Bush Cuts Pay Raises for Federal Workers, Citing National Emergency

TBo.com ^

[Sub-Driver]

Bush Cuts Pay Raises for Federal Workers, Citing National Emergency By Jennifer Loven Associated Press Writer

CRAWFORD, Texas (AP) - Citing a state of national emergency brought on by last year's terrorist attacks, President Bush on Friday slashed the pay raises most civilian federal workers were to receive starting in January. Under a law passed in 1990, federal employees covered by the government's general schedule pay system would receive a two-part pay increase with the new year, a 3.1 percent across-the-board increase plus a pay hike based on private-sector wage changes in the areas where they work.

This law outlining federal pay kicks in because Congress has not yet passed the appropriations legislation directing a specific increase, said Amy Call, a spokeswoman for the White House's Office of Management and Budget.

The White House couldn't say exactly how many federal employees the change would impact, but said it would be almost all.

Bush's pay decision is yet another blow to federal workers, many of whom are facing big changes in job descriptions under the Bush administration.

Earlier this month, the administration announced it wants to let private companies compete for up to half of the 1.8 million federal jobs. Also, in the new Homeland Security Department, Bush won the broad powers he sought to hire, fire and move workers in the 22 agencies that will be merged.

In a letter sent Friday to congressional leaders, Bush announced he was using his authority to change workers' pay structure in times of national emergency or "serious economic conditions" and limiting raises to the 3.1 percent across-the-board boost. Military personnel will receive a 4.1 percent increase.

That means that the additional so-called locality-based payments would remain at current levels because "our national situation precludes granting larger pay increases ... at this time," Bush said.

The White House quietly released the letter to journalists via e-mail late on Friday, the middle of a long holiday weekend when most Americans were apt to be paying little attention.

Officials of unions representing federal workers could not immediately be reached Friday night for comment.

Call said the locality-based payments have rarely gone into effect since their creation in 1990, either because former President Clinton limited them or Congress prescribed other salary increases.

"The whole locality-based adjustment ... for the most part doesn't go into effect," Call said.

The White House estimated that the overall average locality-based pay increase would amount to about 18.6 percent. Bush said granting the full raises would cost about $13.6 billion in 2003, or $11.2 billion more than he proposed for the year - a cost the nation can't bear as it continues to battle the war against terror.

"A national emergency has existed since September 11, 2001," Bush wrote. "Such cost increases would threaten our efforts against terrorism or force deep cuts in discretionary spending or federal employment to stay within budget. Neither outcome is acceptable."

The president noted that the raises still amount to more than the current inflation rate of 2.1 percent.

"I do not believe this decision will materially affect our ability to continue to attract and retain a quality federal workforce," he said.

[UnBlinkingEye]

Actually, Bush's first discretionary budget was the contraction of all twenty five + departments except the DOD and DOE.

So are you saying that Bush has cut the size of government and federal spending? What a great thing!

I'll bet that he is cutting federal programs and bureaucracies across the board. If not for Bush I would wager that the size, scope and intrusiveness of government would have continued its horrific growth. God Bless Bush for protecting the Constitution and the God given rights of the citizens of the United States of America.

[FreeReign]

Actually, Bush's first discretionary budget was the contraction of all twenty five + departments except the DOD and DOE.

So are you saying that Bush has cut the size of government and federal spending? What a great thing!

You play word games with what I said. Go back a read the bold. It is still there.

[meyer]

It's debatable who has more political clout, the U.S.P.S. or the White House.

Thank you.

A very good question. I think that if the White House had Teamster backing, the USPS might be toast. But, I don't see that backing coming any time soon.

Honestly, I really don't mind the government delivering the mail. What I object to is that the USPS has become a jobs program where white males must work 3 times as hard and have 3 times the education just to break even. Its a quota-factory. Your carrier is a front to make it appear that the main post offices in large cities really do work hard. They don't.

[onedoug]

Now let's fight this war!

[UnBlinkingEye]

Is government growing or shrinking during the Bush administration?

[Trajan88]

Wow! I'm sure this has been done in the past, but I don't recall it.

I once had a bonus conferred in a private sector career only to have it recinded the next week. Raises were never granted for the last 2+ years (I was in the telecom industry).

Trajan88

[RnMomof7]

Yes, a very good move. I wonder if this year's savings will be sufficient to cover this year's salaries of the new hires at the expanded Department of Education.

