Why Are Government Employees So Pampered While The Taxpayers Who Pay Their Salaries Get Screwed?

[MementoMori_]

I don't have a lot of sympathy for the bloated, out of control government.

The problem isn't the shut down, the problem is the inefficiency, waste, fraud and corruption that created a massively bloated government bureaucracy that has too many employees and wastes hundreds of billions of dollars in hard earned taxpayer money that should remain in the hands of the taxpayers.

As President Reagan brilliantly said, the problem isn't that taxes are too low, the problem is that government spends too much, taxes too much and borrows too much.

A good portion of these jobs are not necessary and nothing more than another welfare program carried at the expense of taxpayers who get nothing in return for their money.

And plenty of studies show that government employees are paid better than their private sector equivalents ... the taxpayers who pay their salaries.

I get it, they are shocked because they missed a couple of paychecks. Welcome to the real world.

Millions of the people who pay the government workers salaries lost their jobs while Obama was president and didn't get paychecks for YEARS. They make more money than the taxpayers and have far more job security (Once a government job is created it is NEVER eliminated no matter how useless it becomes. What does the government care, it's not their money, it's only the lowly taxpayers' money.).

And now, hundreds of thousands of these government workers are not showing up for work and will be reimbursed for back pay when this thing ends. So the taxpayers have to pick up their pay when they were getting a free vacation and delivering ZERO value to the taxpayers in return. Taxpayers screwed again!

BOO HOO! Welcome to the world of the people who pay your salaries. The shutdown is a mere minor inconvenience for a relatively small number of people who are so pampered and irresponsible that they didn't bother to save enough money to cover their expenses for a single month in spite of the fact they are paid more than the people who pay their salaries. The REAL moral outrage is how millions of taxpayers are fleeced year after year by bloated, out of control government spending at every level, federal, state and local.

[MarkRet]

I'm retired from the Federal government, and here are some observations from my angle. I was a civilian working on a military base, with Defense Department data processing. We were considered essential personnel, and we were expected to be at work, no matter what. A meter of snow? The base itself might closed, but we were expected to come in (or stay over, if we were already there).

As the computers became more internal and automated, the staffing would steadily reduce. New work would be brought in as the defense systems became more consolidated. The help desk phone system we had was constantly queued with calls. As soon as you logged in and went live, the calls would start, and not let up until about 5 PM. In addition, we had to monitor mainframe systems, reboot them if needed, correct and document failed batch jobs, system performance, process email requests, and the leads (I was a lead) had to rotate as acting supervisor. We were busy, busy, busy! Inspite of all that, our organization actually turned a profit (not that WE got to keep any of that money) in comparison with other defense outfits.

Half of our workforce was government, half was private contractor (we worked together okay), and we'd have a military officer or two at the top. I've known government workers (and contractors) who actually fit the stereotype of the lazy-ass government worker, had drug issues, or whatever, and knew how to play the system, but most workers actually did their job, or better. I've also known a few that were carried out with a stroke because the put so much into their job.

I was always wise with my pay, so if there was a shutdown, I would be good for a couple of months, but I also knew people who weren't smart with their money, and literally LIVED paycheck to paycheck.

[MementoMori_]

Thank you for the perspective. I found it interesting. There is no doubt that there are dedicated government workers and many who perform important and necessary work to keep the government functioning. My point is that Joe Taxpayer, who doesn't work for the government, but pays most of the government's bills, including the salaries of government workers, and for less compensation, benefits and job security, does not get nearly as much respect and recognition for their contribution as the government workers think they are entitled to themselves.

[MarkRet]

I should also mention that the postal workers get better pay than the other Federal workers. For some reason, they're different. The thing is, whenever some anti-Federal worker organization tries to put stats out comparing the Federal workers with comparable private sector workers, they'll deliberately add in the postal workers just to skewer the numbers, and tell the world how better paid the Federal workers are.

It's true that the Federal workers have job security more or less. They can still get RIF'd or have their jobs outsourced, but the government tries to help find them a new job (veterans have preference). As far as retirement, the new system is more of a 401K type, where the worker has to invest in the private market. I feel bad for those in the private sector, because they could do the best work possible, but still lose their job in a leveraged buyout, or get screwed over like those Enron people.

[MementoMori_]

This is a huge topic with may different aspects. What comes to mind after your last comment is that unfortunately, in a capitalist economy, you can't have job security. The two are not compatible. What you can have is excellent job opportunity if you are able to keep your skills up to date and are willing to learn new ones. But keep in mind that it is the private sector capitalist economy in the United States that provides the means to pay for every single thing that the government does. Without the private sector there would be no government. Thank you for your comments.

