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Freezing federal employee hires is just a shell game played by the parties as they come into/leave power. The amount of work performed by the Gov is always going up, never down. So, the incoming power group "freezes" feds while funneling more money to contractors to do the same job. It actually costs the taxpayer more since the Beltway Bandits must pay the employees with big benefits, pay additional contract managers, then charge for their profit.
Anyone really looking at the numbers knows contract employees cost the taxpayer 50% more than having Fed workers do the same job. Look thru all the A-76 studies.
I am a fed contractor. There are many types of contracts, so I don't know how it works for all. For me, I'd say the pay I'm actually receiving is about (it's probably a bit lower) what a fed employee would in a similiar position; however, my benefits are fairly poor. I do know that contracting companies are in business to make a profit though, so I assume this is more costly than adding employees, but contracts are renewed every year based on budget. I am working for a dept. that most wouldn't put on the chopping block, yet more and more workers for it are contractors. Other added costs include turnover, background investigations, etc. that a more permanent workforce might not incur, so it must be more expensive to hire contractors, but then a spokesperson can say, "Look, we've reduced the number of federal employees."
I am a fed contractor. There are many types of contracts, so I don't know how it works for all. For me, I'd say the pay I'm actually receiving is about (it's probably a bit lower) what a fed employee would in a similiar position; however, my benefits are fairly poor. I do know that contracting companies are in business to make a profit though, so I assume this is more costly than adding employees, but contracts are renewed every year based on budget. I am working for a dept. that most wouldn't put on the chopping block, yet more and more workers for it are contractors. Other added costs include turnover, background investigations, etc. that a more permanent workforce might not incur, so it must be more expensive to hire contractors, but then a spokesperson
can say, "Look, we've reduced the number of federal employees."
I was a contractor for the fed. government for about 20 years. While *you* personally are making about the same as your federal counterpart, in reality, what your company bills the government for you is probably twice what you make. The last contract that I was on billed the government around $78 per hour. This did not include the "fees" that were added on at the end. The $78 was just per man hour charged. Most employees were receiving between $21 and $44 per hour.
But yes, saying that they've reduced the federal workforce seems to be a feather in their cap.
I think that everyone needs to stop looking at the "federal workforce" and the employees and the almost laughable savings we can get my freezing their pay or what not. As if that's really going to fix our ways.
Ignore the employees and look at budgets of every department. Cut budgets. If the budgets are cut and the work dwindles, so will the employees. It will happen. And it will happen across the board to the federal employees as well as the contractor arm of the government. If you constantly look at people versus the overall budget, you're not fixing the problem.
As a federal worker now, we have cut our branch of nine down to six. Most of that was done when we had older workers retire. We didn't back fill. When two others left, my supervisor really, really worked to hire some savvy analysts and now with six people we are able to do the work that nine people did. I won't lie to you--I am balls to walls busy most days and it is exhausting but I enjoy my job and would rather be busy like this than talking about scrapbooking or cooking with my officemates. To just come in and, say, slash a few billets but not cut any programs would be really, really hard and it doesn't make sense. Cut the work if it is unneccessary. If it's not, leave it AND the people.
Do you really think that if we abolished the EPA that the American people would allow filthy air to exist?
Not likely.
Yes. The problem isn't the EPA, but the regulations--as is being constantly told and retold by conservatives. They love to cite that nonsense "nine billion dollars in regulations!" number which doesn't actually have any supporting evidence.
If the problem is regulations, the only thing getting rid of the EPA would do is allow companies to violate those regulations. So yes, you'd have dirty air again, and rivers that ignite. I'm sure Ohio has a plan for that.
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Democrats in this country attach unfair regulations to businesses and stifle our economy.
Yes, certain regulations make sense, but when you consider the funding to the EPA, highly influenced by tree huggers, and how un-beneficial it has been, you must admit that has been a big waste of money.
Jobs are lost because owl lovers won't let people thrive.
Or jobs are lost because there is no demand for the product\service because the people have no money--the distribution of that money is disproportionally high--enter the Occupy movement.
