While I understand the sentiments, I get a bit miffed when I see these stories because not all of us are the leeches that federal workers are depicted as (while many are leeches, not all of us fit the description). Many of us are no different than the rest of the work force. I’m retired AF and now a DOD employee. While I would love to not have had my pay frozen the past couple years, I’m one of the minority that understands that I need to be grateful for a job and I pay taxes the same as everyone else. I think we need to make serious cuts in the number of federal workers and only hope (like any sane person) that my job isn’t one of those that gets cut. I am a supervisor in a shop that trains our military to prepare them for their career. The folks that I work with are mainly hard workers with a solid work ethic. Our areas have taken on a bigger and bigger load and have less people to do the job - a few are being treated for stress and depression and we expect it to get much worse when sequestration triggers - I still want it to happen to induce as much pain as possible and start to wake people up, even if it results in me losing my job. I’m 60, but know I can find some way to make a few bucks and keep my wife in a home instead of moving into our cars. The problem is that we all get lumped into the same ugly pot as those who consider their pay to be a right even if they opt out of working for it.
I hear you, Trebb. I am a Federal worker also. I used to be a defense contractor, and I am a retiree from the USAF. I am extremely grateful to have this job, because I believe God gave it to me after my wife was diagnosed with bone cancer. I make enough to get by now that she is no longer working, and we have used it to foster/adopt three beautiful kids. Yes it would be nice to get paid a little higher wage, but I understand the times. I will never, ever join the union, and neither will my co-workers who are hard-working, dedicated ex-military just like me.