My assumption (and maybe it is a bad, you tell me) is that it is a feedback loop. High cost of living means employees demand more pay, which like you suggest leads to higher cost of living, which leads to employees demanding more pay. I would gladly take a pay cut to live in a different area with a lower cost of living. Many other govvies feel the same way.

My suggestion is to move the majority of agencies out of DC. The POTUS can stay in DC, most of the agencies can move around the country, the legislative goes to the plains somewhere, and the judiciary on the west coast. That would be more secure if WMDs are really a concern, and while 20 years ago it would have been impossible, modern technology would make this pretty easy.

#22 Govvie

That said, Federal employees are concentrated in the DC metro area, one of the most expensive places to live in the country.

What makes you think salaries are high because of the DC cost of living and not vice versa?

Hospitals call the payments “donations”.

I mean god love my neighbor but multiply that by a few 100K federal employees

Agreed. Yes, many of my fellow govvies are overpaid (I certainly don’t think I am, but I guess many of you would disagree), and I’m sure many should be fired that aren’t (not “can’t”. I’ve know plenty of government employees who were fired), and we have a top heavy management structure that should be flattened. That said, Federal employees are concentrated in the DC metro area, one of the most expensive places to live in the country. The report seems to be comparing the federal workforce to the whole country. I’d like to see that same comparison after adjusting for locality, and seeing if the federal employees are still overpaid compared to just that area.

Part of the problem with that is that it furthers the revolving door. People take paycuts to enter public service, with the expectation that they’ll later take jobs with the industries they regulated, and this messes up their incentives. And this is worrying whether you’re a libertarian, a principled conservative, or even a liberal.

The boldness with which Congress fucks people over is nothing short of mind boggling. The CEOs of all the failed banks were not even in sight of that magnitude of sadistic indifference toward the suffering of others. “Sorry, buddy, we’re going to just let you die because we know you’d rather die than take an organ from someone who isn’t giving it to you for the loftiest of altruistic motives.”

If the word exploitation was invented for any single act, it would be outlawing free-market compensation for people who save lives by donating part of their body. To me, that ranks right up there with keeping a kid locked up in the basement as a sex slave.

That article on government salaries is hardly comparing apples to apples. I obviously can’t speak for other areas of the government. But as a nuclear engineer working for the Department of Defense, I could easily increase my pay by at least $20,000 if I decided to leave and go work at a commercial nuclear power plant instead. Granted, I don’t just stay at my current job because I get a good deal of satisfaction from supporting the needs of the Navy without having to actually deploy anymore. I also stay because an extra $20k isn’t enough to move from Virginia Beach, VA to the middle of nowhere.

He rang the last number dialled and told a friend of the owner he would leave the phone at a nearby police station. But officers arrested him for “theft by finding”, held him for four hours and took a DNA sample.”

http://www.dailyexpress.co.uk/posts/view/92661/Student-arrested-for-being-honest

Actually, if you follow the link to the actual news story, they do say they took his DNA.

They took a DNA sample of the student returning the phone? WTF!

What you read was a commenter making up a Monty Python-esque sketch to parody the actual news story.

1. Not only are they overpaid, it’s next to impossible to get rid of the bad ones (which is why they have so many of them).

2. I’m anticipating a sizable pay cut during this recession just like what happened during the last recession. Our company has to generate profits which can be taxed to pay those employees and help out companies who not only can’t make a profit, but can’t survive without stealing ours.

Pot prohibition was a crusade conjured up for political reasons using propaganda consisting of fiction disguised as facts that are now seen to be so glaringly bogus that it’s embarrasseing to stand behind them. The fact that it took this long for people to catch on exemplifies just how totally we swallow what the government says and how thoroughly we want to believe in their credibility in the face of overwhelming evidence that truth is the last factor considered relevant to any they say.

Fortunately for the pot warriors, and I said this immediately when they passed the PATRIOT Act, they have a new war on terrorism to take it’s place. On the other hand, the longer we go without another attack, the less important they’re going to appear to be.

I was involved in a similar, but not exact scenario, in the past. I lost my wallet, in a big city about 80 miles away. It was found by a young man, who took it to a lawyer. It was, empty of cash(<$50). They wanted a reward. Probably because they found my medial license in it. I told his lawyer, his client was in no danger for returning the wallet. I, also, informed him all of the cards had been canceled and I had gotten new licenses to replace the old ones. I told him to throw the wallet away! He would not be collecting any extortion money from me, to get a dilapidated, old wallet back!

Some said they did not understand the humor in the Monty Python sketch!? Are they mentally deficient? I know, I will not be turning any cell phones I find! They will, first, go in the toilet bowel, with power on, and then into the trash! Thank you, for your informative post!

#8 Love it!

And finally,

Nothing like an article in Time, supporting the movement! Maybe we are on our way to becoming mainstream! I can only hope.

If the student was guilty of ‘theft by finding’ then I would also have to say that the real owner of the phone is an ‘accomplice by losing’.

I think everyone needs to shoulder their part of the responsibility here.