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Isn't it revealing how bureaucrats frequently boast that they could make so much more in the private sector, but then whenever they're shown the doorway to the private sector they dig in their heels and rant about how it's their supposed patriotic duty to remain on the federal trough for the good of our country?

You might get a kick out of this:

Washington Times.com article
( http://www.washingtontimes.com/world/20021023-98599048.htm ):

"The State Department official who was forced to retire because her office allowed most of the September 11 hijackers into the United States has recently won an "outstanding performance" award of $15,000... The congressional General Accounting Office said in a report this week that 13 of the 19 hijackers were given visas without ever seeing a U.S. consular official...Last summer, reports of lax visa rules for Saudis — who could apply for visas over the Internet with no questions asked — prompted Secretary of State Colin L. Powell to force Miss Ryan to retire...Thomas Furey, who was consul-general in the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and helped establish the "Visa Express," also received a bonus....[State Department spokesman Richard] Boucher, when asked whether the bonus was appropriate, accused the reporter of "attacking friends of mine, people who dedicate their lives to their government and their country — my friends." Mr. Boucher, who also received a bonus, refused to comment on the individual merits of each bonus. The awards list was compiled this summer by the 2002 Senior Foreign Service Selection Board. The State Department official would not describe the criteria on which the awards were made. "

"National Treasury Employees Union President Colleen Kelley. “Even more than that, however, this mistaken and unwise decision completely ignores the critical role pay plays in making the federal government a competitive employer with the private sector."
Why the HE*L do Federal Employees need a UNION for? I think a 10% pay reduction with a RIF of 20% should be a good start for all but those in the uniform military. The RIF people could be offered a chance to enlist(NOT APPLY FOR OFFICER CORPS!!). There should be no discrimination as to sex, sexual orientation , or previous nationality. The top rate should be GS-16 or so, so they can see what the rest of us have to live on. Better yet; scrap all the offices and start from scratch.