Most federal employees make less than six figures
Re: “Want to get rich? Word for the feds,” editorial, April 29
Federal workers may have better benefits than their counterparts in the private sector, but their pay is strictly regulated according to education, qualifying professional experience, competitive tests and, in some cases, security clearance eligibility.
The salary table 2010-DCB shows that the rate mentioned in this editorial consists of grades higher than GS-13, which are mostly supervisory and managerial positions. More often than not, attaining a salary of more than $100,000 in the federal government takes a very high level of education and more than 20 years of service. An average grade in the federal government at its highest steps of seniority is GS-12, which does not reach $100,000.
The private sector still rates better for pay. However, government positions are mostly career-oriented and because of that, can provide better job security.
Michael Gloukhov
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HOT lane negotiations should be out in the open
Re: “McDonnell puts I-95 HOT lanes on front burner,” April 29
I am against construction of high-occupancy toll lanes on Interstate 95/395 because of the likelihood of harming HOV commuting during rush hour and what I believe will be elimination of free, reversible lanes to handle off-peak and weekend traffic. However, given that Gov. Bob McDonnell wants to move ahead on this, I agree with Stewart Schwartz of the Coalition for Smarter Growth that negotiations should be much more open to public scrutiny.
It is my understanding that a clause in the Beltway HOT lane project will result in annual state payments to the developer for decades if car poolers (non-toll payers) on the lanes exceed 25 percent of the total. The payments will increase with increasing car pool use. Should such a clause be applied to the I-95 project, taxpayers would be paying that immediately since car pool usage is so great.
How can a few people negotiating behind closed doors have such power?
Bob Hugman
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ICE program mostly targets low-level, first-time offenders
Re: “Secure Communities’ program efficiently identifies, removes convicted criminals,” April 28
John Morton’s statements about Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s so-called “Secure Communities” program are misleading and inaccurate. Morton claims that Secure Communities targets dangerous individuals. But ICE’s own statistics show that the majority of the people targeted are low-level offenders or those who have never been convicted of a crime.
Morton’s other claims — that the program does not result in racial profiling — are unfounded and illogical. The knowledge that a person’s fingerprints will be automatically run through federal civil immigration databases, regardless of the legality of the arrest, provides a powerful and perverse incentive to local police to make pre-textual arrests based on a person’s appearance.
We clearly cannot rely on ICE for the real facts about Secure Communities. For this reason, we join a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit filed Tuesday seeking to compel ICE to release records about the program.
Bridget P. Kessler
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