The American Spectator : Pay Freeze? Oh, Please

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Pay Freeze? Oh, Please

By Andrew Cline on 11.30.10 @ 6:09AM

Obama's idea of spending restraint.

President Obama proposed on Monday to freeze pay for federal civilian employees for two years. Purely coincidentally, of course, he was scheduled to meet with congressional Republicans the next day.

Obama presented his decision as an early skirmish, heroically won, in his epic quest to vanquish the federal budget deficit.

"I did not reach this decision easily," he said. "This is not just a line item on a federal ledger. These are people's lives."

People's lives? It's a temporary freeze in pay, not an execution. No one's pay will even be cut. It simply won't rise for two years. And the people whose pay is being frozen have, on average, seen substantially larger pay increases than their private-sector counterparts in recent years.

USA Today reported last year that in the first 18 months of the recession, federal employee pay rose 6.6 percent, while private-sector pay rose 3.9 percent. More recently, this month USA Today reported that the number of federal workers who earn at least $150,000 a year has doubled since President Obama took office.

The president is hardly taking bread from the dust-covered fingers of starving children. But you wouldn't know it from the reaction of left-wing groups.

"We think that is a terrible idea. We should be raising wages," said John Irons of the Economic Policy Institute. "It is unclear why the president would want to do this."

On the contrary, nothing could be clearer. The president wants to create the perception that he's concerned about the deficit and willing to cut federal spending to shrink it. He also wanted to enter today's talks with GOP leaders with a cost-cutting item on the table for which he could take credit. But this olive branch has thorns. In his press release announcing the proposal, the president blamed the deficit and the recession on Republicans.

"Because of the irresponsibility of the past decade, the President inherited a $1.3 trillion projected deficit upon taking office and an economic crisis that threatened to put the nation into a second Great Depression," read the press release.

So much for bipartisanship, at least as average people understand the term. To Obama, though, this is bipartisanship. It fits his standard pattern: Propose a concession so small it isn't really a concession, offer it with barbs attached, then beat the opposition to death with it when they demand something more substantial before giving up the major concession asked in return.

At $5 billion, Obama's proposed pay freeze is a grain of sand in the ocean that is the $1.3 trillion federal deficit. Republicans should be pleased that the president has offered it, but they should make a point of noting its size relative to the mass of the problem that will remain even if it passes Congress.

To be clear, its size doesn't make it a foolish pursuit. Freezing federal civilian pay is as good an idea now as it was when Republicans made it part of the Pledge to America this past summer. It was a good idea all the way back when Obama included a 1.4 percent pay increase in his 2011 budget.

Thanks to this month's elections, Obama has turned 180 degrees on the issue of federal employee pay. That's good. But it's too early to call it encouraging. We've seen this trick before. On health care reform, Obama threw in a token business tax credit and claimed to have compromised by including business tax cuts. On the stimulus, Obama also included some small tax cuts and claimed to have been mystified when Republicans -- who, you know, like tax cuts -- didn't endorse it.

But those small bones tossed to Republicans were only for show. Obama never intended to meet Republicans in the middle, or even at, say, the 10 yard line. He never offered to significantly scale back his major initiatives. Like everything with this president, it's all about the showmanship, not the substance.

This offer is no different. Republicans should thank the president, note how much ground is left to cover, and move on as if nothing significant has happened. Because nothing significant has.

About the Author

Andrew Cline is editorial page editor of the New Hampshire Union Leader. His Twitter ID is Drewhampshire.

Letter to the Editor View all comments (85) | Leave a comment

Conrad Spiracy| 11.30.10 @ 6:19AM

I'm eating my cake.

The Federal Government can CUT 30% of its work force without skipping a constitutional beat, and we'd be much to the better for it.

ELIMINATE:
Dept. of Education
EPA
75% of current unemployment benefits
All unspent TARPulous handouts
25% of the State Department
ALL!!! UN funding - evict them from Turtle Bay, nay the entire country
Foreign appropriations
Bribes to North Korea, Hamas, Egypt, and on and on.....

Just a start, but a sensible one, IMHO.

Con Spiracy

EXCELSIOR!

Old Soldier | 11.30.10 @ 9:02AM

Not even a good start.
Most of the 145,000 employees at Commerce can go.
All of the Dept. of Labor.
The Dept. of Energy should give the nukes back to Defense, then be dissolved.

Oldefarte| 11.30.10 @ 2:45PM

Amen to both, agree!!!!

Nancy in NC| 11.30.10 @ 2:52PM

And don't forget the Department of Education, and a good many federal employees at the Dept of Defense. I have close connections with a military base, and unless murder or un-political correctness (or something on that scale) is committed you can not fire a federal employee. A good many spend more time drinking coffee than working.

My husband, as a retired Marine, has not had a COLA raise in several years. And he earned his retirement. He came in 1965 and made peanuts for pay for years. At that time the feeling was if we wanted you to have a wife and family you would have been issued one. We struggled to eat, and for awhile didn't even own a car. Later in life I paid the cost of not being able to afford decent dental care...when the option is eating or going to the dentist, guess what loses.

