I keep remembering back about eight years ago it was pointed out that government workers, on average, make about 150% of what their private sector counterparts make. The reply from the government or government union (SEIU) was that it is because they are smarter than their private sector counterparts. Let's see if they were smart enough to save part of that extra 50% for a rainy day.

 

I keep remembering back about eight years ago it was pointed out that government workers, on average, make about 150% of what their private sector counterparts make. The reply from the government or government union (SEIU) was that it is because they are smarter than their private sector counterparts. Let's see if they were smart enough to save part of that extra 50% for a rainy day.

I don't know about others but I do know I could have doubled my pay going to private sector over working Civil Service for the Marines.

In fact at one point I was making $50K Civil Service and could have made triple that (with overtime) going to work for the San Luis Obispo nuke power plant.

And SEIU is NOT a government workers union. They represent people like maids, etc in the private sector.

 

An interesting fact is that during all the government shut downs we have witnessed over the years, this is the first time paychecks were not issued.

 

Not true...........

I remember a shut down where my bank was kind enough to deposit money in my account because govt was shut down and when govt reopened and deposited my actually paycheck the bank just kept the money. not sure what year that was but it was between 1999 and 2012 lol.

 

Missing one paycheck won't be an ender but it will start hitting the fragile people. a month late isn't the end of the world but bad stuff starts happening at about 2 months without a paycheck if you are paying a mortgage or leasing a vehicle.


It will hit the younger government workers harder...


however I think there will be an end to this by the end of February. Something has got to give.

I think that it will play out in if emergency funds are used to build the wall

however I think if congress can't deal with it, it will pop up in the courts.


The part I am wondering about is... aside from the workers still on the job, what do all the other people do?

"The current shutdown is only a partial one, as Congress has already funded 75 percent of the federal government until September."

Oddly it is things like DHS, IRS, and TSA that aren't approved from that remaining 25% that is just odd.

 

"The current shutdown is only a partial one, as Congress has already funded 75 percent of the federal government until September."

Oddly it is things like DHS, IRS, and TSA that aren't approved from that remaining 25% that is just odd.

The biggest irony in this is along with those agencies, the one who protects our borders the most, the Coast Guard goes without pay as well.

That tidbit gets lost on a lot of people. The Coast Guard is not being funded because we are in a crisis of illegals coming into the country. This comedy almost writes itself.

 

It is not odd that DHS, IRS are not approved, it is for political reasons that those were picked. It is ones that our emotions can be manipulated the most by being closed or in trouble.
Would it matter to most Americans if money to help artist or Wall St. regulatory commission was closed. It would not.

So they go after the ones the news companies can make a lot of noise about.

 

I also worked a civilian job during the housing crisis that had us work 2 weeks then take a week lay off for most of a year.
My kids got tired of eating the Ramen and spaghetti that I had been stockpiling. I only needed to buy meat, milk and bread for a while.
Other workers were selling things to get buy, I bought a lot of guns because they had to pay bills and I had cash. When I sold them before moving to Hawaii I made a very nice profit.

 

Furloughed government employees can generally claim unemployment. When they return to work they have historically been issued back pay. They do have to pay back the unemployment at that point.

 

Yup - federal shutdowns have been historically great for the furloughed worker. Time off, and double paychecks.

Infuriating if you ask me. Paying them MORE to do nothing.

If they are non-essential they should not get paid, and their jobs cut.

No federal employee is "suffering" from missing 1 paycheck. Their incomes are above average to rather too high. And as mentioned above, it takes months of not paying bills to suffer and disconnection, eviction, or foreclosure. And creditors are usually very willing to waive fees and give extensions.

 

How the hell is it that Government workers live paycheck to paycheck? They are among the better paid people working, they have all the perks. Health insurance, vacation, retirement, 401s, you name it they receive it.
How is it possible not to put a away some money for emergencies?

 

The ant and the grasshopper explains it for you. OTOH, the fact that they won't save sounds like two big heaping scoops of "not my problem".

