Republicans propose wage freeze on government workers to "pay for" Social Security payroll tax cut

[Better Believe It]

Fed salary freeze to cover payroll tax cut?
By SCOTT WONG
November 30, 2011

Senate Republicans are coalescing around a plan that would continue the current salary freeze for all federal workers and lawmakers to pay for an extension of the payroll tax cut favored by President Barack Obama and other Democrats, a GOP senator told POLITICO on Wednesday.

Obama instituted a two-year federal pay freeze that began Jan. 1, and the GOP plan would extend it either one or two years, saving about $100 billion. The idea for a federal pay freeze was discussed by the presidential Bowles-Simpson fiscal commission, and was later part of the deficit supercommittee negotiations that collapsed last week.

The senator, who asked for anonymity to discuss a closed door meeting, said the pay freeze could be coupled with a means testing plan to limit Medicare and Social Security benefits for those earning more than $1 million a year.

(Means testing Medicare and Social Security opens the door to turning those programs into welfare programs. BBI)

“The hard truth is that getting this deficit under control is going to require broad sacrifice,” Obama said on Nov. 29, 2010. “And that sacrifice must be shared by the employees of the federal government.”

(And who will be sharing those sacrifices with government workers .... Wall Street banksters and corporate CEO's President Obama? BBI)

Read the full article at:

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1111/69423.html

[Fresh_Start]

1. freeze isn't enough, I think reducing the legislative salary would be

even more appropriate.

[EOTE]

4. You know that most Federal workers aren't legislators, right?

This pay freeze hurt a lot of good people who have absolutely nothing to do with the current shit storm that we're in. The pay freeze was an absolute joke.

[Better Believe It]

6. Do you want to cut the pay of ordinary government workers?

The snake oil pitch is of course that the pay of Congressional members and their staff will also be cut. So what if it is? That doesn't make it a "shared" and "equal" sacrifice. They are mainly rich "*ucks!

Members of Congress will do very well even with a 50% cut. Serving in Congress is mainly a stepping stone to fortunes for many.

And many are already millionnaires in which their congressional salary is mere pocket change! And those who are not will go on to work for Wall Street or big business when they retire or if they should "lose" re-election. Lobbying jobs are very lucrative.

Do you really favor freezing or cutting the pay and benefits of hundreds of thousands of ordinary government workers based on the false claim that Senators and members of the House will make "equal" personal sacrifices?

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

2. They're government workers. I accept.

:patriot:

[sinkingfeeling]

3. Let's start with their own salaries! I suggest a cut of 50%.

[gratuitous]

5. Gee, who didn't see this coming?

The payroll tax "holiday" was a lousy idea from the get-go. Its only redeeming feature was putting a bit more money into the hands of people who would spend it right away. But it wasn't enough money to make much difference in day-to-day living (particularly with the volatility in gas and food prices), and it cut revenues going to Social Security and Medicare. Republicans have been alarmist enough about Social Security's alleged "insolvency"; shortening any "full benefits" horizon was just going to goad them into greater paroxysms of panic, aided and abetted by their nitwit brigade in the media, which should know better but plainly doesn't.

So, given another opportunity to avoid addressing the lack of jobs in this country, the Republicans will eagerly pursue it, lest jobs actually be created (by public works programs using borrowed money that is at historically cheap levels), and the Democrats realize some political advantage for it.

Please continue starving to death, America. The Republicans are ever vigilant for more distractions.

[democrat_patriot]

7. Can federal workers strike?

Or has that been made illegal?

[Better Believe It]

12. Legally no. Illegally yes. Such strikes are not permitted in un-democratic nations.

[annabanana]

8. too late.. Federal salaries have been frozen forthe last two years. . .n/t

[EOTE]

9. This would extend it another year or two.

Which would make a bad situation even more egregious.

[Better Believe It]

10. Too late? Republicans propose to extend President Obama's wage freeze for two more years!

[Angry Dragon]

11. Also discussed in this closed door meeting was how could they give

themselves a 10% pay and benefit raise without looking greedy