Government

Obama’s Federal Employee Pay Freeze Will Last 2 Years, Save $5 Billion

Editor’s note: This post originally contained the live feed of President Obama’s announcement. It has now been updated to reflect his comments made during the press conference.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama announced a pay freeze for 2 million federal employees Monday and warned the American public that the move is the first of many difficult decisions that must be made to slash the nation’s mounting deficits.

“The hard truth is that getting this deficit under control is going to require some broad sacrifice, and that sacrifice must be shared by the employees of the federal government,” Obama said.

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The two-year freeze would apply to all civilian federal employees, including those working at the Department of Defense, but would not affect military personnel. The freeze, which requires congressional approval, is expected to save more than $5 billion in savings over two years, $28 billion over five years and more than $60 billion over 10 years, White House officials said.

Congress is not covered by Obama’s order, but lawmakers voted last April to freeze their pay, with the House and Senate opting to forgo an automatic $1,600 annual cost-of-living increase. House members and senators now are paid $174,000 a year. Their last pay increase was $4,700 a year at beginning of 2009.

The president’s pay of $400,000 a year was fixed by Congress in January 2001. It has not changed since then.

While Obama said the federal employee salary freeze was necessary to put the nation on sound fiscal footing, he also said that he didn’t reach the decision lightly.

“This is not just a line item on a federal ledger,” he said. “These are people’s lives.”

The savings from the pay freeze make only a small dent in the nation’s $1 trillion-plus budget deficit. But with voters voicing their anger over Washington’s spending during the midterm elections, even a symbolic gesture would show the White House got the message.

Obama and bipartisan congressional leaders will meet at the White House Tuesday for the first time since Republicans gained control of the House and increased their strength in the Senate during the midterm elections. Obama said he hopes the move to freeze federal pay sets a serious tone for the meetings.

“We’re going to have to budge on some deeply held positions, and compromise for the good of the country,” Obama said.

California Rep. Darrell Issa, the top Republican on the House Oversight Committee, said that while the pay freeze was “long overdue,” the president and congressional leaders should take additional steps to reduce spending, including imposing a federal hiring freeze of non-security employees.

The co-chairmen of Obama’s bipartisan deficit commission have proposed a three-year freeze in pay for most federal employees as part of its plan to reduce the nation’s growing deficit. The commission‘s proposal also suggested cuts to Social Security benefits and higher taxes for millions of Americans to stem the flood of red ink that they say threatens the nation’s very future. The popular child tax credit and mortgage interest deduction also would be eliminated.

The commission’s final report is due to be released later this week.

Shortly after taking office in January 2009, Obama froze salaries of top White House aides. He proposed extending that freeze to political appointees across the government in last year’s budget, and also eliminated bonuses for political appointees.

The pay freeze would not affect bonuses or step increases for federal employees.

John Gage, president of the 600,000-member American Federation of Government Employees, called the decision “a slap at working people.”

“Working people’s wages are not the issue with this deficit or what is going on in our country,” Gage said. “To symbolically hit at federal employees I think is just wrong.”

Gage said the White House was using federal workers as scapegoats for the nation’s deficit problems. He said the move would not really save as much as the White House claims because federal employees often get just a fraction of projected raises. Federal workers received a 1.9 percent pay increase this year.

—

Associated Press writer Sam Hananel contributed to this report.

Comments (140)

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  • Moment of Clarity
    Posted on November 29, 2010 at 1:03pm

    Obama must be reading stories in the press about increased spending this holiday season … he wants to make sure he stays true to form and makes policy to reduce spending … but seriously, something’s up

    Report Post »  
  • Patricia1952
    Posted on November 29, 2010 at 12:59pm

    Briefly, on my 30 min. lunch.

    I work for the federal govt. and I perceive myself as a public servant. I started to take off on a ramble about the misperception of many “ordinary” govt. workers but in the end that is less important than this:

    Speech is powerful. Words are powerful. Having a forum to state one’s thoughts and beliefs is wonderful and important, but what I see here, and elsewhere, is that we are tearing at ourselves and others. You point fingers at federal workers and they are hated, reviled, accused of stealing from people, not being productive, of being unaccountable, of yada, yada, yada….

