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Lawmakers propose five-year pay freeze, federal job cuts

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** Lawmakers propose five-year pay freeze, federal job cuts **

Government Exec News

By Emily Longelong@govexec.com - January 20, 2011


http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0111/012011l2.htm


Republican lawmakers are seeking a five-year federal pay freeze and additional workforce cuts in an effort to rein in spending.

The 2011 Spending Reduction Act, unveiled on Thursday by Republican Study Committee Chairman Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio; Rep. Scott Garrett, R-N.J.; and Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C.; outlines $2.5 trillion in cuts by dropping current spending to fiscal 2008 levels and freezing budgets at fiscal 2006 levels for 10 years beginning Oct. 1. The legislation, which will be introduced officially on Monday, would reduce the size and cost of the federal civilian workforce and cut a number of federal programs.

The proposal includes provisions to eliminate automatic pay increases for civilian employees for five years, cut the workforce by 15 percent through attrition and hire one new worker for every two who leave. The legislation also would collect unpaid taxes from federal workers, prohibit employees from conducting union business while on the job and cut the federal travel budget in half.

Comments

Anonymous said…
Could it possibly get any gloomier?
Anonymous said…
Could it possibly get any gloomier?

January 23, 2011 8:30 PM


Yeah, it could.... RIFs.
Anonymous said…
A lot of jobs that were recently created (think IRS) were government positions. If the economy begins to turn around, will everyone flee to the private sector? And that situation would apply to the national labs as well.
Anonymous said…
There are an awful lot of Congressmen
Anonymous said…
IN SUMMARY:


"We don't do HONESTY."
-- George Miller


"Neither do we!"
-- Mike Anastasio


"NIF !!!! NIF !!!!"
-- Ed Moses


"MaRIEEEEE !!!!"
-- Terry Wallace


"Time to raise the overhead rates... once again."
-- LLNL CFO


"We'll see your overhead raise... and DOUBLE it!"
-- LANL CFO


"PBIs, Baby!"
" The 20% exec bonuses and perks are great!"
"Don't forget... wear shoes the GRIP!"
-- Lab Upper Management


"The 'kings' royal crown fits my head perfectly."
-- Charlie McMillan


"I need more butt to kick. Whose next in line?"
"Geeze, Mike, your new sports car looks great!"
"At Livermore... at Livermore... we did it this way."
"Where are my LANS weekly airline tickets to Cali?""
-- Brett Knapp (Cal State Alumni)


"Lower the salaries, cut the benefits, freeze the pension...
and get that dang Pit Factory built!"
-- NNSA Bureaucracy


"Oops, our bad. We drastically under-funded the LANS pension with the UCRP transfer. Mis-placed a decimal point in the calculations. Ha, ha, ha"
-- Hewitt Associates


"Baaa, baaa, baaaaaaa."
-- Lab Sheeple


"I'm outta here!"
-- Labs' "Best & Brightest"


"We is doing a heckavajob! Push out some more slick PR releases."
-- Capt. Tom D'Agostino


"Is our nuclear arsenal safe & reliable?"
" Why do we still need these weapon labs?"
-- Clueless Congress


"What's a weapon labs?"
"How's my favorite energy lab, LBL, doing?"
-- Dr. Chu (DOE)


"The weapon labs' employee morale is horrible."
"Lab technical expertise is hemoraghing."
"NNSA is way too risk adverse!"
-- DoD Reports


"Is my lab profit-fee check in the mail?"
"My favorite nephew needs a job. Make him lab Director."
-- Riley Bechtel


"We will bury you!"
-- China, Russia and Iran


"Game over, man."
-- American Public
Anonymous said…
Ah, the key word is CIVILIAN staff. Do they truly mean the difference between Civilian and Military? I am cynical enough to believe that the legislative branch will find a way to make themselves and their staffs exempt from this proposal.
Anonymous said…
"I need more butt to kick. Whose next in line?"
"Geeze, Mike, your new sports car looks great!"
"At Livermore... at Livermore... we did it this way."
"Where are my LANS weekly airline tickets to Cali?""
-- Brett Knapp (Cal State Alumni)

Hey Bret, The U.S. taxpayers shouldn't have to pay for your weekly back-and-forth flights from New Mexico and California just because your wife doesn't want to live in New Mexico. I can hardly wait when Congress asks you to testify and pay back your "tax free" luxuries.
Anonymous said…
Ah, the key word is CIVILIAN staff. Do they truly mean the difference between Civilian and Military?

January 25, 2011 1:34 PM

No idiot, they mean civilian vs government employees.
Anonymous said…
The President just announced a 5 year freeze on the discretionary budget at his State of the Union speech. That's a long time, particularly when you consider what inflation could do between now and the end of those 5 years.

It will be interesting to see how this plays out with the plans outlined a few months ago to beef-up the funding at the NNSA labs.
Anonymous said…
It's all a plot to drive people from government jobs into the private sector where goods and services are produced.

In five years I will be retired. I am hoping that the retirement plan will be solvent.
Anonymous said…
It's all a plot to drive people from government jobs into the private sector where goods and services are produced.

Look how much privatizing the Labs saved the Government! LANL costs went from $4M per year to $79M per year.

We not only have the best government money can buy, but the stupidest too.
Anonymous said…
We not only have the best government money can buy, but the stupidest too.

January 27, 2011 6:24 PM

So what are you (personally) going to do about it? Besides whine, I mean? A citizenry that is not prepared to protect its liberty is not deserving of citizenship.
Anonymous said…
Look at it this way... a lot of that extra $79 million in LANL lab management profit fees will find its way back into the government via "back door" means. It will be handed out to Congressmen by the Bechtel and BWXT lobbyists. All is not lost. It's a very efficient system!
Anonymous said…
"The legislation also would collect unpaid taxes from federal workers..."

So just how will a new law on the books actually collect unpaid taxes?

Do you suppose the legislation is targeting prospective members of the executive branch. A lot of unpaid taxes to be found there.
Anonymous said…
You freeze the pay for 5 years which provides an incentive for an exodus.

You only hire 1/2 the number that leave.

Those that hire on will have their pay frozen.

Do I sense that the labs will have a bit of a problem getting and keeping the "best and brightest"?

Maybe Chu was just ahead of the curve on this one.

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