Now, I Definitely Want A Job In Government
by Veronique de RugyStudy this USA Today chart and cry:
According to USA Today:
“Overall, federal workers earned an average salary of $67,691 in 2008 for occupations that exist both in government and the private sector, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data. The average pay for the same mix of jobs in the private sector was $60,046 in 2008, the most recent data available.”
And let’s just add insult to injury:
“These salary figures do not include the value of health, pension and other benefits, which averaged $40,785 per federal employee in 2008 vs. $9,882 per private worker, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis.”
So now when you put your kids to bed and they tell you that when they grow up they want to be a doctor and a veterinarian, your answer should be: “Honey, these are all great choices, but what you really want to be is a bureaucrat.”
Here and here are more arguments to convince your little ones.
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184 Comments
Liberal world view:
Government SEIU employees, good Americans…
Private non union business owners and the people that work for them, infidels..
Any questions?
This is all well and good, they make so much more and then they get this awesome pension (I know, I have an aunt that worked in the employment area of Federal Government she retired at 55 with a full pension, went back to school got her PHD and is making her pension and a buttload more money with her PHD) the downside is: Look at Greece. The piper has come back and needs to be paid and there are no funds to pay him. I think my aunt's situation is nice for her because she's on the receiving end of it, I think it sucks for me because the first 48 cents of every dollar I earn is going toward federal taxes. What happens to all these employees when the government runs out of money to pay them or worse prints money to pay them, then $68K a year isn't going to buy you squat. Right now in California $68K is less than middle class, it will buy you a very modest home, the other part of your life you have to finance on a credit card.
Clergy? WTH! Is Rev. Wright on staff?
And Jesse, Al and Louis?
We are heading the way of Greece…The Pied Piper is on his way. Pray that "We the people" will have control over the restructuring.
I forgot them…they have been locked in a closet of late…
But with those higher salaries we get the cream of the crop. I'm sorry…I meant scum off the top.
Most government workers I know would have a damn difficult time getting a job in the private sector.
These are definitely hand-picked occupations for shock effect. I'm a computer Scientist making $92,000. Private sector with same experience makes about $113,000. You'll find Aerospace and Mechanical Engineers are pretty much in the same boat we me. It's been my experience that there are too many managers and they probably are overpaid. If you remove the DC bureaucrats from the mix of all Feds we probably average what the private sector makes. Let's be realistic here folks. USA Today isn't exactly an unbiased paper you know..
The outlier (Airline pilots) is that way because you get training from the government (military) in exchange for x years of service. So, that one fits right in with the government using our money to pay more than a job is worth in the rest of the country.
Interesting. They don't pay editors a lot. Don't want anybody to fact check them I guess.
Just to add insult to injury, Fed Jobs are easier by far than those in the private sector. I just recently became employeed with the Fed govt after years in the private sector as an engineer. Unfortunately with the economy where it is the civil engr career field is pretty bad and this was all that I could find. The family's got to eat so I took it. (Makes me sick, but sometimes a man just has to suck it up. Hopefully I will find something and move back to private sector work ASAP.) For me the salary was the same as my previous private sector job, but the work load is not even close. The sad part is that "long time" fed employees think that this is a high stress difficult work environment. I just have to laugh. Here I have no product to sell, no real deadlines, no customers, etc.
(cont) Yes, I have people that I work with and that I have to respond to, but it is nothing like having paying customers who have expectations for you to complete a project and a design on time and within budget. The job that our office does with 30+ people working on the taxpayers dollar could easily be done by about 8-10 of the guys that I used to work with in the private sector who were actually productive. This doesn't even take into account the fact that the fed office/section that I work for probably shouldn't even exist Constitutionally. Our Fed govt is broken beyond belief.
Where did they get $40K per employee for benefits? I'm a Federal employee (making about $20K less than the average for a person with my education and experience) and the total benefits I know about add up to about $15K per year (health insurance supplement (we still have to buy it), matching savings plan contribution, and retirement account contribution) I would personally like to know where the other $25K is.
This is not at all surprising. I saw an article the other day on the richest counties in the U.S. and the top three were around Washington DC. People are working for the government and relative to the rest of us, getting rich. On top of the salaries, they get an incredible pension that we pay for even after they quite. The pension is huge too.
The U.K has the highest government employment in the world…is this what people really want as 'jobs'..to be tied to the government!!!????
But you do need to be able to pass a drug screening and have no criminal convictions.
I've had to do that at every private sector job I've ever had too and actually I never had a drug test before becoming a Fed employee. They did do a crimanal background check.
I didn't see "lawyer" on the list. I think that could make up for ALL the other differences, right there. Government lawyers earn very little, compared to what they could make in the private sector.
God I'm glad I never went into government IT work – I love the private sector!
(see Computer Support Specialist)
Seems you have backtracked a bit now that you are starting to make reasonable comparisons. You forgot the career of armed thug. Compare a military grunt with a Blackwater (Xe) employee. Why don't you do that?
BTW, factor out the ILLEGAL ALIENS that the private sector has hired so many of (in their greedy pursuit of money). How do you think that might affect the "Landscape architect" disparity, hmmmmmmm?
Just face it – you tried to create an issue where there was none. You are a CFR/AEI stooge and your goal, as is theirs, is to destroy the Middle Class.
One of your articles published in CFR.
http://www.cfr.org/publication/10038/aei.html
Folks – these are the very elites that are destroying the GOP. The McCain types who don't know how many homes they own and are amazed at the laser scanners at the grocery store checkout.
So now when you put your kids to bed and they tell you that when they grow up they want to be a doctor and a veterinarian, your answer should be: “Honey, these are all great choices, but what you really want to be is a bureaucrat.”
Most of those you listed were technical positions. So, the graphics designers that work for the government are suddenly bureaucrats? YOU are more of a bureaucrat than they are! How much do you get from AEI and CFR – do you get two checks or just one?
Bob, why don't you go to the private sector then? Is it the allure of the great pension? Unfortunately or fortunately there may not be funding for these pensions 10 years down the road.
If you have been paying attention, and it LOOKS like that you aren't, these government jobs are for Blacks, not whites!
This is not about race, it's about fact!
If you read the telegraph today it will explain the mess the British government is in right now. Their piper is coming home for payment as well, not only that, Parliament is demanding the closure of coal fired electricity plants and citizens are going to be funding new 'eco friendly' plants on their current electric bill. I think the subjects of England are getting a little restless. They did hold their first 'Tea Party' not too long ago. When a welfare recipient is living better than a working tax payer the system is not working, it's a mess.
No USA Today isn't unbiased, they usually shill for the guvment. Since the are government shills it's probably much worse. The state of Alabama is in the adult beverages business, the guy who puts liquor bottles on the shelf makes in excess of $30,000/yr + government benefits. Sheesh.