    The truth is not often what you think it is. If I tell you that the ordinary people like me have production standards, we face dismissal if they are not met, that we serve a purpose that cannot easily be met by a private company, we have crappy pension plans despite what many think, and we pay for our health care insurance just like anyone else. The difference between many of us, and the public sector is that for better or worse, the money used to pay us comes from tax money taken from the citizens of this country. Which in my mind makes me doubly responsible to do a good job at what I do. Yes, I am a Glenn Beck follower and yes, I took leave and drove myself to DC to attend 8/24.

    But I digress. MOST of us are on YOUR side…and on the side of stopping the current spend-fest. We UNDERSTAND the frustration at the government, and therefore ANYTHING identified with the federal government is necessarily tainted, except the active duty military & veteran…oh yes, I am a veteran as is most of my family. I live to serve my family…not my immediate family but my veteran family.

    Bottom line. Say what you mean and mean what you say, but for God’s sake THINK…think about the power of your words and what they mean and what they can do and cause. If you want to change, fix government, then GOOD, very good. But you cannot destroy it in its entirety thinking that will magically fix what is wrong. And moreso, you are destroying people who are human beings, who think, feel, work hard, and truly care about what they do.

    The truth will set us all free. But whose truth? We all have our own perceptions of what is “true” but truth is like a multi-faceted gem, beautiful and often complex. Don’t use your truth and understanding of what is true to hurt and destroy unless it is absolutely necessary. Use it constructively to build and heal.

    Enough said. Lunch over. Work to do.

    Your humble servant…

    Report Post »  
  • martins
    Posted on November 29, 2010 at 12:54pm

    Step increases are automatic on a schedule as long as the federal employee is breathing. Just like in private industry. This is a cynical joke.

    Report Post »  
  • GoingBeck
    Posted on November 29, 2010 at 12:48pm

    Obama’s real intention is to freeze federal pay so that it cannot be reduced.

    All the while his administration plots to cap private sector pay with “maximum pay rates” to go along with “minimum pay rates”. The ultimate goal is to have the two meet somewhere in the median, just like a utopian state where no one has more than anyone else has. I mean, that would just be so unfair.

    Report Post »  
  • Fedupwithprogressives
    Posted on November 29, 2010 at 12:48pm

    Federal employees are already way overpaid compared to private sector employees, so why not a 10% across the board pay cut? That would show some sincerity in reducing costs.

    Report Post »  
  • capitalismrocks
    Posted on November 29, 2010 at 12:47pm

    Now… just imagine if the Dem’s had lost the midterm elections…

    Today President Obama announces a 4% increase in pay for all Federal Employee’s as part of his Stimulus Program…

    You know darned well, that is most likely what we‘d see in today’s headlines… Only when Obama looses control of the Purse Strings (aka the House) does he suddenly want to cut spending, 2 months ago he was spending like there was no tomorrow and talking about Stimulus 2.0, 3.0 and 4.0… Remember Nancy Pelosi saying he we needed another major stimulus package?

    I‘m still waiting for someone to do a massive reveal of how we’ve been spending on Infrastructure projects for 20 years at billions at a clip that were supposed to spur job growth, yet bridges are falling down, roads can‘t handle current traffic and our rail system is still in the 1800’s while the rest of the world is on Mag-Lev’s…

    Report Post » capitalismrocks  
  • NickDeringer
    Posted on November 29, 2010 at 12:46pm

    Oblame-a does his magic act. Watch me turn myself into a fiscal moderate. Nothing up my sleeve…

    Report Post » NickDeringer  
  • KenMacMillan
    Posted on November 29, 2010 at 12:40pm

    A freeze is a good start but it isn’t enough. I get the impression that he‘s trying to make it look like he’s moving to the center by throwing us a bone.

    Report Post » KenMacMillan  
  • naplesconservative
    Posted on November 29, 2010 at 12:40pm

    Read the fine print. It is not a freeze for anyone other than those making the top rate for their grade. It does not include most bonuses OR raises for theos earning less than the top salaries for their grades (step increases are exempted.

