RJ and Makay

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Federal workers on average earn about 2% more than private sector workers in a similar position, according to a new Congressional Budget Office (CBO) study.  The CBO study found that federal employees earned 16% more in total compensation (pay and benefits) as compared to workers in private companies.  The study was in stark contrast to progressive policy shops that claim government workers make less money than their counterparts in the private sector.

Repealing the new U.S. health care reform law enacted last year wouldn't save money. It would actually add $210 billion to the nation's deficit over the next decade, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates.

A major step in the repeal process, which may or may not be successful, was a House of Representatives measure last month aimed at eliminating a number of provisions designed to reduce federal health care costs and stripping out new revenue-creating taxes and fees. Neither the Senate nor the President Obama support the repeal of health care reform.

Fortunately for U.S. taxpayers, government purchases of "toxic assets" as part of the $700 billion bailout program haven't been the totally disastrous investments most people feared. The U.S. Treasury's toxic asset funds, for example, have risen 27% since their 2009 inception.

The Treasury initially bought $5.2 billion worth of toxic assets (illiquid securities of troubled banks and other financial institutions) to help prop up the mortgage-backed securities market. As a result of about $300 million in equity distributions and successful private money management by BlackRock, Invesco, and others, that initial investment grew by $1.4 billion to about $6.3 billion as of the end of 2010.