Name:   MartiniMan - Subject:   MM's wish list Date:   1/9/2018 9:01:25 AM (updated 1/9/2018 9:05:38 AM)

Let me explain and please understand, I am not talking about just Federal employees.  I am referring to govt at all levels including state and local and I can assure you the pensions are just amazing.  Just do a search for underfunded pension liability and you will see what I mean.

A govt worker salary is being paid using the hard earned money of your average taxpayer taken at the point of a gun.  We have no choice and that is a fact.  Now we all pay someone for the goods and services we use but we have the ability to let our feet do the walking so to speak if they want to charge too much, provide poor service or the goods are not of sufficient quality, durability, etc.  Not so with govt workers as we have no choice but to go to the local DMV, let EPA inspect our property if they want, go and sit down with your friendly IRS agent if they come a calling and so on. So yes, I resent not having any say in which govt worker I have to deal with or which agency or having to pay them at the point of a gun using my hard earned dollars when they make as much as us and have better benefits.  If I resent how much Jeff Bezos is worth I can choose not to buy anything from Amazon (which I do by the way because I don't resent his net worth).

And unlike the private sector, if you work for the govt (other than political appointees) it is darn near impossible to be fired regardless of the quality of work or whether you actually accomplish some task.  And believe me, I know this from 30 years of experience working with the govt.  In the not so distant past, a person exchanged all the perks of working for the govt for the higher compensation they might be able to get in the private sector.  That was a uniquely American thing because we didn't see the govt of the source and summit of life as they do in Europe.  In fact, go look at Europe as an example of how it is out of whack.  The "Job" to get, the brass ring of employment is a govt job.  People in Europe actually work in the private sector to get the experience to be able to land that permanent govt job where they make lots of money, have total job security and get to run other people's lives.

Let me ask you some questions.  Why should govt workers get every holiday under the sun off when private companies cannot afford that?  Why should govt workers get more PTO than private companies can afford to give their employees?  Why should govt employees get a full pension tied to their last salary after only 20 years when private companies cannot afford that?  Why should it be nearly impossible to fire a govt employee when private companies can have employment at will policies and if you don't perform you get laid off? 

The answer is that the govt had to provide all these perks because in the past they could not match private sector compensation.  It was a trade off.  And there was never a problem filling all the vacancies because there were plenty of people willing to make that exchange.  But that has all been turned on its head and I have a problem with that because I can't decide not to use them because they provide lousy service or cost too much and I can't decide not to pay their ridiculous salary and benefits because the govt will come calling with their guns and take my money.  If I don't like Apple products, Apple won't send their goons to force me to pay them (not yet anyway).  Or if I decide to buy my gas from QuikTrip because it is cheaper, BP doesn't have the ability to call the local sherriff and have them escort me to their station.  Not so with the govt.  That is why I have a problem with their total compensation.