Anonymous wrote:^^ I was an Obama supporter and was there in the freezing cold for the second inauguration.

But it's important to acknowledge that he was awful for federal employees. It was widely recognized that he negotiated against himself when it came to federal employees, offering up huge concessions at the outset of negotiations with Republicans. Pay raises were nonexistent or awful, retirement contributions increased dramatically, and paid parental leave never happened. The tea party outwitted him when it came to federal employees. It's a bit much to hold Obama completely blameless for 8 years of effective pay cuts that happened under his watch.

The Tea Party was awful for federal employees. And Obama couldn't pass a budget without them. Do you even remember the debt ceiling and sequestration?

Anonymous wrote:^^ I was an Obama supporter and was there in the freezing cold for the second inauguration.

But it's important to acknowledge that he was awful for federal employees. It was widely recognized that he negotiated against himself when it came to federal employees, offering up huge concessions at the outset of negotiations with Republicans. Pay raises were nonexistent or awful, retirement contributions increased dramatically, and paid parental leave never happened. The tea party outwitted him when it came to federal employees. It's a bit much to hold Obama completely blameless for 8 years of effective pay cuts that happened under his watch.

I don't hold him blameless for a lot of his mistakes. He was not great on a lot of things as POTUS, but I also think he was the first POTUS in which the leadership from opposing side refused to acknowledge the presidency, and said that it would oppose everything. Remember the Mitch McConnell brunch on inauguration day. Obama made mistakes, but I still don't think federal employees can fault the government from failing to provide raises when the country was literally a dumpster fire for those in the private sector. FWIW, the feds were not alone in furloughing, reduction in force, and cola reductions during this time. Between 2009-2011, Maryland government furloughed and laid off over 70,000 people due to recession funding. DC furloughed all but police and fire during this recession and recovery period. Virginia had over a billion dollar shortfall and instituted statewide furloughs. Do you think those laid-off employees would have preferred a furlough with no money, or just a missed COLA but a paycheck. This was happening all across the country.

If it was a sticking point for federal employees to get a raise during a serious economic downturn while their neighbors were getting pink slips in mass, I'm sure those federal employees left and found jobs where raises were in abundance. It literally took years before the private sector began to rehire and backfill positions eliminated between 2008-2011. If federal employees cannot recognize that it would have been disastrous to provide raises when the country was first in recession and then the digging the country out of a recession, I can only say that is why private sector employees expressed so little sympathy and empathy when Elon Musk took a chainsaw to federal jobs. I think many federal employees lose perspective to the overall scheme of things and feel entitled.

^^ I was an Obama supporter and was there in the freezing cold for the second inauguration.

But it's important to acknowledge that he was awful for federal employees. It was widely recognized that he negotiated against himself when it came to federal employees, offering up huge concessions at the outset of negotiations with Republicans. Pay raises were nonexistent or awful, retirement contributions increased dramatically, and paid parental leave never happened. The tea party outwitted him when it came to federal employees. It's a bit much to hold Obama completely blameless for 8 years of effective pay cuts that happened under his watch.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't love it, but Obama was even worse on this.

It was the Great Recession from 2007-2010, with unemployment at 9.5%. The country was bleeding jobs and very few jobs, if any, were issuing out pay raises. People were lucky to have a job. The two are not comparable as we have not reach a Great Recession and unemployment is at 4.4%, but give the country time and you will be happy with your 1% increase.

Do you know when Obama was president? (Hint: It wasn't 2007-2010). The highest he gave was 2.1%, and that was during his last year as president. In three consecutive years (2011-2013), he gave zero. In 2014 and 2015, he gave 1%.

He was first inaugurated January 20, 2009, I stood in the freezing cold. Lehman Brothers and Bern Sterns, both collapsed months before he was inaugurated. The housing market collapsed and the foreclosures were never ending. Don't you remember the subprime lenders and the creative mortgages. In addition to the too big to fail bank bailouts, refinancing of mortgages, bailouts of the three major automobile companies, and hemorrhaging of private sector jobs increasing unemployment to as high as ten-percent. Bush really did a number on the country with his endless wars and tax cuts for the wealthy. Any way, how in the world could Obama and Congress give raises when they were trying to prevent RIFs. Congress was pushing for RIFs and Obama held them off with furloughs. Federal employees were lucky to have a job and you complain about no raises. Well okay, my sister worked in the private sector and lost her job. It took her two-years to find something comparable. I know of others who also found themselves unemployed during this time and would have traded positions for your safe government job, without a thought of the cola.

The recession did end in 2009, but the recovery was extremely slow with continuing high unemployment and economic growth averaging a little less than two-percent. It took years to recover, so nobody was getting raises. That's abysmal.

Affirming yet again I made the right choice by leaving.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't love it, but Obama was even worse on this.

It was the Great Recession from 2007-2010, with unemployment at 9.5%. The country was bleeding jobs and very few jobs, if any, were issuing out pay raises. People were lucky to have a job. The two are not comparable as we have not reach a Great Recession and unemployment is at 4.4%, but give the country time and you will be happy with your 1% increase.

Do you know when Obama was president? (Hint: It wasn't 2007-2010). The highest he gave was 2.1%, and that was during his last year as president. In three consecutive years (2011-2013), he gave zero. In 2014 and 2015, he gave 1%.

Anonymous wrote:I don't love it, but Obama was even worse on this.

It was the Great Recession from 2007-2010, with unemployment at 9.5%. The country was bleeding jobs and very few jobs, if any, were issuing out pay raises. People were lucky to have a job. The two are not comparable as we have not reach a Great Recession and unemployment is at 4.4%, but give the country time and you will be happy with your 1% increase.

Boohoo.

I don't love it, but Obama was even worse on this.

Anonymous wrote:I did the math, and before taxes it's an extra $67 per check. After taxes and health insurance increases, it might be $6-7 dollars.

It was a negative for me. I’m on the family medical plan though and am not a GS15.

I was just surprised there wasn’t a locality increase.

I did the math, and before taxes it's an extra $67 per check. After taxes and health insurance increases, it might be $6-7 dollars.

I think it was mentioned on another thread. 1% how generous...

Anonymous wrote:Um, that link leads to 2023.

Nope. It leads to the paltry 2026 increase.

Um, that link leads to 2023.

How did this slip through the crack of being posted?

https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/salary-tables/pdf/2026/DCB.pdf