[Starboard]

There are lots of people in D.C. who work in government jobs, who never have to worry about layoffs. The salaries are high — not the low salaries that government workers used to be paid — and the benefits are fabulous.

Quite true. $100+K salaries for government workers in DC (13/14/15 levels) are commonplace, if not typical. Benefits are second to none. Most contractors rake in good money too. Washington DC is basically a gigantic trough of money that is constantly replenished from taxpayers around the country. Of course this leads to monumental waste and corruption. As Will Rogers famously said: we have the best government money can buy.

[hal ogen]

I live in the WDC area. Please, Citizen...move along. There is nothing to see here. Please shut up, get to work and pay your taxes. Bwahahahahahahahahahahahaha!

[Poundstone]

Any capital city will be protected against many of the economic downturns; Washington is no exception in that regard.

As for federal workers making more than 100K, what’s wrong with that? 100K doesn’t have much purchasing power (particularly in real estate) in the high-priced Washington region. Even 150K means you’re basically just living paycheck to paycheck.