The interesting thing about political Washington is that whatever the issue, climate change, tsetse flies, the mating habits of wild goats or federal pay raises, there is somebody here for it, and somebody here against it. In fact, proposing and opposing things is what we do best, even though that often isn’t very good.

(D.C. is also full of real people, folks who — like they do in Omaha, Houston and Seattle — do real things and have real jobs. But those of us who argue, challenge or advocate for a living get most of the publicity).

Just as it takes two to tango, the only way to make money — in politics, the law, the media — is to have at least two sides. The prosecutor and the plaintiff, Republicans and Democrats, MSNBC and Fox News. Without the opposition the game would be over.

It’s been years since anybody seriously (the operative word is “seriously”) proposed a less than laughable federal pay raise. Big raise, in recent years, means 1 percent or maybe 1.5 percent.

While Republicans (deservedly) get most of the blame from feds (and especially their unions), Democrats are not without sin. The White House invented sequestration and two of the three years of a federal pay freeze came out of a White House-appointed panel. So did the idea of using a different tool to measure inflation which, if implemented, would dramatically (over time) reduce the size of future cost of living adjustments.

Many members of the growing field of GOP presidential candidates have had things to say about what they would do to improve federal operations or reign in the bureaucracy. Several have mentioned pay “reform”.

So along comes reader Joe T., who wants to know why the press blackout on a proposed 4 percent federal pay raise. It’s part of The People’s Budget: A Raise For America, proposed by the Congressional Progressive Caucus. It is chaired by Reps. Paul M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and Keith Ellison (D-Minn.).

The alternative to several other alternative budget plans hasn’t got much press, although Washington Post columnist Katrina vanden Heuvel said it is “about as close to common sense as Congress ever gets.” She said it is honest, and its numbers add up. The proposal would increase federal spending on social and climate programs, raise taxes for millionaires and give federal workers their first decent raise in years.

So what are the odds?

You’ve been around a while. What do you think?

NEARLY USELESS FACTOID

By Michael O’Connell

While resting, a hummingbird will take about 250 breaths a minute.

Source: World of Hummingbirds

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