When there is no bottom line to be concerned about for stockholders. When currying union endorsements and re-election is the goal, bribery through paycheck is an easy solution. This is re-disdribution under the cover of "employment".
re-distribution…..sorry about that.
The author of this piece has connections to CFR, American Enterprise Institute and a slew of other anti-American organizations. Her task is to get the Middle Class set against each other.
This is how you kill a country! When the Gov gets bigger than the people that support it, it will collapse!!! You just watch!
This has all been planned out, then the N.W.O. can come on in and take over!
This does not take into account the even greater disparity in many states ( California) between state and local jobs and private sector ( including all benefits). And, unlike Greece the federal government is on the hook for these underfunded state pensions, and its estimated at almost $3 trillion if you ignore the aggressive accounting assumptions on liabilities. The reason Moody's has misgivings about US AAA debt rating is because it recognizes the fed and every taxpayer is on the hook for these profligate states, who are largely controlled by public sector unions.
I feel sorry for you. You think you are going to be part of the ruling elite and everyone else will be serfs. What is worse is you seem to want that. That is the CFR vision of the world – these people resent the Middle Class and want a return to the feudal system.
That is true. There are a lot of inept Blacks occupying these positions. Attack Affirmative Action that put them there – not those who are doing their job, though.
Everyone should remember this author – rarely have I seen such brazen attempts to spread lies and set the Middle Class against one another. She is a typical CFR-type.
When you stop and think about ALL the criminal element that are currently in this administration…you have to wonder!
Hope you get to keep it – don't let Bill Gates know.
3, but your point is definitely still valid.
To quote Ghostbusters:
"I've been in the private sector. They expect *results*!"
Good point. This author had a propaganda-point to make and has been feverishly trying to find facts to support it (and failed repeatedly as people reveal their own experiences that contradict it and her curious math).
Add to that the gov't jobs whose ratio to the business world is effectively that of $X to Zero. I spent two summers during school in State gov't jobs. There were effectively no duties. There was nothing really to do except, maybe, answer internal emails (about trivia) and process two pieces of paper a day (internal, of course). Most of the other people in the office likewise had nothing meaningful to do, and most cubicles were empty the majority of the time. But the organizational chart said those jobs had to exist, and they were funded, so, dammit, warm bodies would fill them!
There's a nasty cycle going on here- public-employee union dues extracted, to fund the campaigns of big-government politicians, who expand the number of public employees, whose dues feed the unions….
Just curious are these salaries at the top of the GS scales?? I know a few fed workers and as a GS-12 step 10 with a Denver locality pay they make about $85K as computer specialists at a HQ level. A step 10 is as far as you can get without going to a GS-13 and only get whatever cost of living allowances they get.
I was not hired at a Big-Name auto parts store over not being able to speak Spanish…the girl they hired didn't know the difference between her head and a headlight bulb..but she spoke Spanish..I was discrminated against…nevermind that I had over 2 years of parts-store experience at that time (now its over 5 years). There's no NAACP for us average white guys…there's no average white guy history month…there's no all-white colleges (but there's Grambling, an all-black school)…there's no CBC for the white guys in politics…there's no National Black Journalist Assoc. for white guys…because all that would be "racist"…I'm sick of it.. I'm sure people will brand me as "racist", but I am not. I'm just observant…and tired of our PC culture..
*discriminated* (batteries are running low on the wireless keyboard)
Ahh…
Ahmed the "dead terrorist", I love that shtick!
Very funny stuff!
Joey,…. let me ask you one question,……. since you feel this article is somewhat skewed……..
Would you rather be in hot water on your job in the private sector or the public sector…..
"Middle Class against one another",……maybe Randy its more like,…..
the Middle Class waking up to the mistake they made in 2008.
Time to start firing federal employees. We in the private sector cannot afford them. We must have a right not to financially support others, don't we? Are these federal employees our children? I am pissed.
Everyone I know in the private sector work force received either a pay cut or a pink slip,…. now………
everyone I know that works for the government,….well……all they talk about is……
how they are going to go from G3 to G4,…….. right on schedule.
It reports that out of 180 occupations, private pays higher in 36. Couple that with benefits and it's not exactly the picture of "working for the government means lower wages" crap we usually get.
Out of 180 occupations, 36 are higher paid in the private sector. That's 80% of government jobs are paid more than private sector!
I did some checking on this the other day when USA Today published it. It turns out the information being quoted here is from a survey called the Occupational Employment Statistics Survey (http://www.bls.gov/oes/). Just one problem. BLS apparently depends on the person sending the information to understand the rules (http://www.bls.gov/soc/socguide.htm), which include things like supervisors being lumped in with their employees. Does BLS check to make sure private companies follow the rules?
Ruling class…you mean King Obama?
Yes – Military Chaplains….. and yes – they get sent to the front and perform services in the field with the soldiers.
The Military Chaplains do deserve that pay…sorry I was being a smart ass. It was a joke!
My Salary is going to be off by at least 20k this coming year so I want to know when the feds are going to take a 25% pay cut. For the huf po trolls I make under 100k a year so it not like I am some rich banker no I am actually middle class.
Hey why don't you enjoy your time and prepare to rock the boat on the way out. If you see any corruption take note film it etc. You could be a hero star kinda like a future politician trying to help a hooker in an undercover acorn video That goes for any other freedom loving american currently employed by a government agency.
.
I talked to a friend of mine who is a G-15 with the Post office. He said they had a whole culture built up within the post office to take of their people. Counselors, racial investigators, realtors, financial people, doctors on staff, nurses, and on and on– just for them.
They moved him 30 miles south to San Jose, CA, one time and they bought his former house from him at top dollar so he could move. Just 2 years later, they moved him back and bought his other house from him again at top dollar so he could move the second time. He made a huge profit each time. Of course, we paid for his houses.
He never asked for such things, but he got paid the gains on both houses at taxpayers expense. Happens all the time.
.
Lorben,
You are a gracious person.
While completing my undergrad, I worked at a military research lab on a base. Contained therein was a cafeteria. I brown bagged it, but went in line to purchase a soft drink. I grabbed a plastic spoon, so that I may enjoy my yogurt without resorting to using my fingers. The cashier had the audacity to give me a hard time, implying that I was stealing the spoon. She mocked me by acting as if I pretended to need it for my beverage. We've all dealt with service personnel who are clueless, rude, or just plain dumb, but I'd never before or since encounter such a level of self-righteous animus. Anyone who imagines this attitude is not the result of such people being backed-up by all-powerful unions is living in la-la land.
You and I, who are doing the same jobs, are paying these people more money. Does that seem rational to you?
