New Obama Budget cuts Military Raises. Isn't Congress considered "Federal Employees"? Guess not!!

Conservative Women for Truth ^ | 02/26/2009 | Bree Lee

[BreeLee]

Click on above image to see larger pic

I wish I could say that I am in "Shock and Awe", but it is more like "Shock and Disdain". It seems that now Obama is going to cap Federal and Milatary pay raises. Okay, I'm confused aren't our Congressional leaders "Federal Employees"? Didn't they just take a pay raise of almost 3% back in December?

Now tell me this, does it make sense to cut the raises that our Military Personnell get for defending our country and putting their life on the line every day, but not to cut the raises of our Congressional offices that sit on their bums and are only in session from 94-111 days a year depending on the year. That number is based on figures from Thomas.loc.gov,And as stated by Truth and Justice back in December, that comes out to about 15K for every day they are in session....... yes that's what I said, Fifteen thousand dollars a day, sounds like one of the best paying jobs in America for some of the least approved of Government officials.

Instead U.S. taxpayers will dish out an extra $2.5 million to boost annual congressional salaries by $4,700. This may seem outrageous since polls have consistently revealed historically low approval ratings for Congress in the last year amid a series of bipartisan legal scandals and corruption probes.

I understand the need for budget cuts but maybe we should start by never implementing some of the "Pork Barrel Spending" to begin with, like the $100 million for reducing the hazard of lead-based paint or the $2 billion earmark to re-start FutureGen, a near-zero emissions coal power plant in Illinois that the Department of Energy defunded last year because it said the project was inefficient and then there's the $246 million tax break for Hollywood movie producers to buy motion picture film.....Hmmmm, thats a thought. (see more Stimulus Pork HERE) at roarrepublican.com. Now Steve Vogel at the Washington post is reporting: Civilian employees of the federal government will be limited to a 2 percent pay increase in 2010 under the proposed budget released this morning by the Obama administration.

The administration describes the proposed increase as reflective of the current economic crisis and bringing federal pay and benefit practices more in line with what workers in the private sector are experiencing.

The fiscal 2010 budget summary released this morning notes that Obama has ordered a freeze of White House senior staff pay. "In this budget, federal employees also will be asked to do their part," the summary states.

The proposed increase compares with a 3.9 percent increase for federal workers in 2009 and 3.5 percent in 2008.

A senior official for the nation's largest federal employee union described the small increase as understandable. "It's a modest increase, but it certainly is prudent," said Jacque Simon, public policy director for the American Federation of Government Employees.

"We're in an economic crisis and everybody understands that," Simon said. "While it's certainly a modest pay increase, federal employees recognize the severity of the economic situation, and we're viewing it from that context."

Pay increases for men and women in uniform are to be capped 2.9 percent, an amount described in the budget summary as reflecting "the priorities of an administration that is committed to caring for the service members who protect our security and the families who support them."

Last year, military personnel received a 3.9 percent pay increase, half a percentage point more than President George W. Bush recommended.

Click on Pic to watch AP Video

[mystery-ak]

Is this true?

Thank God my hubby retires in 2010...unfortunately my son re-enlisted in 07...he wanted to make the Army his career....damn BO.

[rockinqsranch]

“Now tell me this, does it make sense to cut the raises that our Military Personnell get for defending our country and putting their life on the line every day,....”

If nothing else makes sense about this misAdministration, then this action is quite expected.

Up is down, down is up.

[RabidBartender]

"A senior official for the nation's largest federal employee union described the small increase as understandable. "It's a modest increase, but it certainly is prudent," said Jacque Simon, public policy director for the American Federation of Government Employees.

"We're in an economic crisis and everybody understands that," Simon said. "While it's certainly a modest pay increase, federal employees recognize the severity of the economic situation, and we're viewing it from that context."

Here's what hypocrite Simon said in 2004:

""We've come to expect very little from this president when it comes to compensation for federal employees," said Jacque Simon, public policy director at the American Federation of Government Employees, which represents 600,000 federal employees."

[silverleaf]

Pay increases for men and women in uniform are to be capped 2.9 percent, an amount described in the budget summary as reflecting "the priorities of an administration that is committed to caring for the service members who protect our security and the families who support them."

LOLOLOL!!!! Isn't this ORWELLIAN?????? Got to laugh or it would be time to weep for our nation, to have doublethink invade our government to this extent. How STUPID are the American people???

[Non-Sequitur]

This is the 2010 budget that goes into effect in October, all government employees are getting raises for 2009 and that includes the military. If Obama freezes salaries for 2010 then that would include all government employees, military and civilian, and would also include Congress since the raise that they get is tied to the same rate as every other government employee.

I just had my salary cut by 5% through a company wide reduction. Hundreds of thousands of private sector workers are getting laid off every month and the annual goverment deficit is running in the trillions. I see absolutely no reason why government employees shouldn't feel the same pain as the rest of us.

[murron]

My son will not be happy. He just got married and could use a pay raise.

[BreeLee]

I agree with you on that, my biggest problem with the cut was that the military was getting pay cuts, especially those that just re-inlisted and continue to serve our country. I personally took a 40% redution in pay last year, (I am in sales) due to the slumping economy. So that said, shouldn't Congress take a pay cut as well??,rather than the pay raise that they just gave themselves back in Decemeber?

[CrystalD]

To relieve the strain on our forces, my budget increases the number of our soldiers and Marines. And to keep our sacred trust with those who serve, we will raise their pay, and give our veterans the expanded health care and benefits that they have earned.

President Liar Barack Obama Feb 24, 2009Link to Veterans for CommenSense.org

[Non-Sequitur]

All the stories I’ve read said that the 2010 budget omits pay raises and not that salaries are being cut. Legally I don’t believe that one segment of government employee can have their pay cut without every segment being cut.

[Non-Sequitur]

My son will not be happy. He just got married and could use a pay raise.

What's his rank and how long has he been in?

[Lee'sGhost]

Am I missing something here? I mean...this is huge! This is a black and white blatant lie. Shouldn’t vet organizations be going balistic?!

Oh...and thanks.

[Kitanis]

Wow Marie.. I was not that angry..But I was very very close.

Its bad enough.. that the CBO office is now sawing that I should pay three times the premiums for Tricare as a military retiree.... almost a 237% raise.....

but to say that Bald Face Lie on television and then release a budget that says the opposite.. I feel sorry for some of my active duty friends.. this is going to be worse than I experienced under Clinton.

[The Sons of Liberty]

Cutting military raises means that those in the military will be leaving in droves and Comrade 0bama can say "he didn't cut the military", but the results will be the same.

Keep that in mind when we lose an American city, or we have to back down to the chinese or russkies.

[AngelesCrestHighway]

Obama is a traitor and should be impeached!

[brwnsuga]

our new ‘commander and chief’ is totally out of touch with the military. It kills me to call him that.

[jveritas]

I think this is a mental decease case. No one with a normal mind can lie with such incredible boldness.

[dblshot]

How ‘bout commander and tribal chief?

[JDoutrider]

I think this is a mental decease case. No one with a normal mind can lie with such incredible boldness.

Pathological liars can, and have a good time doing it...

[LottieDah]

“He does not care about the military, our security or the economy. It is all about grabbing power. He is owned by the Saudis and probably China.”

and he’s owned by George Soros and Satan (interchangeable)

[jveritas]

Correct.