Posted on 12/12/2007 11:51:49 AM PST by Graybeard58
As he did in 2001, President Bush is giving most federal workers Christmas Eve off with pay so they may have a four-day holiday weekend. It was wrong then, and it's wrong now. Yes, Presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy, Nixon and Carter did the same thing when Christmas Eve fell on Monday, but they did it because federal workers at the time were less handsomely paid. That age, however, is a distant memory.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics says the average federal salary is 48 percent higher than the private-sector average. When the value of fringe benefits (pension, health and life insurance, etc.) are added, the disparity grows to 100 percent, says the U.S. Department of Commerce.
Federal workers already get more paid time off than most in the private sector, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Each year, they get 10 paid holidays, plus 13 sick days they may accumulate to infinity. Their vacation-day allotment rises from 13 in their first three years to 20 through Year 15 and to 26 thereafter.
Government workers have much greater job security that folks in the private sector. Their jobs are recession-proof, and their employer has no competition and will never go bankrupt. When the government runs low on cash, it just prints or borrows more money or finds ways to "enhance revenues."
So despite a budget deficit of more than $100 billion, a national debt of $10 trillion and unfunded entitlement liabilities of $90 trillion, the president spends gobs of other people's money to give his people a day off with pay and makes private employers who can't afford to follow suit look like Scrooges.
If federal employees want Christmas Eve to be a paid holiday, let them negotiate it into their contracts. Otherwise, make them use a vacation day, just like America's working stiffs.
As a retired union worker, I'm not too fond of stereotypes either, nor is my son who is a cop, or my daughter who is a public school teacher or my other son who is a union iron worker.
I hope you’re not posting on my time.
since I retired two years ago, it’s my time....
Well then I’m still paying for you.
The ultimate result is that the Muslim extremists are monitored by the kinda-sorta-adequate spies (the brighter ones got jobs in corporate security, doing half the work for twice the pay). And the ultimate result of that... well, you can fill in the dots.
sorry you feel that way but after 36 years I earned my retirement....but let me remind you, I pay taxes also so looks like I’m paying myself too....Merry Christmas
What about a pardon for Ramos, Compean, and Hernandez?
Merry Christmas to you.
I think you busted him! Good one man! Taxpayers money at work...on the net
LOL - you are the only one that responded! he certainly did not.
Graybeard, don’t get your knickers in a knot. Listen to the comments of other Freepers here and lighten up.
Federal employees are just like employees in any other large organization. Most are competent and hardworking, a few are lazy.
I assure you letting the federal workforce have Christmas Eve off will not lead to the demise of our Republic!
TRUE!!!! I had to forfeit 600 hours of sick leave...that is 75 days or 2 1/2 MONTHS of sick leave. Bet no non-GOV employee ever forfeits 1 day of sick leave.
As a civil service employee, I rode in helicopters in Vietnam, walked the streets of Teheran, Riyadh, Baghdad, Jeddah, Cairo, a lot of bad neighborhoods in Africa and Central America. To be sure, I had some good posts, too. I think I earned all my bucks and bennies.
Celebrate all of Christ’s life, just as it was written, just as it was told...
Amen...
thank you for the amen....I was a little po’d and getting really really sick of all the jabs at federal employees....I worked hard for 36 years - am republican to the bone and have taken personal offense at the constant smears federal employees take....the majority of us are very very loyal to this country....and work hard....and like I said - we’re not the sterotype of what’s out there as a Federal employee....
“What on earth does giving crap to one another have to do with the birth of Jesus the Christ child?”
“Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh”
Then gifts ought to be to given to build the kingdom of God - perhaps sending Bibles to China. Giving stuff to one another is in no way similar to the wise men giving gifts to Christ.
I’m not opposed to fun - just to unbiblical crap being declared as Christian.
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