Obama to freeze federal pay

[gotribe31]

But not congress. They still get yearly pay raises.

Instead of freezing pay for people that actually work hard, he should make it easier to fire the deadbeats that sit around online shopping all year and collecting a fat paycheck. FBI agents? Secret Service? DEA? Sorry fellas, keep working that OT, keep volunteering for those tours in Afghanistan, Iraq, Yemen, Kenya etc. But forget about that 2% cost of living increase.

[Cerebral_DownTime]

Fuck the D.E.A.

[Orenthal]

^^Pffft... I give Obama HUGE props on this one. I worked for DoDIG I saw the zombie people who got stepped for no reason other then being able to stick around. This is a huge move against his government union buddies. Kudos Obama!

[gotribe31]

^^Pffft... I give Obama HUGE props on this one. I worked for DoDIG I saw the zombie people who got stepeed for no reason other then being able to stick around. This is a huge move against his government union buddies. Kudos Obama!

Its really not though. $2 billion this year? Peanuts. We're looking at a $9 trillion deficit. All this does is prevent them from getting a 2% increase for the next 2 years.

Keep the 2% increase, revamp the hiring/firing process and get the people who are there to actually WORK. 20% of the people do 80% of the work. Fire half of them, save some real money and balance the budget already.

This is a typically gutless move that will have no real effect on the deficit.

[Ziner]

Boo fucking who. They dont get their raises, I am playing the worlds smallest fiddle for them. 90% (conservative estimate) arent worth what they are paid anyway. In the past 3 years I have had much smaller bonuses, nothing near 2% in raises and got a promotion with I was promptly rewarded with no increase in pay because of a pay freeze. Want me to cry for these people? They dont even pay in to SS. Let me forgo paying that and I wont ask for a pay increase for 5 years.

Find enough peanuts and you start making progress. Gotta start somewhere.

[gotribe31]

They dont even pay in to SS. Let me forgo paying that and I wont ask for a pay increase for 5 years.

Where exactly did you get that piece of info? Because it's about as accurate as Kim Jong Il's golf score

[Ziner]

They dont even pay in to SS. Let me forgo paying that and I wont ask for a pay increase for 5 years.

Where exactly did you get that piece of info? Because it's about as accurate as Kim Jong Il's golf score

You are correct, I am wrong, mostly.

http://www.ssa.gov/history/hfaq.html

3) All federal employees hired on or after January 1, 1984 are mandatorily covered under Social Security--the CSRS system is not an option for them.

So there are still some Federal employees, those first hired prior to January 1984, who are not participants in the Social Security system. All other Federal government employees participate in Social Security like everyone else.

I assumed they were like police officers and teachers since they have their cushy pensions.


Still doesn't change my opinion. Double boo fucking who. They can get a raise when I get one.

[rebelwithoutaclue]

But not congress. They still get yearly pay raises.

They already voted back in May to forgo their yearly raises. Still make $174K a year which is astounding for the lack of work they do and the regression of America that is their responsibility.

[Orenthal]

I give him kudos because I never thought a Democrat President, let alone Obama would even make a token gesture towards one of his core voting blocs like this. Otherwise I pretty much agree with gotribe on all his points.

You a fed gotribe? Sounds like it... (or former like myself)

[Erie Warrior]

I'd be happy if they stopped reducing my yearly salary.

[Cerebral_DownTime]

I'd be happy if they stopped reducing my yearly salary.

Yeah but you're a teacher, so you're rich in your heart. Just like Edward James Olmose.

[jb]

Didn't that William Jefferson Congressman in Louisiana already try that a couple years ago?

[jb]

I'd be happy if they stopped reducing my yearly salary.

Yeah but you're a teacher, so you're rich in your heart. /quote]


But not immune to the Big C or bad acne.

[FUDU]

But not congress. They still get yearly pay raises.

They already voted back in May to forgo their yearly raises. Still make $174K a year which is astounding for the lack of work they do and the regression of America that is their responsibility.

Ours reps should never receive so much in compensation, especially considering how exponentially much more it is than the average wager earner in this country. It's pretty disgusting. I know some are of the POV that we should pay these guys way way more money, to erase the temptation for corruption, while I see the point I couldn't disagree more. wouldn't change a thing in terms of accountability.

