like GE make most of their money overseas and not in the US.
PutAmerica....tell me exactly what "burdensome regulations" I would love to have details. And how can the growth of a middle class elsewhere be causing companies to out source...Seems to me they are getting a middle class due to the fact that our companies are hiring them and creating their middle class...
irateken, excellent posts,dot1589212 take alook at some of the rivers in India and China then tell me about those burdensome regulations.
If we took the American market away from any American company that has moved overseas in the past 20 years you would see them relocate in a hurry. By the way I blame Democrats as well as Republicans for this free trade fiasco.
I must say I did Laugh My Ass Off when I read this.
One obvious reason is Republicans’ aversion to tax increases – and their knowledge that the real struggle over taxes will begin only after Election Day, when a lame-duck Congress and President Obama will get down to haggling over the income tax rates and tax credits that expire on Dec. 31.
A used up pop can has a better chance wining than OB has. The only way he is going to win is if the Republican up for the job gets cots BLOWING a Goat live on MSNBC and even then I still think thy might have a good shot at booting OB out. Oh I am still Laughing My Ass Off Reading this.
keep deluding yourself. it sounds like its working!
Hm seem to me you lib said the same thing before 2010. If I remember right you Libs had your ass handed to you in a land slide. No I think its libs that are deluding them self's just like before 2010.
How ridiculous is it that we know congress is guilty of insider trading (which is illegal by the way) and none of these crooks have been arrested? They in fact still run OUR government.
The "insider trading" that they refer to is different than the type that is illegal. It amounts to the same thing, but it was never against the law for people to make stock trades based on government policy changes.
I want the employees of MY COUNTRY to be the highest paid in the world just as our labor force should be.
How can we claim GREATEST when our children go hungry, their parents cannot find work to support them & our government is staffed by "the lowest bidder"..?
It seems to me that the GOP stalwarts want to use the term GREATEST NATION but don't have the guts to pay for it unless it's the neighbors kid going to war .
If you want the employees of your country to be the highest paid in the world, then do you always buy the most expensive thing? Do you purposely buy the most expensive airline ticket, the most expensive auto insurance, and eat at only the most expensive restaurants so the businesses could afford to pay more to the employees? Consumer's drive the wages people get.
.
Make them deal with performance pay and be subject to layoff and firing for nonperformance. Stop the gravy train!
Of course Federal Workers are better compensated now, they have a job. After the Bush Sub Prime Melt Down they were the only ones left standing. All of my friends who have boarded up businesses have the Bush Sub Prime Melt Down to thank for that.
When times are good it is the other way around, civilians do better then Federal workers.
Nice try Republicans but the Bush Sub Prime Melt Down will be wrapped around your necks for a very, very, very long time no matter how you try to spin things, Americans won't soon forget this...
Ted.....why do you only blame Bush for the sub-prime meltdown? The Fannie and Freddie created the sub-prime mortgage and gave banks the incentives to offer them before Bush even took office. Bush should have stopped it, but it involved both parties.
You make the assumption that I Blame him solely. What happens on a Presidents watch is what the History Books will record. It doesn't matter how we got there, what matters is that he didn't put a stop to it. In this sense he was a utter failure.
The Buck is supposed to stop at the Presidents desk...
ted415784
I hate to tell you but it was both party that voted to change the rule and deregulate wall street.
the Sub Prime Melt Down happen because of GREED GREED and more GREED from all party that change the rule of the game. Look up the Vote and who was pushing for it and you well see a lot of D+R pushing the Vote.
I guess that is where you and I differ. I look at the underlying policies that create good and bad times. I don't blame Obama and the democrats for the current mess. They didn't create it. I completely disagree with most of the ways they are trying to fix things, but I don't blame them.
Night-1021999
Read 63.2
The Bush Sub Prime Melt Down is the Biggest single reason we are in the mess we are in today.
What matters is whose watch did it happen on. Bush had the Best and Brightest. They were smart enough to see what was coming, yet they did nothing to prevent it. Why?
ted415784 No what matter is how thy got their.
Both party voted to get rich. Look in to who push to deregulate and who voted for it.