    Report Post »  
    • Chris
      Posted on November 29, 2010 at 5:22pm

      The freeze that he is proposing only prevents a cost of living increase which would move the entire schedule up. I was surprised that it took this long for them to do it. This is easy to do – they just don’t implement the increase
      Dealing with step increases is a lot more complex – they have to pass something that amends the existing Civil Service regulations, and they would have to deal with exactly how to deal with them. If you just suspend step increases for a couple of years then you end up paying all of the overdue increases when the freeze comes off. If you want to prevent the increases you have to find some way to “stop the clock” on the increases..
      The big growth in government employees making more than $150K over the last couple of years have to be nearly all managers and political appointees. In Cleveland OH (where I work) you only get to $150K at GS 15 step 10, which is the very top of the table. In Washington DC the locality pay is a little higher but you cross $150K at something like GS15 step 8. For us, GS15s are senior scientists and engineers and some managers. Senior managers are on the SES scale which goes up to something like $175K

      Report Post »  
  • Derek01
    Posted on November 29, 2010 at 12:25pm

    Guess he thinks we’re too stupid too notice that fed employees are presently grossly OVERPAID. Probably stayed up all night figuring out how to APPEAR to be doing something, while really doing NOTHING. What a @$$hole.

    Report Post »  
  • ZaphodsPlanet
    Posted on November 29, 2010 at 12:24pm

    This is a freaking Joke….. just like his entire presidency. We don’t need pay freezes in the government… we need HUGE CUTS…. in salaries… and in head count. Starting with the top. And why in the h3ll are we paying for MO’s staff that costs a couple million? Why in the H3LL does she even need a freaking staff. She’s not the damn QUEEN. Except for maybe the queen of HORRIBLE TASTES in clothing.

    Report Post » ZaphodsPlanet  
  • Goohuman
    Posted on November 29, 2010 at 12:23pm

    This will be interesting. Can he freeze all his co-workers pay without creating an internal rebellion? Can he dismantle the nations economy and dismantle the government at the same time?

    I just don’t know what is going to happen next. I’m staying tuned!

    Report Post » Goohuman  
  • Sinista Mace
    Posted on November 29, 2010 at 12:22pm

    This BS about freezing federal pay is equivalent to the “Jobs saved or created” argument. It doesn’t wash.

    Barack Obama is a damn liar and he needs to move to Saudi Arabia so they can cut his tongue out of his mouth and decapitate him publicly.

    Report Post » V-MAN MACE  
  • Sinista Mace
    Posted on November 29, 2010 at 12:20pm

    Barack Obama is a LIAR.

    What sound economic theory supports the idea that you can ‘save’ money by not giving someone a future raise?

    Freeze federal pay?

    How about CUT FEDERAL PAY AND PENSIONS AND STATE AND LOCAL PENSIONS INCLUDING POLICE FIRE EMERGENCY AND TEACHERS.

    They’ve been giving themselves constant raises and asking for more and more public contributions to their pensions.

    Here in Ohio, they won’t even let us, the people who pay their salaries and pensions, they won’t let us even SEE how muh of our public tax dollars goes into their retirement pensions.

    Nobody believes you can ‘save’ money by not giving the Federal Workers a raise.

    Who the hell knows how much of a raise they would’ve gotten in the first plae? Nobody knows, because you cannot predict the future.

    I could say “Yea, I WAS gonna allow the Federal Workers to double their own pay next year and every year after that, but I decided not to allow them to do that, for your tax dollars sake. So I’m saving you the equivalent of a raise for every federal worker for every year.”

    That’s a damn lie, you can say anything was gonna happen in the future to try to validate your actions now.

    I could say the sky is gonna collapse tomorrow, therefor today I’m saying a magical spell for it NOT to happen, so I just saved the earth and all the lives on it.

    You all OWE me.

    You and I know, that’s a load of BS, and you don’t owe me anything.

    Report Post » V-MAN MACE  
  • u135321
    Posted on November 29, 2010 at 12:20pm

    At this time you cannot believe anything this currant government says. Soon the general public will see what this government is all about,when it starts to affect them personelly. When most folks start to hurt,only then can we make a change.

    Report Post »  
  • Akscooch
    Posted on November 29, 2010 at 12:18pm

    Hey Barry… First, cut their pay by 50%, THEN freeze it. D’oh!

