I don't know any of those supposed $100k federal pension recipients. I'm sure they're out there, but they would be among those federal professionals whose career paths and choices put them into positions like attorney, physician, policy makers, etc. along with those in the Senior Executive Service. Far more feds will retire with pensions in the $15k (or less) to $50k range, some less, some more. Personally, after what will be a 36 year federal career, I don't feel guilty about receiving a $43k pension. I believe I have earned it, just like any private sector employee would feel the same way about their own retirements. I'm personally sick of the ridiculous exaggerations I keep hearing on TV & the radio about how federal employees are raping this country's economy. What should the salary of someone with responsibility of ensuring compliance with multi-million dollar defense contracts be? In one day recently, I signed for and obligated the govt. to purchase and pay for $10,000,000 worth of missile defense hardware. That was just one day, two purchases. That did not include a missile. My job is to make absolutely sure the government gets exactly what it pays for, hardware that meets many crucial specifications, and most importantly, functions as advertised when called upon by our troops in harm's way. My work is just one of many, but extremely important and vital national defense activities that really can mean life or death for US troops, our allies, and civilian populations. So, how much should I get paid? I can tell you my salary is a whopping $63,148 per year. I do get partial government subsidy of my health insurance, but I still pay about $400 per month towards that insurance, as I should. My penison, if I retire in 20 months, is as stated above, roughly $43000. Out of that amount, I still have to deduct my $400 monthly (for now) health insurance, my life insurance (governent life insurance isnt' much of a bargain but probably all I can get with diabetes, high blood pressure, history of skin cancer) deduction for spouse's survivor's benefits, (approx. $300 mo.) and last but not least, federal taxes. So...how much is left after all that? Not a hell of a lot. I'll be lucky to maybe clear $2400 a month. Then...every now & then, whenever somebody decides it's easier to deflect the real reason the federal budget is in the toilet towards those greedy federal employees....we get a pay freeze, a COLA freeze (for retirees) or some other great "perk" of being a fed. Yeah, I know....we have such great job stability that nobody else has.....ok, so what prevented those people from applying for federal jobs back when they were looking for a job? I'm really sick of hearing the bs day in & day out from people who have no clue. It's great being the whipping boy for corrupt politicians on both sides of the aisle who want to take the easy way out (hanging it on federal employees) instead of actually fixing things. When it's all said & done, if EVERY federal employee takes a pay cut and/or freeze, pensions are changed to a different calculation formula and whatever else can be done, it still will amount to a drop in the bucket compared to the $$ that would be realized by fixing some of the actual, much bigger problems. But...it's way easier to crucify the evil federal employee, from the $15k a year commissary grocery clerk to the $45k a year electrician/auto mechanic....on up to the guys making the bigger $$ in DC. It's just much easier than actually tackling the reality of why we're bankrupt.