If you do you well find that both party kill the golden goose ,now all we are lift with is father and a lot of GOOSE SH!T.
The whole fed-workers-vs.-private-sector-workers comparison is a whole lot simpler than the Republicans try to make it. When you dig into the details of the CBO study, it all becomes very clear. Federal employees who earn LESS than $50,000 make MORE than their private-sector equivalents; federal employees who earn MORE than $50,000 make LESS than their private-sector equivalents.
Why is this true? Because, since the 1980s, private businesses throughout the United States have been UNDERpaying their low-end employees and OVERpaying their high-end employees. And now the GOP is trying to force the government to do the same. This trend, along with low taxes on capital gains and dividends and union-busting, are probably the three largest contributors to the enormous increase in inequality in the U.S. over the past 30 years...and the most significant contributors to the hollowing out of the middle class. (And no, Mitt, I DON'T believe the "middle class" is "the 90, 95 percent who are now struggling"; I'd limit the middle class to the 20th through 80th percentiles by income....)
All the Republicans are trying to do now is what they always try to do. Pit one working stiff against another, create a wedge and divide Americans. We keep falling for it every election.
They use this trick every election. It is becoming boring. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...
It almost as low as Karl Rove attacking Clint Eastwood on his inspirational Superbowl Commercial.
If I were Clint Eastwood I would have told Pudgy Karl Rove, "Go ahead Punk, Make My Day"!
It is all about fear & divide. That is what the repubs do...If they had wanted to do something with their landslide in in 2010 they would have...but wow it is so much easier to do nothing & get paid for it & play the blame game instead of even trying to do what they said they would which was ??? oh yes JOBS! Then of course go after people working for a living..we have seen it in state after state, so no reason we will not see it at the fed level...It is truly amazing that people even listen to them talk anymore...I feel like I am listening to the teacher in a Charlie Brown show...
Why don't we all just go to work for the government. That way everyone would have great pay and benefits.
Funny that people don't seem to grasp the reality that defense companies are also union jobs funded by the government.....
Except the average worker at a defense company makes far more than an average teacher..or police officer..of fire fighter.
Anyone think the defense lobby is weaker than the teacher's lobby???
No....Nobody with a brain thinks that.
So why does defense spending double in the last 10 years???
Duh.
How these republican bozos can suggest propping up an over-bloated defense budget at the expense of needed domestic programs and program support is unimaginable, particularly as long as any cuts directly affecting the State of Arizona is off the table.
Federal Workers pay has been frozen for over three years and CObgres is talking about pay cuts what aboutthepay raises that Congress has aproved for themselves over the years and with their Healthcar plan, retirement plan what about reducing their pay to half of what it is? They start at $174 k receiving half that with healthcare they could not make it, many Americans make less pay and pay their Healthcare.
The GOP is far better at marketing than the left.....
The GOP can make people feel that a teacher or police officer is the waste of this country via their messaging...
But the reality is that defense contractors waste more tax payer money than all unions combined.
Did we have the biggest military in 2000?
Yes
Since we've doubled that budget number in the last 10 years....A number that TAX PAYERS have to fund......
Are we safer?
Maybe...
Are we less educated as a nation?
No doubt!
The size of the Defense budget is outrageous. It is 7 times more than China spends on Defense and more than the rest of the world combined. It is the 900lb gorilla standing in the middle of the room. It needs to be cut back.
You can always count on the Republicans to Demonize the Little Guys while their BANKSTER Buddies get away with Trillions! First it was School Teachers, then Fireman, Policeman, Postal Workers, Garbage-men, etc...
Not One BANKSTER has gone to Prison yet, Not a one!
WHAT?????? those BASTARDS!!!!!!! Imagine - federal workers having to put into THEIR OWN PENSIONS!!!!!!
Thanks to the lobbyist and greed of the congress members, we the tax payers fund art and cultural programs in foreign countries.
Am I the only one who thinks this needs to end? Why is it that the middle class worker gets screwed so the Congress members can accumulate wealth for themselves.