How much correlation is there between these stupid pay rates and the fact that a majority of government positions are unionized?
They must be counting the Military Dental Assistants, Clergy, Cooks, etc…. They are probably factoring in Military non-taxable benefits such as BAH(basic allowance for housing) and BAS(basic allowance for subsistence).
The value of your pension I assume…future value of that is unbelievably higher.
Why does the government employ half of these people? Shouldn't a lot of these jobs be contracted out?
Contract labor is just another attack on the Middle Class. If anything, the government should be employing people to build roads directly. Adding some low-bid contractor that cuts corners results in a shoddy road. Employ people who will be there long term and have a stake in the project. Let's compare our roads (a joke among developed societies) with the Autobahn
I don't know of any government positions that are unionized.
He is a CFR-groomed candidate, yes. What about it?
Good. Only thing holding the Middle Class together right now. Go ask Gates about his view there is a "shorage" of American workers so he can get more H1B slaves in the country. But don't attack the remaining Middle Class.
I can't help your ignorance. Public Sector Unions are any that represent employess hired by federal, state, or local governments. When the NY transit workers go on strike, that union is a public sector union; those workers are employed by the government at the local level.
If government was so efficient and effective at getting things done, the Twin Towers would be rebuilt by now. That they aren't speaks to the bureaucratic mess governing the process. I seriously don't want my roads managed by the same process. Private industry gets it done faster and more efficiently because they don't have endless amounts of taxpayer dollars to waste.
"It is the foreign element that commits our crimes. There is no native criminal class except Congress."-Mark Twain
You forgot politican, where the real money is. Who says crime doesn't pay?
Just wondering what the Government pays Brian Williams, Katy Kouric, Anderson Cooper, Keith Olberman, etc as compared to a real journalist.
that certainly puts us a lot closer to 45 than the 15
Some one has to keep their bloodsucking, taxpayer sucking fangs sharp!
I'll tell you what I would do in regards to the earnings disparity – freeze all government positions pay increase until on par (including benefits) with private sector counterparts, at which time they should be tied to cost-of-living and thereafter raises set so as not to exceed private sector wages by more than 5%.
Double time? That's a good one Max!
One day Randy you will learn to read and understand what you read.
This post is not nor are the comments against the middle class,… what all of us are,… I presume.
It is the shift in the middle class job market from the private to the public sector that is being discussed as well as the shift in the pay scales fore these sections.
If you feel that a strong national economy is one where the majority of the MIDDLE CLASS works for the government. well then I sorry,…… I don't what you and Bill Gates thinks,…. but you are both wrong.
Only Federal employees hired before 1984 have a significant pension. Those who began later, like me, have a meager retirement plan that is 1/3 social security, 1/3 personal savings plan, 1/3 federal retirement plan.
I would cut wages on most of them…not all (military would be untouched) and take away their fat cat retirements and healthcare…they can live on SSI, Medicare, and Medicaid like the rest of us. But honestly SSI, Medicare and Medicaid is not going to be there at all when the system collapses in less than two years…so its all a pipe dreams.
Yeah, I don't think you can cut wages and I wouldn't include military or hazardous professions such as fire/police/rescue.
It irks me that government workers seems to think they're immune from financial downturns.
All this whining misses the fact that government employees pay taxes too!! You have the same opportunities we did. Quit complaining and whining!
Why not include the military?
They are immune to upturns, too. Their wages were much lower during the last "boom." I still don't believe they are paid more than the private sector – this author has cited sketchy info several times before trying to float this idea.
Well, I WAS making just over $40K until my position was cut last August and now I took a temp job for eight weeks less a third of the salary I was making!! My hopes were work temp to hire. Guess what? That isn't going to happen because they are posting most of the jobs as contract workers so no benefits. This is a LARGE medical company about to celebrate a 50 year anniversary.
Well, I wouldn't trust all these numbers because right off the bat, the "average" airline pilot, or any other type of pilot don't come anywhere close to 90k… I know because I am a pilot. Yes, there are a select few holdovers from pay scales that are very old, but the majority of pilots that are flying today are scraping by. I'm talking 20-30k being a GOOD paying flying job…
Exactly! I don't want to know what a federally paid clergy man believes in.
I suppose the federal government finally adopted the private sector's recruitment and retainment strategies: paying their employees well deserved "bonuses" and "competitive salary." Why should the federal government get all the private sector's leftovers? It's about time we have competitive, competent, and intelligent employees working for the feds. The best way to lure them from the private sector to the govt is to offer comparable salaries and bonuses. It's all to the greater good (i.e., greater efficiency). Quit your griping.
I suppose the federal government finally adopted the private sector's recruitment and retainment strategies: paying their employees well deserved "bonuses" and "competitive salary." Why should the federal government get all the private sector's leftovers? It's about time we have competitive, competent, and intelligent employees working for the feds. The best way to lure them from the private sector to the govt is to offer comparable salaries and bonuses. It's all to the greater good (i.e., greater efficiency). Quit your griping.
[...] » Now, I Definitely Want A Job In Government – Big Government [...]
I would proudly serve my country by working for the federal government. What's wrong with that?
Only problem our grandchildren are paying for them right now. It is going to blow up in their faces.
[...] tip to Big Government for the pointer to USA Today. Key [...]
All But two make more money hmmm
Wait….we have DENTAL ASSISTANTS on the federal payroll???!!
This doesn't elicit tears, but it does make me want to puke.
Yes, clergy work for Uncle. I've known several. One in particular comes to mind, a Navy Captain. He went routinely on patrols with Marines near the DMZ. He went armed only with his communion chalice, and the other things he needed to perform his duties as a chaplain. Those included the things needed to perform the last rites on young Marines who died in his arms. He also had among his decorations the Navy Cross and the Purple Heart with clusters. In combat, when he wasn't performing the last rites, he was crawling, unarmed, into the line of fire to give first aid to wounded Marines.
These figures are skewed. Nowadays, the average US Government professional or other worker now is generally older than the rest of the workforce, has put in 25-30 years, and has worked up the food chain within their job classification to earn more through longevity. The average private sector worker in the same categories is younger and hasn't put in the time to get to the same age and, presumably, value for their experience and knowledge.
I don't see doctors there. Care to know what the average US Government doctor makes? It's far less than they do in the private sector, and most of them are in uniform, many of whom work in combat zones. Others work in Embassies, travel their assigned regions, and like most diplomats, work knowing they are targeted by terrorists.
Dental assistants? Most are in uniform or work for the VA, and like others, have put in the time to work up the pay scale. Same with so many others in that list. What you don't see in those numbers are the years spent on deployment away from families in dangerous locations or at sea for months at a time. They don't get in their cars at night and drive home to have dinner with their families.
