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Trump cancels pay raises for federal employees

Manc Skipper said:
When a pay rise is lower than the rate of inflation, is that not a cut?
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And what exactly is the inflation rate today? Seems to me that people ignore exactly what is a cost to the federal govt. and what isn't. The private sector getting to keep more of what they earn isn't an expense to anyone whereas pay raises are.

Here is obviously another drawback to those tax cuts but I always thought that charitable giving was a good thing but apparently only when promoted by the federal bureaucrats

https://givingusa.org/giving-usa-20...sing-the-400-billion-mark-for-the-first-time/
 
ttwtt78640 said:
Where, exactly, is the customary pay raise for other workers that (according to you) are taking a pay cut? The idea that it is customary to increase federal spending (across the board?) annually is part of the problem and thus not part of the solution.
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I've never worked somewhere where I didn't get a raise every year or sooner. If I didn't I would have left immediately. If you don't get a raise every year you're taking a pay cut because of cost of living increases / inflation. So after your 3% raise you might only see 1-2% of it as actually being a net increase.
 
Conservative said:
...I was never taught that keeping more of what I earned...
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There's that sad personal need to ignore what is happening before your very eyes that we have all come to expect. You never let us down. "Trump First!"
 
MSgt said:
It's amazing the lengths that people will go to, even to the point of insulting their own intelligence, to avoid the actual issue...



Well...

- Trump pairs up his massive Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, in which the members of his wealthiest circle got permanent cuts, with a massive increase in government spending. The math:

Significant Reduction in Government Revenue + Significant Increase in Government Spending = Obvious Unsustainable Course.

- Those massive tax-cuts to corporations, government revenue plunged to historically low levels in the first six months of the year, pushing up the federal budget deficit much faster than economists had predicted. Keep in mind, they increased government spending.

- Last month (July) corporations were able to take full advantage of the new, lower tax rates and reduced their payments to the federal government. The Treasury Department on Thursday said government receipts fell 7% in June compared with the same month a year earlier, including a 33% drop in gross corporate taxes. Keep in mind, they increased government spending.

- It was also revealed in last month (July) that the Trump administration is considering bypassing Congress to grant another $100 billion tax-cut mainly to the wealthy. So, more decrease in government revenue to go with that increase in spending.

- While the short-sighted cheered for their temporary tax-cut, the price of common goods began to go up and the price of gasoline began to rise. On top of this, Trump is playing a trade war game in which the government is having to give upwards towards $12 billion in aid to farmers in what is clearly an example of the conservative-hated socialism (run for your lives!!!!)


So, when Trump declares that government workers will not be given the customary raise because the nation's budget can't support it now (which I assume will not affect the customary pay raise of the military?), one may want to step back to see the bigger situation more clearly. At the expense of the middle class, the lower-income earners, and the country's actual economic security, Trump's main goal since entering the White House has been to send ever more money to the 1%. Even rolling back EO's to safeguard the environment has been about economic boosts to specific captain's of industry since the current energy boom of North Africa began years ago. All of this has far more to do with personal bank accounts and far less about the nation.

Oh, and as we play our game with China, who do you think is going to loan us more money to cover our increased spending while reducing revenue?
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Our current labor force is about 160 million and this impacts 2.1 million

One of the many ways he plans to do that is by trimming the federal government workforce. America has 2.1 million civilian federal workers. It rose by nearly 130,000 people under President Obama, according to figures from the Office of Management and Budget and the Labor Department.Jan 12, 2017
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MSgt said:
There's that sad personal need to ignore what is happening before your very eyes that we have all come to expect. You never let us down. "Trump First!"
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All these complaints about the deficit and debt but when actual expenses are cut we go ballistic. It truly is tough being a liberal but I am working on it. Still waiting for Treasury data showing revenue cut after the tax cuts.
 
Verax said:
https://www.cnn.com/2018/08/30/politics/trump-cancels-federal-employee-pay-raises/index.html





1.5T tax cut for the wealthy.
4.7B bailout for farmers.
20B+ for the wall.

