Obama to freeze salaries of top White House officials

[jefferson_dem]

Obama to freeze salaries of top White House officials

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Barack Obama is to freeze salaries of senior White House officials and other top political appointees, a senior administration official said on Tuesday.

The official confirmed a Washington Post report that said the decision would likely be mentioned in Obama's State of the Union address on Wednesday.

The newspaper said the decision would affect White House officials earning more than $100,000 and other top administration appointees, including politically appointed ambassadors -- about 1,200 people in total.

The step would be largely symbolic as the savings will be minimal.

Obama, who is under public pressure to rein in the record U.S. deficit and government spending, is also expected to announce a three-year freeze on spending on some domestic programs, saving $250 billion dollars by 2020, officials told Reuters earlier.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100126/pl_nm/us_obama_salaries

[Zynx]

1. Classic symbolic budget cuts. They happen all of the time at the state and local level.

The fundamental problem, however, is that voters are demanding far more services than they are willing to pay for.

[jefferson_dem]

3. Funny, I was about to put that in the OP.

This is merely a symbolic gesture but still a meaningful one - in terms of "optics" if nothing else.

[roguevalley]

11. this freeze would have been better a year ago.

[tularetom]

2. Maybe that will force Emanuel Geithner and Summers to quit

Not that any of those assholes needed the $ in the first place.

They were just interested in perpetuating the system that allowed them to steal all that money.

[katty]

4. sounds like they got the Comcast/NBC memo as well

[BOSSHOG]

5. I have to chuckle

And this is not a complaint by any stretch.

As a military retiree I did not get a cost of living increase this year nor did Social Security recipients. However, my fed taxes went up a tick and my veterans life insurance premium went up, so my retirement check went down about the cost of three cases of good beer per month. Repeat, I did not get a cost of living increase and my retirement stipend went down. I'm a patriot (a real one) but I aint' cutting out my beer drinking.

[FrenchieCat]

6. I believe that Social Security recipients did get $250.00 each....

I know it isn't much, but when one does the math, it equals to about what a COLA increase would have been.

[BOSSHOG]

7. Hey Frenchie Cat

I hope you're right. Imagine Social Security recipients getting a few bucks to pay the hating bill. God Bless em.

[juajen]

15. We also were slapped with increases in medicare payments and

co-pays and deductibles have risen. All in all, we seniors got screwed. Not to mention the cost of food, energy and transportation is up, which, of course, is not counted in inflation as far as SS goes.

[windbreeze]

17. and this is also correct, I forgot to mention this ...in fact, seems to me

that the raises in medicare payments were almost that $20.83 per month that the one time $250 stimulous added up to...wb

[windbreeze]

16. That's not so...sorry....

Previous COLA increases I received were quite a bit more than a measly $20.83 a month...I'd have to go back and dig up the info to give you exact figures...but...trust me on this because it's true...wb

[ElmoBlatz]

8. Geez, how is Rahm going to get by?

That $18Million he made (or whatever it was) will only go so far

[mascarax]

13. Maybe we need a fundraiser for Rahm?

Don't think Clooney would host, but there's always Stephen Baldwin.

[randr]

9. All government health insurance policies should be dropped immediately!

[RC]

10. Those "Government health insurance policies" are with private insurance companies.

Mostly Blue Cross/Blue Shield - So it ain't gonna happen.

[stray cat]

12. He better! Since he may destroy the rest of us

[Impedimentus]

14. Silly and meaningless political theater ...

Their salaries are essentially capped anyway. These kinds of stunts are unbecoming and insulting. The savings will probably be less than the cost of one fired missile in Afghanistan.

[winyanstaz]

18. Freeze hell! They ALL ..INCLUDING Congress...

need to take a BIG pay CUT!