The first is federal workers during the government shutdown. Yes, those who are working should get paid. If we need them to work then they're essential, and thus should get paid. I have sympathy for that group. But the others, the ones who perform government tasks that don't directly affect us peons outside the beltway, they're getting time off work. I understand they need their paychecks in order to make ends meet, but their jobs don't exist just so the workers can pay their bills. Rather, they get paid to do a certain job, and right now (through no fault of their own) they're not doing that job. I sympathize with their plight, but I'm not going to let poster-size pictures of temporarily-out-of-work federal workers tug at my heartstrings as if they had just been gunned down in a random drive-by. If we're going to have candlelight vigils for federal workers who, if history is any guide, will eventually get paid for work they didn't even do, you can count me out.
As Instapundit said today, in a veiled reference to the previous US president:
Coal miners lose their jobs for good and it’s “you’re obsolete, learn to code!” Federal workers have a few paychecks delayed and the press is in heartstring-tugging mode.There's a second group of people for whom I just can't bring myself to feel sorry for is tech workers in San Francisco:
The dream of working for one of Silicon Valley's many tech behemoths, along with the luxuries such a six-figure salary would afford, has resulted in droves of engineering degree-toting techies coming to the Bay Area.While that sucks, no one required them to take those jobs. And are they going to vote for the same socialist politicians and policies that created the housing problem in the first place? I guess we'll never know, but...
Though, in reality, earning a tech salary is not all it's cracked up to be.
In the nation's most competitive real-estate market, it can be next to impossible to find affordable living accommodations. The housing crisis has left thousands struggling and has done nothing to help the city's homelessness epidemic...
Like the people behind the Negev, a communal-living organization that houses tech workers in San Francisco.
It's one of many communal spaces in the city designed to help techies circumvent the housing shortage and high rent. The home offers 50 rooms across three floors.
Many Negev residents sleep in bunk beds and shell out $1,900 a month to live here.
If quality of life matters to you, and you're not filthy rich, then you don't move (your family) to San Francisco. You just don't.
And if you're a 20-something recent college grad and you hope to strike it big some day? Well, you pays your dues and you sees what happens. Someday you can look back on these early years and laugh at the crappy conditions in which you lived.
The average Federal worker's salary is $33 + per hour.
ReplyDeleteDoing the math that's about $68,640 a year.
This doesn't even include the benefits, which are many.
If both spouses work for the Fed you can double that.
Someone making upwards of $130K a year should make some choices to save money rather than spending every dime.
In addition, many of these employees are union employees.
Many linger years beyond the actual benefit of their work.
I don't feel sorry one bit.
that is akin to my thought. Private employees loose their jobs though no fault of their own. Layoffs, shutdowns or just plain bad luck happen. The poultry processing plant here one day just up and left with no real reason. Another plant caught fire and decided not to rebuild.
ReplyDeleteOne news interview had two married federal employees complaining about this and other shutdowns, heck get another job.
A friend of ours from high school worked for FAA as an air traffic controller. He worked for the Feds for 30 years and retired at 55 with a full pension. But even though he made a very nice salary, he and his wife have spent income like water. At a time when their kids are grown, they bough a five bedroom mini-mansion in Southlake-a very high end suburb. He was online tonight bemoaning that they couldn't pay their bills. And this is after missing just one paycheck. They have regularly taken four and five week vacations all around the world. They have bought new cars every other year, traveled and done all kinds of stuff, while we were saving money so we could retire some day. There's a great deal to be said for living within your means and knowing the difference between Wants and Needs.
ReplyDeleteHear hear, Ellen K.
ReplyDeleteIts astounding to see the relief offered, when compared to what was done in 2008 for those who lost their jobs or had their hours cut back significantly. Or those that were laid off in the past six months. Training your replacement has given way to subleasing your rental to the H1B guy that is being given your job.
ReplyDelete