It is true, we Federal Employees are worth much more than you, and that is why you pay us TWO TIMES what you private sector government subjects are paid. Numbers don’t lie. Take a look at our superior and well earned benefits and retirement packages. The laws we have made cause you to be irrevocably obligated to pay us for the invaluable services we perform, or else.
Whether you admit it or not, that is what motivates you subjugated people in the "land of the free" to pay us. The truth may be that the only real service we sell you is allowing you to keep whatever portion of your income we permit, your belongings, and not confining you to a federal prison. You people consider our services so invaluable that most of you believe you owe us a debt of gratitude and loyalty on top of your hard earned money. You even pay us through wage withholding, allowing us to take your money before you ever receive it. Wage withholding effectively promotes us above all your other financial priorities, even above feeding you own children. We appreciate the gratitude you express to us for the services we provide, it’s what keeps us in power over you. We keep you working hard for us.
A rigid economy of the public contributions and absolute interdiction of all useless expenses will go far towards keeping the government honest and unoppressive.
- Thomas Jefferson, letter to Lafayette, 1823