These jackoffs shouldn't make a dime over 90K for their "efforts".

[jb]

But not congress. They still get yearly pay raises.

They already voted back in May to forgo their yearly raises. Still make $174K a year which is astounding for the lack of work they do and the regression of America that is their responsibility.

Ours reps should never receive so much in compensation, especially considering how exponentially much more it is than the average wager earner in this country. It's pretty disgusting. I know some are of the POV that we should pay these guys way way more money, to erase the temptation for corruption, while I see the point I couldn't disagree more. wouldn't change a thing in terms of accountability.

These jackoffs shouldn't make a dime over 90K for their "efforts".

FUDU, this is a nice populist take, but lacking in realitry if you ever want an average Joe in Congress.

DC is hellacioulsy expensive as a city. To work there, you need a crib. Gotta pay for it yourself. Then you have to maintain residence in your home district. Then you have kids who need to go to college. Then you are supposed to stay clean as the driven snow when it comes to outside money and income.

It is amazing anyone in Congress makes < $ 250K AFAIC. Is that good for the country as a form of republican democracy? I'm gonna suggest it is part of our problem.

Now they should totally lead by example and turn down the pay raise; they should. But asking the anti-Insurance & health care reform group of new congressmen to forego their socialist gubment health care benefits and outing those who don't would be a better first step in torpedoing the hypocracy.

Then again, until the defense department spending is reigned in and we live within our means on entitlement programs, it is all a bunch of BS.

[Fire Marshall Bill]

But asking the anti-Insurance & health care reform group of new congressmen to forego their socialist gubment health care benefits and outing those who don't would be a better first step in torpedoing the hypocracy.

This is exactly what the newly elected Rep here in Erie has done...

A small businessman who has refused to take the Gubmint plan and keep his own

http://wonkroom.thinkprogress.org/2010/11/18/kelly-hcr/

Yesterday, responding to Rep.-elect Andy Harris’ (R-MD) hypocritical demand for government-sponsored benefits, Rep. Joe Crowley (D-NY) began circulating a letter among his Democratic colleagues calling on Harris and other members of Congress who want to repeal the new health care law to forego their own government health care plans. In a letter to House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Crowley writes, “If your conference wants to deny millions of Americans affordable health care, your members should should walk that walk.”

This morning, a caller to C-SPAN’s Washington Journal asked Rep.-elect Mike Kelly (R-PA) — who also opposes the health care law — if he would be willing to give up his government-sponsored health insurance. Kelly said that he would:

KELLY: There is no reason for anybody to get anything different than anybody else. I personally have always paid for my own health care… why should my pension as a public official be any different from anyone else’s pension? Why should my health care, as a public official, be any different than anybody else’s? No, level across the board. [...]

Q: So will you have a Congressional plan?

KELLY: No, I do not need. I got my own plan, I don’t need a congressional plan. I’ve taken care of myself for a long time.

...and yes, I voted for him over a millionaire Obama lackey name Kathy Dahlkemper

[jb]

But asking the anti-Insurance & health care reform group of new congressmen to forego their socialist gubment health care benefits and outing those who don't would be a better first step in torpedoing the hypocracy.

This is exactly what the newly elected Rep here in Erie has done...

A small businessman who has refused to take the Gubmint plan and keep his own

http://wonkroom.thinkprogress.org/2010/11/18/kelly-hcr/

Yesterday, responding to Rep.-elect Andy Harris’ (R-MD) hypocritical demand for government-sponsored benefits, Rep. Joe Crowley (D-NY) began circulating a letter among his Democratic colleagues calling on Harris and other members of Congress who want to repeal the new health care law to forego their own government health care plans. In a letter to House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Crowley writes, “If your conference wants to deny millions of Americans affordable health care, your members should should walk that walk.”

This morning, a caller to C-SPAN’s Washington Journal asked Rep.-elect Mike Kelly (R-PA) — who also opposes the health care law — if he would be willing to give up his government-sponsored health insurance. Kelly said that he would:

KELLY: There is no reason for anybody to get anything different than anybody else. I personally have always paid for my own health care… why should my pension as a public official be any different from anyone else’s pension? Why should my health care, as a public official, be any different than anybody else’s? No, level across the board. [...]