I'm not complaining...I wouldn't trade the experiences for anything and we have had a good life. It makes me sick when I go to the commissary and see young Marine families using WIC and food stamps. They make so much more money than we made. Heck, I walked to the commissary, and now they go out in get into their new or newish Honda or SUV. Base housing doesn't even have clothes lines because they all own dryers. I hung diapers out in the cold and was grateful to have a washer. I was thrilled when we were able to purchase a 1953 Chevy that had been brush painted and had no second gear. We later upgraded to a Rambler station wagon with no reverse!

In this instant gratification age of credit cards, no one waits or plans for purchases. Our government is a reflection of our society...spend the money whether you have it or not. Buy a house even if you know you can't afford it. Live beyond your means and damn the consequences.

Until we personally start thinking differently we are all screwed.

saxton| 12.3.10 @ 10:30PM

Can you say affirmative action? The fed govt is NOW 90% minorities--jobs given to those who can barely read, speak...ONE big scam. Those before 1987 get 80% of their pay those after get 1.1%. Contractors milk them dry.

George| 12.6.10 @ 1:51PM

Nancy in NC,
Times change and so should your attitude. Your husband might have earned less back in the day but, gas was not three dollars a gallon, bread was not 2.50 a loaf, and houses were not 400K for a decent home. If we all thought how great is was back in the day we would not have computers, internet, and emission control devices. I am not that old but do remember the prices in the 70's and 80's. I too served 20 years and did not get paid as much as the troops of the same rank of today. But again I know there have been cost of living increases and they should get paid more. Oh and by the way my son is in the Army today and has spent almost as much time in the Middle East as he has at home. I feel our troops of today deserve their pay and more. Maybe you need to visit Walter Reade and see all of our young troops living the life of luxury with their washers and dryers on post! Yes some possibly do live beyond their means but we live and learn. I do agree with your last comment "Until we personally start thinking differently we are all screwed". I think you should take a real hard look at your thinking as well!
George

RJ| 11.30.10 @ 3:02PM

Letting keep adding to the list. I would like to add bailouts, government loans, Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae, subsidies, and the list goes on. We should ask American Spectator to keep a list of government programs that should appear before a citizens' "death panel" for government programs.

angellight| 11.30.10 @ 1:11PM

All must sacrifice. I only hope Congress does not have the audacity to raise thier pay when time to vote on that; and no TAX Cuts for the Rich, please! They too must do more of sacrificing, to date they have done none...

terrie| 11.30.10 @ 2:04PM

What 'sacrifice' must the 'rich' make, and to whom? Are they required to "give back" because they have been successful in life? To suggest giving it back implies they have stolen something, when indeed, they have not. I am not 'rich'. In fact, I am one of the 20% unemployed. (without "benefits") I think it ridiculous to increase taxes on anyone at this stage of our economy. (angellight you are dead wrong that anyone is proposing "tax cuts" at the present time. All that is suggested is to keep existing tax rates at their current level)

Oldefarte| 11.30.10 @ 2:52PM

BS, this is just more of Barry's/Democrats' propaganda. They purposely planned upon his election on raising spending through welfarecare and nonstimulus, etc; and then paying for same by raising taxes. No one's taxes should be raised, since the budget defecit/debt can be lowered by governmental spending reductions instead. This country's taxes are too high now compared to other countries, and same mostly goes to providing welfare to lazy/stupid recipients of same at taxpayers' expense. Want sacrifice, then eliminate foreign and farm aid, welfare, excessive military hardware purchases,etc!!!!!!!

nicole| 11.30.10 @ 11:59PM

Oldefarte...what countries are you referring to that pay far less taxes than ours? Canada? No. England? No? Greece? Huh...I am pretty sure their economy is falling...I agree with cutting spending, but without tax increases we will never manage this deficit. And for the record... I'm not a welfare recipient stating we should "tax the rich people" I am an upper middle class blue collar worker with a husband who is a federal civil servant for the DOD. Do I want to pay more taxes? HECK NO. Do I think I need to pay more taxes to make this a better place for my children to live? HECK YES.

ben| 12.2.10 @ 11:02PM

"without tax increases we will never manage this deficit."
With tax increases our deficit will only grow. Increased taxes lead to less gov't revenue not more. Increased taxes mean less money to spend on products=less profits to tax, less investment in business=less jobs=less taxpayers=more tax-takers =less revenue. Lower taxes however lead to the exact opposite. This has been proven repeatedly going at least as far back as the Coolidge admin.
This was also pointed out to Obama during one of the presidential debates (2nd I think). Obama was reminded that raising capital gains taxes has historically led to less revenue, while lowering them has historically led to more revenue. Obama replied that he wasn't doing it to make money but for purposes of "fairness". Even he has acknowledged that tax increases lower revenue and increase deficits.
The very idea of deficits having to payed for is absurd. A deficit is created by spending more than you have. To erase a deficit you either need to spend less or take in more. The proven way to take in more is to tax less. This doesn't mean tax 0%, there is an optimum rate for maximum revenue - see the laffer curve.
The claim that we need more taxes to make this a better place to live is essentially tyrannical. The very claim of trying to make this country a better place to live is to assert your definition of what that better is. I'm sure you wouldn't support more taxes to live under my definition.
Those who advocate a central plan assume it is their plan that will be implemented.
Those who claim to want to "fix" society or make this a "better" place are simply seeking to change others behavior. We only have the right to change ourselves. To try to change society into something better is to attempt to enslave your neighbors to your values, your beliefs, your opinion, your vision. You steal my money, take my opportunities away making me dependent and then attempt to force me to comply with your views all to make society -those around you-into what you think would be better for all of us. What gives you the right to decide the better for me? Better yet, tell me what gives me the right to decide the better for you.

