The fiasco in New York TRACON with the sick pay scam doesn't help the cause.
Controller pay has gone up 75% since 1998, pay and benefits make up 80% of the FAA's budget. Salaries for controllers are over $200,000 per year. Next time you ask for direct and you can't get it due to the inability of the FAAs antiquated computer system to figure out your routing think of that. Can't pay for hardware upgrades because the budget is gone due to payroll for controllers. And reflect on your salary decrease compared to ATC's increases.
Sorry, I can't shed a tear for you guys this time.