Re: Pay raise or cut?

Well, not exactly just "this year." Had McCain been elected, I doubt seriously that he would have gotten away with what Obama just pulled regarding Federal employees not having pay parity with the military. In fact, I bet money McCain would not have gotten away with it. Not that a McCain administration would not have tried to do just what Obama did. Its just that Congress would not have allowed McCain to do it (though Congress rolled over for Obama). Now for those of you who say that 2 percent versus the 3.4 percent if no big deal and to those who say we are lucky to be employed, keep in mind that this difference for just this year impacts the baseline for years to come. Its impact goes into perpetuity. Also, now that Obama has broke the rule and succeeded in reigning in Federal pay, be prepared for more in the future.

For those who wanted "change," they got it. And to thank you more, be prepared to start paying tax on your health benes too!

Re: Pay raise or cut?

Let's remember that the REPUBLICANS controlled the Congress for most the the last 12 years.
You sound like this is Obama's fault.
Consider who was in charge while the rich got lots richer, and folks like us lost our savings if we were lucky, and lost our houses if we weren't.

THANK GOD FOR THE CHANGE!

Re: Pay raise or cut?

God had nothing to do with this change, or ANYTHING liberals touch.

I assure you, the godless democrats will feel the pain that this loser is causing our great country just as much as the republicans will.

Re: Pay raise or cut?

No your raise more than offsets any increase in premiums. Its the taxpayers who got screwed again. In a year with 0 inflation and wages decreasing CS got a raise utterly ludicrous

Re: Pay raise or cut?

Analyst, DOE had McCain been elected I bet he would have froze civilian civilian pay this pay. Democrats and Republicans in the House of Representatives don't agree on much, but they agreed that civilian federal workers were not getting a 3.4% raise this year. The Congressmen and women were not going to going back to their districts and explain why they gave federal workers such a large raise when so many private sector workers sacrificed so much.

Re: Pay raise or cut?

More junk from the radical right is in this section of posts.
To confused-Out of our pay increase we have to pay various items such as the increase in medical. It may or may not result in less take home pay depending on how much you make. This happened in Reagan's years with 0 pay raise and a huge increase in medical. It also happened in Clinton's years with a low pay raise, a huge medical increase, and the right to lower taxable salary by the medical premium.
To analyst DOE-Nice speculation. No basis in fact. All baloney.
To retired-You said it better than me. Good job.
To diversity manager (really reitired military and not a fed) More baloney. We are 26% underpaid. There has been no study based on jobs in the same locality to counter the study made 20 years ago that said we are underpaid. please do not cite the average wages you love to cite. It is not a valid study. It does not spotlite specific jobs in specific localities.

Re: Count your blessings!

Retired HR Specialist, as a retiree I gave myself my own COLA this year. I threw BC/BS under the bus and joined APWU. I am getting a net $40 a month more. The people who stayed in BC/CS this year made a mistake. There are other plans with similar or better coverage at a lower price. BC/BS is becoming the plan of last resort. The older and sicker federal workers and retirees are staying with it. Their reward, huge premium increases each year. I laugh at these folks. Let them stay with BC/SH. I am going to a plan with younger and less sicker participants.

Re: Count your blessings!

You are a retiree. You got 2% more than us last year. This is based on inflation. Our salaries are based on something else.
We are grossly underpaid and have been so since Reagan. An uncontradicted study proved this. Critics say the study is wrong, but provided no new study.

Re: New Hires on hold

What is a Supervisory Detention and Deportaion Officer and is a HS diploma required? Spelling skills at all?

Re: New Hires on hold

"Diversity Manager"? Shouldn't you just be quiet and hope no one notices that Uncle Sammy even funds such a feel good position?

Re: New Hires on hold

Dear VA nurse,

Don't worry, there is no such position as Diversity Manager. The guy that uses that title is actually retired military, who hates all things Civil Service and especially all things VA.

Re: New Hires on hold

dear nurse, you must be working a shift in the critical care unit since you have so much time to surf the net. too bad the vets don't get you grade your efforts and pay accordingly

Re: New Hires on hold

Dear VA nurse,

See what I mean?

Re: New Hires on hold

Hi diversity manager. Did you transfer from DOL to HHS? Actually, are you the same retired military with no job with the government?
Do you have a clue as to what you are talking about? Why not go find out the requirements for the position rather than blabbing nothings?

Re: Cost of Living

I am sure other things such as auto parts and repairs, cable television and mobile phone bills will not drop because we received a minimal increase and retirees receive a zero increase. It is time to look at priorities. Retired people do this all the time. US citizens are too accustomed to overspending.

Re: Cost of Living

Not that I understand or agree with the other statements you made, but I don't understand why you singled out older ladies.

Re: Count your blessings!

I don't envy anyone who has to live on just Social Security, no matter where they live. Fortunately, neither FERS or CSRS retirees will have to rely just on Social Security, so I'm not sure I see your point.

This article dealt with the impact of a raise in the cost of health insurance, and I suggested that active Federal employees should count their blessings, since the raise that most of them will get (especially those with high grades, which are found to a disproportionate degree within the beltway, where grades of most jobs are a grade or two higher for the same work than in the rest of the country) will be multiple times the rise in premiums.

It's "silly" to complain about a 2 percent raise when a Federal retiree living next door to you, in the same high cost area, gets none, and has to find AFTER TAX money to pay for the same increase in premiums.

So, second verse, same as the first.... Count your blessings!

Re: Count your blessings!

To retired HR,
Again, same verse as the first. You got a 5.8% raise last year. Employees about 2% less.
Also, your raise is based on inflation. Ours is based on salary comparisons. The garbage comparing fed salaries with private sector, based on one number is not the study used. We are still underpaid. We want our catchup promised 20 years ago.

Re: SS Earnings Test

You are right. The "lose $1 of Social Security benefits for every $3 earnings over the limit" rule applies in the first part of the year that you turn full retirement age, and the limit goes away completely starting the first of the month in which you turn full retirement age. Starting with the month you turn full retirement age and through the rest of your life, there is no limit and you can earn as much as you want and it will not cost you any of your Social Security benefits.

Re: SS Earnings Test

You're correct. I don't know how I didn't catch my mistake. Thanks.

Re: Prices are up not down!

Where do you live?? we're in a cycle of deflation and commodity prices are all lower

Re: Prices are up not down!

To diversity manager-Is it HHS or DOL?-Is it really retired military and not a government employee?
Perhaps you went to buying cheaper stuff. Same items are going up. Not in a straight lime, but they are going up. This is my unscientific opinion based on the items I buy. The government has better stats than I do.