Yea and all the new hires " at the new citizen spy department .......Republicans for smaller government:>)

[meyer]

You know as well as I do anyone with a job anywhere in the U.S. Gov (hopefully, for the most part excluding our men and women in uniform), is gotten and kept using political or union string-pulling.

Well, that's really not true. Work ethic in the federal government is highly dependent on the branch and the area where the work is performed. Some do quite well (especially those of us that are pit against our private industry counterparts), and some don't do so well. I'll readily admit that government jobs tend to attract non-competitive type employees.

[coloradan]

The White House quietly released the letter to journalists via e-mail late on Friday, the middle of a long holiday weekend when most Americans were apt to be paying little attention.

Blatant media bias. Clinton used to do this all the time but the mass media propaganda outlets never wrote this kind of copy for it when it did.

[staytrue]

last years pay increase was almost entirely negated by the increase in my contribution for health insurance

I think this is also true of the private sector. Plus in the private sector, unemployment has jumped and many people have had to take pay cuts. Anything like that happen in the public sector ? I guess a few democrat senators and staff lost their jobs, but almost no public sector employees have been laid off.

[JennysCool]

Hey, I know an architect who works for the Forest Service and a historian who works for the Weather Service. Don't wish ill to either of them, but there is no reason for either of their "jobs" to exist.

[SLB]

We (government employees) now fall even further behind the private sector. There is a greying of the federal workforce that is going to have some very tragic results. I know most FReepers will violently disagree with me, but as a conservative federal employee for the past 33 years I do beleive my experience is there and what I am seeing is a mass exodus of experience from the government to the private sector. I currently make about 40% less than the local private sector does. Sure, I am hanging in there for the retirement, but what incentives are there beyond retirement? None! By law the work I do cannot be turned over to the private sector. There is no one coming along to be grown into the jobs when we leave. There are currently three of us in our work area, I am the youngest of the three at age 52+, so what happens when we leave? Where is the experience going to come from? IMHO Bush is shooting himself in the foot on this one.

[EGPWS]

Congress got their raise. Guess they had to pay for it somehow.

Yea and the sad thing is that Dubya' will get the brunt of the backlash while Congress walks away fat, dumb, happy, and richer.

[jokemoke]

Wrong title- Should read, "Bush Freezes Federal Workers Pay at Current Level."

[meyer]

Thank you, meyer, and please forgive me for stereotyping federal employees.

Not a problem. Its easy to do when the fed is so slow and unresponsive sometimes. Its very difficult to get things done from inside as well.

Also, in all fairness, the vast majority of U.S.P.S. workers are religiously faithful and dutiful folk desiring nothing more than to perform a decent day's work for a decent day's wage.

This is true. I think most carriers work their butts off. Now, in the main postal buildings in major cities, there are serious problems. My friend who works in downtown Cleveland's main PO could tell you stories. Suffice to say that 10% of the people do 90% of the work. And, they promote folks into newly created supervisory positions based on race. There's definately an ugly side.

I do however empathisize with those stricken by reverse discrimination and who find themselves in quota and politically-correct driven jobs.

Not much of a problem in this neck of the woods - its about the same as in the private sector here. But, that post office, like most operations in large "blue-zone" cities has a serious "hate-whitey" attitude. Perhaps its localized.

Thank you.

[ExSES]

A time of war. It's time to bite the bullet. During World War II there was rationing of goods such as sugar, etc.

On a humorous note, whenever "sugar rationing" is mentioned I am reminded of a story my Father-in-Law was fond of recounting...

During WWII he was well passed draft age and was employed as an insurance agent. One day, while sitting at kitchen table awaiting an insurance premium payment from a lady (in those days, many of the insurance policies written were paid for either weekly or monthly and the agent personally collected the payments), he noticed that her pantry door was opened and that there were DOZENS of 5 pound sacks of sugar on the shelves.

After the lady made her premium payment, he asked what she was going to do with all that sugar. She replied that, she didn't really know but she wanted to buy up a supply BEFORE THE HOARDERS DID!

Just an anecdote regarding WWII rationing. I'm certain there are numerous similar examples of just how well it worked! I know I have heard many (now humerous) tales of how the rationing system was "gamed"!!!

[Smile-n-Win]

But, alas, perhaps there isn't a decent one among them....

I don't agree with Ron Paul's anti-war rhetoric, but otherwise I think he's quite a decent guy. If anyone were to propose such a "cut," it'd be a good bet it would be him. Too bad the rest of Congress hardly ever votes for his "right-wing extremist" bills.