 

I agree completely. That is their fault alone. There is no excuse for that.

After you have been receiving a regular paycheck for more than a few months you need to start putting some of it aside for a rainy day.

And while many of these federal employees SAY they have no money they actually have a fat Thrift Savings Account (with employer matching) they could borrow from. It has already been decided they will be paid for the time they were furloughed. They can repay the loan as soon as they return to work and get that back pay.

 

Federal Workers *CAN’T* Borrow From TSP During Furlough



Really?

TSP says:

“Can I take a TSP loan while I am in nonpay status?
No. When the TSP issues you a loan, loan payments are deducted from your pay. Therefore, if you are not receiving pay, you will not be eligible for a TSP loan.
Can I take a TSP loan while I am furloughed?
If the furlough is expected to last 30 days or less—yes.
If the furlough will last more than 30 days—no.” https://www.tsp.gov/PDF/formspubs/tspfs04.pdf​

With the President and Congressional leaders looking as though the shutdown will continue more than 30 days, as we are on day 20+ now, the Federal “ant” has assets s/he cannot touch during this period.

 

Agree with what has been said but please remember there are federal workers who mow grass, pick up trash, clean dishes etc, lots of low end jobs. A lot of contractors that do the same work. My experience has been that the majority of office workers are liberal and the majority of blue collar types are conservative. But it does vary. But these employees should expect this every year for the foreseeable future and save all they can through out the year.

 

These liberals should also be calling their democrat representatives telling them to get the government back up and going.

 

They don't give a rats ass about me and you so ..........

 

They have no real incentive to save. They have job security until they retire! They have become like almost all Americans they live beyond their means. And now suddenly they don't understand! Today is day 23. I was reading LAST week about Federal workers on the cusp of losing their homes! It doesn't sound like the shutdown was their problem. IMO...

 

That's what I've been wondering too. If two weeks without pay makes you lose your house you were doing something wrong long before the shutdown.

 

I would think the same percentage of the population live paycheck to paycheck regardless of employee. Fewer people today are willing to live below their means to save and not have debt.

 

This.
TPTB just want sob stories about our poor little gov't employees so they can score political points. It has nothing to do with actual concern.

That most people can't manage their own money isn't new, and won't change.
Best we can hope is that this is a wake up call for some of them and they start to have financial accountability going forward.

 

Both me and my husband have brain damage. When I had to have dental work last week I took cash with me to pay.

When my cat gets sick, I have cash to pay for her expenses. One of my family members often gives me cash gifts, which go into my emergency fund.

When we bought the house they kept telling us to get 80K and up. We "qualified". We said no, we did not want that, and got a very modest home in a quiet, decent, yet not-popular neighborhood on the bus line. We also haggled and got a fixed rate, even with our credit shot from the accident.

I have a debit card account. I put cash in and spend that online, when I want to get something. For instance, my husband just gave me money to get him some digital voice recorders. I get fun stuff, too, but only what's in my budget.

 

Well, if you don't like the cost of living you can move.

I am buying a house in TX for half of what rent, on half the space, cost me in CA. The only downside are the huge flying roaches.

 

Kitty, go get some boric acid. Spread it liberally, around your house...
In the hidden corners, closets, behind kitchen appliances...…etc
Then get a one gallon pump sprayer.. And Orange Oil concentrate....
Mix one ounce per gallon.... And spray everything.....Smells great in the house...
Trust me.... In a couple of weeks... They'll be gone.. Been there, done that.
Reapply when necessary.... Thank me later...…
dave------:thumb:

 

Oh, the Harris roach tablets work well (same thing, just in a tablet). Cats are too smart to eat it.

After Harvey all the fire ants got flooded out and moved into my home. Thousands of them. I couldn't get out, no one could get in. ONe of my friends told me to mix boric acid and sugar, sprinkle that, and that did the job over a period of time.

I'm learning some tricks.

