*This year, the post-Thanksgiving belt tightening isn’t just about too much pumpkin pie: President Obama is proposing a salary freeze for all civilian federal employees over the next two years (military personnel will not be affected).
Asserting that this was a difficult decision, Obama put the freeze into the context of a broader effort to trim government costs across the board, including freezing salaries for all senior White House officials last year, reducing improper government payments by $50 billion by the end of 2012, and putting forward over $1 trillion in deficit reduction into the 2011 budget.
“I am committed to doing my part,” the president said Monday. But “the hard truth is that getting this deficit under control is going to require some broad sacrifices” — including some on the part of federal employees.
According to the White House, the freeze — which negates a planned 1.2 percent increase in 2011 for 2.1 million workers — will save $2 billion for the remainder of fiscal year 2011, $28 billion over the next five years and more than $60 billion over the next 10.
Read more HERE.
Yeah! Thanks a Lot
No disrespect to federal workers, but they are some of the most overpaid, over-benefited, almost impossible to fire folk on the planet. Sorry, but the truth of the matter is that not only should there be a pay freeze there should be a pay decrease and some jobs cut. Why is it that at one point the only sector that grew in the number of employees was federal government jobs?? Hell not only were there more jobs created there at that same point they were getting more bonuses & shit than any other employer out there. Now isn’t that strange that the government workers would be doing so well while the folk who pay their salaries are doing so bad??
Federal employees do not make dollar per dollar what the private sector makes. Federal employees do not get raises that match that of the annual cost of living. Federal employess are not some lazy, over benefitted ilk who are laying around getting their salaries for no work. Our insurance packages are some of the most costly packages out there. I pay in excess of $375 per pay period for health insurance. But it won’t pay for a mammagram, and I have one of the best ones out available to federal employees.
The federal government is one organization that has to run. Period. But we get rifted, and facilities close, and we lose our jobs. It happens all the time. Starting wages for most federal jobs at the GS-04 level is around $14.00 hourly. Comparatively, some larger companies pay $15 to $17 to start. By the time that new employee pays for insurance and other deductions, they are bring home right around $1,000 for 80 hours of work. And most often, it is not $1,000…it is usually less.
Unfortunately, I believe that many folks mistakenly think some state and local organizations are actually federal employees, where there tends to be less accountability for services they are to provide. But I don’t work for those Agencies, so I’ll not say what I think of them.
But most federal workers (not saying there aren’t some slackers as there are in any organization) are a commmitted bunch. Most of us started making very low wages, but stayed with federal federal employment to grow and develop. (the same as employees in most organizations).
Personally, I don’t think it is fair that a federal employee who makes $30,000 annually is not going to get a pay raise.
The GOP has wanted to freeze federal employment wages, because typically, the largest union in the country that represents federal employees tend to disagree with GOP politics. My disappointment is that President Obama bit it.
Federal employees makeeup a large percentage of the employment base in the United States. Probably the bggest employment base. On economies, these are low to middle class families. If there are federal employees making of $250K annually, it is a combination of dual incomes. The individuals making over $200K in federal sector employment is minuscule.
Freezing the wages of federal workers at this point only hurts the middle class…again. GOP Lead Cantor likes that. He wants tax breaks for his group of folks who make over $250K, himself included. But no one is freezing his wages.
This is wrong, and I believe a decision that will cost the President dearly.
Excellent post!
But you know what, I’m willing to bet my last Krispy Kreme doughnut that the Republicans will find a way to disagree with this pay freeze even though this is exactly what they want. I really, REALLY wish that President Obama would stop trying so hard to appease a group of folks who are determined to hate him no matter what.
Cost him dearly?!
I know you not referring to the election. Obama already signed, sealed and delivered that to the Republicans.
The man no longer has a base, as progressive are finally coming to their senses and realizing that Obama is “pro-Pentagon, pro-Wall Street, and doesn’t have a transformative bone in his body regarding either race or class.”
Maybe one day we Democrats will learn. If you want change, you got to be willing to go for broke and elect a real progressive, not a fake one. Maybe next time we will give more than a glancing look at the likes of Dennis Kucinich.
Reds: Fortunately, but also sadly we are in agreement. I was saying almost exactly the same thing on my ride in to work.
Penny: Thanks a lot for your post.
(military personnel will not be affected).
Anything but the Republicans sacred cow. And we know how much Obama is beholden to the Republicans and their military agenda.
“The freeze will save $28 billion over the next five years and more than $60 billion over the next 10.”
60 billion in Ten years?!
That’s all?
