[Liz]

The conventional wisdom is that bankrupt Greece was hollowed out from within---by avaricious politicians and their cronies. One report showed the Greek govt had 535 fully-staffed govt agencies with no discernable purpose.

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REFERENCE 10 Insanely Overpaid Public Employees
BY BLAIRE BRIODY, The Fiscal Times, July 13, 2011

EDITED Even in these tough times, thousands of govt employees get great, big fat salaries. Hundreds of thousands get more than the $400,000 annual Obama pulls down.

In 2009, 347 Texas state employees earned more than the president; 53 of them made more than $600,000. In New York, 35 employees were paid over $400k last year.

Since 2005, the number of Federal employees earning $150,000 plus has jumped tenfold: from 12,399 to 171,689. Besides hefty salaries, yearly payouts include bonuses, overtime pay, free health benefits and free cars/fillups/maintenance/license fees.

And at retirement, royal exit packages, annuities, bonuses, multi-million dollar investment packages, Cadillac family health benefits, pension checks AND retirement into low show second govt jobs with plentiful perks, and hefty buyous for duplicate benefits packages.

Then there's "other pay".... things like unused sick days......$594,976 worth for one California employee – something struggling private sector employees can only dream of...but all of whom are footing the bills for this largesse.

Photo Gallery: 8 Outrageously Cushy Government Pensions
Slideshow on 10 insanely overpaid government employees

http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/Articles/2011/07/13/10-Insanely-Overpaid-Public-Employees.aspx#page1

[LomanBill]

[The conventional wisdom is that bankrupt Greece was hollowed out from within-—by avaricious politicians and their cronies.]

Heh. Good timing. See the post preceding yours.