Kishego| 11.30.10 @ 3:37PM

Sacrifice? Did you or the government "sacrifice" when I was working 80 to 90 hrs a week and eating macaroni 3 or 4 times a week? Did you or the government "sacrifice" when I had to work with no income at times in order to keep the doors open? Do you or the government "sacrifice" while the taxes are raised so high that you have to let someone go because you can't afford to pay them. Do you "sacrifice" when you have to look someone in the eye and tell they no longer have a job? I could keep going but hopefully you get the point (some how I doubt you will but one can always hope). I say it's time we let the government sacrifice and let us "Rich People" keep the money we work very hard to EARN !!!

Kishego| 11.30.10 @ 3:39PM

On a lighter note, I still love Kraft Mac-n-Cheese, but you can keep the Spam.

Alan Brooks| 11.30.10 @ 6:07PM

Also institute a defense tax, so you will assume the FULL BURDEN for defense; this is your country, you have to pay for its defense.

Bill| 12.7.10 @ 3:23PM

Alan, you are like an annoying fly that won't go away!

The last time I looked, the Feral Gov't was charged with the military protection of the country. It's in the Constitution. Look it up. There may be honest differences of opinion about how to go about this mandate, but it is Constitutional.

The departments listed in the postings above have no Constitutional basis for their existence.

Ret. Marine| 11.30.10 @ 6:31AM

The obamas Bin Ly'n , DUDE, is too easily taken for the fool he actually is. This is leadership, I think not. Bag this crap already, its getting to really smell of political death around this country with this weakling in our House. I have just two request out of this upcoming 112th Congress, walk into this meeting today and tell obamas Bin Ly'n "WE WON" and proceed to impeach this fool already, turn him over he's cooked. Pathetic usurper.

Spoonman| 11.30.10 @ 7:18AM

What a fool he is - someone should ask questions about why has he not propsoed cutting federal employee pay similar to what millions of private sector employers have done over the last two years, why not freeze hiring for federal positions and allow attrition to reduce the number of employees. To call a proposed pay freeze a token is giving him too much credit. Oblama and leadership mix like oil and water!

Oldefarte| 11.30.10 @ 2:56PM

Considering that federal governmental emloyees' salaries are DOUBLE on average what private sector employees are, hell yes, government employees should receive a 30% haircut along with a similar reduction in their employment ranks!!!!

Berno| 12.1.10 @ 9:40PM

Do you realize how foolish you sound? Do you think it is accurate to compare all federal workers to all other workers? If so, this means that you believe that a scientist with a PhD who works almost 80 hours a week for 150,000 a year should make as much as the person who flips burgers at McDonalds. Now , I don't mean to disparage the person who works at McDonalds. I am just saying that you need to compare apples to apples and oranges to oranges as the saying goes. The scientist who works for the government who earns 150K a year has to be a supervisor with a tremendous amount of responsibility for your medical safety. If this same scientist worked for a major drug company, he would be making almost double his/her federal salary. I know. I am one. You can't compare me or my colleagues to all American workers. Of course the average of all Americans would be less than that of a preselected group. I can only speak for my agency and my colleagues in my division, not all federal workers. You see, I don't know what they all do the way you claim you do. My colleagues work way beyond the 40 hours a week that their contracts require. A few of us even worked on Thanksgiving Day and the entire following weekend. We don't get overtime pay. As professionals we have deadlines to meet to protect the public health and we do it tirelessly. As I said, I don't know all federal workers. I am sure some are lazy. Is everyone a model employee at your place of employment? I would bet not. Make sure you look at how the numbers were analyzed before you make empty emphatic judgments.

George| 12.6.10 @ 2:11PM

Berno,
Here, here. I applaud you sir. I am a federal employee and I too see my share of lazy workers, but I also was in the civilian sector and saw as many or more there. I agree with you that apples should be compared with apples. I know as a Project Manager I would get paid at least 30K more on the outside then I am making now. I do not just do it for the money or security, but for the past seven years was actually helping the war fighter. I was in procurement and helped purchase the war fighter on the ground what they needed to complete their mission but could not get through DOD supply channels. I also was in the military and on the ground and knew what it was like to keep asking for things to help our mission but could not get them. I know I made a difference and for me that was more than the pay. Oldefarte should really experience working for the government and see what some of its employees sacrifice and provide in support of their country.
George

Melvin| 11.30.10 @ 7:28AM

Obama's theatrical side show came basically be summed up with the below punch line.

"Looks like dog squeeze, smells like dog squeeze, feels like dog squeeze, tastes like dog squeeze. Must be dog squeeze. Good thing we didn't step in it!"
Thomas Chong & Cheech Marin.

SC Mike| 11.30.10 @ 7:34AM

Per wire reports, the federal employees still qualify for step (within-grade) increases and bonuses.

