Where should the Federal Government make the pay cuts?

SPC Charles Brown — Thu, 15 May 2014 11:58:24 -0400

Someone please tell me how this is fair. They are cutting the salaries of active duty military personnel, not to mention the other benefits that our service members are losing.

Response by TSgt Scott Hurley made May 15 at 2014 12:02 PM

TSgt Scott Hurley — Thu, 15 May 2014 12:02:29 -0400

Its been that way since the Civil War. Congress thinks that they are entitled to more and the soldiers are not worth a dime. Well, its the other way around in my opinion. Since it was the Soldier, Sailor, and Marine that gave us the freedoms we so cherish and defend to this day along with the Air Force and Coast Guard.

Response by SSG Robin Rushlo made May 15 at 2014 12:07 PM

SSG Robin Rushlo — Thu, 15 May 2014 12:07:54 -0400

Yep start with the TOP down

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made May 15 at 2014 12:17 PM

1SG Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 15 May 2014 12:17:50 -0400

Obviously from our perspective is not fair when we look at these numbers from our level and the poor job performance the government has done since 2004. However, their salary is base on responsibility, not productivity. in my opinion that might have to change.

Why not pay our government on productivity or what they have done to improve America.

Response by SrA Troy Barber made May 15 at 2014 1:30 PM

SrA Troy Barber — Thu, 15 May 2014 13:30:07 -0400

This is just my thought but if they were paid like this it would cut a lot from the budget.

Congressman and Senator pay.
Years in service Pay
0-2 $33,000 per year

3-4 $39,000 per year

5-6 $45,000 per year

7-8 $51,000 per year

9-10 $59,000 per year

11-12 $71,000 per year

13-14 $96,000 per year

15-16 $116,000 per year

17-18 $164,000 per year

19-20 $187,000 per year

Eligible for retirement after 20 years at $93,500.00 a year, no retirement until 20 years.
TriCare Prime Insurance must be paid for by member.
Pay raises are the standard 4% a year no more.

Response by PFC Glen King made May 15 at 2014 2:58 PM

PFC Glen King — Thu, 15 May 2014 14:58:35 -0400

You have to know that this is not correct. Please make sure you do some research. I for one do not like the fact that they even get a pension. This should be an honor to serve, and not be a lifelong job.

http://www.ipl.org/div/farq/pensionFARQ.html

Now, if you look at what all the benefits add up to, and this includes security, travel, etc., it will add up to millions each year.

Here is a great read on what they actually get.

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/RL34631.pdf

Response by 1SG Michael Blount made May 16 at 2014 12:51 PM

1SG Michael Blount — Fri, 16 May 2014 12:51:15 -0400

I'd start with the GS 14's and 15's who make a buttload of money ($130k +) and don't do a doggone thing. I'd also overhaul the overtime rules, ESPECIALLY for DoD employees posted in overseas combat zones (eg. ISAF). As presently written, those people effectively double their salary while deployed, PLUS are eligible for a deployment bonus that settles in somewhere around $70k or so. Cutting from the top down vs the bottom up would (1) reduce overall costs, (2) unclog some of the bureucratic plumbing these empire builders made, (3) encourage streamlined and collaborative operations, and (4) send the right message to GS 13 and below who are affected by the glass ceiling.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made May 16 at 2014 1:28 PM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 16 May 2014 13:28:33 -0400

Completely eliminate ALL "salaries" for everyone in Congress and Executive Office. Replace them with a more reasonale stipend (a few thousand), payable upon work conducted in session. Eliminate ALL pensions since elected office is designed to be temporary and service to country not a career. Eliminate ALL perks.

Response by SGT James Elphick made May 16 at 2014 7:20 PM

SGT James Elphick — Fri, 16 May 2014 19:20:34 -0400

Removing the life-time pension would be a great start. I have heard many people on here talk about taking the pay away or reducing it severely. That can often create it's own problem in that only the rich can afford to represent us because they have their own wealth to support them while they do their service. I understand the way it's "supposed to be" but the reality is that being a congressperson is pretty much a full-time job and maintaining a business while they are away would be nearly impossible. Also I'm not sure what kind of BAH stipend they get but DC and the surrounding areas are very expensive and on the salaries most of you are suggesting they wouldn't even be able to afford to live within 50 miles of their office. But just taking away the life time stipends would save somewhere in the neighborhood of $90 million per year if they all left office in the next election.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made May 17 at 2014 10:29 PM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 17 May 2014 22:29:15 -0400

CPL Brown, besides the above paychecks, here is a list of other things that can be cut. I wrote this nearly a year ago but it still has meaning today. I'm sure many wont like it but the truth hurts sometimes.