According to the Congressional Research Service, both the afghan war and illegal occupation of Iraq is costing around 200 billion per year.
According to the Congressional Research Service, both the afghan war and illegal occupation of Iraq is costing around 200 billion per year.
That’s two trillions in ten years, more than 30 times what Obama would save by cutting government wages.
So all Obama has to do is end the damn wars and he would be able to give civil servants all the pay raise they want and still have more to fix the economy.
According to the American Friends Service Committee, “The money spent on one day of the Iraq war could buy homes for almost 6,500 families or health care for 423,529 children, or could outfit 1.27 million homes with renewable electricity.”
The Obama apologists will come up with all kinds of excuses why he has to kowtow to the Republicans and their sacred military cow, as they attempt to psycho analyze his every move. But maybe it’s time that we accept that Obama is “pro-Pentagon, pro-Wall Street, and doesn’t have a transformative bone in his body regarding either race or class.” Glen Ford of Black Agenda Report did an excellent psycho analysis of Obama which may finally cast some light on the man’s true nature.
Not sure why you feel that my pay has to freeze due to a war. The war should end, understood, but the military works 24/7 And we get a base pay, our “raise’ every year is not even $50 extra bucks a pay check. we can work 12 hour shifts for 3 weeks straight but we still get the same pay that we would if we did 8 hours a day five days a week. So im sorry but im happy that the “prized cows” aren’t getting hit.
Because you are such an Obama apologist, you missed the larger point I was making. My point, because of the illegal war and occupation, everyone has to suffer, including you. Federal civilian workers directly, the private sector, health care, social programs, the whole economy. The 200 billion a year could conceivable fix every ill that ails our economy social endeavors.
You may be getting a pay raise, but how much more would/could that be if we didn’t have to finance the illegal war and occupation?
Have you ever stop to think about that?
Oh, you getting a combat booster, but is it really worth it when you may spend the rest of your life shell shocked, or on crutches?
i already agread with you about the war. We shouldnt be fighting over there, everyone feels that way but Obama didnt start this so i dont think it fair for anyone to put blame on someone trying to stop something and make it better. you tell him how to stop a war, end unemployment, fix healthcare, fix our budget and make everyone happy in two years. im not fussing at you but im just saying…
Psycho-Babbling Obama
A Black Agenda Radio commentary by Glen Ford
“Rather than face the fact that Obama is not a friend of the people, leftish commentators insist on conducting a psychological analysis of the president.”
Still unwilling or unable to admit that they were “psyched out” by Barack Obama and his corporate handlers, Lefties search for psychological reasons that the First Black President has been such a disappointment. It’s the failure to fight thing, or the lack of vision thing, or the failure to communicate thing, they say.
“It isn’t that Obama has trouble conveying his vision, it’s that his actual vision is unacceptable to progressives.”
As for his willingness to fight, Obama fought his own left wing, and “stomped their butts into the dirt” over his corporate health care plan.
For two years we watched Barack Obama undercut the left wing of his party at every turn, with a disdain so palpable his minions could not resist insulting leftists in the most juvenile terms. For two years we watched the First Black President facilitate the greatest transfer of wealth in human history – $12 to $14 trillion – to Wall Street, and we watched as he put the U.S. war machine back on the offensive in the world. For two years we heard Obama say over and over again that he had no intention of taking targeted action to help Black and brown communities that had been targeted for destruction by banks. After two years, one would think that folks on the Left would have gotten the idea that Obama is pro-Pentagon, pro-Wall Street, and doesn’t have a transformative bone in his body regarding either race or class. But, for many, the message, however obvious, has not sunk in. Rather than face the fact that Obama is not a friend of the people, leftish commentators insist on conducting a psychological analysis of the president. They seem to be trying to find some quirk in Obama’s personality that can by corrected in time for the Armageddon showdown with the Republicans.
That’s a recurring theme with Obama apologists, that Obama won’t fight. But Obama showed plenty of fight during the health care debate. He fought the left wing of his own party every step of the way, exiling single-payer supporters to the margins while he kissed Republican boodie and empowered Blue Dogs and DLCers. He didn’t just fight progressives, he stomped their butts into the dirt
Dr. Ron Daniels, of the Institute for the Black World, thinks the problem is Obama’s “failure to effectively communicate” his “vision, programs and policies.”
It isn’t that Obama has trouble conveying his vision, it’s that his actual vision is unacceptable to progressives. Of all people, Barack Obama doesn’t need communications lessons.
