Civil Service Fat Cats

The Headline: For Feds, More Get Six-Figure Salaries

The sub-headline: Average Pay $30,000 Over Private Sector

Yep. So reports Dennis Cauchon in today's USA Today.

Cauchon's opening salvo --

The number of federal workers earning six-figure salaries has exploded during the recession, according to a USA TODAY analysis of federal salary data.

Federal employees making salaries of $100,000 or more jumped from 14% to 19% of civil servants during the recession's first 18 months - and that's before overtime pay and bonuses are counted.

Federal workers are enjoying an extraordinary boom time - in pay and hiring - during a recession that has cost 7.3 million jobs in the private sector.

Super, huh?! Hey... it's only money! Salaries... benefits... future pension liabilities... pile 'em on!

The article continues --

The highest-paid federal employees are doing best of all on salary increases. Defense Department civilian employees earning $150,000 or more increased from 1,868 in December 2007 to 10,100 in June 2009, the most recent figure available.

Hey... (*SNORT*)... that's only what... a five and a half fold increase? A mere bag of shells!

Here, folks... you'll like this one --

When the recession started, the Transportation Department had only one person earning a salary of $170,000 or more. Eighteen months later, 1,690 employees had salaries above $170,000.

Now that's what I call a stimulus! From one to 1,690... wow. And to think... some folks say there's no Santa...

The trend to six-figure salaries is occurring throughout the federal government, in agencies big and small, high-tech and low-tech.

Great...

(*SIGH*)

To anyone reading this who hasn't yet gotten me a Christmas present...

Booze. Just booze. Lots and lots of booze...