Alert1201| 11.30.10 @ 7:52AM

I am a computer programmer and work as contractor for the IRS and you would not believe the waist I see every day. They have projects with 5 or 6 developers working on them, all making around 80-100K a year, and only two of them actually do any work. The rest are affirmative action hires who either do not know anything about programming or know something but refuse to work because they know nothing will happen to them. The affirmative action is so bad that a person who is a veteran or a minority with absolutely no experience will get a job over a person who is a non-veteran Caucasian with 15-20 years experience.

The funny thing is the IRS hates contractors but they need us to do the work. Typically what happens is they start a project that they may have, let’s say 1 year to do. Well 9 months go by and nothing is done, just reams of documentation but not one line of code. Then they call us, the contractors, and we complete the project in 2 to 3 months. Then they pat us on the head, say good job, and present the completed project and get the credit.

The unions also destroy any productivity in government agencies. When I first started working here we developed a program that would increase the efficiency of a certain group of works by 50%. We presented the application (which they asked we write) and when they found it would actually increase the productivity they would not use it because the unions did not want to go through the trouble of changing the quotas of those who used the program. It seems they were only required to do so much work each day and when they were presented with an opportunity to do more work in the same time they said no.

This is not just the case with the IRS. I also worked in the same position for the EPA for 10 yeas and it was no different.

The Bishop| 11.30.10 @ 8:57AM

As much as I wish I could dispute what Alert1201 has written here, I confess that he's told it exactly as it is. I'm an employee of the agency he criticizes whose service began in 1971. There are many dedicated and good employees, but political correctness has taken a terrible toll on the organization as a whole. While balancing politically correct policies with legislative mandates that change yearly (if not more often), it's a wonder that IRS functions as well as it does. I don't regret for a moment the freeze on wages (and I'm not one of the $150K plus employees - a large number of those reside inside the Beltway), but our raises over the years have truly exceeded justification.

The Treasury Employees union (NTEU) sent out multiple emails during the pre-election weeks encouraging its members to volunteer to support Dems so that those evil Repubs could not follow through on their pledge to freeze federal pay. I wonder what their president, Colleen Kelly, is saying today. Public employee unions are a bane. My apologies to the American taxpayer.

Peppermint Tea| 11.30.10 @ 10:38AM

You said there was a lot of "waist" at the IRS; I think you meant a lot of "waste," but perhaps you meant the former.

alert1201| 11.30.10 @ 2:45PM

I meant "waste" but the other will do, figuratively.

ShortNSweet| 11.30.10 @ 11:46AM

Alert1201, in four short paragraphs it seems you were able to describe one of the most profound issues we face in these United States! Coupled with Conrad Spiracy and OldSoldier, I believe you guys have at least half of our issues resolved.
Call John Baenher!!! Tell him you've got it!
Great Posts! Wish they'd listen to the PEOPLE!

chris| 12.1.10 @ 6:25AM

wow you get to see waist? are you a lifeguard?

Mattled| 11.30.10 @ 8:03AM

I had the opportunity to discuss education with a hard core Obama supporter a few weeks ago. An Obama delegate as a matter of fact. The cluelessness was rather breathtaking. What I believed to be basic news that affected children in inner cities was utterly lost on this Obama-bot. She had no idea Clintons welfare reform was obliterated in the so-called stimulus bill and that he had personally killed school choice in D.C. She said she would have to Google it to see if I was accurate.
Huh?
Liberals never ever believe anything that is against their Liberal religion. Facts be damned!

cola carrier| 11.30.10 @ 8:09AM

Pay freeze? How about department eliminations along with his czars. That could save a couple of bucks.

Old Soldier| 11.30.10 @ 9:04AM

The civilians I know who work for the Feds have told me that they are hiring like crazy right now.

Cap'nLarge| 11.30.10 @ 8:14AM

I would only hope that the republican leadership at the meeting will point out to the president and the MSM the size of the deficit they are inheriting from the present congress and administration and that now they will go about the business of cuting said deficit by all means available.

abodyofminds| 11.30.10 @ 8:26AM

HRH Obama should put those Federal wage freezes where the sun doesn't shine. They are meaningless. Reduce his Tzar count by 80%, now we're talking! How about eliminating all those Departments created by Jimmy Carter that have shown little value in 30 years. To hell with the Delta smelt, turn the water on in San Jouquin Valley, California that will create some serious farm jobs and reduce escalating food prices due to shortages. Its time we served some Liberal Crow and Re-Engineered the entire Federal Government.

WilliamInWien| 11.30.10 @ 8:30AM

Headline: Federal Workers Fume at Pay Freeze! Not a cut in pay, not a Reduction In Force (RIF), not a mandatory days off during the year, just a rather insignificant pay raise! The problem is that this insignificant action was proclaimed in isolation, that is, no other actions affecting other groups were mentioned. I don't disagree with Alert1201's premise, but as a COTR on a number of projects while in government, I held up payments to contractors for failure to deliver products on time or incomplete products. The problems of the federal bureaucracy are myriad and would take a decade or more to resolve and I doubt there is that level of dedication on Capitol Hill.

Alert1201| 11.30.10 @ 8:50AM

I understand and agree. Not all government contractors are sterling either and many of them deserve the scorn they receive. The division of the company I work for is very professional and we do our best to deliver a good project. However, at EPA I worked for the same company but different division and the work was embarrassingly shoddy but nobody held our feet to the fire.

