Government salaries

While Americans are by and large generous people, they do take exception with excessive government spending and inefficiency.

According to a USA Today analysis, the number of federal employees earning $150,000 or more a year has doubled in the past two years. The average pay and benefits for a federal employee in 2009 was $123,049. Meanwhile, the average private sector worker earned $61,051. Since 2000, federal worker pay and benefits have increased 3 percent annually above inflation compared with 0.8 percent for private workers, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis.

Overpaid government employees are not as large of a problem at the state level. However, there are questions about the efficiency and salaries in some areas.

The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's personnel report is one area of question. The report listed 23 employees who received substantial raises in the new fiscal year. Some raises were $30,000 to $45,000. The department has defended these raises saying they are within their budget and the number of employees allowed by the legislature. Further defense of this change is that the reorganization will create a more efficient department.

While we support making government more efficient, the reorganization and subsequent size of the raises seem counterintuitive to the goal. If fewer employees are needed, there should be a subsequent decrease in the department's budget.