Show of Hands

Don't agree. Yes we "choose" however we deserve pay raises like anyone else. Why is it that jobs people overlook and take advantage of just being there when need like teachers and military so poorly paid. Side note I don't disagree that politicians make way too much but so do preachers. Huh.

HaySeuss ... how are all of those advanced degrees doing in the effort to make the government efficient? Answer: a pathetic failure.

Not only is this disparity not sustainable, there is simply no excuse for the higher salaries for public sector professionals.

I do understand the make-up of the workforce. I wasn't referring to blue collar jobs, and purposely used the term "peers" to suggest the equivalent jobs with similar qualifications.

The message remains the same. Those paying the bills shouldn't make less than their public sector peers.

Your comment fails to take in the larger picture. First, there are very few blue-collar federal positions, as most of that work is contracted out. Second, fed positions require far more advanced degrees than the national average (NASA, USGS, DOD). This results in higher avg pay than national avg.

EPD... you have got to be kidding!

Non-military federal employees deserve a 20-40% pay cut. They are now averaging at least 20% more Than the private sector peers, who are paying their salaries. Federal employee wages should be no more than 80% of the private sector. Federal pensions must also be cut DRAMATICALLY.

Government is not a private company.

Please read this!

I respect all those who choose to serve our nation. Key word there is choose.
They choose full well knowing the amount of money they would make.
If they get a raise it should be taken from politicians pay.

HELL NO!! You wanna know what's even more messed up?.....base salary for a congressman is 180,000! Not including all the perks! That is messed up! That's about 90million a year of our tax dollars!

That is totally what I was going to say lol. Military personnel do not get paid nearly enough for the jobs they have to do. Civilians that work for the military get paid way more than the soldiers doing the same job.

No! With the exception of the Military. Those men and women deserve it and more.

All that said, no one receiving taxpayer money should receive a raise until our fiscal house is back in order. In my house, you don't spend what you don't have. We need to stop thinking about ourselves and start thinking about what we're doing to future generations with this burden of debt.

I was also in the military and unless something changed I received 30 days paid leave every year and when I was sick I still received pay. Granted, the pay sucked but I chose to participate. I don't regret my time of service and I look back fondly on those times. Thank you for your service.

Private companies don't give pay raises when their company is drowning in debt. Why should the government give raises?

Not all federal employees are politicians. I'm a federal employe. I'm an Active Duty Firefighter for the Air Force making E-5 pay working 72+ hours a week without overtime and no paid sick leave. I've spent about 2 years deployed over multiple deployments and you don't think I deserve a pay raise?

I think congress, the president and any other politician making hundreds of thousands of dollars should see what life is really like and have a pay decrease to about 40000. at least until we have a balanced budget. they can get their raise when we have a surplus, not 16 tril. in debt.

Well I work in IT and private sector salaries are much higher. I stay because its important work. I would like to know where the data comes from that shows consistently higher salaries and 60 days of leave?

Very much resent the generalization of federal employees as unproductive. I've worked private sector, academia, and government. The people I work with are hard working, caring, dedicated public servants trying to make the country run.

Do you really think that others have not paid this price? I have had no increase in four years, a 20% decrease in pay and a reduction in benefits. Not because I work for a bad employer....because we all have been impacted in some way by our government's decisions and this economy.

Any concern for other people's financial situations?

Find and cite a credible reference.

the USAToday article which is based on sponsored study that only considered a slice segment to make their point.

Educate yourself. Look up OPM.gov, vacation time is:
104 hrs for employees w/ 3 years or less
160 hrs " .... 3 to 14 years
208 hrs " ...15 or more years

If 8-hr days, that equates to 13, 20, or 26 days in vacation.

Where did you pull your number from?

No worries America. While Congress is looking out for their personal investments, they also decided that Federal employees are not worthy of half of 1 percent increase in pay. So, this makes four consecutive years of no increases.

I forecast a higher rate of sick leave used in 2013.