Sam Vaughn| 11.30.10 @ 9:00AM

Alert1201, you may recall the billions spent on rewriting the FAA's control systems only to be completely scrapped, useless. I know technology people who worked on that project and were excited to do it. It collapsed under the weight of bureaucrats who could not get a job in the real world. That's where healthcare is headed..... not to mention farming with SR501.

Alert1201| 11.30.10 @ 9:04AM

Sam, I do recal that and I have seen the same thing here at the IRS. I cannot reveal the names because it might hint at my identity but we have simular projects that billions were spent on with no real progrees.

virginia| 11.30.10 @ 8:51AM

Has anyone seriously examined this proposed pay freeze? From what I can tell all Federal civilian employees would still be eligible for step increases but what would be frozen would be the dollar amount of each step level. In other words in real terms the Federal employee could still receive merit increases and bonuses as always. So where are the savings?

Dixie Pixie| 11.30.10 @ 9:10AM

Virginia,,, There are none.
Like everything else with Obama, it is all fluff, deception, smoke and mirrors.
Obama is our first substance free President.

To bring spending in line with income, spending must be slashed by 40%.
To begin to pay off the mountain of Federal debt spending should be cut 50%.
Obama proposals will not even begin to bring down spending only peg it at an already bloated level.

Brubaker| 11.30.10 @ 12:26PM

The freeze applies to annual cost-of-living increases that are approved by the president and apply across the board to all employees. Those pay increases are driven by increases in the cost of living. Since the cost of living has barely been rising of late, any cost of living pay raise would be tiny even without the freeze.

Sam Vaughn| 11.30.10 @ 8:56AM

Fact is they are not even pay freezes. As those wo work for the gov.t will confirm a manager needs only to move an employee to a different pay grade. That's not considered a raise, just a chimera of a change in work performed.

Jimbo| 11.30.10 @ 7:39PM

That's right Sam. And I understand each "GS" grade has many levels - GS9.1, GS9.2, etc.

It's disheartening to know that as a P13 in my private company hierachy (supposedly equivilent to a GS13) my pay scale is about $25k a year lower to not be a leach on society.

Mark| 11.30.10 @ 9:13PM

Jimbo--You are correct, there are 10 "steps" in each GS grade level. I am a Federal employee who will soon be seeing a net pay cut (no COLA but my health insurance premiums are going up).

However, for those unfamiliar with the GS systemthe step increases are not all annual. The increases between steps 1-2, 2-3, and 3-4 are annual, but the next three (4-5, 5-6, and 6-7) are every two years, and the final three (7-8, 8-9, and 9-10) are every three years.

Brash| 11.30.10 @ 9:05AM

When the juvenile president proposes a hiring freeze AND a reduction in force, I'll know that he's finally getting a buzz of reality through his thick skull.

Old Soldier| 11.30.10 @ 9:06AM

How about we get rid of their pensions and give them all 401K's (technically 403b's) like those of us paying their salaries?

nicole| 12.1.10 @ 12:15AM

Thats already been done (sort of) There are still pensions but not like there used to be. No longer the 80% of pay. And they do have "401K's" like everyone else. It's called a Thrift Savings Plan (TSP). And my husband is a GS13.10 It took him a heck of a long time (almost 25 years) to get there. They don't just hand out grade increases like halloween candy.

Redstateboy| 11.30.10 @ 9:11AM

Lemme see if I get this straight.. Nazi Pelosi and Harry-the-war-is-lost-Reid have had majorities and in Pelosi's case Super-Majorities; of both houses for 3 long, long years and Hussien's been in the WH for 2 and it's still the Republicans and Bush's fault.. if this doesn't show you the infantile mind of your basic Slave Party voter than I don't know what would.

Redstateboy| 11.30.10 @ 9:14AM

our country is hanging by thread and Hussien still thinks politics as usual can be played? He IS the Manchurian Candidate.

Louis Jenkins| 11.30.10 @ 9:37AM

How did this nation ever come to the condition it is in? We've added and added to the deficit until, one day, we looked around and came to the conclusion that "it can never be paid." And Osama Obama gives us a pitily $2 billion wage cut, $5 billion in two years. We are $13 trillion in the hole! $2 billion is a start but it is chicken feed. He wants to look good, and that's about it. If he wanted to look good to Conservatives he line out the EPA, Dept. of the Interior, ATF, DEA, Dept. of Education, and many more. It is all smoke and mirrors. Let's see if the established Republican go along, and if they do, then we have targets for 2012. As I have said, we've still got work to do.

Brian Mc| 11.30.10 @ 9:40AM

This is turning into a fight to the death...of liberalism. Build walls around the bastions of liberal voters and tell those who reside within they have so many days to move out or they are stuck with the hell they have created for themselves and then, the rest of us can get on with the Republic as it was designed.

Pete| 11.30.10 @ 9:46AM

I thought the federal government was all about proportionality and fairness? After all, there are plenty of women and minorities in the private workforce. So why not cut the federal workforce and its pay by the same proportions as happened in private industry? Share the wealth, share the pain, right Osama?

MacDaddy| 11.30.10 @ 9:48AM

What monumental incompetence. They can't even get a pay freeze right. OK, for you government workers, here is how it SHOULD work. Take item A....you current gross on your paycheck. This amount won't change, unless you earn a promotion, for two years. Period. End of statement. Discussion over. That's final.

