(Maybe the eternal cash cow is threatened... - CL)
At one point, there was a deal, an understanding.
Government workers got paid a bit less than their compatriots in the private sector – in exchange, they got pensions and benefits and, essentially, jobs for life.
Firing an (un)civil servant has always been difficult, but that was part of the plan. In theory, this protection made them far less susceptible to outside influence when it came to making decisions. If you can’t get fired for doing the “right” thing then you will always do the right thing.
It was a classic safe bet.
Obviously, over the past few decades, that deal changed. Three of the five richest countries in the country are near DC and they are not entirely filled with skeevy lobbyists and private sector influencers.
These two vids from Yes, Prime Minister, as usual, sum up the issue. First, salaries compared to what? and second, easy tricks to minimize the issue:
....That’s how DC has worked, putting your tax dollars to work…for themselves.
Additionally, when you have a fed job you get discounts on things like loans and insurance and such because the company knows – absolutely knows – that the chance of you getting fired are infinitesimal.
Like using a trust fund as collateral, the risk is minimized because, no matter what, the money will always be there…eventually.
That is why various and sundry fed workers are so confused and angry and upset and apoplectic and terrified right now.
Even though they broke the deal decades ago, Donald Trump and his buy-out offers are being called evil because they never thought they would be called on it, that they would have to explain why (this goes for local agencies, by the way) they enjoy pay and benefit packages better than the private sector while retaining immunity from being fired.
