Re: Rep. Elton Gallegly’s Aug. 5 commentary, “Cuts will decimate economy, military”:
I agree with most of Gallegly’s statements. Closure of the local Navy base will force the Board of Supervisors to finally address the cost of local government and employee pensions.
Unfortunately, the department administrators in the local and federal government don’t want their dollars diminished. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta should be preparing to return to the military draft. The USA cannot afford a professional paid military any longer. An E-4 in Iraq makes almost $40,000 a year.
If the Defense Department is devastated, some other departments need massive reductions also. All federal government employees should take a 20 percent pay reduction. Congress should take the initiative and provide some leadership. This is a start to balancing the budget.
If federal salaries remain current the probability is that the $16 trillion deficit will not have a noticeable reduction.
- Alfred Clark,
Newbury Park
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Comments » 4
Huskerfan writes:
So a GS5 who is brand new to the government and makes $27K/yr should take a 20% cut? How about a GS9/step 2 who makes $43K/yr and has 3 family members? Should they take a 20% cut?
Any statement that starts with "All..." is almost invariably ridiculous. Like "All letter writers who make blanket statements are not very well informed."
smithjc#403367 writes:
alfred, you are aware that draftees were paid, aren't you?
GoUCLABruins writes:
But government spending doesn't create jobs, everyone knows that. Now that he's quitting, seems Gallegly thinks he violate the party orthodoxy with deviationist socialism. Government spending doesn't create jobs. End of story.
GoUCLABruins writes:
"An E-4 in Iraq makes almost $40,000 a year"
Ridiculous. Total waste of money. That's not what the Founding Fathers intended. A corporal in the Continental Army was paid $7.30 per month. By law. AND had to provide his own gun and bullets. That's about $209 per month in today's money. That's plenty good enough. The country is broke. We're going to be like Greece by the end of the year. Enough Big Government Nanny State Socialism. I say $209 was good enough for George Washington, it's good enough for us. Remember what Reagan said -- the only good thing to do with government is kill it. It's about time we got back to our Founding Fathers principles, all the way.
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