Dems Propose a 3.8 Percent Pay Raise for Federal Workers

www.theblaze.com... ampaign=story&utm_content=dems-propose-a-3-8-percent-pay-raise-for-federal-workers This politician says federal workers have not gotten enough pay over the last 5 years to keep up with inflation. Well isn't just to bad. I do not believe they deserve a pay raise, overall. Individuals can advance if they do their jobs correctly. But not even our military or our seniors have gotten a 3.8% pay raise either. Those two groups of people deserve it more than slackers that work for the government. At least that is my opinion.

a reply to: Ceeker63

NO!!!

NO!!
NO!

These so called "raises" to keep up with inflation or anything else need to be voted on by the people...This is our money they are using and we need to be the boss and figure a way for this to run through us! I don't know how, but any federal employee group that wants a raise, it needs authorized by the people paying their salary, which is us!

They all need to be taking pay cuts, most get paid way too much already...IMHO of course

They should be getting minimum wage as it is.

Us regular folk were told to tighten our belts and cut spending to pay for Obamacare. Pretty sure what's good for the Goose is good for the Gander.

I think they need to tighten their belts!

a reply to: Chrisfishenstein
You would have to live in a democracy for that to happen. Unfortunately you live in America so you're buggered.

a reply to: Ceeker63

So, the worker bees are getting restless?

Thats a honey of an increase, too.. If they make thousand a week thats thirty eight dollars before taxes.

Whoopie, what an insult.

Meanwhile, doesn't Congress get a pay raise annually? Unless Congress votes to not give themselves a raise, anyway.

a reply to: Ceeker63

I agree that there is massive amounts of fraud, waste, and abuse that needs to be fixed. I also agree that there are a lot of overpaid, underqualified, inept people in civil service. However, there are also a lot of extremely well educated, highly qualified positions that skew the salary numbers to a higher level.

Hear me out - think about all of the nuclear physicists, engineers, doctors, lawyers, etc. that work in civil service. They generally have positions that are GS-09, 11, 12, or 13, making about 60k - 115k depending on years of experience. In many markets (such as southern california or northern virginia) those salaries are barely enough to cover the cost of living. They could make more money in the private sector, but generally the trade off is job security for a lower salary.

As for the effect of inflation on the salaries, the economics of it show that they actually have been taking pay cuts overall when inflaiton is considered.

People complain about care for our veterans for example, but the VA is way understaffed (especially with doctors and specialists) and are having trouble hiring / keeping people in these positions. They can get paid more outside the Government and don't have all the red tape to deal with, end result being lower quality care for our veterans.

The most egregious waste comes from the imperialist statist corporatism perpetrated by the finance industry and the military industrial complex. Salaries of civil servants aren't even a drop in the bucket compared to what it costs to maintain our empire. The worst offenders are the private sector contractors who make absurd profits from federal contracts, as a result of this corporatist structure.

I think the anger here is highly warranted, but misdirected. Again, that is just my personal opinion.

originally posted by: intrptr
a reply to: Ceeker63

So, the worker bees are getting restless?

Thats a honey of an increase, too.. If they make thousand a week thats thirty eight dollars before taxes.

Whoopie, what an insult.

$38 a week by 52 weeks is $1,976
Thats nearly two extra weeks pay, would you turn that down?

a reply to: Ceeker63

Way to paint people with a broad brush...everybody should be entitled to a cost of living increase...you think some poor freaking janitor that works for the government is rolling in dough...come on people, there are hacks in every type of job out there...

a reply to: Ceeker63

To be clear, aren't active duty Military considered federal employees? Therefore, the 3.8% raise would increase Military salaries too, wouldn't they?

I could be wrong, but a casual google search seems to indicate military are federal employees.

Every federal employee, budget, contract, dept., agency should be getting a 1% CUT every year along with a 100% tax and revenue generation source freeze at current rates. It's called the "Penny Plan" and it will work 7 years down the road getting this to not only a balanced budget (0 deficit), even start working off the debt.