    Report Post »  
    • rashjoka
      Posted on November 29, 2010 at 1:11pm

      You need to caveat it to certain pay ranges. Cutting all federal pay by 50% is not fair. Don’t believe the propoganda the media spews about overpaid federal employees. A vast majority of them make well below $60K a year no the six figures the media wants you to believe.

      Report Post »  
    • deadpammy
      Posted on November 29, 2010 at 2:48pm

      @rashjoka I agree, 50% is a bit harsh, but, since public sector employees are paid with our tax dollars, all those wages should be open so we can see who is getting paid how much and what their job entails.

      Report Post » deadpammy  
    • James
      Posted on November 29, 2010 at 4:07pm

      @deadpammy

      You can see all of this by looking at the GS pay scale on line. There is no way the public could base what every individual in the govenment does and detmine their pay on an individual basis. I am a govenment employee and know that many of us work very hard for what we make and many of us are overpaid.

      I als know that the difference in govenment and civilian pay is not as big as most people think. I am sure a GS 9 will be the first to tell you they thay will never get rich at the rate they are going.

      Report Post »  
  • psst
    Posted on November 29, 2010 at 12:14pm

    I did not watch nor will I make acomment on Hussein babblings.
    My post on the other story about “Officials warns Hussein will freeze Fed employees pay got spiked..
    I guess my reference to asking Jimmy Hoffa for help was not appreciated.
    But, I did telly Jimmy I was going to keep his hide-away secret.

    Report Post »  
  • REETZBEE
    Posted on November 29, 2010 at 12:12pm

    Here he goes again….He‘s said he’s going to go line by line and eliminate waste just like he promised to do with the Stimulus package. He’s such a liar.

    Report Post » REETZBEE  
  • temple62
    Posted on November 29, 2010 at 12:12pm

    Well, it certainly took long enough for this novel idea of freezes of government raises. Senior retirees on Social Security have been told there is no inflation, therefore no justification for the COLA adjustments for two years. I would hope in addition to freezing federal wages that some financial consideration be given to eliminating “do-nothing” government departments and agencies such as TSA, Homeland Security, Secret Service, Treasury, FTC, Post Office, Agriculture, Interior, Workforce Investment Act (WIA), foreign aid to dictatorship and corrupt government such as North Korea and Mexico. In addition, these cuts could be made:
    1. Take measures to amend the constitution to restrict all Senators, Representatives and the office of the president to one term as a simple method of reducing pork barrel spending and corruption.
    2. 25% salary cut for all Administration and Congress.
    3. Elimination of current government exclusive healthcare privileges, use whatever is on the market.
    4. Auction off Pelosi’s jet and stop this perk ASAP.
    5. Fire Bernanke and Geithner – their performance does not warrant giving their further paychecks.
    6. Stop funding NPR.
    7. Send Charlie Rangel and Maxine Walters home, they are black spots in the legislature and do not deserve to be in congress due to ethics violations.
    8. Put an end to all fake-cabinet, “czar” positions, the tax payers haven’t elected these people and should not have to pay their salaries.
    9. End foreign aid to Mexico, the have oil, they can fund their own corruption, we have enough to pay for with Obama, Reid, Pelosi and Frank running amuck.

    Report Post » temple62  
    • mikem1969
      Posted on November 29, 2010 at 12:23pm

      I agree with all but one part of what you said. Term limits yes, but 2 terms and a way for WE THE PEOPLE TO FIRE CONGRESS AND THE WHITE HOUSE. The reason I say that is that if they have only one term, they won’t care what kind of damage they do.

      Report Post »  
    • SeekerEmerald
      Posted on November 29, 2010 at 12:45pm

      Term limits sound good, but educated voters would be REAL change. If we can’t trust people to vote for good people in the first place, then what good will term limits do? A new batch of socialists every election cycle is not much better then keeping the same socialists. (Slightly better, maybe, but not much…)

      Report Post » SeekerEmerald  
    • me
      Posted on November 29, 2010 at 12:50pm

      i agree with much of that…now that you have lowered spending by MAYBE 1%…whats next?