[Anonymous]

Seems fair during the crash a lot of non-government workers lost their, jobs and homes. Any One who doesn't work for the government prepares to be out of work for long periods, they could barely last 1 month.

[MementoMori_]

Exactly. Everyone else has to ALWAYS worry about losing their jobs AND not being able to work hard enough TO PAY THEIR TAXES. So why should government employees have life better than the tens of millions of hard working Americans who have to figure out how they are going to pay enough taxes to keep these guys in a job? If they are so spoiled and irresponsible that they live life in a way that they can't even do without one paycheck (which they are going to get paid for eventually anyway) why should the rest of us feel sorry for them?

[MementoMori_]

I just want to point out that I am not saying that there aren't some decent government workers. There are plenty of them. But ALL of them should recognize that not everyone works for the government and that there are tens of millions of people out there who are making it possible for them to have their jobs. We need some appreciation too!

[NearlyNapping]

I agree. I have no sympathy whatsoever for these people. They have cake jobs, with great benefits, lots of paid time off, and rarely if ever work overtime. The vast majority of these jobs pay well enough that there is no excuse for working paycheck to paycheck. If they can't last a couple of months without a paycheck, that's their fault.

Also, I get tired of hearing about a "government shutdown" when there is no government shutdown. It's less than 4% of the government, and the least important parts of it. That's hardly a shutdown.

The government is so over-bloated, that cutting back a measly 4% is nothing. It needs to be cut back a lot more to get things under control. I say make the cuts permanent, then cut some more, at all levels of government.

I bet the vast majority of people don't even notice the difference. If the vast majority don't notice the difference, then you have to seriously question if it's even needed in the first place.

[MementoMori_]

That is both party's biggest fear. They are terrified that if the shutdown's go too long, more and more people will learn that they don't have to have so damn much government to live their lives and that they are NOT dependent on a massive bloated bureaucracy. That's why they are desperate to end these things before the public wises up to their scam.

[malegender]

GREAT POST. I'd like to add that since the government shutdown didn't affect 90% of Americans: What the fuck are they all doing when they are getting paid? They should shut it down every other week and save a lot of money

[Dinklex3]

... Why do people act like federal employees dont pay taxes too?
Lmao.

[MementoMori_]

So what. They receive more from the rest of the taxpayers than they pay in taxes. Plus they are paid more than everyone else. Where is the sympathy for the people who are carrying them on their backs without even the slightest thank you from the government employees?

[0112358]

That’s actually a paper transaction.

Let me be very clear I’m not saying “we should be anarch capitalists with no government”

But taxes paid by government employees aren’t real. Nothing can be funded by them. The government basically can hire people for their net-of-tax salary. There is no pile of money they collected from government workers. That money doesn’t exist.

All government is paid for by the taxes on the private sector (plus small amounts from things like royalties on natural resources).

[Iseechaos]

I think a simple solution for your frustration is to stop paying taxes.

[SuccessfulHornDog]

Its all about control

[MementoMori_]

Exactly right. The bigger the government, the smaller the citizen.

[Anonymous]

Government employees are essential for the government, while other ow paid workers are easy to replace

[NerdInDenial]

People don’t like to work for free

[MementoMori_]

Understood. And none of them were. They are going to get every penny of back pay. They got a free vacation and the taxpayers who pay their salaries got nothing for the money,

[WannaPleaseMaGirl]

I ain't getting back pay

[MementoMori_]

It has already been announced that everyone who worked for the federal government during the shutdown is going to receive every penny of back pay. So if you worked for the federal government you are too.

[WannaPleaseMaGirl]

Beauty if being a contractor is nope

[MementoMori_]

Government employees will all be back paid. Government contractors have to build the risks of things like this happening into their business model like any other business and write their bids accordingly.

[NerdInDenial]

Not a fan of contractors.

[WannaPleaseMaGirl]

Ahhhhhh why

[NerdInDenial]

@WannaPleaseMaGirl many of them are rude and don’t work hard at all and give the military members a hard time

[WannaPleaseMaGirl]

What kind of contractors you talking about

[NerdInDenial]

@WannaPleaseMaGirl shipyard and administrative

[John_Doesnt]

They're not. They work hard.

[Secretgardenblood]

Good Mytake