Comments on proposed pay increase for government employees, November 16, 1989.

• Author: Burk, William M.

Comments on Proposed Pay Increase for Government Employees

November 16, 1989

Yesterday, a bipartisan proposal to address the serious issue of government pay levels was made public. Although much attention has been devoted to the effect of the proposal on Congressional and Judicial salaries, its most dramatic and needed effect would be to increase the salaries of qualified government employees in the Senior Executive Service (SES). Tax Executive Institute believes that increasing salaries of SES employees is a necessary step in maintaining a competent, experienced, and professional civil service. We urge Congress to enact such increases.

Tax Executives Institute (TEI) is the principal association of corporate tax executives in the United States and Canada. The Institute's members are employed by 2,000 of the leading corporations in North America and represent a cross-section of the business community. TEI and its members deal with National Office and field representatives of the Internal Revenue Service on an almost daily basis, and we are dedicated to maintaining a tax system that works--one that is fair and administrable and with which taxpayers can comply. An essential ingredient to a viable tax system is a dedicated, qualified government workforce.

There can be no real debate that the pay levels of SES and other government employees are significantly lower than their counterparts in the private sector, with the disparities and inequities being more pronounced in some regions of the...