June 09, 2008

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Help Determine The Future of The Price of Liberty

"The American People Have become Servants to Government Employees"
By Robert Greenslade

I would like to know what this woman did for the fed's and who did she work for.

I have worked for the federal government: I started to work in 1965, I retired 35 years later, I take home 56% of an average of my high three years pay (which were the last three), my cost of living has been 1 to 2% a year decided by congress (nothing in stone), I pay for my own medicial and am not entitled to Social Security. If you worked in fed law enforcement, state department, congress, CIA, NSA, military, etc. it is all different.

Articles like this make all federal retires into scum. A lot of us earned our pay and retirement by agravation alone: dealing with A-hole/ dictatoral bosses, employees that would RAT you out on petty matters (you walked out of the office with a government pen in your pocket), while others stole government goods worth thousands and got away with it because they were one of the "good old boys/ girls". If you reported this, which you were required by law, you were made into the bad guy/ girl and they treated you like dog shit and the boss and his butties would do all he could to make your life a living HELL.

I work all over the country and overseas, for different agencies and it is all the same. KISS their ass and all will be fine, unless something happens and then you are thrown to the wolves and the ass kissers run the other way.

I got an even better one: retire on $200,000 a year, 3% cost of living, free travel, free medical, free protection, office and living expenses, free car, etc:: just get elected president but I was not going to tell you that!! Get my drift??

Get the story right and all the facts.

CAN WE SAVE THIS REPUBLIC????
R. C. E.

Richard says: "Get the story right and all the facts." So let's look at the story and facts.

1-The federal worker I referenced works for a federal agency that services 7 other federal agencies. I will not disclose her specific job.

2-As far as the correctness of the numbers I referenced for the federal retirement program. In footnote 1 I stated: "According to my friend, here is how the retirement program works for federal employees like his wife." Please have Richard explain how I skewed the facts as they were explained to me for my friend's wife? The source of the numbers was clearly referenced.

3-Richard says: "Articles like this make all federal retires into scum." Nowhere in the article are federal workers attacked in any way. In fact, they are only mentioned once in the article. If government employees are going to be offered these lavish programs how does it reflect poorly on them? Only a fool would turn them down. Is Richard feeling guilty for some reason? The only attack intended was an attack on the system at all government levels.

4-Is Richard claiming the facts listed in the USA Today article I referenced regarding the growing number of government employees false?

5-Is Richard claiming the facts listed in the UK online story I referenced regarding pay for City of Vallejo employees and the City going broke false?

6-As far as the reference to retired government workers on golf courses and beaches, here are some facts I know to be true:

* A relative retired from the federal government after 30 years of service at age 57. He immediately bought an expensive sports car and uses it to travel from golf course to golf course while he waits for his wife to retire from the federal government.

* Two years ago a 52-year-old retired FBI agent at my GYM bought an expensive sports car to - you guessed it - transport him to the golf courses he plays 4 to 5 days a week.

* The friend I referenced in the article who gets 102% of his salary moved from California at age 49 and took his retirement and medical benefits out of state. He and his wife had a custom home built on - yes you guess it - a golf course in Arizona.

7-Here is a fact for Richard regarding county employees in my county, and our county is one of the wealthiest in California:

"The Contra Costa Board of Supervisors has been struggling with how to pay for a $2.6 billion retiree health care obligation for current and past county workers."

A $2.6 billion retiree health care obligation - yes just health care, not pay or retirement - for just one county in California.

Read the details here.

8-Here is another fact regarding county employees in our county-

"In this era of soaring drug costs, as employees in the private sector are being called on to absorb larger and larger co-payments, more than 700 county retirees and about 2,700 current workers have signed up for a health plan that provides drugs, hospitalization, doctor visits and lab tests for free."

Yes you read it correct. FREE!! Again, this is just one county in California where the state government is 20 billion in the hole this year alone.

Read the details here. Read this article too.

Sorry Richard. It is impossible to save the republic when the people government was created to serve are in debt to government and its employees.

Bob

The only stat that offers consolation in your dismal appraisal of the gov't. voting block for the next election is the knowledge that active military largely supports Ron Paul. WRITE IN RON PAUL!

D. T.

The New Bogeyman: Worldwide Hunger and Biofuels
By Nathan A. Barton

Nathan:

I am sure it had the same effect on you as it had on me ... Robert Mugabe railing against the west in Rome.!! And at a UN Sanctioned conference on the "Food Crisis". The UN: A group of banana republics with less concerted power or ability to do anything than a kindergarten class. a joke.

Your article and 7 points on what is really causing prices to rise is BANG on the money...but typically the whackos and those with an axe to grind tend to come out of the woodwork and try to blame bio fuels or the "west" as the main culprits. This seemingly left wing anti-whatever (anarchy.?), rhetoric makes me mad. What bothers me even more is the ease with which the mainstream media laps this Bullshit up..? amazing. What ever happened about objectivity, due diligence and investigation..??

Rgds, T. G.

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