Originally Posted by
JamesNoBrakes
I get real tired of hearing this. Not because it's from you, or about the military, but because EVERY SINGLE SEGMENT of the government says this. Every segment has someone that says the exact same thing. This is EXACTLY the attitude that screws us in terms of spending and revenue. This is why pork exists. This is why earmarks exist. This is why we can not make any progress.
I agree with you. BUT...
...the major difference between the folks in the military and everyone else in gov't is that the folks in the military don't get anywhere NEAR the kind of pay and benefits other gov't employees get. And you don't hear the head of those gov't sectors arguing for a pay decrease or freeze (unlike Sec. Def. Panette...see: the OP).
In fact, gov't employees (excluding the military) get an avg. pay that EXCEEDS their counterparts in private business. Think about that.
The avg. salary in gov't is GREATER than those in the private sector. And the efficiencies between the two, in comparison, is nowhere NEAR identical. Of course, that's because it takes an act of God to get fired for being a lazy bum in gov't work, unlike the private sector.
So IMHO, excluding the military is fair....but by all means go after the sleazy private businesses that over-charge the military (and indirectly, the taxpayers).
But do you REALLY wanna cut gov't waste??
Then take away the job protection of gov't workers and treat them as private sector employees. There is no need for the SEIU and gov't unions when their jobs were and are ALREADY protected. They just want to have their cake and eat it to...
...all the while billing the rest of us for the expense.