But we can't afford 25B for federal workers getting a customary yearly raise? People who will spend that money on their families in their local communities?

Inflation is at a six year record high of 2.3% so during this "booming" economy average Americans are taking a pay cut while the top is gobbling up trillions. #MAGA.
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I thought tax cuts for the rich would save us all and make the economy great again?
 
Barnacle said:
"... Since the 1990s, federal workers have enjoyed faster compensation growth than private-sector workers. In 2016 federal workers earned 80 percent more, on average, than private-sector workers.3 ..."

https://www.downsizinggovernment.org/federal-worker-pay
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That "3" footnote from your hack link:

3 U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, National Income and Product Accounts, Tables 6.2D and 6.5D, Apps Test | U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA). Data are for civilian federal workers, excluding postal workers.​

I wonder why they'd exclude that many federal workers from this study of theirs?
 
Manc Skipper said:
When a pay rise is lower than the rate of inflation, is that not a cut?
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If government payroll increases exceeded general inflation every year then taxation (to cover that increase in payroll) would have to increase beyond inflation every year as well. For such a system to work 'fairly' then every taxpayer must get an annual pay increase which exceeds general inflation plus their added taxation.
 
poweRob said:
I thought tax cuts for the rich would save us all and make the economy great again?
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What do tax cuts for the rich or anyone else have to do with saving Federal tax dollars and expenses? Would appreciate a response to post 45
 
Conservative said:
What do tax cuts for the rich or anyone else have to do with saving Federal tax dollars and expenses?
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Trump said it was to help with the federal budget did he not? Isn't that what the tax cuts for the rich were supposed to be for?
 
If it was really a budget necessity and the right thing to do, it would also cut the Military COLA and the Social Security COLA. Those would cost votes though. It seems no one likes federal employees so they are generally an easy target. On a side note, they're talking about a Cost of Living Adjustment.

Also, for those with short memories, federal employees received no COLA in 2011, 2012, 2013, and 1 % adjustments in 2014-2017. That was to adjust the budget and bring it into scope already. It was a screaming 1.4% in 2018. Going back to 0% sucks, but it's not a surprise. I've learned a long time ago budgets are about politics and not money in the government.

-TTB
 
Manc Skipper said:
The 2.1% rise is mandated to be less than the private sector gets anyway, but he's forcing government employees to pay for his $1.5 Trillion tax cuts with their $25billion in salary.
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Well, no, having worked in both private sector and government I can say you are full of baloney. Government employees have near guaranteed lifetime employment, a pension that we all pay for and dream of, and their income is already well above the private average for most positions. That 2.1% COLA cut will sting, no doubt, but better that than a pink slip that a private employee gets when their company can't balance their check book properly.
 
poweRob said:
Trump said it was to help with the federal budget did he not? Isn't that what the tax cuts for the rich were supposed to be for?
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Tax cuts always help economic activity and growth as the numbers show. Tax cuts put more money into the hands of the taxpayers including federal employees. Tax cuts aren't an expense, raising wages are. Seems we have doubled the GDP growth Obama left Trump, every month of 2018 has seen more Federal Income tax revenue probably due to the 4 million new taxpayers as well as 1 million more full time employees coming from the part time roles. Looks to me like tax cuts are working
 
poweRob said:
I thought tax cuts for the rich would save us all and make the economy great again?
Click to expand...

Trickled on economics working exactly as intended. You would think after the first 10 times they did this the average Republican would catch on but they never do.
 
MSgt said:
It's amazing the lengths that people will go to, even to the point of insulting their own intelligence, to avoid the actual issue...



Well...

- Trump pairs up his massive Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, in which the members of his wealthiest circle got permanent cuts, with a massive increase in government spending. The math:

Significant Reduction in Government Revenue + Significant Increase in Government Spending = Obvious Unsustainable Course.

- Those massive tax-cuts to corporations, government revenue plunged to historically low levels in the first six months of the year, pushing up the federal budget deficit much faster than economists had predicted. Keep in mind, they increased government spending.

