Troops Could Be Booted Under Budget, What Will Fed Workers Get? (POLL)

Under President Obama's new 2013 budget, the Pentagon may discharge thousands of military personnell involuntarily, the first time it's done that since just after the Cold War.  Meanwhile, what will Federal workers possibly get?

While the combined Armed Services (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Reserves) are going to try to cut 67,100 soldiers in the next five years,    Obama has proposed a pay hike for Federal employees.  While he says the size of the Federal workforce would remain 'flat',  he has offered up in his new budget, a 0.5 pay bump that would end a two year freeze.   Obama himself had ordered the pay freeze in 2010. While current military personnell would receive a higher pay raise than the 0.5 percent, as noted, tens of thousands of them would be let go, while Obama gives more money to Federal workers.  This new idea was not well received by union leaders.  From the Washington Post report:

Federal employees and union leaders expressed tepid support for the pay raise Monday, noting as they often do that lower pay levels could deter potential applicants from seeking federal employment or encourage current workers to look for jobs in the private sector.

In addition, making workers pay more out of pocket for retirement “will have a serious impact on the retirement security [that] federal employees were promised,” National Federation of Federal Employees President William R. Dougan said in an e-mail to reporters.

   Interesting comments indeed...what about the retirement security of those who lost their jobs due to the faltering economy, which the Obama Administration has failed to jump start?  What are YOUR thoughts?  Should Federal government employees be given pay raises while the military gets gutted? Take the poll!