The private sector job salaries listed are probably taken from what is being paid in this major economic downturn. All private sector pay is now depressed since it is a buyer's market. When the good times rolled and when they roll again, and when private sector salaries in so many of those categories once again begin to outstrip Federal workers' salaries, let's see how many people like Veronique de Rugy log in here and demand parity for US Government workers
This is a tired old canard and Big Government ought to be ashamed for repeating this "USA Today" rabble rousing. Andrew Breitbart, who I admire for his guts in taking on the liars in the MSM and so many other bastions of liberalism, has recently demanded retractions for poorly-researched and outright lying articles about people like James and Hannah. I'd like to see if he does the same fact-checking with this major misrepresentation.
See my post below. The Navy Chaplain I knew earned $65.50 a month extra — Combat pay. I'd like to see you walk up to that tough mother and say that to his face. He was a tough old Irishman with scars from gunshot wounds inflicted by the VC, and despite his Roman collar, I'm sure he would deck you in a heartbeat.
You ought to get down on your knees and thank God there are people like him and so many other Feds who routinely live far less comfortable lives out of a sense of duty to this country and its citizens.
Knock it off with slamming Federal clergy – They're almost all in uniform.
See my post on the next page and then decide if they should be ridiculed.
Are these true figures? So you mean to say, it's ideal to work in a government rather than working on private companies? Also, if this is true, taxes paid by every working individual goes to the salary of those people working for the government?
This entire article and screed of rants following it needs some reality bites and fact checking.
Feds get pretty good medical benefits because the federal workforce as a unit gets bids from insurers. The sheer volume of customers in the Federal workforce gives our negotiators a lot more bargaining power and allows the insurers to offer more for the same prices paid in the private sector.
The OLD retirement system was just like the military's: 50% retirement pay for 20 years work. 75% retirement pay for 30 years work. That went by the boards quite a while ago.
The NEW retirement system is now: 1/3 agency retirement pay; 1/3 Social Security; and, 1/3 401-K. That's not much different from most private sector companies' retirement packages.
The richest parts of DC are McLean, Bethesda, Great Falls, Columbia, Maryland and a few other suburbs. They bring up the average pay and they are all predominantly populated by lobbyists, defense company employees, and research organization scientists, all VERY well paid. Most of them worked for Uncle just long enough to learn the ropes and then jumped to private industry for the bucks.
The average Fed lives in typical middle class suburbs where the average pay isn't a whole lot different from counterpart locales everywhere else in the country.
How did you find that job, I'd like to reduce my stress. I'm an engineer in the private sector.
Senior Executive Service (SES) civil servants make a maximum of approximately $158,000 a year. There aren't that many in federal service.
Compare that to their counterparts in private industry. Their salaries are probably equivalent to the average package of perks private execs get.
I just read all of the posts and you folks are easily swayed. You're letting your frustration at this rotten economy get to you and too many are venting irrationally.
The USG has specialists that are not found ANYWHERE in the private sector. Let's start with Foreign Service Officers. It's harder to get into the Foreign Service than it is to get into Harvard, yet these people start out at low entry level salaries and if they're lucky in that incredibly competitive group, they will retire in 20-30 years with a pension that hardly compares to the quality of people in their cohort that went into private industry. They do this work, often in very dangerous or highly polluted locations out of a sense of duty. Do you want your country's interests protected abroad by a bunch of political appointees like our current CINC, so wet behind the ears that they have to get OJT while the pros from other countries eat their lunch in negotiations?
I could go on but I'm sensing that this bunch of posters isn't interested in the facts.
Yes, your taxes pay my salary. So do mine. I pay taxes as well so if you want to look at it that way, I'm self-employed.
It is mostly this one poster "Veronique de Rugy" who has spent a lifetime in nebuous think-tanks and it shows – completely insulated from the real world. Here screeds here against the Middle Class are a test balloon by CFR and the other useless ghouls and spiders that haunt the think tank society who have never produced anything of real value – the test balloon has gone over like lead and I imagine she will go back to some mildewy University office or whatever imagining how to advance CFR's goals by subtly destroying America from within.
In 1945, my Dad walked into Gates Rubber Company's personnel office at their corporate headquarters in Denver to apply for a job. He was convalescing from wounds in Denver and was about to be medically retired for 100% disability. The "good people" at Gates took one look at his limp and the burn scars on his face and sent him packing. He never forgot that treatment from Gates and from more than a few other allegedly patriotic US private sector outfits.
He went back to finish college on the GI Bill and then to work for the VA, apparently one of the few organizations in the country willing to hire a vet visibly disfigured from wounds. He went on to make a career in Federal Service, rising to a high level in the Department of Defense.
There was a reason Ike started "The President's Committee for the Employment of the Physically Handicapped." So many companies were unwilling to hire vets who were paralyzed, amputees, and whose faces were hard to look at. So much for the alleged virtues of the "private sector" where so many posting on this particular article seem to come from.
I'm not going to try to answer the many ugly posts that appear here, but you should all take a few moments to consider that a great many of these "leeches" you're excoriating are combat disabled vets who, even today, found out that they wouldn't rise very far in the superficial private sector workplace that values "normal" appearance over appearance these people present, visible evidence of the terrible price so many of these good people paid, and decided that Federal Service was one of the few places where they would be treated fairly, and they are.
Think about it for a while. If Veronique de Rugy had the scars on her face that my Dad had as his aircraft plummeted, burning to the ground over Europe, her lovely visage wouldn't be appearing on the chapeau of this particular article, or any others for that matter. I spent half my career in the private sector and I can tell you unequivocally that there are far more wheelchairs, crutches, and canes to be found where I work than you could ever hope to find where you work.
Silence! I keeeeeeel you! (I hope you've seen Jeff Dunham)
I appreciate your comment. I am a former Marine and federal employee. I don't have any disability or anything, but there are many of us veterans that work for the federal government. I also don't understand the attitude that says that federal employee salaries should go down because the private sector salaries have stagnated. I went into the military and learned a valuable skill. Many of these complainers had the same opportunities we had. As a matter of fact, those opportunities still exist. Also, feds are taxpayers too.
I'm a Viet Nam Vet. I possess a post-graduate degree, and know what I'm talking about.
I came into Federal Service from the financial services industry because I was pretty sure that I would not be forced, at threat of losing my job, to break the law as I was in the normal course of my private sector job. If every company I ever worked with or for had to be completely honest, their profits margins, if any, would be far less than they are. Those of you familiar with your organizations' finances and practices know exactly what I'm talking about.
Stories you hear about Government corruption are usually begun by whistle-blowers, most of whom are honest government workers. The Government comes down REAL hard on dishonest workers. The fact of life in the private sector is that a LOT of people simply look the other way because they want to keep their jobs.