- Last month (July) corporations were able to take full advantage of the new, lower tax rates and reduced their payments to the federal government. The Treasury Department on Thursday said government receipts fell 7% in June compared with the same month a year earlier, including a 33% drop in gross corporate taxes. Keep in mind, they increased government spending.

- It was also revealed in last month (July) that the Trump administration is considering bypassing Congress to grant another $100 billion tax-cut mainly to the wealthy. So, more decrease in government revenue to go with that increase in spending.

- While the short-sighted cheered for their temporary tax-cut, the price of common goods began to go up and the price of gasoline began to rise. On top of this, Trump is playing a trade war game in which the government is having to give upwards towards $12 billion in aid to farmers in what is clearly an example of the conservative-hated socialism (run for your lives!!!!)


So, when Trump declares that government workers will not be given the customary raise because the nation's budget can't support it now (which I assume will not affect the customary pay raise of the military?), one may want to step back to see the bigger situation more clearly. At the expense of the middle class, the lower-income earners, and the country's actual economic security, Trump's main goal since entering the White House has been to send ever more money to the 1%. Even rolling back EO's to safeguard the environment has been about economic boosts to specific captain's of industry since the current energy boom of North Africa began years ago. All of this has far more to do with personal bank accounts and far less about the nation.

Oh, and as we play our game with China, who do you think is going to loan us more money to cover our increased spending while reducing revenue?
Click to expand...


Very well stated!!!
 
GDViking said:
They did for the top five percent, have you been trickled on yet?
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So tell me where do the states and local governments get their revenue if more tax dollars leave the states and goes to the federal govt.? States cannot print money, the federal govt. can. Seems to me that all this anger of people keeping more of their own money ignores the reality that when people keep more money they have ore to spend in the state and local economies which impacts state and local tax revenues. It also benefits charities as I posted showing that we exceeded 400 billion in charitable contributions last year for the first time ever. It would seem to me that is a good thing
 
Conservative said:
Tax cuts always help economic activity and growth as the numbers show. Tax cuts put more money into the hands of the taxpayers including federal employees. Tax cuts aren't an expense, raising wages are. Seems we have doubled the GDP growth Obama left Trump, every month of 2018 has seen more Federal Income tax revenue probably due to the 4 million new taxpayers as well as 1 million more full time employees coming from the part time roles. Looks to me like tax cuts are working
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Interesting... so why is it when republicans get into control, enact their tax cuts, a few years later the economy always crashes?
 
Verax said:
Trickled on economics working exactly as intended. You would think after the first 10 times they did this the average Republican would catch on but they never do.
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They caught on alright a while back. They don't give a rats ass about the economy. They give a rats ass about making their rich donors richer. Then they can cut out the middle man annoyance known as the constituency and just use social issues to rile them for votes and constantly tell them that they are under attack and are victims.
 
Last edited:
:lol:
LOL - You don't know me at all man, your personal attacks fall flat and only make you look petty :)
 
You can add whatever prefix you want to disagreeing, doesn't make it so, my statement is verifiable truth and all you're doing is lying to avoid the truth XD
 
Conservative said:
Our current labor force is about 160 million and this impacts 2.1 million
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Oh, everything I mentioned, which goes into the same economic basket, only affects 2.1 million?

Like I stated to another, your need to focus on the one tree so that you can dismiss it, is merely a way to avoid seeing the rotting forest.
 
GDViking said:
They did for the top five percent, have you been trickled on yet?
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GOP policies are called trickled down... but it's more about being crapped upon from above.
 
poweRob said:
Interesting... so why is it when republicans get into control, enact their tax cuts, a few years later the economy always crashes?
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Let's see, Reagan cut taxes in 81-82-83 and GDP Doubled and GHW Bush raised them and we went into recession. GW Bush cut taxes in 2003 and job creation and revenue expanded, Democrats took over the Congress in January 2007 and the economy crashed. Democrats had control of the Congress in January 2009 to January 2011 and deficits exceeded a trillion dollar each year so not sure where you are getting your information. As for the future we will have to wait and see if the economy crashes, is that what you want to see? How is it that people keeping more of what they earn crashes the economy? Seems to me that Govt. policies do that
 
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