About Those Federal Employees

Recently I was participating on a frugal Facebook page. Someone asked who was affected by the shutdown, and how they could be helped. Another gal piped up with something along the lines of "Highly paid Federal workers don't need help, they will be fine during the shutdown".

Or not.

One of the things that drives me to distraction is the fact that to many people, high level federal employees, cabinet members and politician types are the face of America's federal work force. And I am the first to admit, a very bad face much of the time. From the news, it seems like even the folks in Congress don't understand who it is that is affected by their decisions. And it's not only politicians. I've participated in more than one retirement blog that talked about health care for federal employees that ended with "I wish I could have a nice job with the government".

Don't misunderstand me. There are lots of positions in the federal government that are good jobs. MOST of the people in those good jobs, started out in regularly, entry level jobs. And for every department chief or supervisor, there are ten or twenty "regular" people, just as in a big corporation. Because at it's heart, the government is a really, really big corporation.

Who works for the feds? The TSA worker who stands and watches you walk through the metal detector. The clerk who sits or stands for hours processing passport application. The guy who paves the roads at the local military base. The entry level security guard. The person who does child care at the government day care center where the congressman's kids spend their day. The man who picks up the trash at the national park and the gal who takes your money when you enter the park. The nurses aide, the records clerk, the 20 year old mechanic. The custodial worker. The cashier at the local commissary or possibly the national park guest shop. The waiter or waitress or cashier at the guest shop at the park. The guy who washes down the government vehicles. The guy who manages the heating system, the gal who cleans the offices, the person who paints and maintains the building. Firefighters and guards, including those at entry level. These are just a few of the  folks working for the feds, and the jobs are of a similar and sometime lower pay scale than on the so called "civilian market".

When my husband left the military because his job description was "erased", he decided to go to work for the federal government. This included a huge pay cut and an adjustment for us. For years, my ten year old daughter and new born son shared a bedroom in our two bedroom one bath rented townhouse. This continued up until the time she was almost ready for high school. We lived on the edge, and except for one period of 21 days of shutdowns during this period we were lucky. Now, I don't have those tax returns any more, but my husband started out his job as a GS5-which, when I was at the same pay scale in 2006, was $18,000 a year. In other words, federal employees make the same sacrifices as everyone else, and live the same lifestyle, for the most part. Did my husband eventually get a better job and at the end become a financial manager? Yes. But as with any other company or career ladder it took time.

Some would argue that good financial management would prepare for these issues. I would suggest that's equally true of the general population, and that's a separate issue. But when you've been sent home and want to go back to work, are willing to work or cannot, that's a different story. These are not employees who can get another job, and just dump that employer in three weeks when the President and congress get their act together. And over half of these employees are working, and working hard, but not getting paid.

It is true that federal employees have good benefits-for a reason. Without the benefits, many jobs and salaries could not compete with the private sector, and many federal employees would go elsewhere. My family went to Europe twice, for example and both times had to pay rent at European prices and maintain a home in the US, because we couldn't keep buying and selling every time the government asked us to. My husband could have gotten a better paying job in the private sector multiple times. He stayed because of health benefits, a tiny pension and because he liked his job. In exchange for the benefits the government gave they got quality, service and continuity.

I could not continue, or finish this missive without observing this: You cannot complain about the "good" health care that federal employees (from the day care worker to congress) receive, and then argue that the "government" can't be trusted to manage your health care. In fact, the two government managed health care systems-the federal and the military-are the best run, most cost effective and most efficient in the country. No system is perfect, but these are the best two we have. Or families with multiple kids would not be begging to join the Army, Air Force and such annually. Just an observation.

So please, no matter your political persuasion, encourage your own personal politicians that using the federal workforce as it's personal punching bag is a thing that needs to stop. Sending out letters that encourage employees to try and "barter" with landlords and mortgage companies is not only out of touch, it's arrogant. These are employees and families, just trying to live their lives the best they can-in the middle of a political mess where pretty much no one seems to care what happens to them or how they end up. Those of us who are retirees have been paid and will be paid. But we remember what it was like when we were on the other side.

And finally, the trickle down effect is real. Those federal employees who cannot work, or will not be paid will not be taking transportation. Or buying gas or paying parking fees. Or eating lunch with the boss. They won't be able to pay their day care providers. They won't be going to their local small businesses such as dry cleaners, or restaurant or other jobs. And that doesn't even begin to address the class of government contractors, of which there are tens of thousand who also will not see work, or contracts fulfilled. Never mind the regular Americans who want to travel, talk to someone about their student loans, get a death certificate of proof of military service so they qualify for VA benefits.

Or who fall in a national park and have to be rescued by good Samaritans because there is no medical care or rescue facilities in the park.

Let's top this mess, shall we?