      Report Post »  
  • lcassavaugh
    Posted on November 29, 2010 at 12:11pm

    DWH320 – that’s right – as in everything else, don’t just listen to what he says but watch what he does….

    Report Post »  
  • Diamondback
    Posted on November 29, 2010 at 12:10pm

    How about CUTTING BACK federal pay scales!!!!

    Oh boy, he’s frozen the pay levels to the totally ridiculous levels to which he and the demoncraps raised them just a year or so ago.

    Whoopee!

    HOW ABOUT CUTTING BACK federal pay scales!

    Report Post »  
    • J.C. McGlynn
      Posted on November 29, 2010 at 12:46pm

      Maybe starting with congress? (average pay – approximately $225,000.00 a year)

      Report Post » J.C. McGlynn  
  • dwh320
    Posted on November 29, 2010 at 12:07pm

    Obama lie”s…

    Report Post » dwh320  
  • Shinyhappymommy
    Posted on November 29, 2010 at 12:06pm

    Interested to see what this entails. This will likely affect my personal household income.

    Report Post »  
  • mikem1969
    Posted on November 29, 2010 at 12:05pm

    Notice it is a PAY FREEZE, not a pay reduction. this means that the federal employess will keep their huge overpaid salaries instead of being reduced like those of us working in the private sector.

    Report Post »  
    • alcarfl
      Posted on November 29, 2010 at 12:44pm

      Can’t fire em, either. What a country.

      Report Post »  
    • Amerigo Vespucci
      Posted on November 29, 2010 at 12:47pm

      a pay freeze is a pay reduction given the Cost of Living increase and inflation. How would you like to work for your employer and be told, oh, by the way, regardless of how well you do this year and next year, no increase will be given.

      Report Post » Amerigo Vespucci  
    • Deb4ks
      Posted on November 29, 2010 at 1:06pm

      Excuse me Amerigo – but I do work in the private sector and have been under a pay freeze for the last 2 years with no good news coming for next year.

      Report Post » Deb4ks  
    • rashjoka
      Posted on November 29, 2010 at 1:07pm

      Mikem1969…despite what you hear/read from the media not all federal employees are “overpaid”. While there are a lot who are the majority of them make well under $60K a year.

      Also not all federal employees are part of the union

      Report Post »  
    • cessna152
      Posted on November 29, 2010 at 1:10pm

      Amerigo Vespucci,

      Ummm… the private industry uses the money THEY make and carefully pays people according to how they perform. They have to remain competitive. On the other hand state and union officials have been abusing their positions, pay and jobs without any regard for their “employers”… US! Go to the private industry and demand what these unions thugs are getting and you’ll never get a job because you have to EARN it! BTW, last year I was cut back to 4 days and made 50% less than in 2008. i was told this ahead of time and I still worked. I have 3 kids, house, wife and many other bills. We cut back accordingly all the while I had to listen to my TEACHER friend griping about a ONE year pay freeze and 1.5% benefit reduction! I did not sympathize….

      Report Post » cessna152  
    • @leftfighter
      Posted on November 29, 2010 at 1:13pm

      @ Amerigo Vespucci

      “How would you like to work for your employer and be told, oh, by the way, regardless of how well you do this year and next year, no increase will be given?”

      My answer: If the company I worked for operated like the Federal government does, it wouldn’t mater how productive we were as employees because the company would spend more than we produced; he officers of the company would have been prosecuted for insider trading, Ponzi scheming, embezzlement, and cooked books, and we (the employees) wouldn’t care anyway, because we’d have been out of business long ago.

      Report Post » @leftfighter  
    • untameable-kate
      Posted on November 29, 2010 at 1:19pm

      RASHJOKA, so what if they make 60k or less. that is still plenty if you live within your means. I get sick and tired of people who live past thier means and then blame every one else when they can’t pay thier bills. They can go get a second job like the rest of us if they need more money.

