Federal pay cuts: A bad idea for what gain? Chump change.

[Hannah Bell]

In the context of the deficit, Obama will get chump change from freezing federal pay, and will only enlarge the degree to which federal pay lags that of the private sector (a gap of 22%, according to the federal pay agent’s report. See Table 4.)

http://www.opm.gov/oca/payagent/2009/2009PayAgentReport.pdf

This is another example of the administration’s tendency to bargain with itself rather than Republicans, and in the process reinforces conservative myths, in this case the myth that federal workers are overpaid. Such a policy also ignores the fact that deficit reduction and loss of pay at a time when the unemployment rate remains above 9% will only weaken a too-weak recovery.

--Lawrence Mishel

http://www.epi.org/quick_takes/entry/federal_worker_pay_freeze_would_weaken_a_too-weak_recovery/

[Sherman A1]

1. That is really the point

While it might make a reasonable gesture to those out of work, it really is not going to have much affect just as the joke of the earmark limit thing.