Instead of asking the Rich to start paying their fair share -- the President is asking Federal workers to pony up their wages.
Obama's plan to freeze federal salaries gets a cold reception
By Joe Davidson, Washington Post Staff Writer -- Nov 29, 2010
[...] "This would save $2 billion over the rest of this fiscal year and $28 billion in cumulative savings over the next five years," President Obama said Monday.
"I did not reach this decision easily. This is not just a line item on a federal ledger. These are people's lives. They're doctors and nurses who care for our veterans; scientists who search for better treatments and cures; men and women who care for our national parks and secure our borders and our skies; Americans who see that the Social Security checks get out on time, who make sure that scholarships comes through, who devote themselves to our safety. They're patriots who love their country and often make many sacrifices to serve their country."
His kind words didn't pacify federal union leaders who have been among Obama's most ardent supporters.
Most of them are NOT rich -- most are just Middle Class people, working difficult, complex jobs. Often giving up "private sector" income, in exchange for the chance to do "public service" -- as the President noted.
So Why Freeze Federal Employee Wages?
Did their ever-rising Costs of Living sudden "freeze up" too? Not Hardly.
By putting their salaries on the chopping block -- the President is lending credence to the GOP rationale which:
Pits Federal Workers against Private Sector Workers -- claiming BOTH Sectors are Overpaid (when compared to an Overseas Salary, in the GOP Flat Earth, I guess)
What do Federal Employees Union leaders think of the President's Concession -- the word "Peanuts", was mentioned ...
[Continuing ... from previous link]
John Gage, president of the American Federation of Government Employees, was so upset, you'd think he was talking about a Republican.
"This proposal is a superficial panic reaction to the draconian cuts his deficit commission will recommend," Gage said. "A federal pay freeze saves peanuts at best and, while he may mean it as just a public relations gesture, this is no time for political scapegoating. The American people didn't vote to stick it to a VA nursing assistant making $28,000 a year or a border patrol agent earning $34,000 per year."
Most Federal Employees are NOT raking it in.
They're just another Political Football, a distraction, they are an Excuse, for the Debt -- NOT THE REASON. (that reason would still be the Unpaid for Bush Tax Cuts of the last decade)
Federal pay ahead of private industry
By Dennis Cauchon, USA TODAY -- 3/8/2010
Federal pay has become a hot political issue in recent months because of concerns over the federal budget deficit and recession-battered wages in the private sector.
Sen. Scott Brown, R-Mass., made federal pay an issue in his successful campaign to fill Edward Kennedy's seat and is fighting for a pay freeze.
The federal government spent about $224 billion in 2008 on compensation for about 2 million civilian employees.
Job comparison
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, USA TODAY analysis
So you see, when the Federal Sector is compared to their Private Sector counter parts, it's basically a wash -- especially when you consider the roles and responsibilities, typical of each Sector (guess which sector is harder) ...
[Continuing ...]
But National Treasury Employees Union President Colleen Kelley says the comparison is faulty because it "compares apples and oranges." Federal accountants, for example, perform work that has more complexity and requires more skill than accounting work in the private sector, she says.
"When you look at the actual duties, you see that very few federal jobs align with those in the private sector," she says. She says federal employees are paid an average of 26% less than non-federal workers doing comparable work.
Perhaps we should relabel to the Top 2% as the "Untouchables" --
because when it comes to making sacrifices, Pulling their own weight -- Paying THEIR Fair Share --
that is what Millionaires and Billionaire still remain -- Untouchable.
It seems it's always the Average Workers, Private or Public, that are left to carry that weight --
that are left, to fight for the scraps, among ourselves ...
to argue among ourselves, about WHICH Sector, is the Most Deserving!