[PrestonSturges]

Read the comments of Krauthammers column on climate change:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co ... 03163.html

Yep, the economy collapsed because of the UN, shiftless negros, and homosexuals, all of whom are conspiring against America.

That's the GOP base, right there.

[green_achers]

Former Fed worker here (and proud of it.) It was common knowledge to all I worked with that we could have made a lot more in the private sector. I took a brief hiatus myself and made more in a few months than I normally made in a year, doing the same job.

The main reason many stay with the Feds, in addition to those listed, was because there aren't many well-paying corporate jobs in nice small towns like there are Fed jobs. But having a few decently-paid professional positions in small towns happens to be good for local economies, also.

Now back to your inane partisan bickering...

[Pretorian]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('futresobright', 'S')he says federal employees make 26% less than private workers for comparable jobs.[/b][/i]Excellent post and absolutly correct. If you compare apples to apples gov workers make much less than the private sector, but don't let that fact get in the way Ad hom deleted.

[Sixstrings]

Also, don't forget that while the federal government denied social security recipients their annual cost of living increase because supposedly the cost of living went down over the last year, they turned right around and gave every federal employee a 3-4% cost of living raise!

Can someone explain that one to me?

[AlexdeLarge]

Mish has picked up on this article too....................

Six-Figure Federal Salary Gravy Train
http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com/2009/12/six-figure-federal-salary-gravy-train.html

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'T')he fiscal insanity does not stop with numbers of employees and their salaries. One also needs to factor in pension benefits that private sector employees do not receive

[Plantagenet]

Mish is right.

The basic reason why federal employee pay is growing so much more rapidly then private sector pay is that federal employees get TWO raises each year, rather then one.

For instance, this year the official inflation rate is zero, so social security recipients get no raise.

In contrast, Obama has decreed a 2% raise for all federal employees. In addition, although it might seem a bit piggy especially now when there are record unemployment and poverty rates in the US, all federal employees automatically get a SECOND raise of 1.5%, called a "step" increase, making the total raise for this year 3.5%.

Every single year they get a raise and then a second STEP increase raise. Since federal employees get these two raises each year, federal pay has progressively risen faster then private sector wages to where it now far outstrips private sector pay.

[Jotapay]

This proves one thing to me. Most peak oilers have been very wrong about one thing. POers seem to think the government is going to collapse. I think the opposite is true. The government will sacrifice everything else before it goes down. They will pay their workers more in increasingly worthless currency to prop up a corrupt regime at the expense of the common people.

Does this remind you of anything, maybe exactly like Zimbabwe?

[AirlinePilot]

Jota,

Agree with your basic premise but the fact is they will not be able to do this forever. The Bond market will decide for them. Either that or we have to print like crazy. It all ends up with the US Government having to take a giant haircut. I dont think it matters how you slice it now, one way or another it is going to happen. The math is what will decide it and they have already lost control of that.

[MattS]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Plantagenet', 'M')ish is right.

The basic reason why federal employee pay is growing so much more rapidly then private sector pay is that federal employees get TWO raises each year, rather then one.

In contrast, Obama has decreed a 2% raise for all federal employees. In addition, although it might seem a bit piggy especially now when there are record unemployment and poverty rates in the US, all federal employees automatically get a SECOND raise of 1.5%, called a "step" increase, making the total raise for this year 3.5%.

Every single year they get a raise and then a second STEP increase raise. Since federal employees get these two raises each year, federal pay has progressively risen faster then private sector wages to where it now far outstrips private sector pay.

[Plantagenet]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('MattS', '.').. someone starting out at a princely sum of, say, $50G's a year can look forward to making $70G's after 18 years....to never make any more again because he/she is locked into their pay grade.

[Sixstrings]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'D')efense Department civilian employees earning $150,000 or more increased from 1,868 in December 2007 to 10,100 in June 2009, the most recent figure available.

When the recession started, the Transportation Department had only one person earning a salary of $170,000 or more. Eighteen months later, 1,690 employees had salaries above $170,000.

[Sixstrings]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Jotapay', 'T')his proves one thing to me. Most peak oilers have been very wrong about one thing. POers seem to think the government is going to collapse. I think the opposite is true. The government will sacrifice everything else before it goes down. They will pay their workers more in increasingly worthless currency to prop up a corrupt regime at the expense of the common people.

Does this remind you of anything, maybe exactly like Zimbabwe?

[Jotapay]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('AirlinePilot', 'J')ota,

Agree with your basic premise but the fact is they will not be able to do this forever. The Bond market will decide for them. Either that or we have to print like crazy. It all ends up with the US Government having to take a giant haircut. I dont think it matters how you slice it now, one way or another it is going to happen. The math is what will decide it and they have already lost control of that.

[dinopello]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Jotapay', ' ')They will pay their workers more in increasingly worthless currency to prop up a corrupt regime at the expense of the common people.

[MattS]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Plantagenet', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('MattS', '.').. someone starting out at a princely sum of, say, $50G's a year can look forward to making $70G's after 18 years....to never make any more again because he/she is locked into their pay grade.

[MattS]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Sixstrings', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'D')efense Department civilian employees earning $150,000 or more increased from 1,868 in December 2007 to 10,100 in June 2009, the most recent figure available.

When the recession started, the Transportation Department had only one person earning a salary of $170,000 or more. Eighteen months later, 1,690 employees had salaries above $170,000.

[eastbay]

How to get over 100 grand as a federal worker? Maybe even 150? A little OT and holiday pay which is generously handed out in many federal occupations. It'll add a few tens of thousands to a base salary in a BIG hurry.

One example: 70 on the standard GS schedule. 27% locality brings it to nearly 90. Add an additional 35 in OT, which included holidays and many do exactly that so 125 is easily reached. That was nearly four years ago and now people I know are getting near 150 with locality, step increases, grade increases, 6C, holidays, and other OT.

It's out of control for what many federal employees do. Completely out of control.

[Jotapay]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('dinopello', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Jotapay', ' ')They will pay their workers more in increasingly worthless currency to prop up a corrupt regime at the expense of the common people.

[Olaf]

I did want to clarify that I work for county level government, and the not the federal.

We have step increases too, but no other increases. Those annual step adjustments are on the the order of 1 to 2 percent. I pay into my retirement system and after 30 years can earn 50% salary for retirement.

Our union is weak and we can not strike.

I was a military dependent for 17 years, a service member for 5, a college student for 4, and a civil servant for 10. All I ever hear is how it must be silver spoon city. Yeah, right. Me and Rick Schroder.

I work in information systems and make half what Jotapay makes. It is a pretty decent living, but it is no bounty and a job I'm thankful to have.

Olaf

[ian807]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('AlexdeLarge', 'I') did not know USA Today was a right wing nut publication! Interesting...