Obama Orders Raise for Biden, Members of Congress, Federal Workers

weeklystandard.com ^ | 12/28/12 | DANIEL HALPER

[ColdOne]

President Barack Obama issued an executive order to end the pay freeze on federal employees, in effect giving some federal workers a raise. One federal worker now to receive a pay increase is Vice President Joe Biden.

According to disclosure forms, Biden made a cool $225,521 last year. After the pay increase, he'll now make $231,900 per year.

Members of Congress, from the House and Senate, also will receive a little bump, as their annual salary will go from $174,000 to 174,900. Leadership in Congress, including the speaker of the House, will likewise get an increase.

[knarf]

thanx for suquin’ m’dik

[Alter Kaker]

I am surprised that the President can raise federal pay with an Executive Order. It doesn't sound right unless there was something in the pay freeze legislation that permitted it.

You have it backwards. The pay increases are in legislation -- the pay freeze was by executive order.

[rbg81]

I’m waiting for him to try raising the debt ceiling by Executive order.

[Lazamataz]

I see what you are getting at, but they still pay taxes.

[353FMG]

This will assure Obama that ALL congresscritters will do his bidding.

Oh wait, the PUBS protested vehemently.

[crosshairs]

According to disclosure forms, Biden made a cool $225,521 last year. After the pay increase, he'll now make $231,900 per year.

Great! Now he can donate an extra dollar to charity.

[OHPatriot]

So, Plugs gets a 2.8% raise and the Federal Workers get 0.5% raise. WOW, talk about “fairness”. Just to add insult to injury, the 0.5% is less than $ 35/month BEFORE current tax rates.

[Red Badger]

All government workers, at every level, city, county, state and federal, are paid with funds taken from the private sector.

Yes, they go through the motions, filing 1040’s, paying sales taxes, real estate taxes, fuel taxes, etc., but that money they use in doing so came from the public treasury to begin with, so there is no net increase in the treasury, simply putting back in what was taken out previously.

Extrapolate to 100% of the population working for the government in some function. Who, then, would pay the taxes with which to pay the government workers?

Only through the hard work and efforts of a private individual or corporation can the government coffers be filled with tax dollars to redistribute to their workers.

They get a salary and their paycheck stubs show that they ‘paid’ some amount of various taxes, but in reality that money is just not removed from the treasury and given to the worker. They actually ‘paid’ nothing........

[FerociousRabbit]

“I see what you are getting at, but they still pay taxes.”

Yes, taxes are withheld and paid by government employees but there is never a net revenue gain by taxing government employees, no matter how much they pay in taxes (unlike the actual working class).

When I was a lad I remember that government employees paid no taxes because their salaries were nothing but tax money to begin with so it was senseless. I think that changed in the early 70s.

[deport]

I am surprised that the President can raise federal pay with an Executive Order.

***************

This EO cancels out an earlier EO of 2010 that Obama issued that installed the pay freeze. He not setting pay increases just allowing the existing legislation to act as enacted.

Just trace them back to follow the sequence.

[Varsity Flight]

And here they go as I warned. Boehner and his aides refuse theirs yet also?

[Fast Moving Angel]

So let me see if I have this straight ... we're going to borrow MORE money from China to cover pay raises for excess federal employees?

What alternate universe did they escape from?

[seowulf]

All government workers, at every level, city, county, state and federal, are paid with funds taken from the private sector....

I suppose you could say that about every private company with a government contract too.

[CodeToad]

Vote buying.

[kabar]

Thanks for the clarification. There has been legislation freezing federal salaries. I know that from personal experience.

[TurboZamboni]

For those who remember the old Soviet Union, it was a grim place — at least for average citizens. But not so for those in government. Contrary to the official ideals of equality and a classless society that the ruling communist regime espoused, the USSR created a privileged class of party members inside government — the nomenklatura.

This semipermanent bureaucracy earned higher incomes, got better health care, ate better food and had greater job security than average Russians, the much-despised proletarians. Today, our bloated federal government seems, in significant ways, to be creating this same dynamic.

http://www.investors.com/NewsAndAnalysis/Article.aspx?id=528809

BECAUSE THEY’RE ENTITLED TO ALL THAT

[Red Badger]

In a way, yes. That is also why ‘stimulus’ packages never work.

Taking money from the private sector, then putting it into highways, bridges, and even military arms does not stimulate the economy. Japan spent ten years in the 90’s trying to stimulate their economy doing those things and it did not work.....................

[jersey117]

I see he kept Biden’s salary under $250,000

[Delta Dawn]

Why do we even have a Congress anymore?

Obama shows more and more that he does not need them to run this country.

[Venturer]

It appears that he can do most anything he wants.

We do not have a Congress any more. They just show up to get their paycheck. Obama is KING.