I have always felt that cost of living wages should not be based on a percentage of your pay. They should be based on a percentage of the total workforce pay.
Why does a twenty per hour guy get a 60 cent raise but a ten per hour guy get a 30 cent raise?
Take both guys pay and that makes thirty an hour, with a 90 cent raise divided by 2 employees that 45 cents each per hour. Both got the same raise that way.
When I suggested that at my last employer, I really got the cold shoulder from the higher paid guys.lol
They didn't do it anyways.

originally posted by: SonOfThor

I think the anger here is highly warranted, but misdirected. Again, that is just my personal opinion.

"Ditto" to your entire post! I couldn't agree more, with everything you said. Only wish I could have given your post more stars.

As a federal blue collar employee, believe it or not, I do not take dumps on a gold toilet at home, nor do I drive the latest and greatest 5 mpg SUV. I've been a federal employee for 5 years now and have recieved a total of $1.51 per hour in raises the last five years. I've also recieved a lovely furlough package twice. Things are not all hunky dory in my workplace. And I know, it could be wayyyy worse.

originally posted by: Chrisfishenstein
a reply to: Ceeker63

NO!!!

NO!!
NO!

These so called "raises" to keep up with inflation or anything else need to be voted on by the people...This is our money they are using and we need to be the boss and figure a way for this to run through us! I don't know how, but any federal employee group that wants a raise, it needs authorized by the people paying their salary, which is us!

They all need to be taking pay cuts, most get paid way too much already...IMHO of course

In my seldom humble opinion as well...

How about a ballot proposition on a federal level similar to those on a state level? I should think that would be simple enough to develop and implement... at least in theory. Given the entrenched self-serving interests currently in power who would jump through hoops of fire to maintain their power, though, definitely not so easy in practice.

on the 1st SSecurity check of 2015... I got a measly 1.7% increase because the CPI showed only that much inflation (reduction of purchasing power)

a 3.8 % raise is IN-Equitable, that's more than double the increase to us retirees/disabled vets...
the only light in the tunnel is that the future benefits packages for those gov't workers being stroked with velvet gloves... is that they will only see 25% of their outlandish retirement packages actually paid-out to them

originally posted by: ScientificRailgun
a reply to: Ceeker63

To be clear, aren't active duty Military considered federal employees? Therefore, the 3.8% raise would increase Military salaries too, wouldn't they?

I could be wrong, but a casual google search seems to indicate military are federal employees.

No. "Federal Employee" does not include the military.

Military compensation is actually getting cut across the board, including the highest ranking.
www.militarytimes.com... enefits/pay/2015/01/10/gfo-retirement-change/21387763/

www.military.com... 2014/12/02/congress-agrees-to-troop-pay-bah-cuts-in-budget-compromise.html

a reply to: tkwasny

They are already getting cut by more than that due to inflation. Your entire premise fails to acknowledge the devaluation of the dollar and the downward spiral (even in the shape of bubbles) of the fractional reserve banking system. Of course, you are probably too entrenched in your keynesian mindset to be aware of these concepts.

a reply to: Flatfish

Thanks for the kudos - I'm just a guy who thinks all of this bickering about federal wages is actually a distraction from the real problem.

Our monetary system being based on fiat currency and global empire is what will bankrupt us, not small pay raises to the federal workforce.

I think a lot of people who bash federal employees have a) never worked in the public sector and / or b) simply dont understand how many highly skilled / qualified people do work in the civil service (i.e. dual masters degrees, phds, etc)...

a reply to: SonOfThor

That's the most intelligent response I've read regarding the oft insulted federal employee (of which I am one) in a long time.

Fact: I make about $20,000 a year less as a civil servant than I could doing the same job in the private sector.

Fact: I'm ok with that. I have a pension, a 40 hour work week, and the knowledge that I make a difference every day, and I am a damn good steward of the taxpayer.

The only thing I would say about the GS system is that locality pay factors in. A GS-11 Step 3 in New York City pays higher than the same GS-11 Step 3 in Texas. So there that helps balance out the various cost of living issues around the country.

We received a one percent raise (or will as of this coming pay period) for 2015, same as 2014. From 2010 - 2013 we received nothing.