There is something terribly wrong in our country. Its called Party service, Self service before Public service and it been going on for too many decades.
HOW are the middle class workers being screwed by contributing to THEIR OWN pensions?
PC/NOT
The middle class is being destroyed with 46% of our population having being driven into or at the edge of poverty by millionaire Congress people who are only concerned for their own welfare.
That's how.
And this coming from a pilot who couldnt even keep his jet in the air while carrying out a simple bombing run...
I say we all go back to trade and barter.....
The reason for the disparity in federal verses private sector wages and benefits is not that federal remuneration has increased disproportionately. It is due to the systematic destruction of private sector unions by large corporations and their republican functionaries. Middle class America was created by unions and as unions are destroyed, so is the middle class.
rubbish - its the bloated corrupt labor unions the have destroyed industry in the US - wonder why we dont produce steel here anymore? Wonder why almost all the shipyard running full tilt in the 50's are gone? curious as to why the US auto industry cant compete in the world market? thank your local unions.
PC...BS on your post. Do some research
In 2010, the "pork" projects in Congress came to $16.5 billion. Get rid of that, take the lifetime pensions away from Congress and cap their pay; then, there might be enough to shore up Social Security. In the meantime, make plans on getting rid of all entitlement programs, starting with a set date of say, 2030. Americans used to be able to take care of themselves, until we raised generations of people who thought the government should take care of them. We are a Republic and a Democracy, not a bunch of Socialists who spend someone else's money until it runs out.
The GOP always love to play "holier-than-thou" while choosing to do some the most un-Christian and anti-American things. If you haven't been asleep,...you know the GOP is in it for the corporations and the wealthy they serve,...and they have no interest in governing for the people.
Their newest ploy is to act like their "my way of the highway" rhetoric is somehow the moral high road. It's so ironic,...that it does fool some people, getting them to go against their own best interests.
WE WOULD ALL DO WELL TO REMEMBER THE GW BUSH REGIME AND WHAT LIFE WAS LIKE UNDER HIS ELITIST RULE. The power and money funneled quickly into the hands of the wealthy. Sure,...you got an $500 tax refund check per year, but everything the decider wanted happened. It was bull dozed through and you "had just better get used to it". He bypassed democracy. He gave tax breaks to the corporations and everybody - "SURE here you go",...underfunding the government so as to set the stage for the current showdown we are in regarding the social safety net. His grandfather never wanted that to begin with,...so GW was going to "make it right" according the ideas of his blue blood grandfather.
You can hear the well COORDINATED message shift by all of the Republican pundits.
They are trying to appeal to the population by underlining that they are unapologetically against anything other than unbridled free market capitalism. Sorry folks,....all government is bad, except the things that continue to help make our constituents proportionately more and more wealthy. If you are not in the top few perecent,...you'd have to be insane to go this much against your own best interests. If you "win big" - great !! If you are from the upper middle of the pack and down >>>> "The GOP has nothing for you". Their attitude is "you were free to win,...but didn't". YOU ARE ON YOUR OWN !! We are not a country, but a land full of seperate financial interests,...it's dog eat dog,...but in a "nice" kinda way,...right ?
Chris Stigall had a questionably famous black guest on this morning,....but they were making the point to show how "down wit' conservatism" this guy was",.....YEAH RIGHT. It is so glaringly obvious that the GOP is D-E-S-P-E-R-A-T-E to attract minority voters. They constantly try to convince us and especially minority voters that the conservative party that is in their corner. LIKE IT EVER HAS BEEN,...HAH !!Then you turn to the other Philadelphia morning conservative pundit at 990am,....and he is putting on this really sensible tone trying to say,...convince everyone,...bypass your objections by stating as fact - that ALLLL of the different minorities black, hispanic, Asian, Indian are all becoming soooo convinced that the conservative way is the only way.
Then, BOTH Limbaugh and Dennis Prager,...who are both on at noon in PA,...are going on each their own rant about how the democrats apparent concern for citizens experiencing hard times is completely misguided BS. Then they spout platitudes about how their brand of "YOU ARE ON YOUR OWN NO MATTER WHAT" capitalism is true freedom. You are free to have rich people make their millions by the sweat of your brow,...while freezing your wages for YEARS.
