Posted on 11/20/2012 11:25:03 PM PST by Abiotic
The Federal-Postal Coalition -- a group representing more than two dozen federal employee unions -- pleaded with Congress on Monday to spare their members in any deal related to the "fiscal cliff."
Federal workers, the coalition wrote in a letter, have contributed more than their fair share toward reducing the debt and are the only group that has been targeted so heavily.
Federal and postal employees and their families are hardworking, middle-class Americans who are struggling during these tough times just like other Americans, the group wrote. No other group has been asked to financially contribute the way they have, and it is time our nations leaders found other ways to reduce the deficit than continually taking from those who have dedicated their lives to public service.
According to the coalition, federal employees have funded $60 billion in budget savings in 2011 and 2012 as a result of their ongoing pay freeze and an additional $28 billion in savings will be derived from the freeze extension through March 2013.
Federal workers also contributed $15 billion toward the budget in 2011 when the contribution rate toward retirement pensions was raised to 2.3 percent for new employees.
Top Democratic lawmakers on committees related to the federal workforce told Government Executive last week that they would like to leave federal-employee benefits out of any potential debt deal. After President Obamas reelection, top federal unions said they were confident their members would not be targeted in such a deal and a pay raise would be instituted.
(Excerpt) Read more at nationaljournal.com ...
“Politics and voting are not the reasons to get rid of Federal employees”
Okay. I was merely responding to some who paint with a broad brush and say that federal employees vote for democrats because they have to listen to the union thugs, and I said I don’t know any who do that but I do know one who votes for the weirdest candidate every time.
“they all retire as defacto millionaires”
You can’t possibly be serious, can you? Is it okay to tax us more since we are “defacto” rich? I’ll tell you what, if me and my husband ever depended totally on the federal govt for our living, we would not make it, let alone be thought of as a millionaire by anyone.
BTW, what we have, we’ve gotten on our own. We don’t waste money, and we invest. If we’re considered “millionaires” by anyone, it’s due to wise choices. Dems want to punish us for using that wisdom - conservatives should not even suggest it.
Anyway, thanks for the advice in the event my husband loses his job, but (fortunately?) his skills keep him busy. He already knows what he would do in the private sector because he has been doing it since he was a very young man.
Many smart people in the Civil service understand that for them to exist a healthy private sector is absolutely necessary. A great many of them, especially in the DOD voted against Obama, I can assure you.
They may be a minority of all government employees, but there are large numbers of them who want to get government spending under control, because they know that they are will be in for very hard times when the system crashes. Most also love their country and took an oath to defend and protect the Constitution.
I'm not so sure about that. The civilian workers have others who will represent their interests. The military does not.
“You cant possibly be serious, can you? Is it okay to tax us more since we are defacto rich? Ill tell you what, if me and my husband ever depended totally on the federal govt for our living, we would not make it, let alone be thought of as a millionaire by anyone.”
Let’s generously state interest rates are 2%. If you had a $1M at 2% interest that would be $20,000. I don’t know the exact figure, but the average federal retirement benefit is likely much higher than this. Yes, Federal retirees are defacto millionaires. hardworking taxpayers in the private sector must pay this, and because of that they are unable to amass the capital that they, themselves will need to achieve the same benefit, that they have earned themselves but that is stolen from them by a greedy federal government partly to fund over-pensioned federal retirees.
We simply cannot afford it. At some point hardworking private federal taxpayers will refuse to pay it. That day is coming.
“If were considered millionaires by anyone, its due to wise choices. Dems want to punish us for using that wisdom - conservatives should not even suggest it.”
Is it “wise” to milk outsized pay and benefits from the federal monster? perhaps. It is not “wise” to expect them to be there for you in the long run, because they can’t be - I, for instance, as a hard working private sector taxpayer, do not have enough money to give you to fully play out your “wisdom”.
I pointed out that the Post Office is NOT mandated by the Constitution. You piled on with the following defense:
“That being said, a standing U.S. Navy, and her Corps of Marines, and the Post Office are the ONLY Federal Departments authorized by the Constitution. YOU get the Constitution amended, and YOU can get rid of my lazy ass...”
As the Post Office is not mandated by the Constitution, but is merely authorized, NO CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT IS REQUIRED TO DEFUND AND ELIMINATE THE POST OFFICE.
Dunno. Been laid off twice in the last three years. Never before in the previous 25.
Welcome to the party, pal.
When they cant get any more blood from him they curse him out for being so inconsiderate of their needs.
I'm happy to take the cursing. Trouble is, there won't be any cuts until we go over the edge. Not before. It would be the death of the Demo-commie Party. And the Party trumps all.
The Ad Council Radio and TV spots bother me to no end. TAxpayers pay for those inane commercials, that say “hug your child” or some other silliness. I suspect billions and billions are spent on these senseless ads, produced by both parties I might ad.
I coudn’t agree more, but it’s their world bro, I’m just livin in it.
Regards, v_twin
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