Mr. Obama....see how easy that was? CEO's of companies large and small have doing that for the better part of two years. In my company, wages have been frozen for 4 years.....we survived. We grumbled...but we survived.

Anthony| 11.30.10 @ 10:41AM

A pay freeze after this clown increased federal salaries to almost double of those in the private sector.
He pulled the same trick with federal agencies, after having raised their budgets by over 20%.
Who does this clown think he's fooling? Oh, right, the MSM, of course.
"Our brave and courageous president holds the line" !!! Watch for it on the CBS Evening News, if it's still on.

oregon| 11.30.10 @ 10:48AM

Portland is pretty happy with the FBI right now. Would their pay be penalized as well?

cfa| 11.30.10 @ 11:02AM

A hiring freeze might work better than a pay freeze.

glenny| 11.30.10 @ 5:45PM

Why not both? glenny

Ed| 11.30.10 @ 12:05PM

You want to see federal bucks spent needlessly? Go to Oak Ridge, TN or any of the DOE weapons related sites. I worked beside a 30 million dollar facility that was built inside a process building but never used to this day. Also, the "upgrading" of their uranium production facility at Oak Ridge's Y-12 site has doubled into the billions of dollars in just a couple of years. And I never understood why it needed "upgrading". As a 35 year former employee and retiree, I and others are trying to live on retirement checks that have never increased in all the years we've been retired. Other DOE facilities get cost of living but not us. Washington doesn't seem to care. Perhaps those highly payed folks in DC can eke by with their wages frozen for 2 years. Try frozen forever like my meager check each month! I have no respect for the POTUS and I have no pity for Fed workers.

George S| 11.30.10 @ 12:08PM

Freeze pay at twice the private sector average? That is still beyond offensive, not heroic. Then again, it is not about saving money but dangling the compromise lure in front of Republicans. I cut pay somewhat, so you raise taxes somewhat. Pay cuts can be reversed by executive order, taxes need the full Congress. Lucy is once again holding the football...

Cuffs| 11.30.10 @ 12:44PM

Hey Melvin--we already stepped in the dog squeeze--we elected Obama.
Now it is time to clean our shoes & the yard.

Marc Jeric| 11.30.10 @ 2:32PM

Let us do away with the following useless burdens:
1) Agriculture Department (they have more employees than there are farms);
2) Energy Department - they have done zero for energy independence, on the contrary they increased it;
3) Education Department - they have utterly destroyed our education;
4) Labor Department - they do no labor;
5) EPA - states are doing a better job; also, EPA is 100% staffed with eco-nazis and commies.
For a good start this is enough - but the chistka should be continued through all other department. Finally - all government employees unions should be declared illegal under RICO; they are a criminal conspiracy against the people.

Al Adab| 11.30.10 @ 2:42PM

It is an example of symbolism over substance. Earmarks Would have been a good first step but Republicans failed us and betrayed us again. Still, a pay freeze is one small (miniscule) step and we should be ready to tqake whatever we can get. The journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step. Revisit earmarks after the egregious eight and out. Get rid of Murkowski and the others. Bury them with e-mail. RINO's are the GOP but Conservatives must prevail.

Oldefarte| 11.30.10 @ 2:42PM

This is typical of this lying Chicago-Way, community organizing street hustler, and anyone brainwashed by his BS should grow some brain cells. His accusation of the defecit being the fault of Republican is a FLAT OUT LIE, since his deficit is three times larger than that of Bush's. Historically from the Johnson Great Society 1960's and increasing annually, government's spending on WELFARE programs/legislation has become a desasterous snowball rolling down hill [for which the taxpayers have had to pay for]. If this idiot want to get serious about defecit reduction, he should agree to a 30% cut in governmental spending, for starters [either across the board or specifically directed at eliminating these Great Society welfare and worthless/useless programs], His WELFARECARE and NONSTIMULUS has bee the straws that broke the budget's back, and this lying incompetitent know full well that its true. Instead of a pay freeze, he should offer a federal layoff of 30% of the government's employees as a start. November of 2012 can't get here soon enough for some of us!!!!!!!!

Intelligent Design| 11.30.10 @ 3:19PM

He must be deaf and dumb. The voters just spoke and they said, "We want federal spending cut by $2 trillion, plus we want Obamacare repealed or defunded."

And 8 equally dumb Republican senators just voted against the legislation to ban earmarks!

Jeff Perren| 11.30.10 @ 4:06PM

If Obama is eager to make symbolic gestures engage in political posturing, he might ask himself why in the world the U.S. is .

Bizarre are the ways of altruists.

Jeff Perren| 11.30.10 @ 4:11PM

If Obama is eager to make symbolic gestures - strike that - engage in political posturing, he might ask himself why in the world the U.S. is giving $3.2 million in U.S. taxpayer dollars to feed schoolchildren in, of all places, Kazakhstan.

Bizarre are the ways of Federal altruists.

David| 11.30.10 @ 4:50PM

To all the morons (dictionary definition: someone with the mental capability of a 12 year old):

Has any poor or middle class person ever hired you for a job? That is, other than mowing their lawns or to clean their houses?

