What I see is the salary of jobs listed on the job.gov website versus the cost elsewhere in the country for working in a same-sized city or exurbs of the city: Chicago, Atlanta, Columbus OH, etc. No, I am not comparing the salary received in Washington DC to Kentucky salaries. That wouldn't make much sense, would it?

Read your own article. Yes, the government gives outstanding benefits, and that's worth alot of money (outstanding single payer health care being the primary one)

It's a shame the private sector provides next to nothing in benefits, giving only cheap minimal health care according to the USA Today study, and virtually nothing in pensions (must be why we need health care reform!)

The difference in salary between sectors is about 10-12%, but that's comparing to a wide range of jobs in the USA Today article, not just city jobs.

Which makes you wanting to cut government workers salaries by 20%, to put them far BELOW the national average, weird and rather cruel in my eyes.

You can take away people's health care benefit, I suppose, like you want to (you want to take away 75% of their bennies to save money)

Your move would increase our country's deficit in the long run, increase the cost of health care for all the rest of us, and obviously result in less healthy people in our country. That's rather sad and unnecessary, don't you think?

They got together, and said "hi." There's no agreement. Only agreement is to get together, and see how much they can bend this guy over the sink. You think the GOP will agree to have any of the tax cut not be extended for the wealthy? I don't. So, why are they talkin'?

Did you see the photo with Obama having his hand on Cantor's shoulder, and McConnell is glaring so hard his eyes are about to pop out of his face? Man, that guy hates Obama.

Naw, there will be no compromise from the GOP. They are not changing their stripes to do something different now. They were all over the news this morning saying they will not compromise a lick.

I did get some small joy from telephoning McConnell's office this afternoon (he's my senator) and leaving the message with the staff that I consider his actions over the past two years terribly obstructive for the country, and today's historic blockage of extending federal unemployment extensions in the face of 9.6% joblessness was the last straw. Told the staff he obviously doesn't care about the thousands of people here in KY that will be foodless and starving within the next week. And he is responsible for deepening the recession and hurting our economy by taking that spending money away. Asshats. I love democracy! :tro:

But on a serious note, this is a disaster in KY, we have thousands of unemployed, people will literally be starving. I'll do the good deed and drop off a couple bags of grocery contributions at the food bank tomorrow - their contributions have been skeletal, as the recession is so bad, but the need has never been greater. They are now about to be overwhelmed. These are real people that will suffer. Letting our own starve in America. What have we come to?

Yea, well, how about you giving something on the other end of the spectrum? You, of course, didn't tell us what the wealthy are gunna give up to solve this deficit problem. You just want middle class people to give up stuff. You say they're overpaid? Listen, I had a dog that wouldn't eat, or drink. He was getting dehydrated. I knew he had to have an I.V., or he might not make it through the night. So, I took him in. They said leave him etc., and like 8 hours later, they wanted $1100-1200 or so bucks. So, please don't give me this crap about bloated. There is so much more "bloated" going on amongst parasites (like these people.) You're very selective about what's bloated. If it's the middle class that's slightly bloated, then, you're concerned. Otherwise, you aren't bothered by it at all. Before Federal Workers get pay cuts etc., I am 100% sure that I'd rather have that Vet pay more money in taxes. I know who's more bloated. Now, if you really want to cut the deficit, then, why don't you (at least) suggest that both sides give up something. BTW, that event I mentioned (dog) is not the free market in action. There are other people that would be very willing to give that dog an i.v., and anti- nausea meds. In a free market, it would be legal for them to do so. When the wealthy do stuff to inhibit a free market, they get a free pass.

we're the military of the free world but can't afford to be. it needs to change.

the defense budget should be cut... maybe by up to 10-20%. i'm sure if you went through the defense budget line by line, there would be a ton of wasteful spending in there.

& its ridiculous to think people's salaries should be cut by 20%. now as far as those government benefits go.. those should be more in line with the private sector for sure.

hes a lame duck president. he is now bending over for the gop. in the new world order of the us congress..his basketball skills are better than his diplomatic skills..

I would guess that your information is faulty. I say this because there is zero chance that we have any clue what the Chinese or N. Koreans or Iranians are spending on their military. As mater of fact i'd guess there is a great deal of spent on black projects here that is not included

Remember that a great deal of military spending goes to US corps and funds high paying US jobs.

I'm sure his staff was impressed.

http://www.kentucky.com/classified-a...ory/Employment

The recession is SO bad but Obama has done wonderful things..

We can't afford not to be

The point people seem to be missing is that the Federal payrolls are bloated by tens to hundreds of thousands of unnecessary/unproductive employees who arent only increasing our expenses now but will do so into the future with their benefit packages. It isnt that dissimilar to what happened to the auto industry in the US where a disproportional amount of money is spent on people no longer working. It is almost impossible to fire a govt worker without them comitting some kind of felony.

The reason that private sector workers should be better paid than govt workers for similar jobs is because in the private sector, production matters and there is risk that you will be replaced. Not so in the vast majority of govt jobs.

It needs to be visible. They voted for change. Let them see what their change did.

You cant imagine how bad it is here! I drove over at least 12 dead bodies coming home from the barn today. Kroger is under siege from lynch mobs of hungry unemployed people. People are spontaneously combusting. Dogs and Cats are living together...

"If it doesn't affect me, I don't give a shiat. I've got mine" - Typical Republican

I thought the Republican were supposed to be humorless as well as heartless?

That's simply disgusting.

Tell us a joke about a Democrat and prove it's not true.

BTW You got suckered once again. :D

"President Obama spoke of the need for sacrifice last week when he announced a two-year pay freeze for federal employees.

But feds won't be too terribly deprived in 2011 and 2012. Despite the freeze, some 1.1 million employees will receive more than $2.5 billion in raises during that period."

So once again we save $1.3 billion by freezing salaries but will give 11 of every 15 employess $2.5 billion in raises? How is this not called out as the utter bullshiat it is??? Somehow everytime this idiot tries to save us money it ends up costing us more money:wf

http://www.federaltimes.com/article/.../12060301/1001

Do you just not read and understand the articles you post? The 1.3 billion saved is still saved. It's money not spent. The total budget will be 1.3 billion less than it would be if they don't do it (if Congress approves it, which I doubt the Dems will)

the sad thing is 1.3 billion to them is like me having three pennies in my pocket that I just saved.