Certain localities which are determined to have higher costs of living get a locality increase from the standard federal salary schedule. So this might be 25.7% increase on a $3.15/hour locality increase. It sounds like a lot (which is why they put it first), but in reality, a 25.7% increase on it really doesn’t turn out to be that much. (Hope that makes sense.)
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Inflation for 2018 is 2.9%
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To keep it at round numbers, if the pay grade is $50,000 on the standard federal salary guide, NYC might receive a $3,500 locality increase on that $50,000. So a 25.7% increase would be on that $3,500 locality increase (+$899.50).
ETA: These salary numbers, both base pay and locality increase, are totally made up off the top of my head.
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This will be eaten up by Trump worshippers who think the government just wastes taxpayer money…in reality this will hurt a lot of people, especially with inflation on the rise. And, it’s a stick in the eye after the huge tax cut to the wealthy, and the administration trying to figure out how to give an extra $100 billion administratively.
This is also the preliminary to what we’ll see next year if the Republicans keep Congress…“oh, the economy is doing great, but the federal budget is out of control, we need to end Social Security and Medicare!”. That is already rumbling about, not too loudly since it will scare people before the midterms, but afterwards it will be the first item on their agenda.
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OK - Gotcha. Thanks for that clear explanation!
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You are most very welcome!
Whoever is the federal employee that has access to Famiglia Trump tax documents and has not leaked them yet is a total moron.
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Typical Trump. Stiff the little people, and intimidate the big ones.
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I know some feds that voted for trump, but mainly because they drank the Fox koolaid - conservatives that were often former military, they hated Hillary and were programmed to believe the GOP was the party of fiscal security, strong defense, etc. And I had a couple of people actually tell me Democrats didn’t support Federal Employees because of the pay freeze when Obama was President. (Idiots, I know)
They’re singing a new tune now. It’s a shame so many have to suffer because of their stupidity.
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Pay raises are a major topic of conversation in Federal offices. Arbitrarily taking away people’s pay raises is a great way to tick everyone off.
I hope TPM, the NY Times, Washington Post, etc. prominently put up their links for whistle-blowers again…
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Well, you do go to prison for doing that sort of thing. Ask Reality Winner.
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“Title 5, United States Code, authorizes me to implement alternative plans for pay adjustments for civilian Federal employees …” For years we’ve been subjected to warnings about the advent of the “Imperial Presidency”, but Trump does us the enormous favor of revealing that – should the President turn out to be a raving sociopath – the existing rules already give him/her carte blanche to grab everyone elses’ toys and keep them… When we are once again governed by the sane, we must focus on curtailing the freedom offered to the Executive branch…
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In simplest terms - you can’t hire an electrician or data entry specialist in New York City for the same rate you’d pay for someone in Iowa. Locality pay attempts to adjust wages in higher cost areas to be more competitive.
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Money to pay those farmers for the drop in soybean prices, thanks to the tariffs, has got to come from somewhere.
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@greylady = concision
SpiderPig = grand, excessive, loquacious verbosity (which is to say, I can tend to prattle on and be kinda sorta wordy)
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Thats what being a patriot is all about, risking life, liberty and property for the good of the country.
Anyway if Arpaio was pardoned I am sure that next Democratic president will be preasured to pardon any leaker that helped bringing down Trump reign of terror.
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Well there you go, pissing off an entire sector of the economy just in time for the midterms.
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Please, proceed.
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I’ve had a lot of practice 
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Well you know we vote in people who are suppose to do those things. Over 600 of them! Let’s try to get them to do their jobs. If not vote them out. It may take some effort but to ask someone to risk their livelihood and that of their family is a little rash.
Also, if Federal Employees ‘leak’ information on fraud, waste or abuse to the FBI or other investigative bodies, they are protected by law.
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