David| 11.30.10 @ 4:50PM

To all the morons (dictionary definition: someone with the mental capability of a 12 year old):

Has any poor or middle class person ever hired you for a job? That is, other than mowing their lawns or to clean their houses?

Ydnar| 11.30.10 @ 6:47PM

This is not the first time a President has suggested cutting pay increases for Federal employees. In 1993 Bill Clinton recommended the same thing but was shot down by his own party. In 2004, GWB determined that a 1.4 vice 3.5% raise should be approved and the left went crazy. The following link contains some comments regarding the proposed pay raise and is an interesting read: http://www.fedsmith.com/articl.....ical.html.
By law, pay increases for federal workers are determined by subtracting .5 percent from annual wage inflation in the private workforce, as determined by the Labor Department’s Employment Cost Index. Current inflation is averaging about 1.7% for 2010 to date and we will most likely close out the year near that figure (source - http://www.usinflationcalculat.....ion-rates/).
Having been a Federal employee for the better part of 12 years (after retiring from the military), I have seen my share of waste including some of the people hired as "essential" to mission accomplishment (later it turns out THEY are a waste). While I agree there needs to be additional oversight in the Federal hiring and retention practices, not every person employed by our government is taking money for nothing. I’m sick and tired of seeing the insinuations that gov’t workers spend their days looking for ways to get out of work. While this may be true of a few people, it is not the status quo for all.
I work in a building of mostly retired Navy and Marine veterans, now Federal employees and contractors, who are tasked daily with the care and support of our deployed troops. Not only are they each responsible for hundreds of millions of dollars in inventory (repair, shipment and preservation of assets) but they do this all day and sometimes into the late evening hours, weekends and holidays without complaint. BTW, not one has yet complained about the proposed pay freeze. This doesn’t mean they are not affected by the proposal, just that we understand the requirement to find a way to cut costs.
I’ll be the first to admit that I make a good wage by today’s standards; however, I also pay for my health insurance (scheduled to increase 5-7% under BHO’s socialist plan), pay taxes on those wages and have a portion removed for my eventual retirement (401K, not a pension). What really scrapes my nards is the fact that people forget that it was the Obama administration that declared they would hire even more civilian workers and reduce the number of military folks already performing those tasks.
Last thought - it is not us “working” dogs that need a pay freeze but the folks at the Senior Executive Service (SES) level that are making the 6 figure incomes and have had their ranks swell over the past two years. By the way, most are retired senior officers (O6 and above) that have not only worked their way into a lucrative position but were hired to do the same job they essentially did in uniform (at a lower wage). So, now they draw a reasonable stipend for their military service and a very good wage for being a federal employee. One last note, if taxes go up (even a little) and the cost of living rises as it does every year and the cost of my health insurance increases, this is not a pay freeze, it is a pay reduction.

Ydnar| 11.30.10 @ 7:01PM

By the way, not all retirees are able to push their way into the fed pool, some end up as contractors and corporate consultants making even more money than their fed counterparts (all funded by tax dollars - eventually). Very rarely will you find a GS-3,4,5 or -6 because they have all left for greener pastures (private industry). The starting pay for those positions is not secret, and can be found at the OPM web site, but suffice to say they carry significant minimal hiring requirements (education, experience, etc.) for rather insignificant pay (in today’s market).
Just remember, if costs go up and pay doesn’t, we employee’s have to cut something out to make ends meet (retirement, health ins, etc.) and will may to rely on the gov’t to bail us out at a much higher cost to the taxpayers (can you say bankruptcy?). Again, I have no problem paying my fair share; however, it seems that some folks believe that our share should be bigger than most. Besides, $5B over 2 years compared to a $13T debt is like pissing in the ocean, no one will even notice. Can’t really see a win-win anywhere in this. In case you’re wondering, I have absolutely no respect for anyone in the White house or tied to the current Demospastic party so I'm not some gutter troll just trying to start an argument.

CB| 11.30.10 @ 10:20PM

Obama said that Congress and staff, postal workers, judges and staff will be exempt from pay freeze. Congress exempt? If that happens, the already low approval numbers will sink through the floor. Why freeze fed workers and leave Congress alone? What happened to equal Protection Under the Law (14th Ammendment). y the way, to save $, eleinate the ATF. They are a useless redundancy and an afront to our civil rights.

nicole| 12.1.10 @ 12:40AM

Agreed.
Congress should take a freeze right alongside anyone else. Amazing how raises for all branches of the government EXCEPT the legislative branch have to be a line item in the budget every year but Congress actually has to vote NOT to give themselves a pay raise. The raise is automatic! Equal protection? Not even close

55inchlcd| 12.1.10 @ 12:01AM

I think that is a terrible idea

Bill Hussein O'Stalin| 12.1.10 @ 5:14AM

Only inside the beltway would a phony ploy like a pay freeze cause commentary. It's weak, it doesn't preclude step increases or bonuses and won't save a penny.

What's needed is a massive cut in federal employees, followed by new pay scales. Any federal employees who don't like it should hit the road. Fat chance.

Bill| 12.1.10 @ 7:08AM

What's really necessary - sorry, I meant NECESSARY is defund large swaths of the government - AND ALL THE CZARS.

