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For Feds, More 6-Figure Salaries

T

The Prof

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USATODAY.com

The number of federal workers earning six-figure salaries has exploded during the recession, according to a USA TODAY analysis of federal salary data.

Federal employees making salaries of $100,000 or more jumped from 14% to 19% of civil servants during the recession's first 18 months — and that's before overtime pay and bonuses are counted.

Federal workers are enjoying an extraordinary boom time — in pay and hiring — during a recession that has cost 7.3 million jobs in the private sector.

The highest-paid federal employees are doing best of all on salary increases. Defense Department civilian employees earning $150,000 or more increased from 1,868 in December 2007 to 10,100 in June 2009, the most recent figure available.

When the recession started, the Transportation Department had only one person earning a salary of $170,000 or more. Eighteen months later, 1,690 employees had salaries above $170,000.

The trend to six-figure salaries is occurring throughout the federal government, in agencies big and small, high-tech and low-tech. The primary cause: substantial pay raises and new salary rules.

The growth in six-figure salaries has pushed the average federal worker's pay to $71,206, compared with $40,331 in the private sector.
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1. It's heartwarming in these frozen-in times to know that SOMEONE's doing well.

2. The bailers out of the Too Big's are at it again---"the highest paid federal employees are doing best of all."

3. Washington DC just does not GET IT.

4. The most out-of-touch leadership in modern American history.

5. And they just keep on whistling past their merry little graveyard.

6. Reid's Senate today has postponed health care to RAISE THE DEBT CEILING by ONE POINT EIGHT TRIL.

7. While simultaneously smooshing thru a measure to INCREASE funding for congressional and cabinet agencies by TEN PERCENT.

8. Including a 2% PAY RAISE for govt workers already making an average of 71K.

9. How are Out-of-Work Alice and Homeless Harry expected to feel about their public employees pulling down six figures?

10. Back in the Reform Era of Gladstone and Disraeli, the civil service recognized that it was borne on the overburdened backs of the terminally troubled taxpayer.

11. Job security, retirements, benefits---these things could be arranged in terms of government compensation.

12. But not a lot of cash---sucking capital out of economies always crashes them.

13. We need more "civil" and more "service" and less mercenary impetus from our public people.

14. It needs start at the top.

15. It isn't.

The Prof
 
Welcome to the world of the bureaucracy. In my many years of dealing with them I have come to the opinion that unlike business which I am very familiar with ruining, a bureaucracy has a whole other mind set that promotion and longevity are one and the same. The longer you are there either the higher up you go or the more secure you become in your job. Your continued employment has little or nothing to do with job performance and everything to do with seniority, time in position and the like. If they are not Union jobs they work almost the same way.

In Business you produce or your gone. I once had a junior Manager who would regularly say that every time he was promoted or got a raise his desk was moved that much closer to the exit door. In a way that is true the longer you are there the more is expected of you . Too bad there is nothing like that in just about any Government run organization.

People like to complain about business but that's only because they know complaining about Government run facilities is a waste of time, with business there is usually some hope of improvement, unless you work for someone who has all the answers and does not want to be confused by the facts, like most politicians.

It's the bad leadership once again that permits poor work for exorbitant pay to blossom through out most Government.

The ones who are to blame we see in the mirror every day because we don't demand more and better for less not more of our money.
 
Okay, I'm a conservative as everyone knows. But I'm going to tell everyone that this whole story is comparing apples and oranges. Sure on the surface, it looks like federal employees make way above average salaries, but something is being omitted from the discussion. The jobs in the federal government aren't like the private sector. There is no hamburger flippers and stock boys working in the government. There are no ditchdiggers and grass cutters working for the federal government. There are no Walmart sales associates working for the federal govt. And if there are, they are at insignificant amounts compared to the private sector.

So to make a comparison of average pay is ridiculous. Most of the jobs in the federal government SHOULD BE IMPORTANT AND NECESSARY AND SKILLED, and that is exactly why the pay average should be higher than the average in the private sector. Job for job comparisons will show you that govt employees make less than their counterparts in private industry. That is not being stated here. Regarding high paid federal employes likely in the Special Executive Service which is probably who they are talking about making like $170K, are not a huge number. These individuals are at a level equivalent to general officers in the military and higher. Another thing salaried employees are not being paid overtime, that is mostly to the wage grade employees who are not making $170K/yr. I'm calling bull**** on the DoD figure of $150K/yr employees. An ~8000 increase in two years at those pay grades, come on! Things are not what they seem, and there is more to this story.

Does this mean there is no waste in the government, NO, but that's a whole other story.
 
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American said:
Okay, I'm a conservative as everyone knows. But I'm going to tell everyone that this whole story is comparing apples and oranges. Sure on the surface, it looks like federal employees make way above average salaries, but something is being omitted from the discussion. The jobs in the federal government aren't like the private sector. There is no hamburger flippers and stock boys working in the government. There are no ditchdiggers and grass cutters working for the federal government. There are no Walmart sales associates working for the federal govt. And if there are, they are at insignificant amounts compared to the private sector.

