Federal Workers Snouts Bury Deeper Into Our Pockets

[93henfan]

I should have expected that from a GW kool-aid drinker.

Honestly, I'm not being coy. WTF does that mean?

[BDKJMU]

Most fed employees over the past decade in addition to the annual cola (usually between 2%-4% a year) were also getting a locality increase (usually 1-2%) a yr. That would be in addition to any grade or in grade step increases. Just saying most if not all years you would have been getting more than 3%.

Carry on...

You're a bit off of the facts. Let me help you.

Federal employees do not get COLA (cost of living allowance). COLA is the term used for the annual adjustment to federal retirees' retirement payments. The 2010 COLA adjustment for federal retirees was... wait for it.... zero. So, during a period of roughly 3%/year inflation, federal retirees got no increase. I guess that makes the anti-government folks happy to know that old people that spent a life in government service (like my mother) can only buy 97% of what they could a year ago. Victory! **** the old people, right? They're gonna die soon anyway.

Now, back to the annual federal raise for employees. Since we get no COLA, you can scratch off the 2%-4% a year you thought we got for that, because you were wrong. For 2010, federal employees were given a 1.5% annual raise and 0.5% locality raise. The locality raise is distributed among various localities, so for instance, people in San Francisco (the highest locality) got a bit more than 0.5%, and people in whatever the least expensive locale got less than 0.5%, so the range of total raises was something like 1.6% to 2.5% depending on where you live.

OK, I called the fed annual across the board GS raise a COLA. My bad. But I wasn't wrong about there being an annual across the board increase. I said 2-4%, when in fact its been 1.5%-3.8%. You cited the low raise in 2010, but that was the lowest I could find in the last decade, and I bet if you go back further you won't find another year as low, so to use 2010 as an example is a little misleading. Since you've mentioned DC I'll take the last 10 years in the DC locality area for example. Fed employees across the board raises (again, this would be in addition to any grade & step increases):
2010- 1.5% , with locality 2.42%
2009' - 2.9%, with locality 4.78%
2008'- 2.5%, with locality 4.49%
2007' - 1.7% with locality 2.64%
2006- 2.1%, with locality 3.44%
2005- 2.5%, with locality 3.71%
2004- 2.7%, with locality 4.42%
2003'- 3.1%, with locality 4.27%
2002' - 3.8%, with locality 4.77%
2001'- 2.7%, with locality 3.81%
http://www.opm.gov/oca/10tables/index.asp" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[89Hen]

I should have expected that from a GW kool-aid drinker.

Honestly, I'm not being coy. WTF does that mean?

A trend is not 2 years.

[93henfan]

Honestly, I'm not being coy. WTF does that mean?

A trend is not 2 years.

What is GW? ANSWER THE FUCKING QUESTIONS NUMBNUTS!!!

[89Hen]

A trend is not 2 years.

What is GW? ANSWER THE FUCKING QUESTIONS NUMBNUTS!!!

Oh, didn't know that was what you were questioning. Global Warming.

[93henfan]

What is GW? ANSWER THE FUCKING QUESTIONS NUMBNUTS!!!

Oh, didn't know that was what you were questioning. Global Warming.

Oh, gotcha. I thought you were talking about some government employee publication that advocated outrageous salary increases. I was guessing there was one called Government Weekly or something but I couldn't find it.

Global Warming? It's undeniable. I don't drink any kool-aid in regards to it. There's no opinion involved. Thermometers don't vote, and they don't lie.

[Wedgebuster]

Don't look like us self employed types have a leg to stand on in this tit for tat, who got dat discussion.

When I think I need a COLA, I have to get out of my chair, and walk 'round the corner to the Mini Mart and buy my own. If'n I had to wait for someone else to GIVE me one, I would dry up.

[89Hen]

Global Warming? It's undeniable. I don't drink any kool-aid in regards to it. There's no opinion involved. Thermometers don't vote, and they don't lie.

Unless you understand that 50 years of weather data = 2 years of cost of living increases = 1 nanosecond of time.

[AZGrizFan]

Most fed employees over the past decade in addition to the annual cola (usually between 2%-4% a year) were also getting a locality increase (usually 1-2%) a yr. That would be in addition to any grade or in grade step increases. Just saying most if not all years you would have been getting more than 3%.

Carry on...

You're a bit off of the facts. Let me help you.

Federal employees do not get COLA (cost of living allowance). COLA is the term used for the annual adjustment to federal retirees' retirement payments. The 2010 COLA adjustment for federal retirees was... wait for it.... zero. So, during a period of roughly 3%/year inflation, federal retirees got no increase. I guess that makes the anti-government folks happy to know that old people that spent a life in government service (like my mother) can only buy 97% of what they could a year ago. Victory! Fuck the old people, right? They're gonna die soon anyway.

