Democrats FINALLY talking of cutting back govt employee pensions

By Warner Todd Huston

The Washington Post had a recent piece saying that it looks like Washington is finally coming to the stark realization that the benefits and pensions of federal workers are wildly over promised and even Democrats are finally contemplating cuts in federal pensions.

The GOP has already targeted these pensions by proposing that federal workers contribute more toward their own pension benefits. As the Post slantedly puts it, this policy plan would "effectively impose an immediate 5 percent pay cut on more than 2 million federal employees"

Of course, it would not be cutting their pay at all, sadly. It would merely be deferring until retirement when they get the cash. Sure their pay should be cut — heck thousands need to be simply fired outright — but there is no pay cut being proposed.

In any case, the Post reports that now Democrats are coming to a similar conclusion on these overly generous pension benefits promised to federal workers. Naturally, Democrats are weak on their own proposal.

Now, administration officials have expressed interest in raising the amount that employees contribute to their pensions — though probably not as high as the GOP proposal, definitely not as fast and possibly not for all workers, according to people in both parties familiar with the discussions.

Of course, even the weak tea that the Democrats are offering to curb the rich bennies and pensions that federal employees get brings the unions to their feet in alarm. Even a few Republicans are not thrilled at the idea of cutting federal pensions.

Even some Republicans are not happy with the House pension proposal. As he cast a vote for the GOP budget blueprint, Rep. Frank R. Wolf (R-Va.) said, I regret that the... proposal seeks to make government service an unattractive career choice, in part by changing retirement plans.

This is exactly what we need, though. We need to make working for all governments less attractive. Why? Because right now we have no real jobs, no useful jobs, no jobs that actually do anything for America while governments are hiring more and more. This is wholly unsustainable. It would be good to see government jobs become less attractive so that the private sector can grow without competition by unproductive, unnecessary government jobs.

You see, government makes nothing. Government expenses are just a drag on this nation. Government jobs need to be eliminated by the thousands, not beefed up with such employees getting undeserved and overly generous benefits and pensions.

Government programs and offices and agencies need to be shut down and the workers given the boot. Period.

© Warner Todd Huston