Obama declares 2-year government pay lock-up

In the mind of Obama, a government pay freeze is the most fiscally responsible next thing toward taming the federal deficit. It is projected that this move will conserve the United States $28 billion within five years and $60 billion over the next decade. This would impact all civilian federal employees, however active military could be excluded.

Government pay freeze: Very first of many fiscal sacrifices

Jeffrey Zients, the deputy director of the Obama administration’s Office of Management and Spending budget, touted the federal pay lock-up plan – which must still be approved by Congress – as a major belt-tightening. Things that the administration things the government needs to do in order to get financial ground again for the Unites States was commented on by Zients. "It is the very first of many difficult steps ahead," he stated.

Stopping all additional government spending and careers

As the govt is working to try and cut the debt, "fiscal responsibility" seems to be the words on everyone's mind. Some proposals have been unpopular, such as former Sen. Alan Simpson (R-Wy.) and previous White House Chief of Staff Erskine Bowles’ government job cuts proposal that would have eliminated 200,000 government jobs over the next decade and slashed 250,000 non-military private contractor positions. It seems like things such as moratorium on earmarks were what President Obama would rather have as every little thing else seemed like excessively.

Why a federal pay freeze could be negative

Insiders at WA D.C., don't really thing the federal pay lock-up is going to happen. They say it is a just a symbolic gesture more than anything else. A pay freeze would also make it so government jobs don't get talented workers anymore. Some say that the symbolic gesture is just what the country needs right now. It appears like the govt is extending a peace offering. That may be how it’s taken.

Paying much more than necessary to government employees

A recent USA Today study found that there has been a swell within the number of government workers who make more than $150,000 per year. Since Obama took office, the number has doubled while within the past five year it grew tenfold. The doctors at veteran’s hospitals have been lots of parts of this change. With the two wars at hand for the U.S., there has been need for more. The workload has gone up.

Citations

Huffington Post

huffingtonpost.com/2010/11/29/federal-pay-freeze-obama_n_789141.html