Posted on 02/15/2011 12:11:43 PM PST by Qbert
Washington (CNN) - House Speaker John Boehner said Tuesday if some federal workers lose jobs because of Republican-proposed spending cuts, "so be it." But House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi was quick to say "not so be it."
"Over the last two years since President Obama has taken office, the federal government has added 200,000 new federal jobs and if some of those jobs are lost in this, so be it," Boehner said during a news conference with reporters at the Republican National Committee. "We're broke! It's time for us to get serious about how we're spending the nation's money."
Boehner, who was joined by other House Republican leaders, criticized the President's budget proposal for not cutting enough and said Republicans would address entitlement reform when they release their budget blueprint this spring.
"Republicans will not punt," said Boehner. "Everything's on the table. We will put forward a budget that deals with the big challenges that face our country…I have no doubts that all of these issues [Social Security and Medicare] will be on the table."
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi seized on Boehner's comments in a speech on the floor, saying Republicans' proposed cuts would leave many in the cold.
(Excerpt) Read more at politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com ...
Did he cry?
If some federal workers lose jobs because of GOP cuts, they can compete for private sector jobs that will be created as a result.
F yeah.
Federal employees serve the TAXpayers,we don’t serve them.
Welcome to the real world of layoffs,federal employees.
On the contrary, its the wacked out energy policies of your president & party that are leaving many in the cold, you saggy old marxist, you.
All Boehner is saying is federal workers ought to have some 'skin in the game'. Whats wrong with that?
Good for Boehner. We need less government leeches and more private sector producers.
With 1.9 million civilian workers (including DOD civilians) and 1.4 million uniformed personnel, the federal
government is the largest single employer in the United States (Source: White House 2008 budget numbers and OSD).
http://www.1105govinfo.com/pdfs/advertise/Federal_Employees_Almanac.pdf
In the debate over public sector compensation, it’s often noted that - in addition to generous salaries and better fringe benefits - federal employees have far greater job security than private sector workers. While a private sector worker has an approximately 20 percent chance of being fired or laid off in a given year, for federal employees it’s only 6 percent.
For 30-35 years, the private sector has addressed its structural problems (lack of profits, low productivity, losing market share, etc. etc.) with downsizing and innovation. In this same period, government (federal, state and local) has grown like crazy; largely unionized the workforce; never considered downsizing; ignored intelligent investments in technology to make their workforce efficient; expanded the bureaucracy (always the first priority of the bureaucracy is to preserve, protect and expand); and now has heeped on unrealistic compensation as well as benefits to add to the lard.
I don’t think anyone could present a rational case that federal employment and bureaucracy can’t be reduced 2-3% per year (I’m being kind — 5% per year would be a better target) along with reductions of 2-3% per year (again being kind) to overall average compensation and benefits levels to bring the government sector into alignment with the private sector and reducing the government’s footprint and cost. You could do the above just with attrition.
Federal Employees are almost impossible to fire unless they are guilty of gross misconducr(read criminal activity) That is why the number of dismissals for cause is way under even 1% of the workforce,and for those that just show up, there is no accountability. No government employee can be terminated for failure to reach minimum objective performance goals, most don’t have any.
About time but we need something stronger
I would HOPE some federal workers lose their jobs...We could probably do twice the work with half the number, properly motivated.
And there are too many directors and chiefs and assistant directors and managers- cut them first.
What the hell is this? Do they think the fed government is immune to downsizing????????
Heh heh heh
The problem is, in typical government fashion, the people who lose their jobs will likely the the BEST workers, not the worst, since government tends to keep the leeches and shed the talent.
Thank Yoon-Yuns for that.
Minor quibble -- there should be no "if". We need to cut hundreds of billions from the budget. Yeah: some people are going to lose their job. It's not an "if". Cutting the size of government is the goal: that means fewer federal workers.
They’ll just get rid of the disabled vets from Iraq and Afghanistan. I am sure that FREEPERS will be fine with it. That is who got the jobs in the last two years.....pat yourselves on the back.
I wonder what percentage of Federal employees vote democrat?
Damn right!
We are borrowing money to pay the INTEREST on the federal deficit.
What part of collapse don’t the ‘progressives’ understand?
“If some federal workers lose jobs because of GOP cuts, they can compete for private sector jobs that will be created as a result.”
Yep, and Obama’s budget expects a booming economy for the future in its assumptions (cough, cough)...so it shouldn’t be a problem at all for “Gipper” Obama to make up for these lost jobs.
‘Bout time somebody said it.
Yep. He said what is on everyone’s mind except the U.S. communists. Hey, and that goes for state, and in our case parish, and city workers. I just tried to contact the DMV in Metairie - THE PHONE #’S WERE WRONG on their WEBSITE!!!
I have to go personally tomorrow and wonder if I will ever be seen again.
In a near-perfect world these government ‘jobs’ would be considered temporary employment and there would be very few positions to fill.
When we look at the Pentagon and the entire screwed-up situation with our military we see thousands of civilians performing jobs that uniformed military personnel should be doing.
Show them the door, then change the benefit packages that draws scum to government employment. The states as as guilty as the Central Socialist Government! Get rid of 75% of these loafers.
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