So here's some rather interesting data from a recent editorial in Machine Design magazine - one of my favorite trade magazines that I love to peruse.

In his latest editorial, titled Better off as a Bureaucrat, editor Leland Teschler lays out a very interesting summary of just one of the ways we private citizens are being fleeced on a daily basis.

Friends, is it not clear that our government is simply out of control like never before?  Are you not outraged by this?  Come on, people!  Get some gumption!  Next time you hear anyone talking about a new tax, or about how vital it is that we spend some more money on some project or program, do yourself and the rest of us a favor.  Tell it like it really is.  Just stand up and tell it like it really is.  Here's how it is:  No, the government already has way more money than it should.  It doesn't need more, it needs less.  Yes - less money.  What our government needs is LESS MONEY.

Our politicians have collectively evolved into nothing more than a mob of money-grubbing, coveteous, greedy, arrogant control freaks who have totally abused the public trust.  This is the way it actually is.  If you don't see this, you need to WAKE UP, PEOPLE!!

So, okay, yeah, we need to repair some highways.  Right.  I've got that.  We need to build some bridges - no problem.  Here's an idea:  We roll back the federal payroll to put it in line with that of the private sector. 

Now are you going to argue that the average federal worker is more indispensible to our national well being than the average private sector worker (who, by the way, proves his own economic worth every day simply by successfully battling the forces of nature)?  Sorry, I'll shoot you down dead.  You have no argument.  You lose.  End of discussion.

Here's my idea:  After putting the federal payroll back in line with reality, we will have an annual surplus of 1.9 millon (workers) X $(119,982 - 59,909). This comes to:

$114,138,700,000.00

That's $114 Billion.  That's one hundred, fouteen thousand, million dollars.  Yeah.  I think I could build a few bridges with that kind of free cash rolling in each year.