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From The Huffington Post:
The Obama administration announced on Monday an ambitious plan to freeze the salaries of federal employees for two years in an effort to address massive deficits and get a handle on the country's unsustainable fiscal path.
The proposal calls for a two-year pay freeze that would save the country $28 billion in the next five years and $60 billion over the coming decade. It would be applied to all civilian federal employees, including those at the Pentagon, but not to military personnel.
The Obama administration announced on Monday an ambitious plan to freeze the salaries of federal employees for two years in an effort to address massive deficits and get a handle on the country's unsustainable fiscal path.
The proposal calls for a two-year pay freeze that would save the country $28 billion in the next five years and $60 billion over the coming decade. It would be applied to all civilian federal employees, including those at the Pentagon, but not to military personnel.
"Clearly this is a difficult decision," said Office of Management and Budget Deputy Director for Management Jeffrey Zients. "Today, the president is clearly asking [federal employees] to make a sacrifice. We believe it is the first of many difficult steps ahead that we will be taking in the upcoming budget to put our nation on sound fiscal footing."
The announcement comes amid an intensifying political focus on ways for the government to scale back spending and close the deficit. It is the second time in as many weeks that the president has found himself reading from the same "fiscal responsibility" script as his Republican critics. Last week, the White House and congressional Republicans both reiterated their support for a moratorium on earmarks -- the pork-barrel projects that are a tiny portion of federal spending but serve as an invitation for influence peddling.
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Read the rest on The Huffington Post.
BV Talk Back!
-Do you think this pay freeze is fair to federal employees?
-Are there any better ways to reduce government spending?
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Comments: (36)
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By: colemanmardria78 on 11/29/2010 2:28PM
This might be something some people agree with, but the fact of the matter is when you don’t give people a pay raise while the cost of living goes up you have effectively TAXED them. So this foolishness about ending the Bush Tax Cuts to pay for this deficit is clearly becoming undone. Yes those cuts may be ended soon but as I and many others have been saying for a while, EVERYONE will have to assist with this problem of deficit, which exposes another broken campaign promise.
In the case of the DoD, according to the Wall street journal, there has been a 78% increase of Civilians who make 170k or more per year in the two years BHO has been President. I’m just saying.
Oh and please don’t think it will stop there because NO WAY simply freezing pay brings down the deficit, all it does is not increase it any further. Next step will be cuts which will run deep. Buckle up people, AUSTERITY MEASURES are about to be enacted. Europe is already rioting because Governments are implementing them! As usual, you negroes will be late to the party! This is your boy capitulating to the Republicans and Wall Street.
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By: judy on 11/30/2010 10:38AM
Colemanmardia just a bunch of useless drivel you have posted. Just shut up!
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By: Renee on 11/29/2010 4:58PM
@ colemanmardria, who are "you negroes" and why are they late to the party?
It's not the first time pay raises have been frozen and the cost of living continued to rise.
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By: haleemah on 11/29/2010 5:49PM
Once again our president has shown no back bone, this administration doesn't know what their doing. I'm a gov employee during the work that 3 employees use to do before downsizing. Our health insurance is the highest in the work force, its actually going up 12%. You have single mothers who work for the gov who are still eligible for food stamps, and subsidy programs. How do you stimulate the economy by taking money out of the working employee pockets. I guess the president has figured out that he will be a one term president. The gov employee's will remember this on election day.
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By: judy on 11/30/2010 2:30PM
Take your lumps just like everybody else.
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By: Lynn on 11/30/2010 6:03PM
I can assure you this government worker will remember come election time; and so will all my A.F.G.E. brothers and sisters!!!
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By: rick on 11/30/2010 9:25PM
You know you guys are amazing. I am a goverment worker and that"s about the only thing that's not laying people off here where I live. It has become clear to me that you guys that are complainting will complaint about anything the president do. From my experence government jobs pays more than thier civilian counterpart and you enjoy more paid holidays. So why not expect a pay freeze in times like these, honestly I expected alot worst, Now you guys crying about your insurance premium going up, I have a few questions for you. Why are you guys not mad at the healthcare industries for charging these rates? Why are you guys blaming the goverment for anything wrong? Why do I never hear about the BAILOUT all you guys crying about is on track for making the taxspayer somer money? Why do i never hear you guys talking about G.M. and how the have already paid back over half the bailout they owe with interest and have recorded thier first quater of growth, Why are we not happy to see these things? I have to say, it leads me to believe that you people have that "THE PRESIDENT MUST FAIL AT ALL COST" thing going.
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By: darrell eason on 12/01/2010 2:31AM
Some people don't have a job, you got a set on you.
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By: Bsar on 11/29/2010 8:52PM
The average Federal worker is just barely making ends meet, just like most americans right now. Alot of them can't even afford health insurance, even though the government pays a portion. Another misconception is that they don't work and collect a "free" pay check at the expense of the tax payer, which is hardly the case. Most federal agencies don't have enough funding to provide essential services, especially for veterans. And, most are short staffed. Those that are fortunate enough to have jobs often work long hours and are not compensated for those extra hours. And, most don't make over $150,000 a year, like some blogs have recently posted. If the Government wants to collect money for the deficit, they should collect all of the money they gave the banks to help those who are underwater in their mortgages. Banks have not helped nearly half of those who applied, which is unfortunate. People are still losing their homes and the banks don't care. Nor does the government for that matter.
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By: Xen on 11/29/2010 9:11PM
Like Bush Boy II, Obama has shown to be only a water boy for the super rich. The masters keep raking in more dough and the vanishing middle-class suffer more and more.
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