FatCratz

Average Pay for Federal Employee: $75,419

But at least they're worth it, right?

What industry can match that pay?

And job security.

And annual cost of living pay increases.

And days off.

And health insurance benefits.

And lack of accountability.

A word of warning to those hundreds of thousands of employees about to join the two million plus federal employees: there are grave tradeoffs for this security and benefits. You will never be as efficient, as productive, or as innovative as you might have been when you start working for the federal government (military excluded). Pass on the security. Join the private sector.

For Best Service, Call Before Noon

FatCratz is currently on a west coast swing, traveling outside the beltway to gather real Americans' impressions of government waste.

So, here's a little cocktail party chatter from the shores of Lake Tahoe. Our hostess had actually been the recipient of a large grant from a federal agency. She mentioned that when conducting business with her grant administrator back in DC via telephone, she soon learned to call in before 9 am Pacific time--noon eastern--in order to catch her government grant administrator while he was still sober.

Of course, people drink on the job in any line of work, and clearly, all federal employees aren't sauced after noon. In fact, I never personally encountered a drunk in the federal workforce. The question, however, is whether it was easier to hold one's job in the public sector while hitting the juice. And, of course, how many people charged with overseeing the distribution of taxpayers' money are derelict in their duty.