1) All paychecks and “pensions/retirement benefits” of elected government officials (i.e., President, Senators, Reps). They don’t need to be getting a pension for serving 1-2 terms, which should be the maximum.
2) Cut all subsidies.
3) Cut the National Education Association.
4) Cut the Department of Education.
5) Cut the Department of Health and Human services.
6) Cut Medicare.
7) Cut Social Security.
8) Cut the Social Security Advisory Board.
9) Cut the IRS.
10) Cut NPR.
11) Cut foreign aid.
12) Cut Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
13) Cut Planned Parenthood
14) Cut National Endowment of the Arts.
15) Cut FDA
16) Cut EPA.
17) Cut the State Department.
18) Cut Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.
19) Cut AMTRAK.
20) Cut Department of Agriculture.
21) Cut the Minority Business Development Agency.
22) Cut the National Agricultural Statistics Service.
23) Cut Department of Commerce.
24) Cut the Occupational Safety & health Administration.
25) Cut Bureau of Indian Affairs. 26) Cut Centers for Disease Control. 27) Cut Department of Labor.
28) Cut the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel.
29) Cut the National Bipartisan Commission on the Future of Medicare.
30) Cut the Office of National Drug Control Policy.
31) Cut the DEA.
32) Cut the U.S. Mission to the United Nations.
33) Cut the Transportation Security Administration.
34) Cut the Morris K. Udall Foundation: Scholarship and Excellence in National Environmental Policy.
35) Cut Commission of Fine Arts.
36) Cut the National AIDS Policy Office
37) Cut Commission of Civil Rights.
38) Cut the Department of Energy.
39) Cut the National Council on Disability.
40) Cut the Office of Refugee Resettlement.
41) Cut the Employee Benefits Security Administration.
42) Cut the Peace Corps.
43) Cut the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
44) Cut the National Endowment for the Humanities.
45) Cut the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
46) Cut the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
47) Cut Federal Student Aid.
48) Cut the Department of the Interior.
49) Cut the Endangered Species Committee
50) Cut Farm Credit Administration
51) Cut the Department of Transportation.
52) Cut the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.
53) Cut the U.S. Trade and Development Agency.
54) Cut the Federal Communications Center
55) Cut the Joint Board for the Enrollment of Actuaries.
56) Cut the Food Safety and Inspection Service.
57) Cut the Mine Safety and Health Administration.
58) Cut the Justice Programs Office.
59) Cut the Bureau of Labor Statistics
60) Cut the Federal Election Commission.
61) Cut the Administration on Aging.
62) Cut the National Labor Relations Board.
63) Cut the Postal Regulatory Commission.
64) Cut the Postal Service.
65) Cut the White Commission on the National Moment of Remembrance.
66) Cut the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences.
67) Cut the National Park Service.
68) Cut the National Transportation Safety Board.
69) Cut the Women’s Bureau.
70) Cut the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission.
71) Cut the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.
72) Cut the White House Commission of Presidential Scholars.
73) Cut the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight.
74) Cut Fish and Wildlife Service.
75) Cut the National Indian Gaming Commission.
76) Cut the Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration.
77) Cut the Disability Employment Policy Office.
78) Cut the Securities and Exchange Commission.
79) Cut the Susquehanna River Basin Commission.
80) Cut the Small Business Administration.
81) Cut the Surface Mining, Reclamation and Enforcement Administration.
82) Cut the Federal Trade Commission.
83) Cut the National Institute of Food and Agriculture
84) Cut Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity
85) Cut the Foreign Claims Settlement Commission.
86) Cut the Railroad Retirement Board.
87) Cut the Research and Innovative Technology Administration.
88) Cut the Substance Abuse and mental Health Services Administration.
89) Cut the Federal Transit Administration.
90) Cut the Federal Railroad Administration.
91) Cut the Federal Reserve System.
92) Cut the Farm Service Agency.
93) Cut the Government National Mortgage Association.
94) Cut the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.
95) Cut the Bureau of Reclamation.
96) Cut the International Trade Commission.
97) Cut the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
98) Cut the Western Area Power Administration.
99) Cut the Rehabilitation Services Administration.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made May 18 at 2014 1:32 AM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 18 May 2014 01:32:23 -0400

First off, axe the foreign aid to Pakistan and Egypt-I am sorry guys but they have said and done enough that shows their loyalties lie elsewhere-especially since Bin Laden was hiding right under their noses in their equivalent of Annapolis. With that being said, either reduce or axe it completely, they are foreign entities, not territories.

Secondly, eliminate the wellfare state of this country in its entirety. Leave it to the states, churches, religious organizations, and local municipalities to assist people. Having the government bear the burden of millions of people doesnt help, and that s some money that could easily be spent elsewhere.

Third-eliminate Obamacare, or excuse me, the Affordable Care Act, in its entirety. It ran fine without the government stepping in, and now look at it-squandered money in corruption cases abound, a website that doesn t work and more people losing money and coverage left and right.

Fourth-cut taxes. A lot of people don t like Herman Cain, but he had the right idea about taxes-simplify the tax code to a flat rate of 9-9-9, 9 percent across the board on everything. It saves people money, the government doesn't allocate taxes accordingly, and it prevents the government from using it as a crutch...especially since some people don t pay taxes to begin with, it would force the upper echelon on the Beltway to completely re evaluate how their money is spent.

