White House proposes 0.5 percent pay increase for federal workers

[apples]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/federal-eye/post/white-house-proposes-05-percent-pay-increase-for-federal-workers/2012/01/06/gIQA18fyeP_blog.html%20?wpisrc=al_comboNP_p

The White House will propose a 0.5 percent pay increase for civilian federal employees as part of its 2013 budget proposal, according to two senior administration officials familiar with the plans.

The modest across-the-board pay jump would be the first increase for federal workers since before a two-year freeze began in late 2010. Raises for within-grade step increases and promotions have continued during the freeze.

The proposal, which requires congressional approval, differs from Republican plans supported by lawmakers and presidential candidates that would freeze basic pay rates for one more year. Some of those plans also call for denying within-grade raises. In recent weeks, GOP lawmakers have called for extending the pay freeze as a way to pay for a payroll tax extension.

But, “a permanent pay freeze is not an acceptable policy,” one of the senior administration officials said Friday. “While modest, a 0.5 percent increase reflects the belt-tightening we must do in these difficult times.”

I have many thoughts on this, yet will not say a thing yet. It would only get me in trouble.

[jafo2010]

Federal government compensation is way out of line.  People have to understand they get percent increases and a step increase.  The step increase is usually 3%, and they can get a grade increase too.  They have more ways to get increases than you can imagine.  The business world is not doing that to survive, but we allow this for our government workers. 

THERE SHOULD BE A FREEZE ON ALL GOVERNMENT WORKER INCREASES UNTIL THE NUMBER OF GOVERNMENT WORKERS HAS BEEN REDUCED BY 30%.  THIS COUNTRY WOULD NOT SKIP A BEAT WE ARE SO OVERSTAFFED AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It is time to end all the special privileges for Congress too.  NO PENSIONS!!!  No healthcare different than what they are shoving down the throats of the rest of America.  TERM LIMITS PLEASE FOR ALL BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT.  I am sure there are plenty of corrupt lawyers we can place in judge positions.

[JohnBrowdie]

the freeze didn't freeze anything.  it was more obamaspeak.  when people hear that wages will be frozen, they expected that that the number of dollars that taxpayer paid federal bureaucrats received wouldn't change.  ah, but it turns out that isn't what "frozen" means.