 

There are way too many people sucking at the federal govt tit. Hopefully this shut down will cull some out of it.

 

Practically everyone lives paycheck to paycheck with the small exception of those that live off investments. Once you lose income and still have expenses it must be made up somehow. For those with savings they have to dip into them which means they are running on borrowed time. It is always about cash flow, if more goes out than comes in then eventually you have a problem.

It is like being prepared with extra food. It will get you by temporarily but eventually, when it runs out, you need a method to continue to eat.

I don't know anyone that is happy when their income has quit coming in.

 

Practically everyone lives paycheck to paycheck with the small exception of those that live off investments. Once you lose income and still have expenses it must be made up somehow. For those with savings they have to dip into them which means they are running on borrowed time. It is always about cash flow, if more goes out than comes in then eventually you have a problem.

It is like being prepared with extra food. It will get you by temporarily but eventually, when it runs out, you need a method to continue to eat.

I don't know anyone that is happy when their income has quit coming in.

That's nonsense.
Those that live paycheck to paycheck do so because they aren't budgeting realistically, and/or living beyond their means.
It has little to do with cash flow. Give those people 10x times the money, or a "guaranteed" income from investments and they'd still be living paycheck to paycheck.
Look at what happens to 90+% of the people that win Lotteries... most broke (and many dead) just a few years later. All the money in the world won't help you if you can't manage it.

Basic money literacy skills are essentially absent from our population.

Most people who don't manage their money wisely or don't know how to budget and save, aren't doing it out spite.

They simply don't know how. They've never been taught any basic, 101 type of money management skills. They don't understand how bank accounts, credit cards or compound interest works. And many of them have no concept of "the future" past 30 days so they never plan for it.

Money management skills should be rigorously taught in grade school.

I agree in large part, but I see that it's changing some.
I never got any formal education on money matters growing up, my parents weren't good examples and lived paycheck to paycheck their entire lives.
When I got married, the wife and I decided to change that for us, so we took the Crown Ministries course. It changed the way we looked at money, and so changed the way we used it.
There are many such courses available out there, not just Christian ones.
Heck, our car insurance company offered one to my wife because her credit was so bad when we were younger, lol. Long time ago too, so it's been around.

Now, my kids all have financial literacy class in High School. Basic stuff like credit and bank account management, how to make a budget, how to understand the impact of taxes to your income, understanding pay stubs, how saving helps you, etc...
Seems rudimentary, but they build on it as the semester goes and now my kids are savers even as teenagers.
I'd like to think our influence helped with them wanting to make good decisions... but the reality is it helps if they hear from another source too.

Can't say how many other kids are paying attention and doing the right things, but at least there's an effort to make sure they're exposed to the information. Maybe it'll pay ff eventually?

 

80% of Government workers live paycheck to paycheck.

I think this is nonsense. It's like the polls that ask inner-city kids if they are hungry and 30% say yes; therefore, 30% of all kids go hungry. You've probably seen that figure used by Feed the Poor charities.

There is no reason for any inner-city kids to go hungry. Breakfast and lunch are paid for by taxpayers at large city public schools, plus the parents of genuinely poor kids are very likely on food stamps. Even if they aren't on food stamps because they are not poor, the kids only answer the question that way because they've been taught to always "cry poor" so they can get more freebies.

Years ago, a Fortune 500 company I worked for sent a survey to all employees asking us if we felt we were paid enough. It was a stupid question because the overwhelming majority answered no, even though we were paid fairly well. Did anyone think we were going to get a raise by answering yes?

40 percent of federal workers not happy with pay, but average more than private sector

An annual study of employee morale found that over 40 percent are miffed at their pay, which averages $84,915 plus about $25,000 in benefits.

When you combine salary and benefits, federal government workers are paid 40% more than the average American worker and have more paid time off than any other job.