Now, back to the annual federal raise for employees. Since we get no COLA, you can scratch off the 2%-4% a year you thought we got for that, because you were wrong. For 2010, federal employees were given a 1.5% annual raise and 0.5% locality raise. The locality raise is distributed among various localities, so for instance, people in San Francisco (the highest locality) got a bit more than 0.5%, and people in whatever the least expensive locale got less than 0.5%, so the range of total raises was something like 1.6% to 2.5% depending on where you live.

I'm supposed to feel sorry for old folks who can only buy 97% of what they could buy a year ago? I can only buy 92% of what I could buy a year ago. Fuck 'em. Gov't employees should begin to feel some of the pain the private sector is feeling. You shouldn't be special. You shouldn't be in a "bubble". Chop down Obama's magic money tree.

[houndawg]

You're a bit off of the facts. Let me help you.

Federal employees do not get COLA (cost of living allowance). COLA is the term used for the annual adjustment to federal retirees' retirement payments. The 2010 COLA adjustment for federal retirees was... wait for it.... zero. So, during a period of roughly 3%/year inflation, federal retirees got no increase. I guess that makes the anti-government folks happy to know that old people that spent a life in government service (like my mother) can only buy 97% of what they could a year ago. Victory! **** the old people, right? They're gonna die soon anyway.

Now, back to the annual federal raise for employees. Since we get no COLA, you can scratch off the 2%-4% a year you thought we got for that, because you were wrong. For 2010, federal employees were given a 1.5% annual raise and 0.5% locality raise. The locality raise is distributed among various localities, so for instance, people in San Francisco (the highest locality) got a bit more than 0.5%, and people in whatever the least expensive locale got less than 0.5%, so the range of total raises was something like 1.6% to 2.5% depending on where you live.

I'm supposed to feel sorry for old folks who can only buy 97% of what they could buy a year ago? I can only buy 92% of what I could buy a year ago. **** 'em. Gov't employees should begin to feel some of the pain the private sector is feeling. You shouldn't be special. You shouldn't be in a "bubble". Chop down Obama's magic money tree.

Gov't employees have been feeling the pain for some years now while you sit safely in your big house and talk about how they aren't pulling their weight.
I'm surprised at you; how you can begrudge the troops a measly 1.6% to 2.5% is beyond me. I'll bet their civilian counterparts at Blackwater are getting bigger raises than that.

[89Hen]

Gov't employees have been feeling the pain for some years now while you sit safely in your big house

Not necessarily true. I've done several loans for gov employees this spring/summer who are earning $220+ between the two of them and buying $700,000 houses. I've also done many loans for people under the old system where they are receiving pensions of $80,000 per year and because of their former positions in the gov/military are now able to get consulting jobs for $200,000 and basically double dipping. Neither the ones I describe, NOR the ones you describe are the norm. Many to most gov employees are regular middle to upper middle class and doing just fine.

[93henfan]

Many to most gov employees are regular middle to upper middle class and doing just fine.

And apparently that really ticks off AZ. Government employees should be below the poverty line in his book. Only noble people like credit union loan sharks should feed at the trough; certainly not dual-income government employee families.

[TheDancinMonarch]

Many to most gov employees are regular middle to upper middle class and doing just fine.

And apparently that really ticks off AZ. Government employees should be below the poverty line in his book. Only noble people like credit union loan sharks should feed at the trough; certainly not dual-income government employee families.

Query. How many of your 5000+ post were made while you were actually on the public payroll "earning" your daily bread?

[Col Hogan]

Gov't employees have been feeling the pain for some years now while you sit safely in your big house and talk about how they aren't pulling their weight.
I'm surprised at you; how you can begrudge the troops a measly 1.6% to 2.5% is beyond me. I'll bet their civilian counterparts at Blackwater are getting bigger raises than that.

Excuse me, Huckleberry...who (other than you) has brought up "the troops" or the military...

Civilian government employees get a different pay raise than the military...this discussion has been about the civilian employees...

Reading comprehension is not your strong point, is it???

[93henfan]

And apparently that really ticks off AZ. Government employees should be below the poverty line in his book. Only noble people like credit union loan sharks should feed at the trough; certainly not dual-income government employee families.

Query. How many of your 5000+ post were made while you were actually on the public payroll "earning" your daily bread?

Yeah, we already had this discussion, Poindexter. I already questioned why somebody with 17,000+ posts (AZGrizFan) was questioning work ethic.

