The Week in Comments: Overpaid feds, all-American flags and forced fun
The best in reader reaction to recent articles.
A roundup of some of the comments received this week in the GovExec.com Mailbag. All comments are presented in their original, unedited form.
On Lawmaker promotes crackdown on tax delinquent feds
I know at least one GS-15 that recently walked away from his home loan because he bought it when the market was on top and now it is worth much less than he owed. Isn't that the same thing? Can't we go after people that think it's OK to cheat the system? I mean, a fed that promises to pay a loan back and then just walks is a scumbag in my book...
Last time I checked, it was a federal crime to not pay your taxes. Where do you draw the line as to which violation we exclude from prosecuting?
I am a fed who pay taxes on time and has no problem with firing employees who have not paid taxes. Provide a period of time during which they can make arrangements and if they don't, fire them.
On Federal pay called into question -- again
Another well-conceived policy platform from Heritage. How much would Mr. Edwards demand to be paid to fight in Afghanistan? I'm guessing a heck of a lot more than the typical soldier makes. Maybe Blackwater contractor rates? How would that reduce the cost of defending the nation? Maybe Mr. Edwards should join the government and lend his considerable talents to making the bureaucracy more efficient? Would he be taking a pay cut I wonder?
"Government is static, arthritic," said Edwards. "If you lowered pay and benefits, you'd get turnover, young and fresh people in which would be a good thing." Just like a fast food joint!
I beg to differ from Edwards. If you lowered pay and benefits, you'd get no applicants. The "young and fresh people" won't work for peanuts. They want the top salaries with all the benefits. I don't know where the panel got their so-called stats, but anyone can look at the federal pay charts and see that our salaries have only risen 32.2% in the last decade while our cost for health insurance has risen 278%. It takes an act of Congress for us to get a pay raise. Can the private sector say the same?
Really? Is quoting the Heritage Foundation and the Cato Institute on federal pay...a sane idea? These folks are clearly anti-federal government. How did you THINK they felt about federal pay? Anyone surprised?
The federal job I currently have required prior experience before even being contacted for an interview. I worked 2 jobs (1 FT, 1 PT) to get the experience required to qualify for the federal job I now have. Is that paying your dues? Also, if you pay peanuts, you get monkeys.
Wow, now federal employees decided to enter civil service so we can get rich. I'm not sure where these statistics are coming from because the contractors get paid more than I do and they are doing administrative work...
In 35 years of varied employment I've observed that the LEAST COMPETENT managers focus on "saving money", a cheap cop-out, rather than offering creative solutions and leadership. Once again...
Does the fact that the Federal government is a not-for-profit entity play a role? Yes, the Government has generous benefits, but the private sector can also. However, it would cut into the bottom line of profit, so the private sector limits the benefits it gives their employees.
How many times are we going to ask the same question? Fed salaries are just under attack because everyone is suffering financially. Cutting them isn't going to save 1% of 1% of the national debt, which is out of control due to overspending in many other areas. Why are these biased studies being reported in a Government-friendly magazine when they have been shown to be quantitatively incorrect and biased?
Great, put my benefits more in line with corporate america, give me better healthcare at lower cost, dental coverage I don't have, vision coverage I don't have, a Roth IRA selection for my 401K, the day after thanksgiving off, more time at Christmas off (without have to use leave) and a larger pension. When can we start?
On Immigration advocates huddle after setback, might push stand-alone bill
I don't know why there is so much opposition to an Immigration Reform. Republicans only think about the negative and not the positive. That is why there are other countries that are getting ahead of USA becuase we have a government that is not embracing change. If we dont't change we will never get ahead. Senators should just vote for a reform and move on... not waste time on opposing.
I don't believe in giving citizenship to every person who sneaks across the border whether they are young or old. If you have to sneak across you aren't proud of yourself, your country or the country you are sneaking into. Send illegals back to their countries and let them fight for their rights there. Just maybe they will make a difference and improve their own country. CLOSE OUR BORDERS!
On Bill unfurled to require all-American government flags
Great! Keep the money jobs here in America where they belong.
I wonder how much taxpayer money this clown wasted on this idiotic gesture, and how much more time and money will be wasted as this tissue paper winds its way through the congressional system? Maybe someone should tell him he was not sent to Washington to spend time and our money on publically irrelevant issues intended only to increase his voting base.
Great idea! Hopefully the quality will be better. I would like to see it expanded to include all American flags sold. I have to replace my "Made in China" flag every 6 months.
On More contractors than troops killed during past year in Iraq and Afghanistan
This does not come as a surprise. We need to re-evaulate the contractor issue and why we should stick with the military personnel in the first place. The issues include training, experience and the red tape of war.
This is good. Can easily buy more contractors. Best value
Having been a non-combat civilian contractor in unfriendly territory (there are plenty of contract support positions), there isn't much of an obligation for anyone to look out for you. Those are the risks for the higher pay and the freedoms of being a civilian. I agree that combat personnel should be military for numerous reasons, but that isn't going to stop the contractor deaths because it is not economical to have servicemembers perform all support duties.
On Burning Question: Should the office be fun?
Well, Clowns are considered a source of fun, so why not follow Congress' lead?
To put it simply. Heck yes.
I have always felt that you should be able to lighten up at work from my military to my now civilian days. And we always get the mission done.
Fun in the workplace is great for moral; however, fun in the workplace is a personal opinion. When there is an inner circle in the workplace those not accepted find it hard to consider that a fun workplace. The workplace is getting younger and older employees are not accepted today.
On GOP calls for federal hiring freeze, spending cuts
Let me see if I understand the logic... Since they have no constructive ideas on how to produce jobs and employment they will, instead, attack those who do have jobs. Brilliant. Instead of "a rising tide lifts all boats," they prefer, "the titanic hit an iceberg, therefore all boats must ram an iceberg...to be fair."
Providing more government jobs does not help the economy in fact it places a bigger strain on the tax payer. It all has to stop somewhere and why should the government employee be exempt from what the public sector is experiencing? I know I do not apprieciate my taxes going up so we can hire more employees. If you are afraid of losing your job you must not be working hard enough to keep it.
NEXT STORY: GOP to Back Hiring Freeze