      Report Post » Untameable-kate  
    • confederacyofdunces
      Posted on November 29, 2010 at 1:25pm

      If you wanted to work for the govt you just need to do what is necessary to gain the skills you need. First you need to be a vet, it helps. So i did tears of work in construction, 4 years in the military, went through desert storm, applied for the position, started at pay that was low compared to the outside. Worked my way up. people thought i was on drugs because i rushed and threw slackers off my job. Eventually I was promoted several times, planner and estimator and then quality control. Nobody gave me anything I did not work for and anyone who wants to go to the school of hard knocks like I did is welcome.
      NOT ALL FEDERAL EMPLOYEES ARE SLACKERS MY WIFE WORKS HER ARSE OFF AND THE STRESS WILL KILL HER ONE DAY. Save the slings and arrows for congress and “o”. Everyone is frustrated, 50 years of mismanagement and the chickens are coming home to roost. I was in the Dr’s office and picked up time(i was bored), it was written@ 10 months ago and gave the liberal prospective on the deficit and how the economy always grows and the growth outpaces the cost of the national debt. the went on to say we should fund “o”s wishlist with debt, i was thinking how dangerous this mindset is.
      The Government is you. Not at the top, but the rank and file are just like you. The have had reduction in force ( lay offs) and reduction in paygrades. I moved crosscountry because of a Rif coming from a most efficient organization. That is a very expensive way to prove that govt workers can do the job at the same or less than contractors. Overpaid and underworked, perhaps some, on the top. the ones on the bottom will always bear the brunt on pay freezes, job cuts. I have never seen management fall on their own sword for the good of the organization. They claim they had to stay to the end to fire everyone else , then they have experience shutting down orgaizations and move to another site to mismanage it. This tree is rotten from the top. As for me, I’m one of those leeches on disability who has had 3 bypasses, 2 partial amputations, and and might lose my left leg soon. After 19 years of Federal Service, and a Vet (who cant go to the VA because my household income exceeds 30K) I ought not accept my disability because the managment spent too much. Where do you stop? Old people voted for all these programs in the 50‘S and 60’s, should we cut off thier SS and Medicare? Clearly there are problems and its going to hurt, last i looked the national debt clock was at $66,000 per person. That is a lot to pay down. Its going to take people like Chris Christie to work it out. In all my ramblings all I can say is “not all of anything is anything”
      How is that for wisdom? Please don’t use a broad brush to characterize people. People are individuals.

      Report Post »  
    • mikem1969
      Posted on November 29, 2010 at 1:42pm

      rashjoka, most federal employees do have a union, not all, but most, and those federal unions need to go. I have seen the paychecks of many federal workers, and the only ones that get paid close to their counter parts are those that work in very low level positions, and that amounts to only about 40% of the federal employees, the other 60% are far over paid for what little they don’t do.

      Report Post »  
    • mikem1969
      Posted on November 29, 2010 at 1:44pm

      amerigo, considering that most federal employees get a bloated salary, they need a pay cut to match their private industry counterpart, then a pay freeze. I work for a private company, and have had no mention of a raise, so gee, I see the fact that I have a job to be a bonus.

      Report Post »  
    • deadpammy
      Posted on November 29, 2010 at 2:44pm

      @Amerigo Vespucci Welcome to the real private sector world. Where I work, we took a 10% wage deferral and there have been very few wage increases.

      Report Post » deadpammy  
    • HKS
      Posted on November 29, 2010 at 3:41pm

      But they are doing such a wonderful job, running the country, keeping our expenses low, protecting our sensitive paperwork. I’m really glad they are right there on the job. I feel more secure already just saying that, NOT.

      Report Post » HKS  
    • thecid100
      Posted on November 29, 2010 at 6:23pm

      Really, cut my pay in half? Go online and check my pay. I’m a police detective working night shift, 40 hours a week, GS-8. The job pays $37,631 per year. You have all the crimes you’d see in a big city, every night. I don’t make any extra pay for working a hazardous job, and believe me, working with trained soldiers can be dangerous. Why does my pay have to be cut in half for you to feel better?

      Report Post »  
    • EP46
      Posted on November 29, 2010 at 6:56pm

      Also says it will not affect BONUSES or Step-Increases….Then it is not a FREEZE. They should cut back salaries to what they were 2 yrs. ago and have NO bonuses…and no Step-Increases . They should also fire 3/4 of the employees hired to work for the administration. The workers received a 1.9% raise this year????? With unemployment at record highs and more people than ever on food stamps, Social Security NO raise for 2 years for Seniors or Disabled people and they still got 1.9% ????? obama stopped bonuses for the Wall Street Executives….but he is not freezing bonuses for government workers???? This is soooooo pitiful ! All of a sudden OBAMA is ‘conocerned” about the debt after spending Trilllions. This is shameful. Call / email your representatives and tell them this is not good enough. It is time for the government workers who are paid by the PEOPLE to have to suck it up just like everyone else and this is just not enough.

