Obama's Federal Worker Pay Freeze Was Blasted By Democrats Months Ago

[Donnachaidh]

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/11/obamas-federal-worker-pay-freeze.php


President Obama proposed a two year freeze on federal employee compensation today, just ahead of a Tuesday post-election meeting with the GOP leaders. The proposal was originally put forward by Republicans in recent months -- and slammed by Democrats.

The move is reminiscent of Obama's call for a freeze on non-defense discretionary spending in the days after Sen. Scott Brown (R-MA) won deceased Sen. Ted Kennedy's Senate seat in a special election earlier this year. The gesture resulted in no meaningful counter-gesture from the GOP and the administration's natural allies questioned the move. It's likely to be no different today.

In recent months, Democrats have attacked Republicans for proposing federal pay and hiring freezes, and experts have derided the idea of attacking massive budget deficits with small-fry initiatives like this one.

On the Senate floor in June, now-retired Sen. Ted Kaufman (D-DE) whacked a Republican amendment that would have frozen federal pay as an "assault" against "those who choose to serve."

MORE at the link ---

[laughingliberal]

1. K & R nt

[AzDar]

2. Is he *trying* to suck?

:eyes:

[immoderate]

3. "Giving up without a fight" is now a strategy.

To evaluate government policy, consider whether if moves money up the scale, benefiting the rich, or redistributes it, benefiting the poor rest of us. So far, all government policies in health care, education, law enforcement, diplomacy, military, have benefited the rich.

What about the "credit card reforms?" -- Glad you asked. Here was a case where the bleeding had turned into a runaway hemorrhage, so a valve had to be installed to cut the bleeding down to sustainable levels.

--imm

[Peregrine Took]

4. How is taking money away from potential spenders a good thing?

It just makes everyone hunker down even more and cling to their pocketbooks until they scream.

[katandmoon]

5. This means that Feds, whose Federal retirement income is based on their "high three"

will have their retirement income reduced.

Obama's greasing the skids next for those on Social Security.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

6. Are you sure its the skids he is greasing

Some increase are hard coded in the law, others he has some discretion on. Be interesting to see what kind of take the various Federal unions and employee organizations have on this.

Full disclosure: I receive a Federal pension

[bvar22]

7. Bill Clinton's undisputed title of "Best Republican President EVER"...

..is in jeopardy.


"There are forces within the Democratic Party who want us to sound like kinder, gentler Republicans. I want us to compete for that great mass of voters that want a party that will stand up for working Americans, family farmers, and people who haven't felt the benefits of the economic upturn."---Paul Wellstone