[93henfan]

We've got a Huckleberry and a Poindexter in the last two posts.

I volunteer to be called Schmuckatelli (i.e. these lazy, government schmuckatellis).

[AZGrizFan]

We've got a Huckleberry and a Poindexter in the last two posts.

I volunteer to be called Schmuckatelli (i.e. these lazy, government schmuckatellis).

Done.

Schmuckatelli is officially OFF THE BOARD.

Signed,

Loan Shark

[AZGrizFan]

Many to most gov employees are regular middle to upper middle class and doing just fine.

And apparently that really ticks off AZ. Government employees should be below the poverty line in his book. Only noble people like credit union loan sharks should feed at the trough; certainly not dual-income government employee families.

Yeah....that's EXACTLY what I said, Ralph.

[AZGrizFan]

Gov't employees have been feeling the pain for some years now while you sit safely in your big house and talk about how they aren't pulling their weight.
I'm surprised at you; how you can begrudge the troops a measly 1.6% to 2.5% is beyond me. I'll bet their civilian counterparts at Blackwater are getting bigger raises than that.

Excuse me, Huckleberry...who (other than you) has brought up "the troops" or the military...

Civilian government employees get a different pay raise than the military...this discussion has been about the civilian employees...

Reading comprehension is not your strong point, is it???

don't even bother with him, Col. He's the king of arguing a point that isn't being made...

[93henfan]

Since I'm the "Andy Kauffman to the Southern Pro Wrestling fan" equivalent in this thread, I may as well go ahead and taunt the masses a bit more. I have two and a half more weeks of use or lose vacation I need to burn before the end of the year. Anyone have any suggestions where I should go? To hell maybe?

Next year, in March in fact, I go over the 15 year mark for federal service and will have six weeks of vacation per year. I really have no idea how I'm going to use it all.

C'mon. Show me some more hate.

[AZGrizFan]

Since I'm the "Andy Kauffman to the Southern Pro Wrestling fan" equivalent in this thread, I may as well go ahead and taunt the masses a bit more. I have two and a half more weeks of use or lose vacation I need to burn before the end of the year. Anyone have any suggestions where I should go? To hell maybe?

Next year, in March in fact, I go over the 15 year mark for federal service and will have six weeks of vacation per year. I really have no idea how I'm going to use it all.

You're behind the power curve. I already have 6 weeks. Of course, in about 6 MONTHS I'll be unemployed (which you never have to worry about in the gov't sector ) so I'll have LOTS of vacation time....I'm not sure how I'm going to use it all either....especially with no money.

[93henfan]

Since I'm the "Andy Kauffman to the Southern Pro Wrestling fan" equivalent in this thread, I may as well go ahead and taunt the masses a bit more. I have two and a half more weeks of use or lose vacation I need to burn before the end of the year. Anyone have any suggestions where I should go? To hell maybe?

Next year, in March in fact, I go over the 15 year mark for federal service and will have six weeks of vacation per year. I really have no idea how I'm going to use it all.

You're behind the power curve. I already have 6 weeks. Of course, in about 6 MONTHS I'll be unemployed (which you never have to worry about in the gov't sector ) so I'll have LOTS of vacation time....I'm not sure how I'm going to use it all either....especially with no money.

Deep down inside, I'm crying for you. I have a soft spot for CEOs. I really do.

[AZGrizFan]

You're behind the power curve. I already have 6 weeks. Of course, in about 6 MONTHS I'll be unemployed (which you never have to worry about in the gov't sector ) so I'll have LOTS of vacation time....I'm not sure how I'm going to use it all either....especially with no money.

Deep down inside, I'm crying for you. I have a soft spot for CEOs. I really do.

And I for government leeches. It appears we've reached some common ground.

[TheDancinMonarch]

Query. How many of your 5000+ post were made while you were actually on the public payroll "earning" your daily bread?

Yeah, we already had this discussion, Poindexter. I already questioned why somebody with 17,000+ posts (AZGrizFan) was questioning work ethic.

Did you come out well in the conversation? Especially using government computers designated for official taxpayer supported work. And please don't use my name. I am trying to maintain my anoymity.

[93henfan]

Yeah, we already had this discussion, Poindexter. I already questioned why somebody with 17,000+ posts (AZGrizFan) was questioning work ethic.

Did you come out well in the conversation? Especially using government computers designated for official taxpayer supported work. And please don't use my name. I am trying to maintain my anoymity.

The way it works is like this. I submit an RFP. I wait. I get a proposal back. I send it to the technical government leeches. I wait. They send me their comments. I negotiate or write a contract. I wait.

There's a lot of wait in there. That's when it's cs.com time, baby!