I think there are a lot of factors that aren't even being discussed in this mix. For starters, the government employees get their salaries and benifits and COLA and whatever else goes with it…….paid for by US!!! And, if you want to go a little further………especially when they start telling us that they pay their taxes also………..well…..where is the tax money that they are 'paying' coming from??? And……………aren't their jobs fairly stable and guaranteed, as opposed to the private sector. Remember, the government doesn't have to make a profit (oh, these EVIL profits!!!)………..so the money is either from taxes, borrowed, or printed……………
I'm one of those 'evil' self-employed guys………and I have employees, and other sub-contractors who have employees……we actually STRIVE to make a 'profit'……..and I can tell you that it's not easy, after all of the other producers and NON-producers get their cut!!!! FUBO!!!!!
You're clueless. You can do that at a MacDonald's and get away with it. In a Federal Building, what belongs to the taxpayer is NOT free for the taking. That includes paper clips, pencils, and the like. Around any major federal employment area you'll find US Government issue pens circulating everywhere. Nevertheless, possession of such articles not in use for official government purposes is a crime and I've seen penalties for such seemingly petty incidents enforced. We in government live by those rules, as silly as they may seem to you, because to take something that does not belong to you, last time I checked, is defined as "theft." Those of us who are used to doing things that way have been in Federal Service long enough to have inculcated such an ethos into our system of values. The offenders, like you, wander in from the private sector where apparently, such theft is acceptable. Hope you haven't put too much info in your profile. Having admitted to a willingness to steal, or otherwise defraud the government, someone from the IRS might decide to audit you.
http://www.usajobs.com
Go ahead. See if you qualify. I'm guessing that you may not have accumulated the training or experience a good many government jobs require.
Um…this isn't about you versus me. This is about big government versus the governed. It's natural to desire the highest paying job in your field, but it goes to show that when government is paying higher than private (alot of dispute on this, but the question remains) when the government produces NOTHING, that is worrisome to freedom minded people.
Ok, were does the government get the money to pay these bonuses and salaries? Oh, from taxpayers. Since federal employees produce NOTHING of value, why should they be paid as much as someone who produces to make a profit? There is no natural "demand" for government employees. Private sector produces things consumers "demand".
Semper Fi, Bro!
No, sorry, you aren't. Government produces NOTHING. They have money taken from you and I. I understand we are in a down turn in the economy (who doesn't), but the point of all this is, if the private secotr must shed jobs and salaries to make ends meet, why is the government taking more and more, and paying public employees more and more. In a capatilst nation, shouldnt the public employees see as much of a downturn as private employees? Money is taken from a populace that is steadily loosing wages and profits. It hampers the private sector, and when the private sector goes, who then will pay your salary?
As you may be able to tell from my furious and frequent postings, this particular article has really P'd me off.
As a US Government worker, I can tell you that we're far from perfect; but, the mess we're in came about mainly from rank stupidity and dishonesty in Congress coupled with such a disgusting level of dishonesty and zero ethics in the private sector that words fail me when I try to describe it.
As long as we're going to go off on those who so richly deserve it, why shouldn't Andrew and his band of warriors and muckrakers start a blog along the lines of "Big Private Sector?" Or "Big Business?" I'm sure we can find lots of hypocrisy and dishonesty there to expose to the bright light of day.
If our intent is to reclaim this country from those who have taken us to the cleaners, which does include a lot of stupidity in government, and enforce the Constitution and protect our rights, then we ought to go after EVERYONE responsible, and that includes a good many players in the rest of the economy.
Looks like the governors consume most of the treasures they loot!!! Are Pirates in charge? When everyone works for the government, then wages will implode, no-one will be producing the balance!! The value of the reward (Paycheck), will be greater than the production is worth!! With no free market (Competition) to supply the negative (RED, ink), how long will paradise on earth last? What will be the denominator, in the equation, constituting "Quality of life"? Who will determine it? Will it be the government? Or, will you defy the government trap, luring you to the temporary unsustainable feast of the governors?? If you fall for it, someday, you will be uninvited, but at that point, you will be shackled to it, you will be a servant!!! Bow to your Masters (gods)!!! It is easy for God to alert you to beware of "Pagan gods", because anyone can be one!!! God is a Governor too and he pays well also, you can take the soothed soul to the bank and find satisfaction there!!.
OK – I'll go to the private sector and make more than I'm making given my education level and skill set. Then, you can go down to the local Army surplus store and buy what's necessary to survive overseas, including your firearms and ammo, buy a plane ticket to the sandbox, and take over my job.
If you think government produces nothing, then you've been living in a phone booth all your life. You're ability to go to sleep at night relatively confident that you won't be robbed or assaulted, for just one example, is due to the security for you and our fellow citizens that our government produces.
And, just for the record, the government periodically does shed employees, not that most people in the private sector take notice. Such actions are called "RIFs", "Reductions in Force." Many have taken place over the last several decades. Didn't you notice, or were you too busy making all that dough because times were good and certain government services, like defense, weren't needed?
Go buy a Government 101 text book and try to learn a little about your own government before spouting off such nonsense.
First, thank you both for your service. However, you misunderstand the entire context of the debate. The debate isn't whether federal employees are corrupt or not, it's about the cost of the wages being paid by an employeer who makes NOTHING to produce profit. The money the government has is taken from a taxpayer, and then redistributed (yes, all federal spending is redistribution, for the very reason stated above) for a particular purpose. The difference here is, a fed job is paid by taxpayers, and a private employee is paid by the customer. Since taxes (for now) will ALWAYS be collected, you will always be paid. If a customer has no money, they won't be consuming. It's a vicious circle, but the proggies have one thing right. It all rests on the government to fix the mess they created and return the employment to the private sector. Also, if only the government will hire disfigured people (which I don't buy for a second) then why the need to unionize?
From CFR's "About" page:
"CFR members, including Brian Williams, Fareed Zakaria, Angelina Jolie, Chuck Hagel, and Erin Burnett, explain why the Council on Foreign Relations is an indispensable resource in a complex world."
Brian Williams and Angelina Jolie?? Cripes! I guess pretty faces can sell a lot of reprints, eh?
I'm pretty sure CFR is mostly a dem outfit and AEI is a conservative shop. They're intended to be bullpens for out-of-office pols who are biding time until their party resumes power. Some of their occupants actually produce work of value. A lot of it, however, is rehash.
Think some feds are overpaid? Consider taking your family to this seminar before you make your next move:
http://www.state.gov/m/fsi/tc/securitytraining/so...
Think you would enjoy telling your kids why their school is surrounded by soldiers and armored personnel carriers to prevent terrorist attacks, not to mention the anxiety you would experience leaving them there knowing it was a prime target? That's what happens when we're at war and all our people overseas, including concentrations of them like our kids in school, are prime targets.
