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

[rbell]

Federal workers earning double their private counterparts...

http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/income/2010-08-10-1Afedpay10_ST_N.htm

Federal civil servants earned average pay and benefits of $123,049 in 2009 while private workers made $61,051 in total compensation, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis. The data are the latest available.
The federal compensation advantage has grown from $30,415 in 2000 to $61,998 last year.

And you wonder why the US is going broke...All these salaries, built-in raises, benefits, pensions--just look at California, and get ready. It's coming.

Of course, the public employee unions are loving this. And Obama and the Democrats can't give them money fast enough. Even in lean times--they get pay increases. Every year. 1.6% this year--And we're supposed to "feel sorry" for them. (oh, BTW...that 1.6% doesn't include seniority pay hikes for many federal workers).

Look...1.6% isn't much. But why should anyone be guaranteed a pay hike? Most of us with real jobs aren't. (By "real" I mean legitimate jobs with legitimate purposes...and yes, many government jobs qualify as such).

But good grief--sometimes, when things are bad, you just don't get a raise. That's life. And apparently, government unions are exempt from the rules of life. Go figure.


And, of course, it hasn't ocurred to anyone in DC that IT'S OUR MONEY.

 

[rbell]

Unions have bought our government.

Check this out...we've found the receipts!

Public employees and their unions have contributed more money to the 2010 elections than the employees, executives and PACs of every oil company combined, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. The $7.9 million that the sector gave to Democrats is more than the Republican haul from Wall Street, insurance or lobbyists.
The public employee sector spent $40 million on lobbying in the first six months of this year -- more than health maintenance organizations, commercial banks and the defense/aerospace industry, according to CRP.
Democrats have raised $1.7 million this year from the American Federation of Teachers, more than Republicans have raised from Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and Bank of America, combined.
AFT's PAC spent $21 million in the 2008 election, more than certified "special interests" such as the National Association of Realtors PAC and the National Rifle Association PAC. Combine the PAC spending of the American Medical Association, the American Hospital Association, America's Health Insurance Plans, and the Pharmaceutical Researchers and Manufacturers of America, and you're at about 36 percent of AFT's spending.

Source: http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/p...ne-the-public-interest-1008911-100383964.html

 

[KenH]

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

 

[Bob Alkire]

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.

 

[Earth Wind and Fire]

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

 

[rbell]

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

That will likely be the assertion used to prop them up, and separate us from our money.

 

[FR7 Baptist]

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.

 

[Nonsequitur]

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.)

 

[FR7 Baptist]

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?

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.

By the way, how much education did the Census workers have?
(Who are now out of work.)

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

 

[Nonsequitur]

I don't think you read my post. (Yeah...I did.)
Originally Posted by Paul3144
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.
I said that Federal employees tend to have higher qualifications (Uh.....where?)and more seniority(How can a government employee have more seniority than a private employer? They work for different employers. Have you ever worked a job that had both government and private working side-by-side?) 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. (If you are talking about being a Census worker, the Houston Chronicle says ya'll are done. I'm sure ya'll are finishing up tho'.)

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.(Why is she out of work? Nurses are in short supply all over. Don't know where she is but tell her to come to Texas, ....we can use her.) Tom, my crew leader during Vacant/Delete Check, has an M.B.A. and had been a financial planner before being laid off. (Well, if he has a MBA and was a financial planner, well, no offense, but he should have seen it coming, and planned according to such.) During this operation Sandra worked as an enumerator like me. (Again, no offense, but what is that? A bean counter?)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. (Now I find that hard to believe. A lawyer that can't find an ambulance to chase?)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:

 

[FR7 Baptist]

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?

 

[KenH]

A bean counter?

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

KenH, bean counter.

 

[billwald]

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.

 

[Walguy]

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:

 

[rbell]

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.

If this were raw democracy, you'd have a point.

But, the Democratic party (particularly the leftist portion of it) is so in bed with unions--the legislation they pass and policies they enact are so slanted toward unions' wishes--that 8% has more clout than us 50%.

Not to mention the corruption angle, which unions are quite versed in...

 

[targus]

I don't think you read my post. I said that Federal employees tend to have higher qualifications...

Where did you ever get this idea?

 

[rbell]

Another lovely gift from the Community Organizer:

Remember that $26 Billion package to help hire teachers that just got passed?

Read this, and you'll get a different perspective: http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/New-fairy-tales-from-Obamaland-468639-100577999.html

Highlights from the expose':

-If it cost $10 billion to save 100,000 teachers' jobs, they are each being paid $100,000 a year. Since the national average teacher salary is just over $54,000 a year, somebody -- federal bureaucrats? -- is making a bundle on overhead.

-The claim was made, that without the latest Obama-Reid-Pelosi government bailout,
"At least 100,000 teachers would lose their jobs this fall." That's why the $26 billion "stimulus" bill passed by the House in an "emergency" session included $10 billion for "job creation." The reality is that "it's common practice for school districts to overestimate the number of teachers that will be laid off in advance of budgets being set, and in advance of the school year." So the vast majority of those dire warnings of 100,000 teachers being laid off were mostly just hot air.​

As usual--the American people were lied to, so that unions could get sweetheart deals.

​

 

[sag38]

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

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

 

[Bob Alkire]

KenH, bean counter.

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

 

[billwald]

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