The psychological problem is not Obama’s. It’s the problem of much of the Left, who imagined an Obama that never existed. That’s why it was so easy for Obama and his corporate handlers to psyche-out the Left. If you think Obama is salvageable, then you’re the one with the psychological problem.
http://www.blackagendareport.com/?q=content/psycho-babbling-obama.
Penelope, your post is right on point! You are absolutely correct in your post about the folks who are going to feel the pain will be workers at the lower end of the pay scale.
If the federal employees are getting hit, it’s worst on the state and local levels. I feel bad for all employees who work for the public because we are taking an unfair beating over the issues of salaries and pensions. The political right as well as corporations have spent untold sums of money in the media, denouncing public workers as over pensioned, high salaried, lazy folks who should take less money in their salaries and cuts in their pensions. This is besides the fact that when there were good times, public employees were still getting cutbacks and forced to take less money! It is not public employees fault that the corporations have cut back on jobs and salaries on the bottoms, raiding pensions and sending jobs overseas. Why are the working poor and middle class being punished for just trying to survive?
For all those who are against public workers making a decent wage or getting decent health benefits, why are the politicans giving themselves wage increases and are required to get life long free health care? If it is expected for public employees to take a hit, well, policitians, who are ALSO public employees, need to take rescind their pay increases as well.
Getting hit! It is a 2 to 4% cost of living increase that will be cancelled for two years people!!! It doesn’t effect promotions or bonuses! I believe he is doing exactly as he should, trying to be a fair and balanced president. No one side is going to be completely happy or satisfied, and when you have one side who’s agenda is based on pure hate, then as mentioned, anything he does will be scrutinized and hawked spit out. I am a federal worker, and no I don’t like that I won’t get my cost of living, but damnit, I am not being laid off, I am not being forced to take a pay reduction, I am not being furloughed, I just won’t get the couple of dollars in January increase for two years OHHHH WOOOOOOE IS ME! I do agree that the comparison of salaries has been miscontrued. I work with the private sector who jobs have been made possible through outsourcing our federal jobs, and TRUST, theire salaries are almost double of what the federal staffs are with the same title!! This is a fact!! so hogwash to that argument. Obama, do what you gotta do with a clear conscious.
Perhaps, your utilities and taxes don’t go up in your neck of the woods. Perhaps, you are living with other people to offset the cost of rent. Perhaps, you don’t have any children or an elderly parent to care for or health expenses. Perhaps, you make a higher salary which wouldn’t make a dent in your budget. Basically, you can WOOOOOOE is me for yourself. I don’t see cutting people’s salary who are already suffering as ‘fair and balanced’.
There alot of people that are ‘employed’ and are living on the streets. That’s pure selfishness. The President is making a wrong decision by balancing the budget on the backs on people who need the most.
Not unlike the previous non-progressive Democratic president, balancing the federal budget on the backs of poor and working class people. Clinton was just as ruthless in the service of his Republican masters, as he slashed welfare to the bone.
And guess what, my aunt and cousin was forced to get a job. And not only did they get one, but the “welfare to work” allotted them PREMIUM training first. And now I have a NURSE and a Security Officer in the ranks of the working class! Now as a parent, when it comes to feeding my children, I would be the first in any line to receive whatever help I need, but one of those lines would be the unemployment office in my effort to lace up my boots and walk on my own. I know it isn’t easy, but we all know of someone who thinks it is a rite of passage, and think welfare is an in heritage. Help me HELP myself!!
!!
Good for you. But it didn’t work out that rosy for most families. For the most part, welfare reform increased the hardships faced by many women leaving welfare for work. Their movement into low-wage jobs, or to no work, exposed them to higher levels of housing insecurity, homelessness, food insecurity, and hunger. Women of color, who are overrepresented on the welfare rolls, are especially vulnerable to the negative impacts of welfare reform.
50- 65% of persons who leave the rolls have jobs generally paying wages around $7.00 to $8.00 per hour. Mothers with multiple children face extreme difficulty finding child care on that salary, even with child care funding.
The thing about the pay raise in my opinion, is that the president should freeze the Awards. Most of the ppl benefiting from those humongus awards are not at the lower end of the pay schedule…it is the upper end, typically, white males and females. The awards will keep coming, and those ppl on the upper end of the general schedule will benefit. Not giving the COL across the board is grossly unfair.
The two highest lines in a budget are real estate/mortgage/rent and salaries. Anyone disagree? The third is benefits.