Time to get real folks, and get some perspective. Most of your feds are worth what you pay them, and frankly a great many are worth far more considering what they and their families go through for you.
DAY 1
9:00 – 9:15 Welcome and Course Overview
9:15 – 10:30 Managing Your Personal Security
10:30 – 10:45 Break
10:45 – 11:45 Sexual Assault: What are the Facts?
11:45 – 1:00 Lunch
1:00 – 1:55 Detecting Surveillance
1:55 – 2:05 Break
2:05 – 2:50 What To Do About Bombs
2:50 – 3:00 Break
3:00 – 3:55 Fire Safety: Anticipating and Managing In An Emergency
3:55 – 4:00 Summary
DAY 2
9:00 – 9:10 Review and Overview
9:10 – 10:00 Strategies for Keeping You and Your Family Safe
10:00 – 10:10 Break
10:10 – 11:00 Your Role In Counterintelligence
11:00 – 11:10 Break
11:10 – 12:00 Weapons of Mass Destruction
12:00 – 1:00 Lunch
1:00 – 2:00 Hostage Survival
2:00 – 2:10 Break
2:10 – 3:50 MANAGING IN A CRISIS (Includes one break)
Part I- Evacuations and Contingency Planning
Part II – Coping in a Crisis
3:50 – 4:00 SOS Summary and Evaluation
Are you a Ron Paul follower?
I appreciate the work that you have put in, in this page. Really good, also I wish to quote a few lines from this article in my site, I will give a link back to this article. Again.. it is really a good work.
Thanks
Ajithkumar
Government doesn't produce those items. The private sector does. "Safety" is unquantifiable. Since you went on the attack, allow me to defend myself. If government security was so amazing, why is Brinks in existence? Why would people trust a private company for security than the "always there at the right time" police?__ I know government sheds employees, but…they haven't been. They've been growing. Faster than the private sector.__http://mjperry.blogspot.com/2010/02/two-americas-... clear from your tone that you think I am harping on the employees. I'm not. I respect and honor our brave defenders overseas (this is a Constitutional responsibility given to the feds). It is also natural to want to be paid the most for your work. What IS NOT natural is an entity that produces nothing of value (profitable work) paying more than an entity that does ALL of the producing. Once again, thank you for your service, but please leave the ad hominems in the "sandbox".
The consumer holds "Big Business" accountable. If your neighbor says "Don't go to XYZ Restaurant! They have roaches and the servers pick their nose," are you going to eat there?
Good follow up. This author has posted repeated screeds based on half-truths and cherry-picked info.
So do tell how you would fix this country?
Waldo………I just want to tell you….and anyone else who happens to think like you……………WHO is paying your salary??? You seem to want to keep making excuses and alibis and trying to shift some kind of blame onto the private sector……………I'm not going to make any excuses for ANYONE who isn't operating ethically…..public OR private………….I know how hard it is – being self-employed AND having employees!!!! My father was a careet Army officer – WW2 and the Korean and Vietnam Wars………….and I can tell you that he didn't agree with a lot of it, especially when he finally realized that the politicians were taking over the responsibilities of the military…..
The government does NOT create wealth……….they CONFISCATE it!!! So I'm not going to sit here and listen to too many excuses. If you don't like the 'mess'………and you're far from 'perfect'…………then stop blaming whoever you want to blame. Be a man……..step up to the plate……lay it on the line………….tell them what you think……..you're THERE!!!! We're just out here……………paying for it all!!!!
There's a hell of a lot more 'breaks' than I get during a workday……….and I have to pay everyone!!! Get real!!!!! You act like this is some sort of heavy experience!!! I've got one son who's a Navy Seal……and another son who's a graduate of the Coast Guard Acadamy………..and he's going to the Persian Gulf soon for a year……just to get away from his desk job in NYC. These young men can tell you a lot more than you can tell them!!!!!
Is there a website dedicated to getting a high paying gov't job? boondogle.com perhaps… Don't think that salary is the only advantage. Think pension, people.
What I want to know, do the Clergy people get overtime for Sunday service?
I work Government IT and there are days I question why I stay.
You are so full of crap, working a governent job doesn't require you to be a member of the union. Where I work there is 1800 government and contractor people. All the senior government supervisors aren't allowed to join the union because they are supervisors. The junior and mid grade personnel can join if they want, right now at my command only about 150 people out of the 860 eligible to join even bother. The problem with this survey is they just lump everyone together, I am a Senior Network Engineer so I make more than the 8 junior personnel on my team just like if we were a private firm and out of those 8 only one joined the union the rest dont care.
Interesting observation – about 'profit margins, if any, would be less than they are'…….and your own involvement in being forced to 'break the law' in order to keep your job………………….then surely you must know how much ANY private sector business or job is 'nickeled and dimed' to death……..although 'nickle' and 'dime' are poor numeral examples of how much of our 'take' the government wants to 'take'!!! I know first hand how much of a piece of my 'ass' all of the various agencies want!!! For doing what??? Will SOMEBODY tell me what I get for my efforts????
Oh……….the government comes down 'REAL hard' on dishonest workers??? You're kidding me, right???
Have you checked Congess lately??? Have you checked the Presidency lately??? Waldo……….you're stuck in your beaurocratic world………………I think you need to get out here in the real world…………..it might open your eyes……….you might actually LEARN something!!!! FUBO!!!!!!
Dude, you're talking to a parishoner who's pastor serves as a local PD and FBI chaplain. Maybe you should re-read my comment for how it was intended, since the military, in recent years, has tried to stop Christian clergy from actually preaching Christ. Sooner or later, those calls will only be made to pastors who are willing to forsake the Truth. Kapish?
Like I said.
Big deal! This has been the norm for years and years! Not even close to "news"
Killa – You're the one who employs Congress. You get the congress you elect. That's what you get for your efforts.
We bureaucrats do not nor can we, except for the Department of Justice, take congressunits to task for any corruption they may choose to engage in.
Congress answers to no one but itself (although, theoretically, it answers to the people, but the people don't seem to be too interested in keeping it honest as long as the pork flows to their districts) and from where I sit, it does a poor job of managing itself.
We bureaucrats answer to the chief executive you elect. So, if you want to decorrupt Congress and stop any dishonesty in the executive branch, vote in honest pols who aren't afraid to make tough decisions that, if they for some reason harm your own interests, will cause them to lose the next election. It's time for the American people to make some hard decisions of their own, and give up some of that pork to which they've become addicted instead of griping about the system they seem too willing to perpetuate.
I've been in the real world all my life and it doesn't matter whether you work in industry or government. When you shift from one to the other, you just trade one set of problems for another.
