Largest-ever federal payroll to hit 2.15 million

The Washington Times ^ | February 2, 2010 | Stephan Dinan

[Poundstone]

The era of big government has returned with a vengeance, in the form of the largest federal work force in modern history.

The Obama administration says the government will grow to 2.15 million employees this year, topping 2 million for the first time since President Clinton declared that "the era of big government is over" and joined forces with a Republican-led Congress in the 1990s to pare back the federal work force.

Most of the increases are on the civilian side, which will grow by 153,000 workers, to 1.43 million people, in fiscal 2010.

[Poundstone]

The article includes an interesting but little-noticed statistic: that the ratio of federal employees to US taxpayers is steadily increasing, i.e., each year there are more and more taxpayers for each federal employee. This is a good thing, as it shares the burden among more and more taxpayers.

[AngelesCrestHighway]

This socialist disaster of a president will go down in American history as the worst ever!!!

[Gay State Conservative]

Most of the increases are on the civilian side, which will grow by 153,000 workers, to 1.43 million people, in fiscal 2010.

Well,that's 1.43 million contributors for RATS and 2.86 million votes for them.

[Fu-fu2]

They are going national with the Chicago/Cook County model. Two government workers to a family, pensions and health benefits, etc. Big government is big business. What will happen when the scales tip so far out of balance that enough people notice they are nothing more than a taxable money pot to keep this system going....

[JennysCool]

If we were to eliminate the do-nothing middle-managers, agencies created in the ‘70s as a nod to the hippies, and jobs more suited to private-sector companies, we’d go a long way toward fiscal sanity. Or just sanity, period.

[OrioleFan]

All jobs created ot “saved”...

[OrioleFan]

Spell check is my friend...

All jobs created or “saved”...

[umgud]

All gov’t employees, from local to federal are tax users even though they pay personal taxes. Their entire income is derived from tax money.

[fortheDeclaration]

This is the Obama answer to the recession-put all Americans on the government payroll.

[griswold3]

During a press conference, Peter Ortzag was asked about the ‘hundreds of thousands’ of Federal employees to be added in the next four years.
He said they would be in the appropriations area.
WTF?

[sportutegrl]

The article includes an interesting but little-noticed statistic: that the ratio of federal employees to US taxpayers is steadily increasing, i.e., each year there are more and more taxpayers for each federal employee. This is a good thing, as it shares the burden among more and more taxpayers.

Hey, Hey Paula,

No it most certainly does not. What is increasing is the ratio of residents to employees. Not taxpayers, and probably not citizens.

[WOBBLY BOB]

Job Growth Lacking in the Private Sector (over the last decade)

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/08/business/economy/08charts.html

Despite budget cuts and layoff warnings, California still hiring and workforce still growing

http://www.sacbee.com/politics/story/2094403.html

The Sacramento Bee
Aug. 9, 2009

The job growth for state workers contrasts with the loss of 759,000
jobs in California’s private industry in the past 12 months

http://www.mercurynews.com/topstories/ci_12984385?nclick_check=1&forced=true

not to mention gubermint employees and their pensions:

Reform advocates are spotlighting those with extravagant pensions
— $100,000 or more — as a way to get the public’s attention and
emphasize that the current system is unsustainable.

http://www.modbee.com/editorials/story/803636.html

CHART OF THE DAY: How The Government Payroll Replaced Goods-Producing Jobs

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2422342/posts

Beyond reckless / Sacramento, Washington pile up the debt

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2009/dec/24/beyond-reckless-sacramento-washington-pile-debt/

House votes 218-214 for short-term debt ceiling increase

CHART OF THE DAY: Bureaucrats Have Way Better Benefits Than You

http://www.businessinsider.com/chart-of-the-day-employer-cost-per-hour-worker-2009-12

[CodeToad]

Basically, 2 in every 100 workers work for the federal government.

[Poundstone]

2 in 100: that’s a very sustainable ratio. I really don’t see the problem.

[CodeToad]

“2 in 100: that’s a very sustainable ratio.”

I don’t see it as sustainable or necessary. 1 in 50 people are federal employees??

[Poundstone]

1 in 50 is OK. It’s a big country with a big government.

[Fu-fu2]

Don’t forget state and local government employees as well as federal. The number of government employees is rising at a much faster rate than the overall population.

http://www.data360.org/dsg.aspx?Data_Set_Group_Id=228

[Poundstone]

I agree the problem is state and local government employees, not federal employees.