      Report Post »  
    • grandmaof5
      Posted on November 30, 2010 at 7:11am

      Amerigo Vespucci, or how would you like to do a terrific job, already have the price freeze for the past two years and the lose your job because the company can’t afford to stay in business. Alot of terrific people who are great employees have lost their jobs through no fault of their own, lost their houses but still have great attitudes and love this country and its possibilities. Get government out!

      Report Post »  
  • dwh320
    Posted on November 29, 2010 at 12:03pm

    No way he will freeze all those union members pay. He is in bed with the unions… watch the other hand.

    Report Post » dwh320  
    • dwh320
      Posted on November 29, 2010 at 12:18pm

      If Obama wants to help reduce the debt he first needs to toss out that healthcare law

      Report Post » dwh320  
    • hkyfan36
      Posted on November 29, 2010 at 12:34pm

      Freeze the pay and then tax them 100% of their salries. Or they can work for minimum wage.

      Report Post »  
    • snowleopard3200 {mix art}
      Posted on November 29, 2010 at 12:47pm

      Personally I will believe this only upon actually seeing it happen. Also they need to start with freeze on the wages and benefits the Congress gets as well, as what is good for the goose is good for the gander…the proof will be found in the pudding.

      http://www.artinphoenix.com/gallery/grimm

      Report Post » Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}  
    • Marcobob69
      Posted on November 29, 2010 at 12:56pm

      I agree, DWH320. Something is amiss, he’s in bed with the unions, and he’s not going to abandon them now. WATCH THE OTHER HAND, the one with spooky dood controlling it!

      Report Post »  
    • @leftfighter
      Posted on November 29, 2010 at 1:00pm

      If Obama wants to cut the budget, he can…

      * Repeal all 3 of the (just shy of) $1T bills he signed in the last 2 years,
      * Get rid of all the $150k per year federal employees that have massively expanded since he took office
      * Inpliment mandatory drug testing for Medicare / Medicaid / Welfare recipients (and kick the positive testers off)

      …and then, maybe, he’ll be cooking with a candle. It’ll be a fire, but not a very hot one.

      Here’s a very brief explaination of just how big a farce this is:

      http://bit.ly/fTxAki

      Report Post » @leftfighter  
    • bullcrapbuster
      Posted on November 29, 2010 at 1:53pm

      Not good enough. Fire half of them and cut wages 50% on the rest.

      Report Post » bullcrapbuster  
    • Huckabee Gingrich 12
      Posted on November 29, 2010 at 2:09pm

      @CRAPSTER
      You took the words right out of my mouth. This so-called pay freeze is actually a guarantee that the Fuds can’t have their pay cut. We’re not saving money, we’re just wasting the same amount. The Vengislator might as well have put a price freeze on his “blow”. Actually, never mind. He probably get it free now.

      Report Post » Huckabee Gingrich 12  
    • Ellie
      Posted on November 29, 2010 at 2:20pm

      Yet another steaming pile of BS from BO. There will be no savings until all GS levels of the Federal Pay scale are CUT-IN-HALF!

      Better yet, get rid of the GS scale all together and have a single pay scale for military and federal employees. Why should those willing to put their life on the line be paid SIGNIFICANTLY less then those that are in no more danger then getting a paper cut!!!???

      No Congressmen or President should ever be paid more then a 5 Star General.

      Report Post » Ellie  
    • snowleopard3200 {mix art}
      Posted on November 29, 2010 at 2:27pm

      @Marcobob69

      How about this thought, if he betrays the unions and turns on them, they will riot in the streets and cause all manner of ‘civil chaos’ that can be used for the implementation of martial law or such for the ‘greater good and safety of the country.’

