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Editorial: Freeze federal employment

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CLEVELAND, OH (WOIO) - President Obama took a good first step to address the nation's federal debt this week when he proposed a two-year pay freeze for federal civilian workers.

The plan, which must be approved by Congress, would save taxpayers some 28 billion dollars over five years.

You know, wage freezes are nothing new in the private sector during this awful recession but its big news when the protected class of federal employees are subjected to it and the president heard almost immediately from union leaders who called the freeze a slap at working people.

A slap indeed federal employment has grown in this country by an astounding seventeen  percent since 2007 and according to a recent analysis by USA today the total compensation for federal workers has risen thirty-seven percent over ten years compared to under nine percent for private workers.

The true slap that is needed in Washington in addition to the pay freeze on federal workers is a hiring freeze on federal workers. It's time to ask the question, folks does the state exist to serve the people or are we working simply to support the state?

Write and let me now what you think. I'm Bill Applegate.

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