They underscore that there are winners and losers. TRUE, and rightly so, but the problem is the disparity between the two is becoming unacceptably wide. There needs to be an acceptable solution for the middle of the pack,...but the GOP has ZERO INTEREST in hearing those concerns. The GOP is tone deaf to the problems of the middle and lower class. They simply say,...let us have all the money,...give us tax breaks and you'll be fine.
If tax breaks for the rich generates jobs,....where are the jobs ? This is a myth. There is no trickle down.
Times have become harder and harder. Wages are stagnant,...benefits are disappearing,....there are more and more fees and charges from banks and creditors and any company who can force them upon you. Jobs are getting shipped off seas. YET,....there is more and more of the REAL profit of this country funneling into the hands of the top few percent of the population.
The conservatives will tell you that a free market "SETS YOU FREE" to make your million, BUT in this hyper competitive and EXPENSIVE economy,....what is the likelihood that a high percentage of the loyal and hard workers that drive the productivity and,therefore wealth of the top few percent,...will be able to retire or even care for themselves in their old age ? I say,...NOT MUCH.
The guiding hand of government,...per Abraham Lincoln,....is there to do for people ONLY what they can't do for themselves. THE MAJOR ISSUE that confronts Americans today is corporate greed and excess and runaway power. If you think for one moment that when the rich and connected get more and more that they are thinking of putting one cent more than is absolutely necessary back into the rest of the population,......you are dreaming.
Don't let the GOP blind you with their false "freedom" rhetoric,....or their "doomsday" rhetoric. IT IS A LIE. The freedom they are most interested in is retaining all of the financial power and allowing you to work and earn as they see fit until you die.
The GOP have OUTRIGHT told us,...they are looking to kill the entitlements. If you have another solution,....good for you !!! Otherwise the GOP sez,..."you are FREE,...free to beg,...free to search for jobs that don't exist or pay too little to live decently on,....free to work three jobs to make up the difference"....until the day you die because you can't affford medical insurance on the savings from your less than amazing 401K.
Like GW said to the single mom working three jobs,..."that's uniquely American".
That's the GOP for you,...
Vote Obama in 2012.
Vote Obama in 2012.
Vote Obama in 2012.
VERY GOOD COMRADE! That's one of the longest Alinsky rants I've seen in a while! How can you pontificate so long without even once mentioning a substantive fact?!
1.) they are comparing educated federal workers to workers at Walmart and McDs. Apples and oranges... Of course, those will not be equal. You cannot compare AND expect to be EQUAL, a skilled, educated, long term and security clearence required workforce to have equal pay and benefits to retail and fast food workforce. 2.) Even if you compare apples to apples and Federal workers to other skilled, educated forces, when the economy was booming and the private sector was pulling in tons more than federal workers, no one proposed federal workers get a cut of that. No one was fluffing our pay with 20% raises or huge bonuses.
Didn't read the artical very well did you, Melissa? It clearly stated that the comparisons were between equally qualified and educated workers!
I was for dropping federal workers compensations even when the economy was good. I know its more local Gov for me but I still know its a problem when my household has to pick up the tab of $5000 a year to help educate a pupil in the local school district because public education is so costly now. Why, because of the overcompensations in the school administrations and Union workforce, here in IL we have many teachers retiring with 100k pensions. This is what makes public education so costly, especially when we do not hold those who are popping the kids out responsible for more of their own kids education. Melissa, probably 90% of the Fed workforce positions are not highly skilled positions, we are compensating most of those employees for their length of time and not for their skills of which most can be taught or gained in relatively short periods of time. Maybe we should implement a max of 15years of working in the public sector and then you must go to the private sector, this way we get fresh blood and do not continue to increase the many unfunded or underfunded pensions taxpayers will be held accountable for. We would also be able to stay on top of our A game and get the lifers out. After all, look at the mess all the Current Fed Employees have gotten this country in, they are all highly educated and still we are in deep. Its time we start cycling them all out just like term limits should be implemented.