Federal workers reap 40 percent better compensation, 43 days off, 18 percent retirement match

 

people who make a lot more money than me make claims of living paycheck to paycheck.. with mortgages on hundreds of thousands of dollar houses, a luxury car or two, cell phones with everything plans, yeah, maybe they do live paycheck to paycheck.. but frankly, thats their fault, and their problem

government employees provide nothing to society or to the economy, they pay no taxes because they money that pays them comes from taxes, so every dime they earn is from taxpayer money.. the more government employees there are, the higher the taxes on everything else has to be to pay them

 

government employees provide nothing to society or to the economy, they pay no taxes because they money that pays them comes from taxes, so every dime they earn is from taxpayer money.. the more government employees there are, the higher the taxes on everything else has to be to pay them

Hmmm..... I guess that we should abolish air traffic controllers, FAA aircraft safety inspectors, weather forecasters, meat and produce inspectors and the CDC since they are nothing more than parasites and contribute nothing to "the common good" for our society.

 

Basic money literacy skills are essentially absent from our population.

Most people who don't manage their money wisely or don't know how to budget and save, aren't doing it out spite.

They simply don't know how. They've never been taught any basic, 101 type of money management skills. They don't understand how bank accounts, credit cards or compound interest works. And many of them have no concept of "the future" past 30 days so they never plan for it.

Money management skills should be rigorously taught in grade school.

 

I agree it should be taught 'more' but few people graduate from 13 grades without literacy.

Damn near all knowledge is there for the taking of your interested. Far more (thanks to the internet) than when I was a kid (i was on the cusp, but literate early) I spent much on books detailing information you can now read online for free.n

My parents have "done ok" but are definitely NOT super saver or investors. I have been from an early age.


People don't care, and do not want to exercise self control or delayed gratification.

 

All it shows, is that they, like most everyone else, live beyond their means.

 

We all must bear up under circumstances we have no control. Most are a consequence of our own choices that include unknown risk. Seldom does a person live a lifetime without having such income interruptions. Working for the government is no different.

 

fed workers live paycheck-to-paycheck like most anyone else.
many don't make all that much. TSA types are getting about 35k.
and many work in the DC / suburbs which is a very expensive area.

 

That's about the same percentage as the rest of Americans so it really shouldn't be that surprising.

https://www.cnbc.com/2017/08/24/most-americans-live-paycheck-to-paycheck.html

And i always think of gov't employees as lower paid than their private industry counterparts...I work in the engineering/construction world and you definitely make less working for gov't.

 

And i always think of gov't employees as lower paid than their private industry counterparts...I work in the engineering/construction world and you definitely make less working for gov't.

It depends in part on who you want to believe. According to Huffingtonpost the average federal employee makes just over $84,000 per year. From my own personal experience that seems about right.

I don't feel sorry for them. Not at all.

First the are heavily democratic and vote that way. They get what they deserve. Second they have the safety net of the federal Thrift Savings Account which they can borrow against when they want or need. Further, they will get paid for this time off just as soon as they go back to work. Who other than them get that kind of a deal.

Many of them complain about how hard they have it but the truth is they don't move on to other jobs, do they? Think about that.

I think the reason Pelosi is in no hurry to settle this is because the government employees who support her know they will get paid. And SHE knows that.

 

This is a terrible condemnation of the government workers. These folks work for us, and are paid by our taxes.
I know that its true, because I was one.
I am now retired, but I was recruited and hired right out of engineering school in 1982, to work for the US Navy, and I designed, tested, and built missiles and air launched strike weapons for the next 32 yrs. President Reagan wanted a 600 ship Navy, I gave them teeth and claws.

You might think that folks like that, actual rocket scientists with advanced science and engineering degrees, would all be smart enough to save and invest for the future. I saved, I invested, I prepaid my first mortgage, I carefully handled my money, but I was the very rare exception.

Most government workers, even most of the really smart and highly educated government workers, spend like drunken sailors, and squander the tremendous opportunity of a stable pay check. Stuck on stupid, just the rest of the country.