Why I’m not attending any pity parties for furloughed federal workers

American Thinker ^ | 01/21/2019 | Thomas Lifson

[SeekAndFind]

Call me a hard-hearted, mean-spirited conservative if you will, but I am not bleeding from the heart over the plight of most of the furloughed federal workers. While I am certain that some of them have not bothered to accumulate savings, and thus are running out of money with which to pay important bills, the rest of us in the private sector have had to live with the possibility of our incomes being cut off for our entire careers. Moreover, federal employees, especially in the lower ranges of the income scale, make out like bandits compared to the rest of us with the same skills and responsibilities.

(source)

Kristin Tate elaborates in The Hill:

Federal workers receive pay that is 17 percent higher than private sector employees on average performing comparable work. That is on top of putting in 12 percent fewer hours. Furthermore, a Princeton University study found that when “taking differences in employee characteristics into account,” federal workers actually earn 34 percent more than comparable private sector workers.

They receive “cadillac” federal employees health benefits, 75 percent of which is subsidized. These plans includes medical plus vision and dental benefits. On top of that, federal retirees are eligible for covered health benefits at 57 years old, a rare luxury in the private sector. They also have generous pension plans and Social Security benefits. Such payments are three times higher than private sector 401(k) and Social Security benefits.

[SeekAndFind]

It is also worth noting that federal workers face a 0.2 percent chance of getting fired in a given year. That is more than 45 times lower than their private sector counterparts. In some cases, it takes the effort from four different agencies to fire federal employees, and the process often takes years, even in simple cases. This shield protects public employees who are cited for malfeasance or incompetence. Meanwhile, a Brookings Institution study found that 65 percent of federal employees think job security is more important than helping the public, while only 30 percent think their organization does a good job disciplining poor performers.

Moreover, the entire media narrative that essential employees are “working without pay” is a lie. They are guaranteed to be paid after the shutdown, so they are working for deferred compensation. And, those non-essential employees are getting a paid vacation! The need to finance a few weeks (or, depending on Democrats, months) of income every few years, secure in the knowledge that the income will be paid on a delayed basis, is a tradeoff that I would gladly make in return for guarantees of a job paying much higher than in the private sector, and with gold plated perks.

[budj]

Is there free beer?

[blueunicorn6]

I have as much sympathy for the General Schedule federal employees as they have had for me.

None.

[Celerity]

Here here !

On the flip side i know a lot of low- income elderly who i am concerned about in terms of food stamps. I really hope they don’t use these people as hostages.

[Bell Bouy II]

Me neither.
No one cried for me or reported wall to wall when I was forced to go on strike by a Union I never agreed with or any other folks that were put out of work for way too many other reasons and no go their own doing
It sucks to think your untouchable and then one day Baam!!!!
Boo Whoo Whooo

[Sacajaweau]

Non-essential are not poor people. I'm sure many have working spouses and/or family capable of helping them out.

People actually lose their jobs in the private sector. Who cries for them?

[wally_bert]

Makes two of us.

[wally_bert]

Makes two of us.

[grania]

Yeah....these federal workers should've been prepared. It's not the first time they've been brought to this rodeo. When I see all the help to these workers with stable jobs with good benefits, salaries, and job security, I cringe. Do these same caring people do anything for homeless veterans? While we're at it, do these unprepared federal workers do anything for homeless veterans when they're getting a pay check?

grrrr……end of this rant.

[SkyDancer]

Our church sent a thousand dollars to our Costie family.

[G Larry]

cuz 90% vote Dem.....

[cpdiii]

I worked at the VA as a pharmacist for 24 years. I was considered essential and did show up for work during past shutdowns. Oddly and legally I did not need to do this. I showed up and worked, it is all about taking care of our vets.

The non essential workers loved these shutdowns. They did not need to work and received all their back pay as did I. They lived off credit cards if they did not have sufficient savings. The credit union did great business in short term loans to these people.

That my friends is the dirty secret about these shutdowns. The non essential personnel love them.

[yetidog]

I’m retired from the feds..human resources. Furloughs, reduction-in-force etc. happen all the time as a consequence of operational and policy decisions. Much ado about nothing and I, too have little sympathy for temporarily laid-off “non-essential” employees who will be paid when they return to employment they still have. Any politician who uses the plight of the laid off federal employee to leverage an end to the shutdown (and mitigate border security) should be ashamed of themselves.

[G Larry]

Earn more, work less, can’t be fired, retire earlier.

[Baynative]

[Eddie01]

During prayers for the congregation yesterday, our pastor said “we pray for those suffering from the government shutdown”.

I almost fell out of my pew.

What about the victims of drug trafficking, human trafficking and those slaughtered by criminal illegal aliens?!

[joethedrummer]

I used to be a low end “federal employee” - U.S.P.S.

Even there, we made darn good money. I remember how we all looked forward to possible government “shutdowns”, hoping we’d get a delayed paid vacation.

Like I said, we were paid well and had money to hold us over
I don’t feel sorry for them, no.

[SeekAndFind]

RE: I used to be a low end “federal employee” - U.S.P.S.

Did you retire or did you leave?

[SeekAndFind]

RE: I, too have little sympathy for temporarily laid-off “non-essential” employees who will be paid when they return to employment they still have.

What if this shutdown lasts till 2020?

[boycott]

The big government socialists should mandate that government employees make no more than their private sector counterparts.