      Report Post » Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}  
    • rightwinginwoman
      Posted on November 29, 2010 at 2:29pm

      You are so right! It’s a ploy. Federal employees got a surprise bonus in their pay checks this summer that equaled to about 2 years of a cost of living raise. Very clever.

      Report Post »  
    • DirectlyUnPCman
      Posted on November 29, 2010 at 2:34pm

      Spend 3 trillion over-budget, then put a freeze on salaries to save 5 billion. How is that a win? What a genius.

      Report Post » DirectlyUnPCman  
    • cptwonder
      Posted on November 29, 2010 at 3:05pm

      Obama, don’t just freeze their pay, CUT IT to the same level as their civilian counterparts. Who appear to be making half as much as these government workers.

      Report Post » cptwonder  
    • Rainmaker NYC
      Posted on November 29, 2010 at 3:24pm

      Eliminate all benefits for all members of Congress and the White House. Make them pay for their own health care and insurance with no publicly funded assistance.

      Report Post »  
    • HKS
      Posted on November 29, 2010 at 3:44pm

      Agree, watch the other hand.

      Report Post » HKS  
    • James
      Posted on November 29, 2010 at 3:59pm

      @Ellie

      First, didn’t we get rid of 5-star generals a long time ago? Second, what rate would all the federal civilians be paid at? Would GS 12s be making the same as an E4?

      Also, I retired from the military and made more no active duty than many people in the private sector. In addition to that I had 30 days of paid vaction per year, free health care for my family, very cheap life insurance, time off work to go to the gym, a week off at Christmas, more than 20 days off per yeatr that did not count as leave when you add up family days, down days, comp days…

      Do you suggest that all of this be cut too?

      Report Post »  
    • 123gone
      Posted on November 29, 2010 at 4:14pm

      Watch the other hand is right. With a two year freeze, you can bet a pay raise will be in order for those government workers willing to sell their soul and vote for the Leftist Agenda in 2012.
      Obama is just setting the stage to buy their vote, and sell them a bill of goods about the New Socialist America. They may try this same BS with the Military as well.

      Report Post »  
    • troyvar
      Posted on November 29, 2010 at 4:58pm

      How much has the average pay risen over the last two years. From what I understand, bonuses and o.t. pay stay the same. This sounds like more back-door B.S.

      Report Post » troyvar  
    • grandmaof5
      Posted on November 29, 2010 at 6:54pm

      That’s a crock! I heard a federal employee today and he said that pertained to a cost of living raise, not their yearly review raises. Also, they have pay grades from 1-15 and within those you can go from, say, level 5-2 to 5-3, or 7-1 to 7-2, etc. and the freeze doesn’t pertain to that (or he can just switch the job pay level). Also, what good does that do if they are on a hiring spree? And don’t cut salaries. It is always a shell game with those people.

      Report Post »  
    • PeterThePainter
      Posted on November 29, 2010 at 7:37pm

      All a bunch of….the salaries have skyrocked over the past 18 month‘s he wants to insure they can’t be reduced, I‘m sure we will hear detailed info on how a fed employee sits and watch’s a monitor at 75K a year….and that’s all he does…with breaks and benefits

      Report Post »  
    • Saving America
      Posted on November 29, 2010 at 8:18pm

      This is just more BS as usual.

      Report Post » Saving America  
    • PubliusMM
      Posted on November 29, 2010 at 8:30pm

      Even if he can get this through the Congress, it‘s still alot like spittin’ in the ocean… If he really wants to balance the budget, or even pay down the deficit, how about pulling the Federal government back within the confines of the Constitution? Scrap the Department of Education, Agriculture, Homeland Security, Energy, and most of the IRS (along with the income tax). Dump NPR and NEA, too.

      Report Post »  
    • guyperram
      Posted on November 29, 2010 at 8:50pm

      The freeze does not include step raises or bonuses. All show, no go. The raises these folks got over the last few years only have them making about double the private sector.
      This is for the press only and will be without meaning.

      Report Post »  
    • tgarrett369
      Posted on November 29, 2010 at 9:05pm

      There is no pay freeze. They still can get paid more for extra duties they dont do’ and they can still get promoted to a higher paying position. This pay freeze crap aint fooling us obamma. Keep slithering aroung you spineless wussy.

      Report Post »  
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