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Originally Posted by analyze_this
Absolutely, what do you think lobbying for federal tax dollars is all about? In good times, everyone gets to hog as much as they can. In tough times, as now, lobbyists are busy eating into each other's share regardless of the merits of the project. Why the heck do you think there are ads for TWO different engines for the F-35 JSF all over DC? Do you need two companies to manufacture an engine for one jet? Do you even need the jet? The money has to come from some pot.
Thank you. Our defense department spends like we are still fighting the Cold War. No aircraft in the world can stop our F16 fighters. Why did we need to build the F18? Or the F22? And now, we have the F35 Joint Strike Fighter. We continue to spend-spend-spend in the defense industry, with no purpose. I do believe the constitution was set up partially to prevent such a ridiculous thing from happening.
Where do you work? Any openings? Would love D.C.
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Originally Posted by workingclasshero
aparently you cant read..or you are too stuburn to realize how much of a butthead you are
sure lets REGULATE incandescent bulbs out and promote MERCURY FILLED bulbs that DO CAUSE birth defects
What are you talking about? Regulations, enacted in 2007, require incandescent bulbs to be more efficient. As they are, their primary product of energy is heat, not light.
And, CFL bulbs are not "filled" with mercury. They contain less than 1\100th of the amount found in an average mercury thermometer. You'd have to break a whole ton of them in your home before you had to begin worrying even a bit.
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Originally Posted by Yooperkat
When half of America doesn't pay taxes, how do they contribute?
You're going to have a hard time proving half of the U.S. doesn't pay taxes. This statements shows that you have no idea what you're talking about.
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Originally Posted by Yooperkat
A flat tax would demolish lobbyists. Something Obama wouldn't care to delve into. Even though he PROMISED to be transparent.
A flat tax would destroy the poor and middle class. It is strongly regressive by design. It's why we have a progressive tax and deductions, to make tax payers more "neutral" in their shares.
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Originally Posted by Yooperkat
If Republicans snuff out all of Obamas Czars, 32 of them, the United States could save probably over 4 million dollars a year. Not a big step, but a step.
Bush had 33. Out of consistency, were you complaining about them?
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Considering that Barack Hussein borrows from China 2 million dollars per minute.
You've analyzed the government or are you making this up.
If you're making wild claims, where would more/less be needed to meet your requirements?
Where are they actually needed.
Do you not understand that agency employees are not plug & play. They have different rules and regulations (read laws) that govern what they do and how they do it.
You're aware of all of this, right?
Just because they're vets doesn't mean that they can adequately perform their jobs.
Cronyism is alive and well. (Don't get me started)
I've worked with many that can't write a simple sentence with subject verb agreement.
No Colonel Left Behind.
"When Mr. Mora took the promotion to Facility Containment Specialist, Clyde Truex became the primary HVAC mechanic for the ORF. In addition, there was a hiring freeze, which prevented the maintenance unit from hiring a replacement for the vacancy created by Mr. Mora's promotion. This left the ORF short one HVAC mechanic."
“What in God's name is going on, it sound like a jet airplane is going off in my lab.”
"Mr. Raymond had to draw a chart for one of the HVAC mechanics explaining the difference between positive and negative numbers. Specifically, the mechanic didn't seem to understand that -.0025 indicated a more positive airflow pressure than a reading of -.025. In addition, the HVAC mechanic appears to have a problem understanding decimal points."
If you don't know your decimals and fractions, the Government will promote you. Course, it helps if your brother has the power to do that for you.
Nice cut and paste, did you have some point that you wanted to make?
No different than your cut and paste..and my point was to counter your obnoxious yelling of this:
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"FLASH! NEWS ALERT! WE INTERRUPT WITH A SPECIAL NEWS ANNOUNCEMENT!
All public schools in the U.S. are run by local and state departments of education and school boards!"
Getting rid of the Department of Education and handing more rights back to the state/local governments has been an concept since at least when Reagan was campaigning.
I have just reduced the number of FEDERAL EMPLOYEES to under 2 1/2 Million so you are obligated to vote for me
Good job... Now can you raise to it 5 million since the OP said that's a number they'd be comfortable with...
Last edited by Deezus; 10-30-2011 at 03:18 PM..
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To just come in and, say, slash a few billets but not cut any programs would be really, really hard and it doesn't make sense. Cut the work if it is unneccessary. If it's not, leave it AND the people.