If not, why are you surprised? Obama stated that he was going to freeze government spending more than once….and well before last month. A salary freeze was tried in June of this summer and it failed. He had already put a freeze on White House staff making over $100k when he first took office. The writing was on the wall FROM THE BEGINNING PEOPLE. He has already cut spending for DOD and Civilian Agencies, to include NASA. He has already pushed edicts that less work should go to Contractor’s. The biggest line has/is being reduced (real estate/rent/mortgage) as reconstructing and making military bases and other large agencies more efficient has begun. (BRAC realignment) That was the left shoe that hit the floor during the past 19-20 months.
Now the other shoe is dropping. The second biggest line in a budget and many programs that are budget funding holders. (Yep, I know about those.)
Obama told us AGAIN what he was going to do it back in January when the economy was more stable. Did you not believe him? Did you not pay attention? Did you even watch and listen for yourself? These posts tells me the answer.
Since when is 60 billion not a lot money? When you are broke, every penny counts! A dollar here, a dollar there….can give you $10 to buy some groceries. $60B here, $50B there can add up to a trillion in a 2-4 year…. period.
Now, let me also state that I am in the DC area, where 1 in 3 people work for the federal government. Another 1 in 3 work for federal contractors. And everyone else are state and local workers and blue collar workers.
Here are some facts that ya’ll self righteousness overlooked:
1. SOME Federal workers work hard and earn their salary.
2. Equally, SOME Federal workers are lazy as hell and many are RIP in their offices. (RIP = Retired in Place) There IS a reason Federal Contractors are EVERYWHERE.
3. Federal workers may get paid less in many instances than Private Industry…..HOWEVER, Federal Workers do not have the same risk of losing their jobs for no reason at ANY time like private industry AND Federal employees have pensions.
4. ALL full time Federal Workers are able to get subsidized health insurance, regardless of cost.
5. SOME full time Private industry workers are lucky to have health care offered AND have their employer contribute something toward it. This means, there are some private industry workers who pay $700 – $900 a month for a family of TWO. AND many do not have it at all.
That said……..
Why shouldn’t Federal employees take a hit? EVERYONE else has for the past two years!
Private industry – out and out loss of a job. Hello? The 9% unemployment is 90% private industry.
Non-Profits – out and out loss of a job. (Velma anyone?)
State and local – loss of jobs and/or loss of hours = full time to part time pay.
So guess what industry has contributed to the foreclosure fiasco? Not many federal government workers.
And Federal Government Employees want to complain about a pay freeze? For REAL?
EVERYBODY should feel the pain and contribute to this because EVERYBODY (regardless of where you work) bears some responsibility to what has happened. Any of the following describe you in the past 8 years?
1. Have credit card debt that is 25% of your take home pay?
2. Claim bankruptcy while working?
3. Are a real estate investor?
4. Have/had an interest only loan?
5. Borrow against the equity in your home? Includes HELOCs.
If so, you are one of the greedy consumers that heavily PARTICIPATED in the rapid inflation that could not be controlled. Everyone else participated lightly.
This makes me believe the Tea Party people are not the only ones who are spoon fed and don’t pay attention to Obama or anything that does not serve their interest. Gonna have to add Black people to that list. Now why am I surprised? SMDH
It is no wonder that so many have issues with Obama and are disillusioned. You did not pay attention. Not bamboozled. Not tricked. YOU did not pay attention.
Wow.
It’s an unfortunate situation for many particularly on the lower scale of pay but these are hard times and of course people have to take extra steps in budgeting and cutting costs in their discretionary income. I rather see the freeze than to see thousands of hard good working people who have families WITHOUT a job. We don’t need anymore unemployed folk in this country especially with how they are treating the unemployed. Anyone with a job should be very grateful to have one and I know that’s not the main point but this one u just have to suck it in and take the punches. Cutbacks are not only in the public sector but private as well.
Oh and for those who want to use the phrases Consumer Price Index and Cost of Living……..
Cost of Living has either stayed the same or gone up 1% a year in the past few years. SO if you were lucky to have a job and you received a raise higher than 1%, then you were LUCKY.
Consumer Price Index is based off of…..drumroll……the lifestyle of the American CONSUMER. So since the economy tanked, but we still have those who love to spend…..this number either remained the same month to month OR decreased.
During a recession (which all can surely attest happened) prices FALL. Certain items like rise, like used car prices, but overall prices fall.
If utilities are increasing…..look to who owns the utility company. Is it private owned? Then that is big business raping consumers…….who work for that big business. See another way everyone participates in greed?
it is sooo important that we understand how things work……and pass it on to our children. EVERY single one of us needs to go to a basic economic, money and investment class. And start the children early by involving them in family discussions about money, bills, etc. then grow to world economics and politics.
No wonder almost every politician the US has had was wealthy.
We are so doing ourselves an injustice.