People are speaking without fact. In the private sector people get paid way more then gov employees to do the same job. Look how much the military makes and then look at contractor wages

What about the military. They are federal employees who risk so much for little money

Fair enough, tax is definitely wasted on welfare people that clearly don't need it. And same with most convicted convicts that are just stoners whom never hurt anything or anyone, just got caught smoking. There are more stoners in prison than murderers, rapists, and other such criminal losers.

If we didn't have so many new federal employees added because of Obamacare and the expansion of regulatory agencies and regulations, and all those added to the IRS to punish those who don't have health insurance, an un-bloated productive (non-union) fed workforce could actually have higher wages.

Taxes wasted on the rich? Your taxes and mine are wasted on the people living off welfare and keeping convicted criminals comfortable in jail. The most of the tax revenue comes from the taxing of the rich.

Can we raise national minimum wage, decrease student loan interest rates, and put higher taxes on the rich? No? There's your answer. I'm tired of my tax dollars being wasted on the rich, federal employees make more than enough, if not do what I did, GET A SECOND JOB.

Yes. The government would get good bang for the buck from a federal payraise. The workers will pay tax, buy things they need and pay their home mortgages. Giving them a pay raise, in real terms, costs them less than another bailout and works better.

you mean like everybody in the private sector?

Great. Let them lose money. Let them find productive work for a change.

Dasbirdie, you don't get taxed the same. You are a net tax receiver.

You get your paycheck at the expense of working people. That's not the case at Walmart, which gets all of its money through voluntary transactions. Government gets its money coercively.

Dasbirdie, you don't get taxed the same. You are a net tax receiver.

You get your paycheck at the expense of working people. That's not the case at Walmart, which gets all of its money through voluntary transactions. Government gets its money coercively.

There are more Dept. of Agriculture employees than there are farmers in this country. Welfare is backed by a bureaucratic nightmare that enriches itself while keeping millions impoverished.

These workers should be released to the private sector where they can actually help the country.

Edf1, you're fooling yourself if you think the government is capable of providing the best care available to anyone.

With inflation, they have to. Otherwise they're losing money every year.

Does the private sector start wars? Counterfeit money? Steal trillions from peaceful people? The government does those things. You complain about raises to health insurance and cost of living increases - but these are problems CAUSED by the Federal Government.

Here's a point for you icytoes, the country would be far far better off if you were fired tomorrow, and not replaced. If you are a hard worker, then perhaps you could do something productive. As in your current capacity you are a drain on the American people.

Except that Federal Employees are paid far above the level of private sector employees. You don't "make the country function", you inhibit that function. The country would function far better if everyone in your agency was doing productive private work.

Wow, understand that people want to take their frustration out on somebody. I work at a federal agency where everyone is busting their butts. The place is full of conscientious, dedicated public servants trying to make country function. Pick another whipping boy please.

We can't afford it in our current state

Hell NO!!!!!!!!!!
No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No.

Who treats them different?

Nope. No raise for federal employees. We don't need a dept of Ed. Get rid of it. I'm sure there are a few other agencies we don't need either. The Dept of Ed has screwed up our schools enough with their stupid programs and policies. Leave it to the states where it belongs.

Not sure they can get any higher... Plus with the 60 days off annually...

They aren't out to get you and they aren't trying to drive us over a fiscal cliff. Stop living in a fantasy land where everyone is either a good guy or a satanic homo Muslim Jew liberal. They are people. Stop treating them like aliens.

He's right.or she
A federal employee is just a Joe Schmo. Their is at least one of them in your neighborhood and you probably couldn't tell who they were unless you asked them. They are just like you and me. They pay taxes, go to church, or mosque, or synagogue and they have friends and family.

In Finland, it is harder to get into school to become a teacher than to become a doctor or a premed. Their teachers, especially high school level teachers, are walking away with nearly six figures, and what has this done for them? #1 educational system in the world. #teachersneedraises