So to make a comparison of average pay is ridiculous. Most of the jobs in the federal government SHOULD BE IMPORTANT AND NECESSARY AND SKILLED, and that is exactly why the pay average should be higher than the average in the private sector. Job for job comparisons will show you that govt employees make less than their counterparts in private industry. That is not being stated here. Regarding high paid federal employes likely in the Special Executive Service which is probably who they are talking about making like $170K, are not a huge number. These individuals are at a level equivalent to general officers in the military and higher. Another thing salaried employees are not being paid overtime, that is mostly to the wage grade employees who are not making $170K/yr. I'm calling bull**** on the DoD figure of $150K/yr employees. An ~8000 increase in two years at those pay grades, come on! Things are not what they seem, and there is more to this story.

Does this mean there is no waste in the government, NO, but that's a whole other story.
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****ers shouldn't be paid a dime until they become worthy enough.
 
the usa today said specifically that the salaries they uncovered were figured before overtime and bonuses were included

i don't consider the manager of my local dmv the equivalent of a colonel

i don't even consider her competent, as a matter of fact

i've seen her

with those fingernails i can tell she can't operate a keyboard

for example
 
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Looks like America has a new horizon. A Federal stop.
 
The Prof said:
the usa today said specifically that the salaries they uncovered were figured before overtime and bonuses were included

i don't consider the manager of my local dmv the equivalent of a colonel

i don't even consider her competent, as a matter of fact

i've seen her

with those fingernails i can tell she can't operate a keyboard

for example
Click to expand...
Those people aren't being paid those giant salaries. I was speaking of federal employees. I'm willing to discuss this, but not if you're going to get silly talking about the manager of your DMV.
 
American said:
Okay, I'm a conservative as everyone knows. But I'm going to tell everyone that this whole story is comparing apples and oranges. Sure on the surface, it looks like federal employees make way above average salaries, but something is being omitted from the discussion. The jobs in the federal government aren't like the private sector. There is no hamburger flippers and stock boys working in the government. There are no ditchdiggers and grass cutters working for the federal government. There are no Walmart sales associates working for the federal govt. And if there are, they are at insignificant amounts compared to the private sector.

So to make a comparison of average pay is ridiculous. Most of the jobs in the federal government SHOULD BE IMPORTANT AND NECESSARY AND SKILLED, and that is exactly why the pay average should be higher than the average in the private sector. Job for job comparisons will show you that govt employees make less than their counterparts in private industry. That is not being stated here. Regarding high paid federal employes likely in the Special Executive Service which is probably who they are talking about making like $170K, are not a huge number. These individuals are at a level equivalent to general officers in the military and higher. Another thing salaried employees are not being paid overtime, that is mostly to the wage grade employees who are not making $170K/yr. I'm calling bull**** on the DoD figure of $150K/yr employees. An ~8000 increase in two years at those pay grades, come on! Things are not what they seem, and there is more to this story.

Does this mean there is no waste in the government, NO, but that's a whole other story.
Click to expand...

Holy crap American. Did you just gain 50 IQ points, or were you always capable of posts this long and thoughtful, and have been holding out on us?
 
American said:
Those people aren't being paid those giant salaries. I was speaking of federal employees. I'm willing to discuss this, but not if you're going to get silly talking about the manager of your DMV.
Click to expand...

that's cool, friend

i have no interest in discussions, they rarely lead anywhere

that said, i eagerly read your comments and often learn

i'm afraid your justifications for pay raises for 6 figure feds at times like these are not gonna play well across the taxpaying landscape

folks outta jobs, facing foreclosure, portfolios popped...

stuff like that
 
I'm not arguing about pay raises for high paid officials, I'm just putting into perspective the out of wack generalizations being made by the MSM.
 
Hmm I call BS on the whole DoD part as a DoD employee I don't even make close to 100,000. I would like to see the list of DoD who are making 150,000 or more I suspect that they are high ranking DoD officials like the Sec. of Def Ast. Sect ect. ect.
 
The Prof said:
USATODAY.com



1. It's heartwarming in these frozen-in times to know that SOMEONE's doing well.

2. The bailers out of the Too Big's are at it again---"the highest paid federal employees are doing best of all."

3. Washington DC just does not GET IT.

4. The most out-of-touch leadership in modern American history.

5. And they just keep on whistling past their merry little graveyard.

6. Reid's Senate today has postponed health care to RAISE THE DEBT CEILING by ONE POINT EIGHT TRIL.

7. While simultaneously smooshing thru a measure to INCREASE funding for congressional and cabinet agencies by TEN PERCENT.

8. Including a 2% PAY RAISE for govt workers already making an average of 71K.

9. How are Out-of-Work Alice and Homeless Harry expected to feel about their public employees pulling down six figures?

10. Back in the Reform Era of Gladstone and Disraeli, the civil service recognized that it was borne on the overburdened backs of the terminally troubled taxpayer.

11. Job security, retirements, benefits---these things could be arranged in terms of government compensation.

12. But not a lot of cash---sucking capital out of economies always crashes them.

13. We need more "civil" and more "service" and less mercenary impetus from our public people.

14. It needs start at the top.

15. It isn't.

The Prof
Click to expand...

I know it brings a tear to my eye.

man-crying.jpg
 
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