EDITORIAL: Federal pay freeze the right move

A two-year pay freeze won't bring much holiday cheer to federal employees. But with the public clamoring for tax relief and less government spending, it's an inevitable move. Federal workers can no longer be spared the pain all too familiar to private sector workers.

President Barack Obama was politically savvy to get out front on this potent, symbolic deficit reduction initiative. And New York and Nassau County workers should take heed. Those governments have budget holes and testy taxpayers too, so their employees will face similar demands to share the burden.

The unfortunate thing about wage freezes is that wage earners' obligations aren't frozen along with paychecks. But the 2.1 million federal civilian employees still will have a relatively good deal. They earn more, on average, than workers in private companies. They've gotten regular raises while private-sector wages stagnated. Their jobs are essentially guaranteed for life. And a freeze is better than a pay cut.

Obama's standing with public employee unions will take a beating. But the $5-billion, two-year savings from the freeze is actually the low-hanging fruit of deficit reduction. The options will be much tougher from here, as Obama and the Congress weigh ways to wring trillions of dollars out of the budget. But that's what taxpayers are demanding, and it's a duty Washington can't shirk. hN