Reason.tv: Attack of the Killer Compensation in 3D!

Here's a tale more fear-inducing than Michelle Obama at a fat farm. Chew on this: In more than eight of 10 occupations, federal workers make more in straight salary than their private sector counterparts. A federal janitor makes $6,000 more than his private-sector counterpart and a federal nurse makes $11,000 than her counterpart. And federal workers on average get four times more in benefits such as health care and retirement. At the state and local level, public-sector workers take home more than their private-sector equivalents, too (Michigan public-sector workers, for instance, take home 47 percent more in total compensation than their private-sector analogues). The result of such taxpayer-funded largess? An economic living death on the installment plan!

This is the third of three episodes in Reason.tv's sense-shattering 3D series, Fiscal House of Horrors! To watch all the videos, plus a (scary!) warning from former Sen. Mike Gravel (D-Alaska) go here.

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Comments

[Hobie Hanson]

The federal CEO makes $200000 a year while the average corporate CEO makes millions.

Even though the federal government does business measured in the tens of trillions of dollars and has 300 million customers to please, way more than any corporation has to worry about.

Doesn't that strike you as wrong?

[zoltan]

The federal CEO makes $200000 a year while the average corporate CEO makes millions.

Whose salary am I forced to pay?

[Hobie Hanson]

Just like you're forced to pay the salaries of CEOs of bread and water companies, because you need them for your insect existence to continue.

[Mr. FIFY]

So, it's okay to overpay federal workers. Got it. Thanks, Hobie.

[heller]

On the contrary, a CEO can do nothing to you if you refuse to become a customer. The government can throw you in jail.

[George V]

The president knows what the job pays going in and chooses to take it if elected.

[Hobie Hanson]

So does the private sector janitor.

[Kreel Sarloo]

The private sector janitor has a wage determined by market forces, not political ones.

But you don't know the difference, do you?

[Chony]

"A federal janitor makes $6,000 more than his private-sector counterpart..."

But the federal government only hires janitors with advanced degrees in janitoriology.

[High School Dropout]

You say this as a joke, but it's somewhat true. I wish I could find this online, but I filled out an application for janitor that required a two year associates degree in Westchester County NY.

[Chony to the Max]

"A federal janitor makes $6,000 more than his private-sector counterpart and a federal nurse makes $11,000 than her counterpart."

And so the libertard knee-jerk response is to cut their salary or eliminate these jobs. The more common sense approach would be to move all jobs to the federal sector where everyone makes higher salaries. Then, everyone's salary would rise.

That there would be no downsides to this completely plausible approach is not disputable. Only people who are greedy or ignorant would disagree with taking it.

[rhea]

"And federal workers on average get four times more in benefits such as health care and retirement." So how can I qualify for any position? Interesting, since I have to pay for their large salary and I even work part-time to have food on my table.

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