Great article. One aspect missing in talking about the culture at Boeing is the revolving door of executives between the FAA and the Boeing board. This same issue prevails between the FDA and boards of some major pharmaceutical companies. If it is indeed time to start rebuilding trust between government and the American people, this is a critical place to start.
Great article. One aspect missing in talking about the culture at Boeing is the revolving door of executives between the FAA and the Boeing board. This same issue prevails between the FDA and boards of some major pharmaceutical companies. If it is indeed time to start rebuilding trust between government and the American people, this is a critical place to start.
It could be solved by making government salaries competitive with the private sector. At low levels, government employees are well compensated (think clerks vs. the private sector) but the higher you go, the larger the gap. For example, where I live, the salary for a Federal Judge is $75K. A private sector lawyer can easily make triple that or more. When I worked as a programmer for a public agency I made 1/3 of what I made when I switched to private.
Important government positions should be well compensated. Unimportant ones should be eliminated.
In kindness, I disagree. One enters public service as a service to others, not just to make yourself money. I don't think we should pay government workers a LOW salary, but government workers often get pensions, and job stability not offered in the private sector to offset a LOWER salary for similar work in the private sector. Have an excellent week!
Google Bard: "According to the United States Courts website, which is the official source for federal judicial information, district judges earn a salary of $197,100, and circuit judges earn $209,100 [US Courts Judicial Compensation]. "
Are you factoring in a pension plan and essentially guaranteed lifetime employment since unionized government employees are nearly impossible to fire?
Don’t get me wrong - I would like to see many government positions pay more, but get rid of the pension costs and unionization first. The Federal workforce could probably be cut in half with no discernible impact on their output.
Their “pension” cost are only 1/3 of their retirement pay. In 1984 the whole government retirement system was overhauled. Changed to Part defined pension, part SS, part investment. Controllers also get paid higher salaries because they got out of the GS scales a long time ago
less than.... ? You are correct - Less than no return, which is essentially what we earn on Social Security trust funds. Since you brought up the point, one of the best ways to improve long-term Social Security solvency is by allowing some element of private investing, because money compounds at market rates vs. the current 0-1% rate. Many countries already do this.
That would cover a significant amount of the shortfall, but not all. If you add a point to FICA and use a chain-weighted CPI (instead of the current one tied to labor costs), you’re about there.
as a comment re pay. Yes, some jobs should be compensated at a higher level/salary. The issue with gov workers is that they may hold a senior job, but in many cases are not qualified, nor are they held responsible if something goes wrong on their watch. I am seeing that the historic accountability for errors or poor performance has disappeared, not just from government positions, but also from private companies or publicly traded companies. Even this latest Boeing fiasco has been festering for years. Now, someone or some groups of folks are taking the bullets for it (suicide issues aside). Consider the president who resigned is 68. What was he doing for the past 10-20 years? It is even worse in gov positions. It is almost impossible to fire a poor performer, as they are covered by civil service regulations. Those regulations need to be revised or removed and merit based roles and responsibilities and accountability instituted again. It has been a long slippery slope to mediocrity, and people are dying from it.
You are right about not taking responsibility. There are also what I call the "skaters." People (in both government and the private sectors) who never take any chances or disagree with their superiors and thus never fail, but they never shine either, and they slowly move up the ladder into leadership positions. I outright tell my employees that if they are there to always agree with me why do I even need them?
I am a big fan of The Buck Stops Here. Part of the reason someone makes more than people below them is because they are Responsible (tm). And I am fine with arrangement. My dept doesn't make quotas, its the high paid boss that should take the fall.
Trump changes the firing rules for VA and started working on the rest of the government. Joe got rid of that effort as pay back to his union buddies. Imagine that, unions making things less safe
Your figure for a federal judge sounds wildly off. A district judge makes $243,300 (circuit judges and Supreme Court justices make more). Administrative law judges are considerably lower, but according to Wikipedia the lowest pay for an ALJ in 2022 was $136,651. I will grant that any lawyer good enough to merit being a district judge could make more in private practice, but they don't need food stamps, and government will never be able to compete on salary alone; there are perks like prestige and job security.
Gold plated health insurance. One of my contractor employees (a few years back) left our company with it's $1,500 deductible per person and went to work for the government with $450 deductible per family. Plus I think they can retire before 65 and pay reduced premiums.
Great article. One aspect missing in talking about the culture at Boeing is the revolving door of executives between the FAA and the Boeing board. This same issue prevails between the FDA and boards of some major pharmaceutical companies. If it is indeed time to start rebuilding trust between government and the American people, this is a critical place to start.
Excellent point. Why do the FAA and FDA need executives anyway? They should be staffed by engineers and scientists, respectively.