Q: So will you have a Congressional plan?

KELLY: No, I do not need. I got my own plan, I don’t need a congressional plan. I’ve taken care of myself for a long time.

...and yes, I voted for him over a millionaire Obama lackey name Kathy Dahlkemper

Good for him. I like when they walk their talk, D or R.

[Cerebral_DownTime]

We can't cut defense, JB. We need Laser Planes and assault rifle programs that last 10 years and cost $500+ mill to find out the polymer used melts after heavy firing.

We need the Raptor, it's super badass. The only draw back is the radar deflecting paint they used had to be replaced after about 200 hrs flight time, which costs tens of millions of dollars.

And where the fuck are the diamond armored hover tanks they promised?

[FUDU]

FUDU, this is a nice populist take, but lacking in realitry if you ever want an average Joe in Congress.

DC is hellacioulsy expensive as a city. To work there, you need a crib. Gotta pay for it yourself. Then you have to maintain residence in your home district. Then you have kids who need to go to college. Then you are supposed to stay clean as the driven snow when it comes to outside money and income.

It is amazing anyone in Congress makes < $ 250K AFAIC. Is that good for the country as a form of republican democracy? I'm gonna suggest it is part of our problem.

Now they should totally lead by example and turn down the pay raise; they should. But asking the anti-Insurance & health care reform group of new congressmen to forego their socialist gubment health care benefits and outing those who don't would be a better first step in torpedoing the hypocracy.

Then again, until the defense department spending is reigned in and we live within our means on entitlement programs, it is all a bunch of BS.

I know what you are trying to say, but still, tough shit.

In boils down once again to the disconnect, them living on a completely different plane than the people that they not only represent but the people that pay for everything in their lives.

It's compensation for accountability, in most of the real world. In that real world, the John Doe that relocates to Avon Lake (for the job he went to college for) to take the 85K/yr job doesn't get afforded that sympathy b/c "he lives in Avon Lake" and it is a bit expensive there. In his world if he doesn't get the job done he takes a pay cut, gets demoted and/or even fired. That is just not the case in the world of US representation.

I'll take it a step further and suggest I wouldn't be completely against our reps having to have their outside financial/business interests/assets frozen while in office, due to the severe risk of conflict of interest.

[gotribe31]

I give him kudos because I never thought a Democrat President, let alone Obama would even make a token gesture towards one of his core voting blocs like this. Otherwise I pretty much agree with gotribe on all his points.

You a fed gotribe? Sounds like it... (or former like myself)

Full disclosure...yeah. And I have to work my ass off 7 days a week to help cover for the zeroes in my office.

You want to freeze pay? Fine. I get it, I really do. But don't stop there. He has to make it easier to hire, and more importantly, FIRE the right people. Fed jobs are way too secure. Come in, clean house and save $500 billion instead of $2 billion. Politicians on both sides are talking about how good this is. It's not. It's a drop in the bucket, if that.

The stereotypes of the "government worker" are true for 50% of the workforce. I'm not exaggerating a bit when I say that if half the workers in the federal govt were fired, the other half wouldn't have to do any more work. But there are a lot of really hardworking people that work for the govt because they genuinely care about this country and could be making a LOT more money in the private sector. So why punish everyone?

Get rid of the contractors, make them apply for fed jobs and get rid of the useless feds. Then we save REAL money as well as streamlining the workforce and making everything more efficent. Not giving a 1.4% pay raise? Whatever.

[Orenthal]

^+1,000

I lasted all of 2 months at DoDIG. Only a few weeks in I noticed the guy supposed to be my team leader sleeping at his desk. I don't peg the meter as a type A, but I am a pretty high energy/paranoid guy. If the work had been slightly more interesting I may have stuck around, but I know I would have become a pretty hated guy by about that same 50-70% of people.

I also agree that there were a solid number of people with the same energy as you, its too bad they usually get a "beaten" attitude.

An aside...
I went from there into commercial contracting, and when busy I wouldn't trade this for anything, just that in Cleveland in 2010 things aren't that busy. I may be rejoining that fed workforce in the near future,,,