"For feds, more get 6-figure salaries" -- Average pay $30,000 over private sector
Federal employees are "enjoying an extraordinary boom time - in pay and hiring - during a recession that has cost 7.3 millions jobs to the private sector." Folks this is just fantastic! Here are a few more highlights of the article:
-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 have salaries above $170K. -Here are a few numbers that show percentage increase of $150k salaries in the different departments from the start of recession Dec 2007 to current.
Commerce Dept: 395% increase, Dept of Education: 296% increase (isn't education a state issue?), Homeland Security: 233% increase, Housing and Urban Development: 227% increase, Justice Dept: 567% increase. The list goes on.
Folks, this is unsustainable. Let me rephrase this so there are no misunderstandings: We can not follow this path forever. The relentless growth of the Federal government, the national debt, their rules and regulations cannot continue. Change is coming or a break is coming. I'm not talking about the kind of "break" where you run down to Rexalls for an ice cream cone, this is the kind of "break" where things break. Let's hope for change. Thankfully, I am losing some of my cynicism about our government as I think there is hope out there. There are two US Senate races for 2010 that could help dictate some real change. One is Dr. Rand Paul (Ron Paul's son) running for senate in KY showing he has early leads, another is Peter Schiff (Paul's former campaign economic advisor) running for senate in Connecticut. Polls show he has an early lead over Chris Dodd! I am not sure why some Republicans are so against Paul and Paul-like thinkers (Mitch McConnell has said he will not let Ron Paul hijack the Republican party). Actually, I do think I know why, it is because the current Rep/Dem thing is just one party, one big two headed monster.
Another great thing happening through grass roots internet work is the co sponsorship of Paul's HR 1207 to audit the Federal Reserve. This bill is now out of the House Financial Committee (Barney Frank did everything possible to halt this, but when you have 317 co-sponsors that is tough thing to do. That's right 317 co-sponsors!). Our own U.S. rep Blaine Luetkemeyer signed on after a number of us contacted him.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9nOIusbDwI
You may have seen this video before, but it shows clear evidence that Ron Paul's popularity was superior on the internet as compared to Obama, Clinton and McCain in 07-08, but yet the mass media does not give even a minuscule amount of coverage the others get.
