Quote:
Originally Posted by Monkei
Bottom line on the first topic is federal employees are better than the actual public in keeping up with their tax bill.
When you say that WE pay federal employees salaries well guess what, federal employees also pay their own salaries.
I don't know why there is so much anger at federal employees. We are just like everyone else. We pay taxes, buy our insurance and work long hard hours. Do some fed employees slack off? Probably but I see plenty of that going on in the public sector also.
|
************************************************** ***
I think what is being perceived as anger is actually more like "how the heck can this be happening". Federal employees being only better than the public at paying their federal taxes is quite a low goal/standard to set.
That includes $833,970 in unpaid taxes from
36 White House aides—an irony that was not lost on dozens of mostly conservative Web sites who classified it as ludicrous that despite President Obama’s recent calls for every American to “pay their fair share” in taxes, members of his own inner circle weren’t obliging. The IRS audit also showed
House and Senate staffers owed $10.6 million in back taxes,
Health and Human Services staffers owed $41 million, and
Environmental Protection Agency staffers owed $19 million.
Read more at Federal Tax Dodgers Owe $3.4 Billion
This alone is reason enough to expect A LOT more from federal employees.
According to BEA data, the average federal employee salary in 2010 was $83,679 and $51,986 for the average private sector salary. When benefits are added in, the average compensation for each federal employee comes to $126,141. For private sector workers, the average compensation package, including benefits, was $62,757 for the same year.
As far as slacking off absolutely, but when a private sector employee does it the company either corrects it or they make less profit because of it. In the federal arena when it happens we are ask to pay more taxes to add more employees.
If one cannot understand why it seems ironic for
(SOME OF) those drawing their pay and benefits from the federal tax pool to not be paying their share into the pool then I guess it won't ever be understood. Unless you are one that owes federal taxes there's nothing to try to defend. No doubt there are many that owe federal taxes in any profession. I worked in telecommunications and I certainly do not defend anyone that also worked in the same field if they owe taxes. I have always had to pay every penny due of my taxes and so should everyone else whether they are a federal employee or not. I cannot even imagine how they are getting away with it when obviously they know who they are.