Obama's Arrogant Federal Pay Increase Executive Order

While most Americans are intently waiting with fading hope for their government in Washington to prevent their going over the fiscal cliff, President Barack Obama was focused on an entirely different agenda. He has has ended the pay freeze on federal employees, thus giving workers, ranging from Vice President Joe Biden to members of Congress and the Supreme Court, a raise. Obama signed the executive order on Thursday for increases to take effect in late March. “The pay raise will generally be about 1/2 of 1 percent," the order says. Obama instituted a pay freeze in 2010, citing the recession and budgetary constraints - still worrisome for most, but apparently not for Obama. Under the new order, Vice President Biden’s salary will jump from $225,521 last year to $231,900 next year. Members of the Senate and House will receive a slight raise, from $174,000 to $174,900. The majority and minority leaders in both chambers will receive $194,400. The salary of the Speaker of the House, currently Ohio Republican John Boehner, will increase to $224,600. In addition, members of the U.S. Supreme Court will see their salary rise, with Chief Justice John Roberts receiving $223,500, and associate justices being paid $213,900. In enacting a pay raise, instead of a pay cut, for senior government employees and officeholders, Obama - whose annual pay is $400,000 - is in a distinct minority. The only other such pay rise is in Germany, where Chancellor Angela Merkel, her ministers and their parliamentary secretaries of state will see their wages rise in three stages between now and August 2013, until they all get 5.7 percent more. However, this is the first pay increase for the German cabinet in twelve years. The chancellor's total pay is set to rise from €193,000 before tax to around €205,000 ($266,000) per year. Ministers' pay will rise to around €170,000 ($221,000) per year. In contrast, French president Francois Hollande, in a highly symbolic debut, began his first cabinet meeting in May 2012 by announcing that his 17 men and 17 women ministers had agreed to a pay cut of 30 percent. Hollande and his prime minister will earn €180,000 ($216,000) a year, down from €255,000 ($327,000). A government statement said the cuts would reduce the gross pay of ministers to €120,000 ($156,000) a year from €174,000 ($230,000). Hollande was simply repeating what British prime minister David Cameron had already done after his election, when he honored his pre-election promise by announcing in his first cabinet meeting in May 2010 that all ministers in his Liberal-Conservative coalition would take a five-year pay freeze, as well as a 5% pay cut. Cameron earns £142,000 ($220,000), which includes his £65,000 ($100,000) per year salary as a member of Parliament.~~~~~~Dear readers, the timing of President Obama's executive order to increase pay for federal employees and officeholders is just one more indication of his lack of appreciation for the American public's deep concern and fear about the fiscal mess he is largely responsible for. One might argue that it would have been an indication of Obama's aloof arrogance whenever he would have chosen to issue the order - but to rub it in the faces of American taxpayers who will be facing a minimum of $2,500 in increased taxes if Washington cannot prevent the fall over the fiscal cliff is just plain political cynicism on his part. Washington takes care of itself...and maybe it will take care of the Americans who pay the bills, but nothing is less sure. It brings to mind one of George Washington's darker but surely accurate comments : "Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! It is a dangerous servant and a terrible master."