Open your own eyes, Killa, and do something about it yourself instead of sitting around complaining.
Killa – You need a few lessons in government. As federal employees, we are bound by the Hatch Act and others to remain politically neutral and do the bidding of the political masters you elect to manage us. We are not obliged to do anything illegal which is why we have a certain amount of job security that doesn't exist in the private sector. When our political masters try to force us over the legal line, we can resist without fear of being fired. Our job security is there for your protection.
Our government, theoretically, creates the secure and well-regulated environment that makes it possible for others to create wealth, that is until it gets to the point of imposing confiscatory taxes. That's when you, the taxpayer and voter, are supposed to step in and change things at the ballot box.
I'm also willing to bet that your Father, like mine, and me as well, who devoted their lives to serving their country in uniform, would disagree with you that the government doesn't do anything worthwhile with the taxes it collects. For one thing, it paid our respective fathers' salaries so they could take care of their families (including you and me as we grew up) while they created the security that protects our country. It pays mine so I can take care of my family while I hang my butt out in harm's way. No amount of money is going to buy that kind of service from people not dedicated to serving their country.
Killa – you, of all people, as the father of people who probably have to take their families to foreign posts, must know the kind of danger your grandchildren are in when they post abroad, which is why such courses are held.
That is just two days of classes, not a daily routine, and it is intended for spouses and children, along with the member who is active. My point in that posting was that our service families and families from other agencies that spend tours abroad face a helluva lot more problems than the average American does. The money they're paid to prepare for and the go through the kinds of environments that course addresses is not misspent, as much as knee-jerk gripers about taxes seem to believe.
For the record, I spent my time in-country Viet Nam, and have taken my family to live in some pretty difficult places, and I could probably tell you and your patriotic sons a few things as well. Don't go jumping to so many conclusions
Not to mention the sweet negotiated deals the Federal government workers get on things like hotel rooms. I recently was reserving a room at the Hyatt Clearwater Beach resort (a brand new hotel) and my rate was $330/night while the federal government employee rate was $151/night!!! Less than HALF! I refuse to stay there now.
And Waldo, you'd be WRONG.
Funny how you didn't "think" about it until told to do so AND after the CFR-types, think Veronique de Rugy , pulled the plug on the rest of the economy.
Being tax exempt has a lot to do with it.
Then why did you choose the ultimate in SMALL businesses as an example? Try that example with WalMart.
Great post. Veronique de Rugy is part of the band that are the biggest internal enemy we have – CFR.
Quality of life is higher in Europe – even before our balloon economy burst.
Why don't you go to the U.K. and ask the people there how they feel about their 'Quality of Life'!!!??
You forgot to mention 12 Holidays a year AND 30 Vacation days a year.
Subtract 42 from the average 260 week days in a year and that leaves 218 days of work per year. Many also have agreements that they can earn 1.5 hrs "comp" time for overtime. I have known some workers that took off more than two month PAID "vacation." Most agencies also have a very liberal "Flex-Time" and work at home policy. The bureaucrat I worked with was only in the office two days a week. he worked at home 3 days a week "reviewing" submittals for approval.
Many of the jobs in the computer field are contracted out. My brother works for a company that contracts with government at a local level in DC and my father works as a computer network and systems specialist (or something like that) for a company that contracts with the federal government in the defense area. He has worked for several companies that contract with the government. He used to work for a private company as an engineer that contracted with the defense department.
I would never argue that many government workers are overpaid, but I know some that certainly are not, at least for the area they live in. People in Maryland get paid more than in many other states already because of the cost of living here. There are also a high percentage of government workers here because of our location to much of the federal government. I question the comparison of some of these salaries because of the cost of living in areas close to DC as compared to places like Alabama, NC, Nebraska, etc where a lot more people are employed by the private companies.
Not sure why my previous comment was deleted. Anyway I also have questions because I know that many of these jobs are contracted out because of friends and family that work for the companies that contract with the government, especially in the computer and engineering fields. And maybe in some cases the cost of living where the government jobs are is a lot higher than the average of where all the private sector jobs are (does that make sense?). So how is this factored into these statistics? I always hated statistics though, because you can get them to say almost anything you want to. (case in point is the U.S. infant mortality rate compared to other countries used as a reason that our healthcare system is inferior).
Oh and as a side note, for some of these jobs you do need to have security clearance, and top security clearance which is a hassle and can be a long process and has some restrictions attached to it that private sector employees don't have so that can account for a small increase in pay, although not a huge increase.
This is not entirely true for some federal employees working jobs in the defense field. And some jobs are about support not about production. Now you could succesfully arguing that supporting the governments computer systems or cleaning their offices is not actually of value (especially for certain members of Congress) it is a necessary job.
I will say that 'Waldo' likely does have a very good point-how many of these positions are military positions? If so, it's really not accurate to compare an Army Chaplain's job to a small town preacher and get angry when the chaplain makes more money. I'd say there's a better than even chance that the same here is true for the cooks and some of the engineer-type positions listed.
That said, there are absolutely plenty of bloated bureaucratic positions, but the problem is that you're looking in the wrong place-the bad bureaucrats are the ones who don't have a private sector job equivalent-advisers, Legislative assistants, and those sorts of people whose jobs are solely based on the existence of a large government. Don't hate the Dental Assistant who gets paid more because he also gets shot at in a war zone, hate the fact that we need an entire sector of workers dedicated solely to keeping our massive bureaucracy afloat.
Proudly serving your country by taking a high paying government job, so that the government can destroy the private sector, as was done in Europe…hmmm, …yeah I see your point…NOT!!! You clearly do not understand the politics of you statement…This administration DOES NOT expect you to 'proudly serve' your country…they expect you to SERVE your government…DO YOUR HOMEWORK!!!!
Ms. Rugy, if you want a government job, then apply for one and quit whining about it, wasting space on this website. All you do is complain, complain, complain. Wall Street is getting all your money and you lament the fact that SOME government jobs pay more than private sector? What a joke! It's funny that when times are good and everyone's making all kinds of dot.com millions and 401K are flush w/ cash no one cares about government jobs. Now all of a sudden since your "golden calf" on Wall Street took you all to the cleaners, and companies dumped workers because of the socialist in the White House, you are all looking for your next target to unload your pent up anger on (i.e., insurance companies, government workers). Why don't you blame yourself and give yourself a good slap in the face because you don't have one of them government jobs. After all, it is your fault that you don't.
figures! You communists!
Yeah, this was caused by greedy bankers and investors! Not your postman.
How about "Big Bailouts for Bankers"?
