Americans Want to Cut Federal Employee Benefits

Americans are not in a very charitable mood when it comes to the benefits federal workers take home. In our latest Washington Whispers poll of areas that should be slashed the deepest, bureaucrats come out on top, with 31 percent demanding a cut in federal worker benefits. [See the top paid federal employees.]

Our poll will be bad news for federal workers who face a congressional hearing on benefits Wednesday on Capitol Hill. The conservative Heritage Foundation said the following questions will be addressed at the hearing:

- Why do federal workers earn 10 to 20 percent higher wages than private workers with the same skills?

- Why do private workers who switch into the federal government see a larger wage increase than private workers who find another private sector job?

- Why do federal workers earn benefits more generous than even workers in large private sector firms?

- Why is the greater job security in the federal sector is never part of pay comparisons?

- Why do federal workers quit their jobs at just one third the rate of private sector workers?

- Why do most federal jobs have waiting lists?

[See a slide show of the 10 Best Cities to Find a Job.]

The poll also had some bad news for Big Bird and Elmo. Some 27 percent said that funding of public broadcasting should be eliminated.

But when it comes to offering up painful cuts on their own, Americans plan the age-old game of "not in my back yard." Just 5 percent favored cuts in entitlements like Social Security and Medicare.

With budget cutting the rage in Washington, pick one of the following areas that you think should be slashed the deepest.

Federal worker benefits 31%

Funding of public broadcasting 27%

Defense spending 25%

Agriculture subsidies 12%

Entitlements like Social Security and Medicare 5%

Source: The Synovate eNation Internet poll was conducted February 28-March 2 among 1,000 nationally representative households by global market research firm Synovate.

• See the lowest paid federal employees.
• See the 10 Cities With the Highest Gas Prices.
• See the 10 Cities With the Lowest Gas Prices.

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