77,000 feds paid more than governors

The Washington Times ^ | 6/1/2011 | Stephen Dinan

[libertycause13]

"More than 77,000 federal government employees throughout the country — including computer operators, more than 5,000 air traffic controllers, 22 librarians and one interior designer — earned more than the governors of the states in which they work.

The findings, from a Congressional Research Service report requested by Sen. Tom Coburn, Oklahoma Republican, were released at a time when public workers’ salaries and benefits are under scrutiny across the country as governments try to streamline...."

[Gondring]

Note the difference between federal and state.

I recently applied for both a private sector one similar to one I have now, and a state job with greater responsibilities. I got offers from both.

My current salary is 50% more than what the state offered. And the benefits are about comparable!

It's well known in my field that fed jobs are nearly impossible to get based on qualifications alone. We got one woman in our office from one of those dream positions, and I asked her why she left. She pointed out that "the system is flooded with those damn [ex-]military guys who don't know what they're doing, and they just sit in those positions and block anyone from advancement or getting anything done." Her ambition and eye on quality were frustrated there.

The federal government should hire the most qualified people, not base things on gender, race, military service, etc. As much as I honor the military, it's ridiculous to give preferences, IMO.

[Gondring]

People really have no idea what they’re talking about when they start whinning about how great Federal employees have it.

Yeah...I notice that many of the people who do that complaining don't actually have any contact with those federal jobs.

Another aspect to this article that conservatives are walking right into is that it's an attack on the upper salaries, giving tacit support of a flatter salary structure, not one based on market pricing and skill sets.

The problem isn't the highly specialized, well-paid professionals. It's the numerous bureaucrats at lower levels that are compensated at greater-than-minimal levels for minimal work (productivity, quality, difficulty, or other measure).

[mom4melody]

“the system is flooded with those damn [ex-]military guys who don’t know what they’re doing, and they just sit in those positions and block anyone from advancement or getting anything done.”

True that. I was a lowly GS-7 warranted Contract Specialist trying to train a dumba$$ (although very nice) veterans preference GS-13 hire. Most of our Veterans Preference hire’s couldn’t, and can’t, do the job.

As much as I support and admire all our veterans, they need to qualify for the job on skill, education and experience, not entitlement.

[demshateGod]

That’s a great picture. I remember pictures of Bush making trails in Rocky Mountain National Park. Here’s a picture of 0 putting up curtains. My 5’3” wife doesn’t even call me off the couch to help her with a job like that. Great photo opp Mr. President!!

[AngelesCrestHighway]

To hell with big government because a big bite out of your wallet supports it.....To hell with Obama!

[57 Red States]

Computer operators and air traffic controllers have more useful and difficult-to-learn skills than governors. It naturally follows that their free-market worth is higher.

[57 Red States]

Obviously the jobs are not the same, or the guy paying $55k would have to shell out to match the $80k to get anybody to work for him.

[SkyPilot]

I now work for the VA - and just now, in 2011, have managed to match the salary I had in 2002. My current job is much more complex and technical then my private sector job ever was, for the whopping salary of $49,000. As for the comments about how great Fed benefits are - really? The health insurance is so expensive we use my husbands, Holidays and vacation are just normal - I had more at my private sector job. What other benefits are there? We can’t even get coffee for a department staff meeting. I buy my own pens and planner, and folks who telework pay for their own internet. My private sector company paid for all of that. My office is an old nasty building that doesn’t even have central air. There is so much work and so few staff everyone in my office takes work home (we don’t get OT either).

I feel for you, and totally agree with what you posted.

If there are any GOP staffers or lawmakers who read this forum, here is a message for them:

What the hell are you doing? Going after VA doctor salaries now?!

This is total BS. Scape goating lowly GS workers or the salaries of professionals that ARE doing a good job for the taxpayer is not what we elected you to do. The Fed workers have already taken it in the shorts: pay freeze for effectively 3 years, now proposed to effectively 6 years; no cost of living (locality pay) increase for 2010 and now 2011; health care insurance going through the roof; proposed 5% pay cut, etc, etc, etc.

Even if they added all of that up, the effect on the debt and deficit would be in the .0025 range.

I'll spell it out in language that Rush Limbaugh used:

"Medicare and Medicaid ARE the deficit."

What is the GOP strategy? That if they demonize VA doctors and nurses, and make them suffer even more, then it will be easier to "sell" the public on the necessary entitlement cuts that have to be implemented? That's a pretty pi$$ poor strategy, and whoever is advising Ryan and Boehner should be fired.

Do your jobs Republicans. Reform "Entitlements" and stop with the chump change propaganda TV appearances.

[57 Red States]

Precisely. In fact, federal salaries for jobs that require high-level skills (doctors, lawyers, scientists, engineers) are generally much too low to attract talent, because they’re stuck on the same stupid one-size-fits-all scale with the interchangeable paper-pushers.

[57 Red States]

Absolutely no federal employee should be making that kind of money.

What a dumbass statement. The man who put a bullet in Osama bin Laden's head was a federal employee, and deserves more than a grateful nation could ever give him.

[57 Red States]

As much as I honor the military, it's ridiculous to give preferences, IMO.

Maybe for jobs where military experience is actually relevant (e.g. defense/intel agencies). Not across the board the way it is now (another case where one-size-fits-all stupidity screws up the system).

[mom4melody]

The CEO of every private sector company I every worked for made more then the President of the United States.

Much, much more.

[upsdriver]

What a dumbass statement. The man who put a bullet in Osama bin Laden's head was a federal employee, and deserves more than a grateful nation could ever give him.

Why? Because you say so? Besides, Obama already gets paid over $150,000. Are you a government employee? A parasite?

[b4its2late]

DITTO!

(Glock Model 26 BTW....)

[57 Red States]

You think Obama personally shot bin Laden? The dumbassitude just gets thicker and thicker....

[CholeraJoe]

First of all, I'd close down the VA hospitals.

That would break a 146 year old promise. "To care for him who shall have borne the battle, and his widow and orphan." Abraham Lincoln March 4, 1865.

Or does that promise only apply to Civil War Veterans? The other 30 million of us are on our own according to you?

[Stat-boy]

Here is an idea:

The Gov could spec out and solicit bids for private health care plans, and each Vet would be the beneficiary. Vets then would have the right to chose the best health care they can find, outside of government hospitals.

[upsdriver]

We don’t need VA hospitals to fulfill that promise. They can be cared for at the same hospitals you and I go to with Uncle Sam picking up the check for their care. It would be far cheaper and they would get better care. Outsourcing is something we need to be looking at in all areas of government. The private sector runs circles around government run entities.

[upsdriver]

Of course not, you humorless noobie libtard.

[glock rocks]