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Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Today's Survey Question

Do You Think Government Workers Are Overpaid?
Factor in benefits and pensions and federal civil servants earned about $123,049 in 2009.

22 comments:

Anonymous said...

Not most local positions. Some Federal yes. Remember you get what you pay for. If you want better functioning, better results, you will get them when you attract better employees.

Take local police, Salisbury City for example. It will stop being a training ground for other departments when you pay them more to stay. They had to increase the contract to make employees stay to 5 years. If they leave before SPD will sue them and has.

Are you satisfied with Salisbury being the 9th worst place to live in the country, if so keep everything the way it is. Remember no self respecting business will come to this area. Any progressive business will check crime stats before deciding where to put its home.

Wonder why government works slow, has so many lazy employees, make the pay better so more progressive people apply for the position and make them earn it.

Anonymous said...

Where does the 123,049 figure come from? Avg. or median? Does it incorporate "white house staff" type employees or the average gov. scientist? I ask because I haven't seen anywhere close to these dollars except for actual directors of facilities who you can believe are working their butts off for their salary.

Anonymous said...

that's about a real living wage for a middle class life in today's dollar the problem is what the rest of us make

Anonymous said...

These people are supposed to be public servants. Government positions, including teachers, should never pay better than private sector employment.

Anonymous said...

10:26 "Remember you get what you pay for"

Not necessary true when considering government employees.

Look at the white house

Anonymous said...

I have been on the inside of the government and I came from industry. The employees are a mixed bag. You have the ones that have only been with the government so they think the ways things are run a "normal". Then you have the ones who join government to make a difference and they only get squashed down so they have no choice but to either leave or become a government robot. The whole top layer sets the tone and they don't like anyone who questions their ways or their authority because it threatens the rub my back I'll rub yours culture. The only way things will change is if the whole top layer is replaced and a good weeding of all the afiliated government employees take place.

Anonymous said...

Absolutely.......if they had to show profit for what they do like in business, they would find they need a lot fewer employees. Many, not all, are indeed overpaid for the work they perform.

Anonymous said...

We all know someone who has gotten a government job. Most of us have said, "Congratulations. Now you've got it made."

Anonymous said...

Absolutely. The permanency of government positions at all levels is worth at least 10% in intrinsic value when compared to private sector postiions.

Anonymous said...

"These people are supposed to be public servants. Government positions, including teachers, should never pay better than private sector employment."

Why? Maybe you should ask your private sector assistant manager at shore stop for a raise and stop hating on the teachers!

Anonymous said...

Duh...are you kidding. I have a relative that works for the government with a vehicle, paid for gas, vacation, personal days, family leave days, health insurance, cost of living raises, overtime, and early retirement. This person sleeps on government time and hides the vehicle so people can't see how few hours are actually worked. The disparity of government worker compensation with the laundry list of benefits and what the average non-government employee makes is absolutely huge. It has gotten out of control and I hope they can sense the public's outrage. I have never understood why I have to be taxed to pay for government benefits when I personally have no benefits. I pay my own health insurance and it is bankrupting me, literally. Meanwhile, I am being taxed to keep lazy government workers with their $10 co-pay insurance card. It's ludicrous.

Anonymous said...

I worked in sales for 8 years with a well known company. I became a teacher and it has taken 10 years to get to the point where I finally make what I made in sales. However, I knew it was a trade off, more time for myself vs. more money. It takes many years to earn a decent amount of money as a teacher. It also takes many years to become a really good teacher, so you pay for that experience. I also work a second part time job to keep up in today's world.

Anonymous said...

Let's not forget the comp time that the "salaried" employees get when they work more than forty hours. In industry, you get a salary to get the job done. That may include working 50 plus hours one week but during your slow time you can take time to get things done that you need to do personally. All for the same salary. The Director's of the County are allowed to accumulate comp time. F*cking Ludicrious. A self made golden parachute. Come in every Saturday when noone is there and put in your time. Gotta keep those comp hours maxed just in case.

Chimera said...

Not all of them...some low level and entry level county and city employees barely make enough to live on,but they take the jobs for the outrageously good benefits.c

Anonymous said...

Ludicrous

Anonymous said...

Over paid and under worked !

Anonymous said...

I can tell you from experience local gov't employees are NOT overpaid. The benefits are average. While I am sure somoeone will get on here and say you pay some outrageous figure for health insurance, mine is about $350 a month. Copays are high. Retirement is mandatory ($200 a month for me), there is not a guaranteed match for a 457 (401K in private) they may match you 20% but not guaranteed (even if you can afford to contribute after everything else). I started at $8 an hour, and work harder than I did in private sector (and I had a slave driver boss then). Some of you can stereotype all you want about sleeping or whatever (there is a tag number or vehicle number on the vehicles if you would like to report them) but if it is so great, where were all of you when the economy was boomin and private sector was making big bucks compared to us? We had a huge stack of applications, but nobody would fill one out. Now things aren't so greener in other pastures and people are just mad.

Anonymous said...

Poeple that are paid off the backs of the taxpayers are scum! Period!

Anonymous said...

5:36, you are a dip$hit. I hope you don't ever need the police, or an ambulance. You obviously didn't need a teacher. (it's people, not poeple) What is the point in even making such a idiotic comment?

Anonymous said...

Not sure who this pertains to but the other half of my household has worked government locally for 15 years and comes not even close to making half of that annually. Seriously, lets get the facts straight.

Ron Brawl said...

How much would you be willing to pay the director of the FBI or CIA, both tasked with keeping us safe from many plots we never even hear about. I'm ok with folks like this getting rich on my dime. Though guys like "Brownie" W's failed FEMA director, not so much.

Anonymous said...

Have any of you asked a UMES employee (non-professor/educator) what their job entails? Try it sometime. They don't know!!! They DO know they make big bucks and take 2-3 hour lunch breaks, go in late daily, call in sick OFTEN, go to seminars with government cars and gas (although they REALLY go shopping), etc. Did I mention they get paid medical and retirement for life??!? OH, and if you work there, your children get to go to college there for FREE!!!! (Free meaning you and I are paying for it!!!) Government waste in all its glory!!!!!!