it is more than this Administration has ever been willing to consider, and it suggests that Mr. Obama, post-midterm-shellacking, realizes he must show some willingness to restrain the growth of government.
But does this move really help anything? As the LA Times reports:
The move would affect 2 million federal workers and save about $5 billion over two years.
The national debt is currently running at about $13 Trillion, and the annual deficit is currently running at about $1 Trillion/year in the red. That's 12 zero's: 1,000,000,000,000. Cutting $5 Billion off of the deficit is literally like paying $5 bucks on your credit card bill when you owe a thousand dollars. So clearly this is a symbolic gesture to a symbolic request, which sends the message that Obama has catered to the Republicans in spite of his Democratic base who has blasted the move:
American Federation of Public Employees President John Gage yesterday derided President Obama's federal pay freeze as a "slap at working people."
Did Obama make the right move here economically?
Did Obama mkae the right move here politically?
Does the general public which voted on November 2 actually believe that Republican policies are good for the economy?
Is it smart policy to succumb to the same ideology that created the deficit in the first place?
