Eye Opener: Obama Caps Pay Raises at 2 Percent

Washington Post ^ | 9/1/2009 | Ed O'Keefe

[Badabing Badablonde]

Happy Tuesday! ... or maybe not, for civilian federal employees.

President Obama has decided to reduce pay increases for civilian federal workers from 2.4 percent to 2 percent, citing the economic downturn and the ballooning federal budget as reasons for the cut.

"Invoking the 'national emergency' declared after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the president said in a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi that under pay formulas set in 1990, federal employees with pay levels set according to comparable local wages are set for average pay increases of 18.9%," reports Jonathan Weisman of the Wall Street Journal.

The AP notes that "Obama also said that he would decide by Nov. 30 on the need to take action on 'locality pay,' wages over and above the base federal rates that are determined according to geographic living costs and comparable private-sector pay."

[Badabing Badablonde]

I don't have a problem with a cap on pay raises -- I'm grateful I still have a job -- but with the expansions and programs this man is proposing, the need for an increase in the Federal workforce will be astounding. The operationsl budget will be incalculable. Either way, its going to bankrupt us.

[dblshot]

So the cost of living went up for Federal Employees but not for Social Security recipients? Well I guess that will teach those old geezers not to raise Cain at town hall meetings.

[Ghost of Philip Marlowe]

Capping pay raises for federal employees is one thing.
But if he tries to cap pay increases in the private sector, such an action would be nothing less than fascistic.

And wage- and price-controls have ALWAYS stunted the economy.

Check FDR’s and Carter’s actions. It’s a bad idea.

[org.whodat]

Hell government employees should have a 10% cut. Bunch of over paid pond scum.

[TheBattman]

Every single private-sector (non-union) employee in this country faces the prospect of no raise at all, even in good economic times. Why in the world government employees get automatic raises is beyond me.

Further - most government jobs are paid according to a salary schedule - which provides for step increases in salary each year IN ADDITION TO these percentage raises. Even if 0bama completely stopped all “raises”, employees entering their next year of employment in the same position/classification would receive a raise because of the increments in the salary schedule.

What ever happened to raises being the result of loyalty and more importantly - to job performance?

[sickoflibs]

There is not much Obama does that I like but any spending limitations, no matter how rare, should not be attacked by conservatives (short ones that are politically motivated to hurt republicans specifically.)

[unixfox]

SUCH A DRAMATIC CUT!!!! MY GOD HOW WILL THEY EVER GET BY!!!!

COURAGE!!!

[Pessimist]

So the civilian federal workers get 2% instead of 2.4%, but the actual fed employees are getting 18.9%

Or am I misunderstanding something here?

[Badabing Badablonde]

Yeah, we suck, don’t we? LMAO

[armydoc]

All government employees? Really?

[bestintxas]

Smoke and mirrors once again.

Reality is here http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2325042/posts

[rom]

With these deficits? They should have scheduled pay CUTS not increases. Amazing.

[Badabing Badablonde]

We don’t get automatic step increases except for the first three years in a new GS level. After that, they come at longer intervals. Those increases are based on employment anniversary. The increases he’s talking about capping are the ones that come out every January. Those are across the board and are not adjusted for location like the General Schedules.

[Hodar]

Hell government employees should have a 10% cut. Bunch of over paid pond scum.

Yeah, those lazy good for nothing Army, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Navy and also those Federal engineers who design, maintain and test the weapons that defend us all. Bunch of no good bums < /sarcasm>

[GeronL]

So the cost of living went up for Federal Employees but not for Social Security recipients?

Apparently, and the oldsters will pay higher MediCare premiums even as MediCare cuts reimbursement rates like never before.

[Badabing Badablonde]

Yep, by virtue of who our boss is, we’re all government ticks.

[GeronL]

Thats what it sounds like to me too.

I think an across the board cut of at least 5-10% is in order.

[TnGOP]

Well, the Postal Service is already ahead of schedule on this. This year, there were NO raises for Postal employees. Last years increase was 1.3%, and next years increase will be a whopping 1.2%.

Yes, we do continue to get step increases every 7-9 months, which average 1% to 1.3%. No COLA for 02/09 or 08/09, either. We negotiate a new contract next year, and word is that that the contractual increases will be even less going forward, given the financial losses the service has experienced.

[montanajoe]

Attacking everything O does is stupid. Where are the republicans calling for no increase?

[Alas Babylon!]

Nice try, but the military, meaning enlisted and officers, are voted a completely separate pay increase (or not).

As to your second point on DoD civilians, that is a shame. Too bad the one important thing our Constitution mandates the FedGov to do, Defense, has to take it on the chin due to bloated, unconstitutional funding for welfare and giveaways.