Living the Good Life

• Civil servants on the federal payroll earned an average of $123,049, including benefits, in 2009, according to USA Today. That same year, average compensation for workers in the private sector, including benefits, was $61,051, reports the Bureau of Economic Analysis.

• The average federal salary has increased 33 percent faster than inflation during the past decade.

• During the past five years, the number of federal employees paid $150,000 or more a year has increased by more than 1,000 percent.

• The $150,000-plus category of employees makes up 3.9 percent of the federal workforce. In 2005, it was 0.4 percent.

On top of all that, CNBC is reporting that government employees owe billions -- yes, with a "b"  -- in delinquent taxes.

It gives a whole new meaning to the term "good enough for government work," doesn't it?

Two big ways the new Congress can make a real impact is to:

(1) Make serving as a government worker more commensurate with the salary and benefit of those working in the private sector; and

(2) Make themselves a part-time legislature.  One of the reasons they do so much mischief is that they're in session year 'round, and obviously feel compelled to justify their existence.