Loyal Employee| 12.1.10 @ 7:30AM

I am a "gubmint" employee and where I work, I don't know of anyone who makes $150,000 a year except maybe for the scientists and physicists and I don't think even they make t hat much. I don't even make a third of these salaries that are mentioned. It will hurt me and my family a lot when my health care and life insurance goes up. The federal employees I know are highly educated and work their collective arses off for this country. If anybody out there thinks government employees have it so good, why don't you all put in for a job?

Teknikid| 12.1.10 @ 2:41PM

I can't believe the stink people are raising about this. It's long past due! I went for three years without a raise at my job, so I don't share the left's whining about this pittance-for-a-concession of a pay freeze for over-payed paper pushers. People should ask themselves how much government they want to fund. We the people once spent a million dollars on prophylactics and they were sent to Pakistan. We don't need these kinds of expeditures. We are being bled dry.

QuietPro| 12.1.10 @ 3:57PM

Wahh!!! I'm a private worker and I'm underemployed/unemployed, so I wanna see others miserable, too! Wahh!! I can't have mine, so YOU can't have yours! Wahh!! All federal employees are rich/greedy/stupid/lazy, so who cares about them? Wahh!! My 401k got gutted by the market, so lets blame a Fed worker instead of GM, AIG, Chrystler, and Goldman Sachs! Wahh!!

Step back and listen to yourselves, people. I'd like to say something to my private sector brothers and sisters who are calling for us Feds to be froze and then laid off: To hell with you. All of you. Question: HOW will laying me off, or cutting my pay, put money back in your pocket? How will it give you the job you want? News Flash, you geniuses: It won't.

I have nothing at all to apologize for. And I am so tired of hearing this "indignant anger" at federal employees, which is merely ENVY in disguise. Nothing more, nothing less. I chose a federal career because my field (L.E.) isn't something you just up and privatize. I didn't plot to steal your jobs. I didn't steal your money. I didn't crush your 401k, and we Feds don't deserve this misdirected disguised ENVY of yours.

Oh, what's that? You want to complain and seek retribution on someone, hm? OK, how about your elected leadership in Congress and the White House- you know, the ones who AREN'T taking a paycut or a freeze? How about a large company CEO, who took a cool 5 million in severance bonus for running his company into the gutter? How about the people in your city who didn't pay their debts and mortgages because of poor/greedy decisions, but still receive bailouts? How about your neighbor, who still hasn't gotten himself a job after 99 - count that 99 - weeks!?

So to all those boiling in poisonous, useless ENVY at we Feds - Who get up and go to work the same as you do/did- Go stick your heads in a river and cool off. I'm tired of your whining. Now go ahead and let the insults roll; this should be interesting.

Bill| 12.7.10 @ 3:38PM

QuietPro, so there's nothing we can do differently?

I hope you didn't write your post while you were at "work" and on your gov't computer.

If I had my way, the DelMarVaDC area would be covered with subdivisions filled with empty houses.

"This department is closing tomorrow. What destination would you like on your one-way-ticket out of here?"

BTW, we did take retribution on our elected leadership (maybe you slept through it) and, hopefully, in 2012 the purge will continue.

Having said that, if the ongoing purge doesn't affect your pay and other aspects of Feral employment, then we have failed. The purpose of taking retribution on them is to take retribution on YOU!

Mary Grimes| 12.1.10 @ 7:01PM

Folks need to compare federal employees compensation to those of other "large" employers like Microsoft and Boeing. In doing so, you would see that many are underpaid and have fewer benefits. I would love to have for a Boeing employee benefit package.

niwde rotay| 12.1.10 @ 8:39PM

what should be eliminated in the federal pay schedule are the instep increases within pay grades. These were introduced in the late 50's (ten in each grade through grade 15). These were to provide salary increases for employees for at least 20 years of employment.ve Prior to this, the only way a federal employee received a pay raise was by act of Congress. This was a problem for p.c.(political coward) Congressmen who would be hit at election time by strong public employee organizations for pay raises. This worked for a while until cost of living adjustments and additional payraises came on the scene. This resulted in bloting federal pay way out of proportion,particularly after an employee reached 20 years of employment. A clerk doing routine filing duties could commence employment at $10 an hour could end up making $30 an hour at the end of 20 years doing the same minual task !!!

Jeff| 12.2.10 @ 1:09PM

If it's a hard decision for Obama to cut a few million in pay increases for his cronies, how hard is it going to be to cut billions or even trillions in spending?

jgo| 12.5.10 @ 1:05PM

I'd eliminate the Socialist Insecurity Abomination, Medicare, Medicaid, Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae, Sallie Mae, FHAH, NEAH (including AFI), National Socialist Radio (NPR), National Socialist Television (CPB), HUD, HHS, most of NSF, a chunk of DoEnergy and DoLabor and DoCommerce, most of DoEducation, keeping mainly statistical "state of the union" information gathering functions from these, big chunks of EPA and OSHA/NIOSH (getting rid of a lot of federal mandates on and subsidies to state and local governments). Then I'd eliminate the Fed, and income extortion and replace it with a max 9% retail sales tax and max 9% import tariffs. I'd get rid of a big chunk of FTC and FCC and put in place policies aimed at eliminating government-supported monopolies in "utilities". I'd cut back on the standing military, "National Guard" and "Reserves" and expand militia training to most students in HS and universities.
Then, on Tuesday...