Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) on Thursday declined to say whether salaries of federal employees should be cut, but he did say that Congress needs to look at “a reduction of federal employees across the board.”
For the year 2009, the Bureau of Economic Analysis reported that federal worker compensation including benefits averaged $123,049, which was more than double the private sector average (with benefits) of $61,051.
CNSNews.com cited these statistics in a question to Sen. DeMint and Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.) at a press conference on Capitol Hill, asking whether they support a cut to federal employees’ salaries.
“I am concerned that more and more government employees are getting increases as Americans are having to sacrifice,” said DeMint.
“The president has made a good move talking about a freeze, but I think we need to do a lot more than that, not just to cut salaries but to look at a reduction of federal employees across the board,” said DeMint. “It’s not fair to come in to someone that was hired at one rate and say we’re going to cut it for political reasons. But I do think we need to look at devolving things out of Washington, cutting federal employees, and that’s a bigger discussion than what we plan to take on today.”
Rep. Pence did not respond.
Data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis for 2009 also showed that the average salary for federal employees excluding benefits was $81,258 and $50,462 for workers in the private sector, excluding benefits.
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15 comments:
All this talk about gov. salaries/work force but little about ss, medicaid, medicare, or defense shows that these guys are just window dressing.
What one always hears from these out-of-touch wannabe kings and princes is how much everyone else needs to give up and sacrifice. What one will NEVER EVER hear is even ONE of them proposing ANY cuts to their unbelievable pension and health care sysytem. ONE term in Congress. Thats all they need to get pension and health benefits for life. Do YOU get that at YOUR job? They can be sentenced to PRISON and they still get their paychecks. They should be ashamed to ask ANYONE to give up ANYTHING. But, of course, these thieves and crooks have NO shame. Just absolute, over-the-top GREED.
drop federal salaries but not jobs. Cut SS benefits to those who did NOT pay. Cut medicaid and Medicare waste and over-payments. Cut the lawsuits against doctors so they don't keep over charging for services just to pay for their malpractice insurance. Bring in our forces from overseas by a percentage that will cut the spending back 5-10 year levels. cut the waste at all levels of federal, state, county and city government so WE don't have to pay taxes until April of each year before we can start keeping our own money!!!!!
Its studies like this, that make people think that everyone in the federal government has it on easy streak. $123,000 is a lot of money. I'm on the GS scale for the DC locality right now (which is one of the highest locality pays available). At GS14 it is $105,211. Add in benefits and we might hit the 'average'. Mind you the GS scale maxes out at GS15. All this bull... about the average government worker being paid too much is going to hurt a lot of hard working people.
Here's how, you're taking everyone's pay from the Senators, President, Cabinet, etc. all the way down to the janitor. When it comes to lay off people, it's not going to be the supervisors in GS14+ positions, or the Senators or the SES, SL or S&T people, it's going to be newly hired college graduate at the GS5/7 level. Guess what? You fire all of them and the average is just going to get higher and more people are going to say that fed workers make too much again.
Don't let statistics give you the wrong idea.
There are HUNDREDS of fedearl agencies that can be eliminated!
Cut the Federal Budget by 50% without touching military.
How about "No federal employee, including elected officials, contract employees, and appointed officials, can get a greater annual pay increase, including all benefits and bonuses, than that given to those receiving Social Security benefits. The only exception to this can be enlisted military personnel."
So what good does it do to the overall economy to lay off thousands of people that make $100k and throw them in the unemployment line with everyone else? Its not like there are openings in the private sector for these people to move into.
It is hard to feel for a Government worker making 100 thousand a year when I cannot find a job for 30 thousand a year. BOO HOO HOO To these under priviledge government workers. Must be nice to wine and cry with your pay and benefits.
When Bill Clinton was the President, The country was in good hands. My life was good personally and professional. When Bill Clintons presidency ended, This country had a surplus. We were debt free.
Then Bush/Chaney came in to power. They had all that surplus. Bush/Chaney created a tax bill that gave everyone a tax break. Everyone's who's income was under $251,000.00 dollars received approximately in 8 years $3500.00 dollars in pay raises and all the exemptions you could qualify on your tax returns. During the Bush/Chaney era, my pay went from $38,000.00 dollars to $41,000.00 dollars in 8 years. But, the wealthy of American income rocketed.
