Special to The Libertarian Enterprise
When I was growing up, my dad had his own business, but I can still
remember his telling me to get a government job. He used to tell me
that the pay wasn't that good, but you got benefits and a retirement.
That was then, and this is now. From USATODAY.com:
The number of federal workers earning six-figure salaries has
exploded during the recession, according to a USA TODAY analysis of
federal salary data. Federal employees making salaries of $100,000
or more jumped from 14% to 19% of civil servants during the recession's
first 18 monthsand that's before overtime pay and bonuses are
counted. Federal workers are enjoying an extraordinary boom timein
pay and hiringduring a recession that has cost 7.3 million jobs
in the private sector.
The highest-paid federal employees are doing best of all on salary
increases. Defense Department civilian employees earning $150,000 or
more increased from 1,868 in December 2007 to 10,100 in June 2009, the
most recent figure available.
When the recession started, the Transportation Department had only
one person earning a salary of $170,000 or more. Eighteen months later,
1,690 employees had salaries above $170,000. The trend to six-figure
salaries is occurring throughout the federal government, in agencies
big and small, high-tech and low-tech. The primary cause: substantial
pay raises and new salary rules.
"There's no way to justify this to the American people. It's
ridiculous," says Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, a first-term lawmaker
who is on the House's federal workforce subcommittee.
The average federal worker now makes more than $71,000. The average
private sector workers is making thirty thousand dollars less, and is
at a little over $40,000. So you can see why I want that government
job. The truth is that in this recession, government jobs are the only
expanding sector in the job market.
So, where do I sign up?
Reprinted from Mr. Glaser's website at james-glaser.com