Posted on 12/30/2011 10:26:16 AM PST by Poundstone
My family and I went to the VA hospital for Christmas services, during which the kindly chaplain said goodbye to the veterans to whom he had been ministering. Like a record number of federal government employees, he has decided to retire this year.
Because the federal workforce is older than the general population, a certain number of retirements are to be expected. Yet according to the actuaries at the federal Office of Personal Management, workforce age isn’t enough to account for the surge in federal retirements. It’s not hard to see what other factors are driving federal government employees to the exits.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonmonthly.com ...
The Pentagon, for example, representing about 1/3 of the total federal workforce, is in VA.
The CIA is in VA also.
Then there are satellite spies ~ they're in VA. And the FBI is mostly in WV.
Take it up with the Red Army, OK?
No, most of the cuts are a result of federal regulations and all the MANDATORY Social Security taxes we pay. The gov’t then, thanks to LBJ, uses our retirement money to help finance all your and other fed employees’ salaries. These salaries enable you
and other paper pushers to put money into your own retirement funds. It’s ironic that Soc. Sec. workers run a system that they are never a part of.
FWIW, federal workers pay SS taxes, too.
If you're calling your anticipated SS benefits as your retirement money, I recommend that you contribute to an IRA/401k, etc. What you receive from SS will not likely be enough to live on, but I'm sure you know that.
I see many foolish “bash the government worker” types, who “fire at will” out of jealousy or ignorance. However, as a former Federal employee and a former State of Florida worker, I can tell you that the Federal workers are compensated way over and above that of the Florida government workers. In so many instances government workers are grossly overpaid, but before “firing blankly” at all government workers, people should understand the facts - not just the hype. Wisconsin, California and other big union states and Federal workers have government wages way too high. Non union states such as Florida have their wages and benefits way, way below (like one half) the national average. No COLA for only two years in Florida would be welcomed by Florida workers, who got one 2.5 percent raise in the last 10 years and had that countered with an effective 5 percent cut last year. They are probably going to get hammered again this year. Every time the news headlines shout about union government workers in California, Pennsylvania or Wisconsin abusing the system, Florida workers take it in the shorts. So “fire at will, but at the biggest target not the weakest target.
Yes, federal employees know the jig is up in the White House and are tired of working for the political appointees who are trying to turn the federal workforce into an army for Obama-Soros.
The "DC mindset" does not stop at Key Bridge or Bethesda.
The last 4 primary doctors I have had have all been contracted from a local hospital group. When they are new they are very ignorant of the VA system and then after 2 years when they figure it all out they get sent back to a non VA clinic or hospital then it starts all over again with new docs.
Most of our military bases are doing the same thing and are contracting out so they don't have to pay benefits. In fact my Tricare Primary is a contract doctor at the local base !
Our benefits aren’t the “most cushy” by a long shot. They’re pretty much in the middle of the traditional pension system. Granted, traditional pensions are disappearing in the private sector, but that’s the private sector’s fault.
No it is your fault and the fault of other liberal Federal employees for sucking the lifeblood out of the private sector via onerous taxation and onerous regulation such as by the EPA. You are parasites, the Federal workforce could easily be cut in half and no one would notice. These days the Federal workforce is heavily tilted towards affirmative action hires of blacks, minorities, gays, women, handicapped who are incompetent boobs. This is why the Federal Gov't is so FUBARed. I'll bet it is near impossible for a conservative to get a job at many Federal agencies
Funny how Obama has increased the Federal workforce by 250,000 while private sector employment decreases. If Obama-Care is kept we will have a huge jump in Federal employment of drones and AA hires to administer that boondoggle. Simultaneously private sector medical insurance companies will close and fire employees because the Federal vampires have taken those jobs and made them into Gov't jobs. Like I said.....The Federal Gov't is a vast jobs program (The EPA and Department of Education are fine examples) for otherwise unemployable liberals and is devoted to sucking the lifeblood out of the private sector
Many of the failures in private sector pensions/businesses are DUE TO THE OVER-WHELMING Taxes paid to fund Federal, State, City, and Local "public" employees, and their golden Heatthcare and Retirement benefits, for little productive work.
I regularly read examples here of state employees who retire with far cushier deals than what you get from the federal government.
Being a Federal has been become ironic for me as I have become more libertarian in my fews because I can see how dangerous to have other people run other people lives especially when you see what types of people the FED gov’t hires.. It is scary that people entrust their lives to federal employees.
Not to mention the municipal scalliwags that vote themselves $800,000 salaries behind closed doors like that little town in California. This is not government by the people ... it's wholesale theft from the taxpayers.
I can deduce that easily enough from these posts.
True enough; I suppose I should have also specified that the net cuts should be affecting DC as well.
“Are they retiring now to lock in retirement benefits “
Yes.
CSRS began in 1920, 15 years BEFORE social security was enacted. In 1983, CSRS enrollement ended and FERS began, and those personnel enrolled in FERS pay SS taxes.
See this article for a discussion of the two systems: http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0306/033106rp.htm
The federal government dumped its defined benefit system (CSRS) in 1987.
Google will educate you on this.
If any private company lost money for as long as the federal government has, its few remaining employees would have no benefits.
Public sector workers receive better pay and have far better benefits than 90% of private sector employees.
Don’t expect any sympathy from taxpayers who make it possible.
I work a lot with FDA, and those folks I work with, who are technicians, scientists, or regional admin type people are smart, well-spoken, and as individuals, quite open to reason. On the other hand though, they are all governed by rules and conditions well outside their control, and many are hyper-cautious about what they say, if they say anything at all. The massive bureaucracy of which they are a part has shaved off any outstanding qualities they may have.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.