USA a fiscal mess? Thank gov't workers & their unions

It appears that fiscally we are headed to United States = Greece.

 

Ken, you are correct in my book. And their union workers don't want to take pay cuts, no matter what the rest of the country has to do. It looks like ours are the same.

 

So what happens when California files bankruptcy? Are they also to big to fail?

 

Keep in mind that the government has outsourced a lot of the lower paying positions to private contractors. Also, Federal employees tend to stay longer and thus get more pay increases. However, it is true that even adjusting for that and other things such as education, Federal employees tend to get paid more than equivalent positions in the private sector in many cases.

 

So if I just work for the government, I can make twice as much as a private company will pay me?
If I get double the pay for construction, etc., and still render the same result, why does the tax-payer have to pay double?
By the way, how much education did the Census workers have?
(Who are now out of work.)

 

I don't think you read my post. I said that Federal employees tend to have higher qualifications and more seniority than private employees and that the Government tends to outsource a lot of lower-paying work. That explains part of the pay difference.

Well, about 90% of us are out of work. I found out that the Regional Census Center in Atlanta is giving us a supplemental caseload for Field Verification. I haven't worked since Tuesday, but I haven't been terminated. If I had to guess, we're going to have 1-2 days more work. I've gone ahead and started looking for a new job.

As far as education goes, I don't have any stats or anything, but I'll give you the education of the crew leaders I've worked for. Sandra, my crew leader for NRFU, is a registered nurse who had been out of work. Tom, my crew leader during Vacant/Delete Check, has an M.B.A. and had been a financial planner before being laid off. During this operation Sandra worked as an enumerator like me. Brad, my current crew leader for Field Verification, is a lawyer. He got his J.D. and was admitted to the Bar recently, but has been unable to find a lawyer job. There are also a couple of M.B.A.s and one J.D. that I know of who worked with me as enumerators

 

Gee...sorry to hear that....really.
I hear the government is hiring.:tongue3:

 

An enumerator is a people counter, not a bean counter. I don't see why you feel the need to insult my past and current supervisors. Would you rather have them sit around and collect unemployment instead of working?

 

You have a problem with someone working as a "bean counter"?

KenH, bean counter.

 

Union membership is less than 8% of the workforce. You guys represent about 50% of the voters. You got us outnumbered 5 to one. Amazing how the tail can wag the dog.

 

Actually, 50% to 8% would be 6.25 to 1. Of course, as a union member you aren't accustomed to having to be precise and accurate in your work, so I guess the mistake is understandable. :tongue3:

 

Where did you ever get this idea?

 

I said that Federal employees tend to have higher qualifications...

You actually believe this? And, you want to be a lawyer?

 

Ken you told me you ate beans, you didn't say anything about counting them.

 

Many federal departments have higher qualified personnel because they outsource their grunt work . . . the civilian departments of the military, for example.