Comments on: With Benefits, Average Federal Worker Salaries Double Private Sector Wage http://yesbuthowever.com/federal-employees-double-8136319/ Leaning right, leaning left, YBH! Fri, 03 Feb 2012 18:16:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: BCinDChttp://yesbuthowever.com/federal-employees-double-8136319/comment-page-1/#comment-34951 BCinDC Wed, 02 Mar 2011 18:29:17 +0000 http://yesbuthowever.com/?p=2460#comment-34951 I work in government and some of this is true. I have no doubt that Government could be cut, I'm currently doing the job of what used to be 3 government workers. I know I try my best to same the taxpayers money anyway I can. With that being said can you really take these numbers at face value without knowing where they came from. Private Industry has the ability to make quick drastic changes and fire people on a whim. Government does not. Another problem with government is the agency gets punished for saving money. If I need $10 for 2011, but I manage to save $3. In 2012 i'll only get $7. What kind of logic does Congress have when they discourage/punish the government from saving money. I work in government and some of this is true. I have no doubt that Government could be cut, I'm currently doing the job of what used to be 3 government workers. I know I try my best to same the taxpayers money anyway I can.

With that being said can you really take these numbers at face value without knowing where they came from. Private Industry has the ability to make quick drastic changes and fire people on a whim. Government does not. Another problem with government is the agency gets punished for saving money. If I need $10 for 2011, but I manage to save $3. In 2012 i'll only get $7. What kind of logic does Congress have when they discourage/punish the government from saving money.

]]> By: Tom Lhttp://yesbuthowever.com/federal-employees-double-8136319/comment-page-1/#comment-34706 Tom L Sun, 27 Feb 2011 23:15:44 +0000 http://yesbuthowever.com/?p=2460#comment-34706 One need only to work in each group during their lifetimes to quickly summarize (like day one!) that government jobs are not only grossly over compensated but the abuse of time/time cards/materials is an embarrassment to anyone that recoils of such waste. One need only to work in each group during their lifetimes to quickly summarize (like day one!) that government jobs are not only grossly over compensated but the abuse of time/time cards/materials is an embarrassment to anyone that recoils of such waste.

]]> By: Donna Harrishttp://yesbuthowever.com/federal-employees-double-8136319/comment-page-1/#comment-22783 Donna Harris Sat, 04 Dec 2010 22:56:00 +0000 http://yesbuthowever.com/?p=2460#comment-22783 Let us not forget to mention value created. Government workers? HA! Let us not forget to mention value created. Government workers? HA!

]]> By: CapCityDChttp://yesbuthowever.com/federal-employees-double-8136319/comment-page-1/#comment-7470 CapCityDC Tue, 09 Mar 2010 17:24:29 +0000 http://yesbuthowever.com/?p=2460#comment-7470 Why did Mr. Edwards and the USA Today reporter not look at past CBO (<a href="http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/5xx/doc599/fedsal.pdf)" target="_blank">http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/5xx/doc599/fedsal.pdf)</a> and GAO reports saying Feds historically got payed less and try to explain the inconsistencies of then and now? And simply acknowledging that the CBO or OPM data is not the best data to make such a comparison does not absolve either of them from then going ahead and making BAD comparisons and BAD conclusions. Bad data=bad conclusions, it's that simple. Try employing those bad research skills in a top notch private corporation or a federal agency Mr. Edwards and see how fast you will rejoin the ranks of the non-profit sector. Why did Mr. Edwards and the USA Today reporter not look at past CBO (http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/5xx/doc599/fedsal.pdf) and GAO reports saying Feds historically got payed less and try to explain the inconsistencies of then and now? And simply acknowledging that the CBO or OPM data is not the best data to make such a comparison does not absolve either of them from then going ahead and making BAD comparisons and BAD conclusions. Bad data=bad conclusions, it's that simple.

Try employing those bad research skills in a top notch private corporation or a federal agency Mr. Edwards and see how fast you will rejoin the ranks of the non-profit sector.

]]> By: CapCityDChttp://yesbuthowever.com/federal-employees-double-8136319/comment-page-1/#comment-7469 CapCityDC Tue, 09 Mar 2010 17:23:23 +0000 http://yesbuthowever.com/?p=2460#comment-7469 If all private sector reporters and economists do as poor a job researching a story as the USA Today reporter and Chris Edwards of CATO (so much for the BA and MA in Economics Mr. Edwards) did then no wonder they get paid less. The issues reported in this article and nearly every other recent story or TV "news" report fail to consider critical apple-to-apple factors in trying to compare Fed and private sector salaries. It's not enough to take an occupation, run a simple average salary, look at benefits and then say one is compensated more than the other. To make a true meaningful and EDUCATED comparison, you need to adjust for years of experience, geographic location (I'd argue that a larger percentage of Feds live in cities with much higher cost of living than the avg private person), number of degrees, and a few other critical factors. If you do not perform such "normalizations", then you as a reporter or Director of Tax Policy Studies (Mr. Edwards) are not truly educating the reader, basically all you are doing is feeding the hype to sell a story or play politics. And who cares about the facts and what's real so long as you sell a story or bash the Feds, right? If all private sector reporters and economists do as poor a job researching a story as the USA Today reporter and Chris Edwards of CATO (so much for the BA and MA in Economics Mr. Edwards) did then no wonder they get paid less. The issues reported in this article and nearly every other recent story or TV "news" report fail to consider critical apple-to-apple factors in trying to compare Fed and private sector salaries. It's not enough to take an occupation, run a simple average salary, look at benefits and then say one is compensated more than the other. To make a true meaningful and EDUCATED comparison, you need to adjust for years of experience, geographic location (I'd argue that a larger percentage of Feds live in cities with much higher cost of living than the avg private person), number of degrees, and a few other critical factors. If you do not perform such "normalizations", then you as a reporter or Director of Tax Policy Studies (Mr. Edwards) are not truly educating the reader, basically all you are doing is feeding the hype to sell a story or play politics. And who cares about the facts and what's real so long as you sell a story or bash the Feds, right?

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