A millionaires/billionaires 1.08 million salary in 8 years went to 1.80 million. So, the rich got richer. The middle class and poor lifestyle plummeted. 911, katrina and a war occurred. The cost of repairs went though the roof. Big businesses and rich decided to outsource a lot of American jobs because they knew, the money from government had to be used for disasters and I.O.U's to other countries. This created American Greed among the rich. By the time the Obama administration was sworn into office, the U. S. deficeit, unemployment, immigration and the tea party was out of control.
For two years, the tea party, the media and the republicans raised billions of dollars from who knows where and campaigne for the American voters and lied to the American people. They convence plenty to vote for them. And, the American people spoke, during this past election.
Now, we got a bunch of "Babooms" in Congress (Republicans/Democrates) who both agree the middle class should receive a tax break. But, both sides are dead locked on whether or not the millionaires/billionaries should receive a tax break too. Unfortunately, the two sides have yet to come to an agreement. And, if these fools don't come to an agreement and remained the true lame ducks that they really are; effective January 1, 2011, EVERYONES taxes will go up. This means, the middle class and unemployed will suffers. More money will be taken out of the paychecks of the middle class who have a job and are struggling horribly. There will be more unemployments, furloughs, reduction in pay and lay-offs, becuase the American people who voted for these "Babooms" were told this country has to reduce the defecit. The 99d9rd's who's unemployments benits ran out 5 days ago will totally be homeless. The sad thing about this group is, they will work for food. I believe in my heart, this is what the rich want. People who are willing to work for food.
American are suffering. We voted for these fools and entrusted them to do right by 90% of the American middle class citizens. Why? They lied to us and a powerful group in this country want the millionaires and billionaries get a tax break. Furthermore, this group don't care about the average working class and the unemployed.
Maybe this will convence Americans. Do you see Sarah Palin or or other wealthy folks today worrying about how their bills are getting paid?
America was lied too. And, I ain't mad that this President is taking alot of trips abroad because he will not get a second term in the White House. So, he might as well enjoy the rest of his term. So many Ameicans are extremely angry with him right now. So this safest place for this man, his famaily and his administration is abroad. That crook Chaney can't even leave the country.
The Administration that put us in this mess was the Bush/Chaney administration and the republican/tea party members. There's a storm coming. America, get ready.
1:37 quit your whining. I do more work in a day than you do in a month for $9.00 an hour with no benefits. You think you are better than the Tax Payer that is paying your high class salary and benefits. You should be made to work at my wages and working conditions for 6 months. You would never last a week.
I'm sorry but, to me, everyone seems to miss the point and that is to "cut Government spending". It doesn't mean cut salaries to hard working Federal employees or any of the raises. What it means is "cut Government spending". Stop funding Federal programs that are no longer unnecessary. If your organization's function is not needed, cut the organization. If an organization as evolved to the point that Telework seems to make sense, consider just who must do that telework job and whether it might be done remotely by someone else (India?) if it would result in a lower cost to the taxpayer.
To use a local example, the USPS has established a facility in Roxana, DE for distributing mail. The previous facility in Selbyville still exists and is being funded as a fully functional facility yet houses only a single employee. Big waste without any effort to eliminate it.
Don't think about laying off individuals. Think about restructuring Government so that some of these individuals might be redeployed or pointed towards the many re-employment programs our Legislators speak so fondly of. I seriously doubt anyone looking for a job really cares how green it is.
Who didn't pay into ss?
What about eliminating the descretionary budget each person in Congress gets to spend any way they want. Eliminate Tax Payer vacations they get, explaining them away as a Foreign policy trips. Talk about a waste of money. That move when mean they are serious. What about passing no bill that exempts or excludes anyone including the President and Congress, ie.Healthcare as an example. Make them pay their own way like the Tax Payer has to do. Until then they are all full of talk and don't walk the walk.
Who didn't pay into SSI and is drawing a check? Immigrants that come here at a late age and start drawing SSI immediately. All the illegals that have anchor babies and their relatives they bring in this country that are not immediate family, ie. mother and father of anchor baby. There are a lot more examples of mis appropriations of SSI.
8:23, was I born into federal work. I worked for 7 years for an amount below $9/hr, and did pro-bono work for a fantastic non-profit to gain experience, then I took on student loans to do college. Considering this I would say your coments are very short sighted.
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