Comments on: Federal Pay Is Double The Private Sector

By: pdsand

pdsand — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 04:09:07 +0000

You perish that right away, it’s absurd. And there is no preference given to minorities to receive contracts to do the government’s work either. And there certainly aren’t miriad organizations in any government department that exist solely to cater to the needs of minorities, and to defend them in case whitey ever decides they just sit around on the phone all day and don’t do any work and should get fired. You can’t run right to EEO or the Justice Department.

By: Colonel1961

Colonel1961 — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 03:37:31 +0000

Ah, the service! I’m never disappointed in the small amount of work – if any – required of civil servants. Not only are they well paid and granted every perquisite known to man, they (and the 80/20 rule applies) do nothing. I once supported a program office where a few of the civil servants were never there – and I do mean never. I’d often ask, ‘Where’s Tim?’ and the topic would go silent…

Pray that these miscreants never get more in the way of our health care.

Unreal.

By: proreason

proreason — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 01:15:15 +0000

Muse, muse, muse.

Wouldn’t it be interesting the see the racial profile of government workers vs the population as a whole?

I’d be most a mused to see the civil service statistics.

Somehow, the social justice comment got me to musing about that.

Not that I’d ever suggest there might be a hiring preference for minorities in do-nothing government jobs. Perish that thought.

By: Confucius

Confucius — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 01:05:38 +0000

Where is the social justice?

It seems to me the government owes me some money.

By: MinnesotaRush

MinnesotaRush — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 00:06:22 +0000

Wasn’t the “Comparitive Worth Program” of long ago to determine the compensation of comparable jobs in the private sector and then assign that package to the comparable job in the public sector?

It’s evolved into gov’t agency comparing to gov’t agency and what they can get by with stealing from the taxpayer.

By: MinnesotaRush

MinnesotaRush — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 23:59:43 +0000

The “Putting America Back to Work” project was to put the signs in. There. They’re done. Pretty groovy, ‘ay.

By: U NO HOO

U NO HOO — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 23:54:51 +0000

FWIIW:

http://www.payscale.com/resear.....ral/Salary

By: proreason

proreason — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 23:47:28 +0000

Private Industry typically has benefit burdens of 30-50% to cover insurance, FICA match, FUTA/SUTA, pensions, 401K matches and other benefits.

Since government pensions adjust for inflation and are defined benefits plans, the cost of them will be very high. Anything that adjusts for inflation and can be paid out for decades is very expensive, particularly considering some government employees can retire earlier than people in private industry typically do. And, civil service workers who retired before the early 1980′s had even more delux retirement benefits, which are no doubt included in the $119,000 per worker. (that’s also why the UAW hourly rates seem so high. Pension costs are included).

For people in law enforcement and the military, the cost of pensions is also high relative to salaries because those people often retire in their 40′s and early 50′s. There are probably more people drawing military pensions than ther are active service men and women.

Government jobs also have delux medical benefits, and pay for unused vacation days in various ways.

A 60-65% burden for the government doesn’t sound high at all.

By: Confucius

Confucius — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 23:44:13 +0000

I know a nurse anesthetist who works for government.

This person makes ~$135,000/year in salary. Benefits approximately equal 23% of annual salary.

After 20 years, this person can retire with an annual income equal to 80% of salary at time of retirement. They also get to keep their health insurance plan at a deeply discounted rate.

Oh yeah. This person works 5 days a week, 7am to 3 pm. No call. No weekends. Gets all the federal holidays off. Which leaves approximately what . . . 10 working days per year?

By: pdsand

pdsand — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 23:35:32 +0000

I’ve seen about a million signs in Georgia from the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax, an additional 1 cent sales tax voted on by each individual county and spent in that county. Guess what, every sign is in front of a sparkling newly paved highway or a nice bridge or whatever.
Out in Colorado I’ve seen signs for the Pikes Peak Rural Transportation Authority, an additional tax on vehicle registration and such. Same thing, always right in front of massive projects.
I’ve seen a few of these Obama signs all over the country, and I’ve never even seen a cone associated with one.

By: proreason

proreason — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 23:35:25 +0000

ooooo, Dana Perino.

priceless

By: pdsand

pdsand — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 23:29:07 +0000

Yeah, but they always have that sign up in the front of the commissary that says that you’re saving 30% on meat, 20% on produce! So I just went with it. It was all for fun, you know. Especially if you buy the “other” stuff at the commissary, like batteries or paper towels, I don’t think you save anything, you probably pay more.

By: U NO HOO

U NO HOO — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 23:04:16 +0000

OK, I’m nitpicking, Dana Perino, IIRCC, was paid $160,000. Higher than GS15 Step 10.

What does “Dana Perino/Robert Gibbs” of GE make?

Just asking.

By: catie

catie — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 22:52:13 +0000

Well, I don’t find that I saved that much at the commissary while on the mainland. Now in Hawaii, it was definitely a saver. But while we supposedly don’t have “taxes” on our food, we have that “MWR” thing. I have mine from when I first came in and when I left. I still made more at a grocery store (with my pay and tips) overall as a junior and senior in high school than I did my first year in the Army.
My father in law makes an unbelievable amount of money at the DOT. I am unsure what it is he actually does though.

By: U NO HOO

U NO HOO — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 22:45:56 +0000

Yeah, we can nitpick and realize no one in the government, maybe, makes millions per year, but answer me this batman, if you had to flip a coin for a lifelong salary with a government salary (something above minimum wage and as high as ~$400,000, POTUS?) on one side and a private industry salary (a restaurant server’s minimum wage plus tips with an unlimited high, Jeff Immelt?) on the other, which coin side would you choose?

By: pdsand

pdsand — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 22:36:40 +0000

$79,000 was the number for 2000, the 2008 number is $119,000. That’s like the highest salary for a GS-15. Of course this figure is trying to define total compensation, so it’s also including benefits.