Fifth-do everything possible to spur job growth. There are plenty of people out there looking for work. More work, more profit, more money, more money in the hands of the people, and in turn, more profit means money for expansion, growth, and new sectors. I am not saying that this will be the case in all fields, but they say peer pressure is a mother, and we can eliminate the bad fruit right away.

So in essence this isn't really an idea for tax cuts, but how we can get this train back on track, turned around, and going the right direction. There are still going to be issues plaguing us from left and right, namely immigration, but beyond that, this is at least removing pressure off the seams of a very weak ship. I hate to say it guys, but if you are drinking the Kool Aid you think we are fine. We are not, corruption abounds in DC, were spending money like its going out of style, the world laughs at us, and we are consistently taking actions that make us look weak and powerless.

Case in point-hash tag diplomacy and putting it on Twitter to two people who probably don't use it, don't care, and won't care. Pressure from the 500 or so million Americans won't piddly without some serious clout behind a closed fist.

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made May 18 at 2014 5:01 AM

MAJ Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 18 May 2014 05:01:47 -0400

Average salary = $38k for deployed? I don't think so. People who want to make the military sound poor love quoting base pay alone, while ignoring the BAH, separation, hazard duty, and the fact that we don't pay taxes while downrange. Hell, my money BACK on taxes alone for deployment was $10k. Add in the fact that you eat for free the entire time, and deployments are profitable. An E-5 I deployed with maxed the $10k in deployment savings within a few months of being downrange - all tax free.

Hell, we get almost 50% in many cases of our salary tax free. I would have to make $140k/year as a civilian to match what the Army pays me.

Response by SFC(P) Private RallyPoint Member made May 18 at 2014 11:28 AM

SFC(P) Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 18 May 2014 11:28:04 -0400

A lot of good responses on this thread. As the primary purpose of government is national defense, the last place to cut should be the people in the military. But, as history shows we are the most convenient to cut.
As a start, off the top of my head I would cut foreign aid, eliminate the federal Department of Education, restrict the ability of unelected bureaucrats to make law, repeal Obamacare, eliminate any welfare benefits to illegal aliens.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made May 21 at 2014 12:29 AM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 21 May 2014 00:29:46 -0400

Darn those pesky little facts. Seems that the Former Presidents Act a few years back had limited the protection available to former Presidents to 10 years after exiting office. Seems that President Obama reversed it to make it lifetime protection.

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/RL34631.pdf

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made May 21 at 2014 8:58 AM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 21 May 2014 08:58:04 -0400

CPL,

First, if a scout sent up a report that accurate he would be fired.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congressional_pension

http://www.snopes.com/politics/socialsecurity/pensions.asp

Further a deployed soldier makes significantly more in real terms than 38k, with out taxes or rent or food the money in real terms increases by about 50% still mot perfect but the factual inaccuracy allows me to poke holes in the rest of your argument.

Congressional pension - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Congressional pension is a pension made available to members of the United States Congress. Members who participated in the congressional pension system are vested after five (5) years of service. A full pension is available to Members 62 years of age with 5 years of service; 50 years or older with 20 years of service; or 25 years of service at any age. A reduced pension is available depending upon which of several different age/service...

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made May 21 at 2014 9:24 AM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 21 May 2014 09:24:13 -0400

If you want change... Publicly financed campaigns, but that is like expecting the Drill sergeant to give you a day off.

Response by SSG John Bacon made May 21 at 2014 4:57 PM

SSG John Bacon — Wed, 21 May 2014 16:57:38 -0400

I keep saying this over and over on Facebook, and personally to individuals: 1.) Take one (0) zero off of the salaries of every house and senate members and the President These individuals should be in politics to help people not to become millionaires. Make them work at a standard median wage. 2.) Make them pay for their vacations out of their own pockets. 3.) Stop paying countries to "like" us when clearly they don't. If you have to send billions of dollars in "aid" to a country for them to call us an ally then they are not going to respect us and they are most certainly not our "friends". Start backing up our real Allies like Israel and Great Brittan.

Response by SSG Jeremy Siebenaller made May 21 at 2014 6:24 PM

SSG Jeremy Siebenaller — Wed, 21 May 2014 18:24:18 -0400

The fact that many people are extremely pissed off because of the salary between them and us really is kind of funny. Ya'll crazy if you joined the military to get rich or make good money. Yes....It is way unbalanced and completely B/S but WE voted these fools in. WE let them take advantage of us and WE are the ones that are to blame. This is the great thing about democracy.... If you don't likey...Change it!

Response by MAJ Robert (Bob) Petrarca made May 21 at 2014 8:04 PM

MAJ Robert (Bob) Petrarca — Wed, 21 May 2014 20:04:10 -0400

Let's start with the oval office and work our way down starting at 20%. Buy the time they get to us service members the budget should be showing a hefty surplus.

Response by GySgt Moses Lozano made Sep 28 at 2015 10:04 PM

GySgt Moses Lozano — Mon, 28 Sep 2015 22:04:27 -0400

This is not fair! The only way is to vote them out and put people in office who will change this status quo.