Posted on 12/21/2010 5:53:45 AM PST by Poundstone
I’m sorry, but I don’t begrudge a guy who gets his leg blown off in Afghanistan his pension. I think it’s great that your grandfather and our forefathers served without expecting retirement benefits, but it’s a different world. Now we require a standing force, and that means a professional military. You can’t maintain today’s military with a force composed entirely of raw recruits. You have to train and retain experienced personnel. Why you’d begrudge these folks a pension after they’ve served for decades, I just don’t get. Couldn’t you find another target more deserving of your rancor than the active duty military?
HerrBlucher: “I’ll take a lazy overpaid government employee any day over a hard working fascist who earns his pay.”
An interesting point, and I agree so long as you admit not every government employee is a fascist. Whole departments should probably be eliminated or slashed, but that doesn’t mean every federal employee is an enemy of We The People.
I wasn’t referring to his deployment in Afghanistan. I was referring to the article he recommended that featured Federal employees and public employee union officials whining about how tough it is for government employees and how they are victims of unfair attacks.
Sure, I don’t begrudge any man permanently injured on a job from doing that job a disability pension from that employer unless the worker had agreed to not make any claim to liability against the employer.
But it is the entitlements granted “veterans” of any sort — especially those not wounded, and the encouragement of the sense that they “deserve” such entitlements because their jobs are more special than the jobs of others that has been at the vanguard at disenfranchising Americans from our legacy of self-reliance, independence from government, and sense of shame at being on the dole in any way.
Niteranger68: “You don’t just fire them, you reduce the pay to a point where you find someone competent at the lowest salary possible.”
You write as though the federal government is an easily managed monolithic entity. Given the wide range of jobs in the DoD alone, it’s difficult enough to find out who’s competent (or not) and determine the lowest salary they’ll take. What you propose sounds simple, but it’s not.
Personally, I think it makes more sense to target unnecessary agencies and programs. If we stop subsidizing ethanol, for example, we could probably eliminate a bunch of ethanol program bureaucrats. That’s far easier than trying to reach down into the ethanol programs to figure out who are good employees (or not).
“I’ll take a lazy overpaid government employee any day over a hard working fascist who earns his pay.” No this is wrong because then you just get more of them, like now, and nat all are lazy many actually want to harm this country.
“A lazy Congress is a good Congress, any day they are NOT in session is a great day for Freedom.” No then they just pass bills that no one has read, and we the people are screwed.
I understand your anger, but you cut with too wide a swath. You’re targeting the good with the bad, and that’s nonsense. Unless you’re an anarchist, you must realize some government is necessary. If you study economic models, you’ll realize that too small a government is actually just as bad as too much government. There’s a point where government actually encourages and multiplies private economic activity. We’re past that point now, but that doesn’t mean all government activities (and employees) are bad. Yes, we need to cut the federal government, but let’s not get carried away. What do you want good people to do? Do you want conservatives to refuse government employment? Only the leftists would be left.
No of course not, many hard working government employees are doing their best to maintain our freedom, and that most certainly includes civilian support of the military. But FCC management is clearly fascist or they wouldn’t even think of regulating something outside their authority and not in need of regulation. The DOJ is fascist for going after Arizona. The Congress is facsist for working hard against the will of the people and to destroy our country.
I really don’t think lazy overpaid government workers are the big problem they are made out to be, but they are an easy and very visible target. That doesn’t mean they are not a problem, but as far as I am concerned, the bigger issue is the hard working fascists. Conservatives are being distracted by what appears to them the great outrage.....pensions, salaries, incompetence, laziness, while the real outrage, government out of control lead by power mad freakshows, flys by almost unnoticed.
The worst thing in the world for us is to hire ambitious, hard working, ladder climbers to fill the offices of orgs like the EPA, FCC etc. Yes, we should simply dump these agencies, or significantly reduce them, but if we have to have them for image, false security, or PC sake, may they be filled with clockwatchers, net surfers, and storage room adulterers.
A service member’s job IS special in that they risk their lives to defend the nation. That’s simply not on the same level as selling widgets at Walmart. That’s not meant to demean widget sellers. It’s only meant to point out that the military is not just another job like any other.
Do you even know where to locate the list of said powers?
HerrBlucher: “Conservatives are being distracted by what appears to them the great outrage.....pensions, salaries, incompetence, laziness, while the real outrage, government out of control lead by power mad freakshows, flys by almost unnoticed.”
Yep! Like you wrote, ladder-climbing bureaucrats are gravitating to DC for their share of the lucre, while our elected leaders channel trillions to special interests. Yet, some people would rather grouse about a GS-7 somewhere maybe making a few extra bucks. Amazing!
Lurker: “Do you even know where to locate the list of said powers?”
I’m not here to be quizzed by the likes of you. Go find someone else to play your silly game.
They can’t pass bills when they are not in session. A lazy worker will not make the effort to draft onerous regulations and legislation. Obamacare was 3,000 pages, that took a LOT of HARD work over a short period of time. It would have been much better if they just sat around with their thumb up their arse, now its up OUR arses!
My daughter, also a Federal Employee, has already been on two deployments to Afghanistan. It’s not all standing around at an embassy reception, drinking champagne.
Get rid of federal agencies that were authorized under the New Deal "substantial effects" Commerce Clause.
If we really need done what they're doing, and it can only be done by the federal government then we'll get a constitutional amendment to enumerate a power to authorize it.
If we really need it done, and the states can do it, let them.
That it is "important work" does not constitute a grant of power to the federal government to assume control of it.
Most military do not risk their lives. The modern ratio, iirc, is like 18 support jobs for every job at the front lines.
But private citizens in some trades risk their lives every day — anyone who works in a trench, loggers, tree men, farmers, fishermen, fire-fighters, demolition workers, pilots — AND store clerks in many inner-city stores. Do they get to claim special benefits whose cost is extractable in taxes by government agents from the rest of us?
Donald Rumsfeld was right to rely on lean forces, special forces, technology. The more privatization of military operations — including war-fighting — the better.
So it's "No" then. Figures.
Yea, now that’s a horse of a different color then :)
Out of that $2 million equivalent, how much was contributed by the employee over a 30 year career? What is the Future Worth of that 30 year annuity the employee put in over that 30 year period, including the 20 or 30 year drawdown time?
Why don’t you finish your analysis instead of pretending, falsely, that the taxpayer is responsible for that full $2 million equivalent.
I wait with baited breath for your full analysis of the 3 amounts that equate to $2 million.
You got that right. Good for your daughter.
I’m very pleased to see how many FReepers have a balanced and informed view of federal employees. Quite a contrast to the vengeful, hate-filled screeds I’ve read in the past!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.