The Hiller Instinct: Democratic Furloughs

So let me connect a few stories that, together, help explain why we think government has lost touch with us, and reality.       

According to USA Today, Washington's workers are going in one direction while the rest of us go in another:

The average federal worker's salary is now over $70,000; while the average job in the private sector pays $40,000.

Almost one in five federal workers makes more than $100,000 a year. In the private sector it's about one in fifteen.

And while the private sector has lost 6.3% of its jobs since June, federal jobs have increased by 9.8%.

There are similar stories on Beacon Hill, where one representative, who was just elected mayor of Lawrence, thinks he can do both jobs and of course collect two paychecks. 

Obviously, if being a legislator were a full time job, he couldn't.

So how can sixteen other state reps refuse to take a week-long furlough, and help the state save $600,000.

Can they possibly think they have to be on the job 24/7 working for us?

Who do they think they're fooling?        

Democratic state rep. William Lantigua who's also mayor-elect of Lawrence, admitted "if you look at the job at the State House, for most Representatives, it's a part time or less- and i know that some people would not like to hear it, but that's what it is."

I don't think government jobs were ever intended to be the best jobs...with higher salaries, bigger pensions, and better benefits.  However it came to be, we let it...and we pay for it.

Somehow our alleged public servants have become our masters.

I'm Andy Hiller, and that's my instinct

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