Losing $100 million A Day.
It is unacceptable that the Federal government has taken six days off in a row so far (no working on the weekend to make up for lost Fridays!) and that the staff and contractors are getting paid for their MIA. Would I get paid if I do no broadcast? Would you get paid if you did not make a sale or write a chapter or contact a customer? FNC estimates this all costs $100 m per day in loss productivity. Even cut the number in half for the exuberance of a gnome, it is still, unacceptable. Work must happen. The Federal workforce is overstaffed by as much as eighty percent. There are over a 1000 people at the White House. Why? Folly to pay them at all, but for six days of non-work? Why? Get to work and stay there or don't get paid. Fear of failure and poverty are adequate motivators. So is no cash for cigarettes and hash. Outsource. Telecommute. Move the Treasury to Oahu to be closer to the bonds in Shanghai. Let the DC shirkers go get a real job in this job market. Why are the Federals in Washington? Because that's where they get paid for snow days. Shrug.
Hell, sometimes I write a chapter and STILL don't get paid...
This falls under the theory that global warming has caused the blizzards of 2010. We are paying the price for not adhering to the climate change zealots by suffering these storms. Only cap and trade will rescue us from our winter of discontent.
Greetings from Bizarro World, La Erog
It's often better for us (worker bees) when Washington stays home. This is where we are today, praying for Washington not to pass anymore laws and restriction that bind us ever tighter; steal from us; print money; make stupid statements; animate C-SPAN. At this point I'd happily pay them to just stay home 365 days a year and promise to hold true to that sacred adage, "Do no harm."
I do see your point, though. And a revolution could well be incited on this basis alone. Not only do they get paid for not working, but they get paid for mucking things up - and the ultimate insult: It now works out that, overall, they earn considerably more (and get better benefits) than people performing comparable work in the private sector.
No doubt, the day is near when government will have swallowed up the entire country. As job opportunities in the private sector continue to dwindle down to a precious few, government goes practically begging for work. Nowhere is this trend more starkly apparent than in what constitutes the personal staff of the First Lady. Whereas assistants to previous First Ladies could be counted on the fingers of one hand, the current one sports in excess of 20 personnel – and growing.
File this one away under the heading of ‘Obesity’; sub-category: “Is there no shame?”
http://peterkoelliker.blogspot.com/
If paying them to stay home is what it takes to keep them from screwing over the country, I'm cool with that. I'd consider it cheap at twice the price.
Besides, DC is one of the most beautiful areas in the world when blanketed with snow.
When you write the rules, you have the power. DC Metro does not run above ground in bad weather, NYC Boston Chicago and Europe has above ground transit. The Metro cars are stored in the suburbs above ground.
Government employee largess is the true scandal. they get paid more, have better pensions and benefits, and cannot be fired unless you call someone a politically incorrect name.