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Federal pensions are not being phased out. Federal employees have a three legged stool of pension support, i.e., FERS, SS, and the TSP. Where did you come up with the information that would lead you to believe that federal pensions were being phased out?

FERS is a defined benefit play (as is CSRS), something that some in Congress would like to do away with.

"U.S. Senator Richard Burr (R-NC), along with Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK), introduced on Thursday the Public-Private Employee Retirement Act of 2011 (S. 644) to address long-term liabilities facing the federal government. The legislation would end the defined benefit pension portion of the Federal Employee Retirement System (FERS) for new federal government hires starting in 2013, leaving fully in place the Thrift Savings Plan with the current match (up to 5%) for both current and future federal workers. The bill would also apply to Members of Congress."

"Currently, federal workers enjoy both a defined benefit pension and a Thrift Savings Plan (equivalent to a 401(k)) with up to a 5% match, paid for by the taxpayers. The average private sector employee gets a 401(k) with a 3% employer match and no pension. Federal workers also continue to enjoy federal health care benefits (FEHB) after they retire, a benefit that is becoming increasingly rare in the private sector."

"According to the Senators, the FERS system is currently underfunded by nearly a billion dollars. The old federal pension system, the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS), is underfunded by $673 billion. In the coming years, as more of the retirement burden falls on the FERS system, the required federal government contributions to FERS will skyrocket, especially in comparison to what federal workers will put into the system. In 2012, the federal government will contribute $22.2 billion to FERS. By 2065, those required contributions will rise to $239.5 billion, with the government paying out $415.3 billion in benefits."

"Federal pensions are being phased out. New workers now contribute to defined contribution plans, with employer matching. "

"employer matching"?. Excuse me but that is still myself and others in the private sector paying for their retirement

Even the employee "contributions" are payed by.....you guessed it, the private sector! And here is something no one talks about. Government employees don't pay ANY taxes, ever! The source of a government workers entire paycheck COMES FROM TAXES, therefore it's impossible for them to PAY them. They are simply handing back some of the money that was taken from the private sector in the first place.

Government workers have NOT earned these pensions. The money is simply being taken from those in the private sector that have earned and produced wealth.

Massive numbers of government "workers" is why this country is broke.

I don't mean this on a personal level for anyone but this IS the truth.