Hey Waldo……….you seem a little defensive!!! I KNOW what the government is SUPPOSED to do!! It's pretty much spelled out in our founding documents………….imagine that!!! The job requirements of the US Government are pretty basic and understandable…………….they were never intended to become the monsterous self-gluttonizing pile of useless activity and wasted money that it has become…….. As for my Dad………….he got out of the military during the Vietnam war when he realized that the politicians had eclipsed the military…………he was a military man. He finished his career doing something he enjoyed and had a little control over; As far as my sons go………..they are both very conservative, like me and my father, and they don't have a lot of empathy for people who either make excuses for what they do, or people who think that someone owes them something. They are both very ethical………..I think my Dad would be proud of them.
All I'm trying to say is………..the government HAS a job………just like the rest of us. They need to operate in the same way as we do………
[...] Now, I Definitely Want a Job in Government (Big Gov) [...]
Feds start out with two weeks' vacation a year. After they put in enough time, that begins to rise. They log 4 hours accrued vacation time for every two week pay period at first; then 6 hours, and finally, after enough time, 8 hours.
Most do not get comp time. Comp time is generally awarded to employees paid hourly. Salaried employees may/may get some if their hours turn out to be consistently excessive, but that's the exception, not the rule.
Drive by most US Government agencies in Dc at 7 or 8 PM and you'll see a lot of lights still burning in offices, and those are not a next shift.
Oh, and I know a lot of private sector employees with security clearances. Some of them even deal with things that the government might want to keep secret. The rest of them, all it does is raise the cost of the project.
Most government employment statistics do not include military. If graph does, it should say so.
Waldo – Government attorneys likewise make less that their classmates from similar schools with similar grades. Coming out of a top school with a top 10% GPA, you can make $160K in the first year, and $250K your fifth, plus bonuses. Go to DoJ under their honors program, and there's no way you'll clear $100K by your fifth year. They'll pay back your loans, the hours are shorter, and you can actually use your vacation, but the money is not even close to comparable.
These numbers are not to be trusted. My personal experience is the exact opposite.
Huh? A 54% discount has something to do with being tax exempt? I can see a max of 10% for taxes…
I work at a state University (what some call "The Government"). All the tradespeople on staff are unionized.Carpenters, electricians, painters, etc. They get raises based on their negotiated contracts, even when when those of us not in the unions are getting furlough days, raises are frozen most years, hiring is frozen, etc. The first thing I thought of when I looked at the table was that the differences may be accounted by the fact that in govt. these jobs are much more likely to be unionized.
If you base your opinions on a small, limited, biased set of sources then you are worse than uniformed.
This is misleading. It's fairly hard to get a govt job–unless you're well connected. There's really no such thing as an entry-level job on the public payroll. Hence, it's normal that salaries be higher.
I'd like to see the full report on those numbers, as I think it's a pile of bull, but why isn't anyone–instead of bitching about the government paying (if true)–asking why private businesses aren't paying MORE? I think the answer is clear: private business either needs to pay ridiculously high salaries and bonuses to upper management or has a fiduciary responsibility to public stock holders to provide them with a high profit margin. Sorry folks, but the profit motive is just a euphemism for greed, and upper management, CEO's and Boards are OK with making less it's always going to be the middle class that pays for it…literally. I'd also like to see the difference in pay of government department heads with their private counterparts…it would be obnoxious, and would explain why rank and file can earn more.
For everyone critical of the government for paying more than the private sector: why? Couldn't it just be that the private sector, driven only by stockholders and executives who want to line their golden parachute, are underpaying their employees? Is paying people more really a bad thing? Wouldn't you like to be paid more?
I love this stuff! Behind every Federal employee is the NWO, but what about the Pope? There's gotta be room for him back there somewhere. Are you sure that you folks in the private sector are smarter than us government employees?
What do you mean by "nothing"? Government provides a lot of services, believe it or not, PLUS they take time out of their busy schedule to send all those guns and missiles to Iraq. I believe that 50% of overall spending goes to the militarty, not to your local service provider. So that would be a good place to start looking for your missing tax dollars.
Hey! If you're planning to do a round up and take back the country, you've got a lot of the stupid right here in this thread. You should all get together and march on Capitol Hill.
Well, that's pretty much what I was going to say. The gap between executive salaries and the pay of "average" workers is huge in the US. This is a pretty sweet deal for the CEOs (not that they don't do an honest day's work too), especially when their non-union, underpaid workers seem to think that Federal employees are to blame. Is any CEO worth more than $1 Million? Ok, how about 10 Million?
[...] Via Big Government [...]
How do I become a "Federal" clergy? This study is idiotic. I don't trust USA Today to do my sociological research.
And kudos to the government for paying Janitors a living wage.
and what's wrong with that?
why having higher avg salaries in some gov jobs is bad? Why "Fat Cats"? "Why Bureaucrat"? Somebody making 60k is fat cat bureaucrat now?
There's simple rational economic explanation of this slight discrepancy. In current environmental Government, comparing to private sector corps, have no problems getting funds usually at low or no interest, they do have more of the contracts guaranteed, so they hire and/or keep more people, and not purely profit oriented as private sector corps are. So they can afford to keep adjusting salaries up, instead of cutting them.
Stop this knee jerk reaction to every bits of news and stats u see and hear, and do some thinking.
How;s CORPORACRACY better than Gov Bureaucracy?
You can say ear, but the government can do all that for my hard earned money, they money that i paid to gov in taxes, but is this really different from your hard earned money you would have paid to any corporation for buying their services or products.
ONLY LAZY OR MAD PERSON WOULD NOT REALIZE THAT GOV JOBS with it's overhead, would not come even close to extra profit margin and shareholders interest that is PRICED IN EVERY SINGLE PRODUCT OR SERVICE THAT PRIVATE CORP PRODUCES.
SO STOP THIS LAZY ASS RHETORIC, and look at the whole picture.
AT least toy all taught to be believe that you're part of democratic process and your voice counts, so if you don't like how your government spends your money hold them accountable and many people try to do, and its good.
Just freaking look at some reports and videos about war profetiring by private contractors, that overtook the war and make 2-3 time the money that the GOVERNMENT WORKers used to do it for. dont go any further.
Yes, fat cats in gov allowed that to happen, and they should be punished for that, but that's another story, and that's what should be the focus, the bigger problem, the real corruption.
[...] to piss off quite a bit of people. Here are just three (out of 175) comments left on an article at BigGovernment (which also blogged about this [...]
[...] have been complaining (here and here and here) about the fact that public employees are the beneficiaries of the stimulus (especially [...]
[...] List of What Jobs Pay in Private, Government Sectors [...]
[...] government’s hands. This combined with the fact that government employees now on average earn a higher salary than the private sector makes me wonder where the incentive is to get a job in the free market. Better yet, what happens [...]
[...] List of What Jobs Pay in Private, Government Sectors [...]
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