This basic fact should have been included in a Washington Post piece that talked about plans to require federal employees to contribute more from their paychecks to their retirement plan. Economists of all political persuasions view workers’ pay as a total compensation package. When comparing pay in different jobs or industries economists include employer payments for health insurance, pensions, and other benefits, along with straight wages.

This means that when political figures call for federal employers to pay more money out of their paycheck into their pensions, they are calling for these workers to get a pay cut. This is not a debatable point in a he said/she said as this article implies. It is true.