paycheck

[JohnnyD]

Originally Posted by spence

For some perspective, while you all were enjoying that extra 2% you were also increasing the deficit.

First of all, let's get one thing straight... not a single person on this forum is "increasing the deficit". Not a single person on this forum decides that small bandaids on a budget that is hemorrhaging money is appropriate. Not a single person on this forum is having their pockets padded by Lobbyists.

At the end of the first year when I took the reins of the company I used to work for, revenue was down about 10% but this strange thing happened... profits were up. Crazy thing that I learned at a young age when it comes to budgeting - As a first step, it is significantly easier to find waste and reduce unneeded expenses than it is to increase revenue.

Now, with that in mind, I'd be perfectly fine with FICA going back to normal if it also meant during the time of the tax cut, politicians cut expenses. If we were working towards a more balanced budget, I'd actually be ok with the increase. However with the new plan, we have a tax increase *and* increased spending, with a net increase to the deficit.

And let's stop all the BS with "it's not a tax increase, it's back to where it was before." Doesn't matter. On December 31, we were all paying one rate and as of Jan 1 that rate is higher. It's an increase, whether it was an expiring cut or not.

Interestingly enough, Congress found it necessary to increase FICA back to where it was (excuse me, not "extend the temporary cut"), yet Obama felt as though the federal pay freeze needed to cease, through Executive Order. Must have felt Congress deserved it due to the extra time in session digging themselves out of their self-imposed "fiscal cliff". And with the continued expansion and extra work within the federal government due to inefficiencies by everyone involved, all federal employees definitely deserved the pay raise as well.

Been about 5 years since I saw a pay raise (quite a number of pay cuts in that time actually). Obama has declared that Congress, federal employees and the welfare class deserve pay increases, when will the Middle Class that he defended so much while campaigning get our pay increase??