You mean what would all the government workers do when they get too old to work? I don't know but I don't get a pension so why should I pay for theirs?
And don't most most jobs still include a pension as a standard benefit? I'd say you were in the minority if you're a full time tech worker and have no pension at all.
In the private sector, pensions have been going away -- I've worked for about nine employers in the last 20 years or so, only one had a pension plan, a public school district. (I wasn't eligible to participate because I held a part time position)
Many (most?) private sector employers offer participation in defined contribution retirement plans such as 401(k), some with employer contributions -- those are much simpler to manage, today's work gets paid for today. There are some government plans of this type, and taxpayers don't get upset about them, generally.
A 401k and other defined contribution pensions are still a pension.
Assuring that the people who serve society don't spend their final years in poverty is the least we can do.
Also, the reason you assure pension to government employees is because they tend to be stable and dependable workers over the long term.
I bet you would lose your shit if government employees in your town had the turnover of a McDonald's. Higher turnover costs mean higher taxes and much worse/less dependable service.
I'm unconvinced. I believe they get special treatment only because they are a large lobby group.
In 2014 federal civilian workers had an average wage of $84,153, according the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis [1].5 By comparison, the average wage for the nation's 111 million private-sector workers was $56,350.
In Las Vegas, the average salary and benefits package for firefighter union employees was $199,678 (in 2009, I think) [2]. The average salary alone was $128,026.
Please also note that federal government pensions are in a league of its own - 80% of your last year salary - and there are stories in newspapers every year about, for example, street cops working overtime and making $120K+ in their last year.
[1] http://www.bea.gov/iTable/iTable.cfm?ReqID=9&step=1#reqid=9&...
[2] http://lasvegassun.com/news/2009/dec/30/cost-cutting-ideas-c...
You are also wrong about federal pensions, they aren't as a rule 80% of your final year salary. The normal FERS formula is 0.01 * high-3 * years of service (full months of service less than a year count as fractional years). The "high-3" is the highest annual pay of any 3 consecutive years of service. To get 80% of the high-3 (which, with increasing salary, is still less than 80% of last service year) you'd have to have 80 years of service.
This was under the old retirement system called CSRS. If you entered service after 1987 you are under FERS where 20 years of service gets you 20% pension, and you get additional 1% for every additional year. So 40 years you get 40% pension, not great.
A pension is the only chance you have of a decent life when you get old. There is nothing else.
You won't see any of that cash unless you're involved in the building industry.