Inflated Federal Pay: How Americans Are Overtaxed to Overpay the Civil Service

The Heritage Foundation conducted a study that refutes bogus claims made by the Obama administration and the news media that the reason federal workers are paid more than private sectors workers is because federal workers have more skills.  Here’s the abstract from the study:

“Salaries and benefits—for identical jobs—are 30 percent to 40 percent higher in the federal government than in the private sector. Claims that this dramatic discrepancy in compensation is warranted because of government workers’ high skills are unjustified, as this study shows. Equally unjustified is the fact that federal workers can rarely be fired, no matter how poor their job performance. Congress should align federal salaries and benefits with market rates—a simple, and fair, move that could save taxpayers nearly $47 billion in 2011.  Heritage Foundation labor policy analyst James Sherk provides detailed data on why Congress should not overtax all Americans to overpay the privileged workers in the civil service.”

10 States Where Taxes Are Rising the Most

U.S. News & World Report article called “10 States Where Taxes Are Rising the Most” found that Arizona is number 6 on the list of the states whose taxes are rising the fastest.  The top ten are:

  1. New York:  $8.2 billion, $419 per person
  2. California:  $11.5 billion, $312 per person
  3. Delaware:  $253 million, $286 per person
  4. Connecticut:  $777 million, $221 per person
  5. Wisconsin:  $900 million, $159 per person
  6. Arizona:  $1 billion, $154 per person
  7. Kansas:  $425 million, $151 per person
  8. Washington:  $982 million, $147 per person
  9. Oregon:  $541 million, $141 per person
  10. Massachusetts:  $890 million, $135 per person
  11. New Hampshire:  $161 million, $121 per person

Pack of Cigs in New York City Now $14.50

From the tax anything that moves department, aka using taxes to affect behavior:  New York Post:  “Smokers huff & puff over new cigarette tax.  Smokers are used to coughing up a lot — but this is getting ridiculous.  The price on a pack of cigarettes has skyrocketed to $14.50 at some New York City stores thanks to a hefty new tax — leaving even the most nicotine-addicted buttheads considering nixing their fix.”

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