Why Federal Workers Deserve What They're Paid

The Washington Post ^ | February 3, 2010 | Joe Davidson

[Poundstone]

Excerpt: The budget answers critics, including Scott Brown, the newly elected Republican senator from Massachusetts, who say federal civilians earn much more than private-sector workers. There's a reason for that. Federal workers are better educated.

"The Federal Government hires lawyers to tackle corruption, security professionals to monitor our borders, doctors to care for our injured veterans, and world-class scientists to combat deadly diseases such as cancer," the budget says. "Because of these vital needs, the Federal Government hires a relatively highly educated workforce, resulting in higher average pay."

Consider these stats: Twenty percent of federal workers have a master's, professional or doctorate degree, compared with 13 percent in the private sector. Fifty-one percent of federal employees have a college degree of some sort, but only 35 percent do in the private sector.

Frankie and Flo may not be smarter than other folks, but they do have more schooling, and they get paid accordingly. They are also substantially older, and that contributes to higher pay -- 46 percent of federal employees are 50 or older, compared with 31 percent of private-sector workers.

Although the section doesn't say so, comparing overall federal and private-sector pay is misleading in another way, because Uncle Sam doesn't employ many people at the bottom of the wage scale the way industry does.

Job-for-job comparisons tell a completely different story. In fact, government figures indicate that federal employees are underpaid by 26 percent compared with their counterparts in similar position in the business world.

[muawiyah]

Takes work to think of things for you guys to do to earn your keep ~ and keep your employees out of trouble.

[muawiyah]

The USPS "subsidy" is ZERO, ZIP, NADA ~ and when I want something to go "overnight" I send it via an Air Express company and have someone go out to the terminal to pick it up.

Otherwise you're just wasting your money.

BTW, if you want your Express packages delivered before they're rifled and you are sending them to New York, use USPS. That's what UPS and Fedex do!

[TnGOP]

And by the way, if it is true that it is so dismal, why is there so much more competition and nepotism for many of the the jobs, instead of the great ones available in the private sector...

You might want to re-read my post. I merely corrected your post. As for the Postal Service, I can't speak to the other departments, because I don't work there. Others have confirmed in previous posts that the Postal benefits are very similar to other agencies.

I never indicated that things were dismal - I LOVE my job! My intent was only to correct a common misperception and glaring error in your post.

[vbmoneyspender]

absolute bullshit

[jessduntno]

“Federal workers get “survivor” pay for getting through the application process? Has anyone ever applied for a government job; the application process is a blizzard of forms to complete.”

Life is just so hard...

[muawiyah]

Does it bother you that I have my own privatization scheme, including enabling legislation, property title transfers, and every other element relating to that ON MY COMPUTER?

First thing we do is a leveraged buyout of UPS. Then we integrate their management into USPS while firing their workforce.

[Arrowhead1952]

SEC workers investigated for porn-surfing.

Most federal servers have a built in system that does not allow workers to access porn sites. If I ever click on a You Tube link at work, I get a nasty message

"Access Forbidden"

on my screen. There is no way I can access any porn site from work, even if I tried. One guy got fired after he brought in his personal laptop, hooked it on the LAN and visited several porn sites.

[muawiyah]

There are exceedingly well educated systems analysts at DOD who spend their days working up detailed defense plans. I guess Obama might imagine them useless.

[TnGOP]

From initial application to starting work took me 18 months!

[muawiyah]

“Bullshit” is a response that has nothing to back it up. I’ve got my sources. Where are yours?

[vbmoneyspender]

Here is the CBO Report on Postal Service subsidies:

The U. S. Postal Service (USPS) still relies on the federal government to cover a portion of its costs, although 1970 law moved the USPS off-budget with the intention that the service operate as a self-supporting enterprise. Of particular note are the costs of health and pension benefits for USPS retirees. The USPS now covers only two-thirds of these personnel costs, and the federal government covers the balance in "indirect subsidies." As the Congress continues its search for ways to reduce federal costs, the question arises as to whether the government ought to continue subsidizing USPS compensation costs. This paper, undertaken at the request of the Chairman of the House Committee on the Budget, provides analytical background on the size, nature, and effects of these indirect subsidies. The paper also sets out various options for reducing this aspect of federal support.

See Link

[BradyLS]

I’m glad that with all those geniuses in charge, the debt is only in the trillions with zero government waste.

[getitright]

There are a wider variety of federal jobs than I realized. When I here the term, I think of enormous office buildings stuffed with union do-nothings raking in obscene salaries, benefits, and pensions.

There are no doubt many very sharp folks working for the government. I would expect them to be most highly represented in the military/law enforcment/intelligence fields.

The primary point I believe is this- seperating income from product yields gross inefficiencies. This is what most union situations move towards. I’m sure many of you governemnt workers earn every penny but I’ll bet that out of the millions there are most who don’t.

[jessduntno]

“There is no way I can access any porn site from work, even if I tried. One guy got fired after he brought in his personal laptop, hooked it on the LAN and visited several porn sites.”

So a little thing like built in safeguards and the complete knowledge that it is wrong still won’t stop some Fed Employees’ need to get horned up AT WORK? That’s pretty funny...it would be funnier if we weren’t all paying for it, though.

[TankerKC]

Average compensation for Federal Military is $113,871? Per year? That will be news to those in uniform.

[muawiyah]

1984?

I do believe the situation you are pointing to has subsequently been dealt with. More recently (like since 1984) OMB has cheated postal retirees out of tens of billions of dollars by overcharging for retirement.

Now, going directly to the health insurance situation, the federales forced postal employees into Medicare and that smarmed up what or where subsidies might have occurred.

Irrespective of that I kept close track of every penny I paid to retirement and determined that if it were simply routed into T-bills I would have paid for all of my possible retirement costs FOREVER.

Most people simply don't realize federal employees under the old CSRS system paid for their own retirement.

[freespirited]

There's always someone around who imagines that federal employees do nothing all day and still get paid.

Yup, and that is terribly unfair to those who in fact are reading the Post all day.

Actually, I think the problem is the perception that too many federal workers do little to nothing of real value.

[from occupied ga]

I’ve got my sources. Where are yours?

Here you go usa today dec 2009 on federal salaries - ie overpaid federal employees swilling at the taxpayers' expense

[ladyrustic]

So between you and the go’vt. you pay $1000 a month ($12,000 a year)for a policy that only covers $7500 in expenses per year? I think you’re mistaken.

[vbmoneyspender]

The John Stossel: Post Office IS Subsidized

The Post Office wasn't happy with my recent post, "Obama's Post Office Mistake." A spokesman sent me a letter claiming that: "The Postal Service is not government subsidized. The last time the Postal Service received taxpayer money for its operation was 1982."

Well, that’s true but mostly not true. Not paying parking tickets and monopoly powers are certainly a form of subsidy. In addition, The Post Office doesn't have to pay state or local taxes, and it gets to borrow billions from the government at reduced rates ($10.2 billion, by the end of this year, according to the GAO.) Last year, the FTC found that the Post Office received implicit subsidies of $34 to $117 million -- and that's not counting the monopoly, its biggest benefit.