Exactly correct.
It could be solved by making government salaries competitive with the private sector. At low levels, government employees are well compensated (think clerks vs. the private sector) but the higher you go, the larger the gap. For example, where I live, the salary for a Federal Judge is $75K. A private sector lawyer can easily make triple that or more. When I worked as a programmer for a public agency I made 1/3 of what I made when I switched to private.
Important government positions should be well compensated. Unimportant ones should be eliminated.
In kindness, I disagree. One enters public service as a service to others, not just to make yourself money. I don't think we should pay government workers a LOW salary, but government workers often get pensions, and job stability not offered in the private sector to offset a LOWER salary for similar work in the private sector. Have an excellent week!
Google Bard: "According to the United States Courts website, which is the official source for federal judicial information, district judges earn a salary of $197,100, and circuit judges earn $209,100 [US Courts Judicial Compensation]. "
You're right. I was looking at salaries for state judges. Still, you get what you pay for.
Are you factoring in a pension plan and essentially guaranteed lifetime employment since unionized government employees are nearly impossible to fire?
Don’t get me wrong - I would like to see many government positions pay more, but get rid of the pension costs and unionization first. The Federal workforce could probably be cut in half with no discernible impact on their output.
I agree. It's time for an authentic audit of government agencies. Efficiency is not in their dna. There I go....dreaming again.
Their “pension” cost are only 1/3 of their retirement pay. In 1984 the whole government retirement system was overhauled. Changed to Part defined pension, part SS, part investment. Controllers also get paid higher salaries because they got out of the GS scales a long time ago
So, basically, we're getting less (efficient government) for more (cost).
In that most of the retirement is funded by investments, the government is paying less.
less than.... ? You are correct - Less than no return, which is essentially what we earn on Social Security trust funds. Since you brought up the point, one of the best ways to improve long-term Social Security solvency is by allowing some element of private investing, because money compounds at market rates vs. the current 0-1% rate. Many countries already do this.
An easy start to the SS solvency problem is to remove the salary cap.
That would cover a significant amount of the shortfall, but not all. If you add a point to FICA and use a chain-weighted CPI (instead of the current one tied to labor costs), you’re about there.
Because the Dems keep saying regular folks aren't smart enough to invest it and there really is no tangible cash in SS to be invested.
True on both counts.
as a comment re pay. Yes, some jobs should be compensated at a higher level/salary. The issue with gov workers is that they may hold a senior job, but in many cases are not qualified, nor are they held responsible if something goes wrong on their watch. I am seeing that the historic accountability for errors or poor performance has disappeared, not just from government positions, but also from private companies or publicly traded companies. Even this latest Boeing fiasco has been festering for years. Now, someone or some groups of folks are taking the bullets for it (suicide issues aside). Consider the president who resigned is 68. What was he doing for the past 10-20 years? It is even worse in gov positions. It is almost impossible to fire a poor performer, as they are covered by civil service regulations. Those regulations need to be revised or removed and merit based roles and responsibilities and accountability instituted again. It has been a long slippery slope to mediocrity, and people are dying from it.
take care folks
rich
You are right about not taking responsibility. There are also what I call the "skaters." People (in both government and the private sectors) who never take any chances or disagree with their superiors and thus never fail, but they never shine either, and they slowly move up the ladder into leadership positions. I outright tell my employees that if they are there to always agree with me why do I even need them?
I am a big fan of The Buck Stops Here. Part of the reason someone makes more than people below them is because they are Responsible (tm). And I am fine with arrangement. My dept doesn't make quotas, its the high paid boss that should take the fall.
Yet, that it almost never what happens.
Trump changes the firing rules for VA and started working on the rest of the government. Joe got rid of that effort as pay back to his union buddies. Imagine that, unions making things less safe
Your figure for a federal judge sounds wildly off. A district judge makes $243,300 (circuit judges and Supreme Court justices make more). Administrative law judges are considerably lower, but according to Wikipedia the lowest pay for an ALJ in 2022 was $136,651. I will grant that any lawyer good enough to merit being a district judge could make more in private practice, but they don't need food stamps, and government will never be able to compete on salary alone; there are perks like prestige and job security.
Gold plated health insurance. One of my contractor employees (a few years back) left our company with it's $1,500 deductible per person and went to work for the government with $450 deductible per family. Plus I think they can retire before 65 and pay reduced premiums.
The quoted email about the engineer being surprised if the FAA passes the 737 Max was priceless. Heads need to roll there too.
The “turd” email was referencing the 737 MAX not the 747. The 747 remains one of the greatest planes the company ever produced.
You are correct. Apologies.