According to a recent USA Today report 21,000 retired federal workers receive a lifetime government pension (from YOU, the taxpayer) of $100,000 or more per year.
Those would include 326 DEA agents, 237 IRS investigators, 186 FBI agents, 444 Social Security agents, and...wait for it...714 retired postal workers. POSTAL WORKERS for cryin' out loud! One retired Smithsonian zoologist receives a $162,000 annual lifetime pension, and six other retired federal workers receive over $200,000 per year for life!
Gimme a second to regain my composure.... *deep breath*
By comparison, consider this: The average federal pension is $32,824. The average state and local government pension is $24,373. The average social security recipient receives $14,760. (The absolute maximum a social security recipient can receive is $30,156.)
Want a bit more sand kicked in your face? The average federal employee retired at age 59.4 years old, and had served for 27.8 years (2006 statistics). Full Social Security eligibility for the rest of us isn't until age 65-67.
True, years ago government salaries were below private sector pay, which is why the retirement benefits were more generous, but those days are long gone. Today federal government employees make 25-33% MORE than their friends in the private sector for comparable work.
Here's my point: With a trillion dollar federal deficit every year as far into the future as we can see, and with virtually everything on the table for possible cuts, why aren't federal pay and benefit reforms on the table, too? (If there is a major restructuring underway now that I'm not aware of, please enlighten me.)
IMO federal employee pay and benefits should be brought to parity with those in the private sector. Pay, benefits, pension, retirement age....everything! Why should civil servants have it SO much better than the taxpayers who are paying them?
I suggest you contact your congressman and register your outrage! Oh, wait....he's an overpaid federal employee, too. (And besides, right now he's on vacation.) *sigh*
S
EDIT: Let me add this for the benefit of a retired federal employee friend of mine....once you're retired, your pension should not be tampered with....with one caveat. If some day Congress deems it necessary to cut existing Social Security recipient's benefits, then the same % cuts should apply to retired federal worker's benefits, too.
