RealClearInvestigations' Picks of the Week
May 7 to May 13 Featured Investigation Pretty good for government work: A new CBO report says federal employees earn 17 percent more than their private sector counterparts. That averages out to $97,000 annually per person in wages and benefits as opposed to $68,141 a year in the private sector. While federal employees tend to receive relatively lower salaries, they more than make up for it in benefits. Norman Leahy details exactly how in his article for RealClearInvestigations. Leahy writes: Federal workers needn't worry about finding health insurance on the troubled Affordable Care Act exchanges, where some counties struggle to offer even one provider. Government employees have access to at least 15 plans regardless of where they live, according to the Office of Personnel Management. Whether employees chose low premium/high deductible plans or more expensive options providing greater coverage, the federal government pays between 70-75 percent of the monthly premium, even in retirement. Workers can also contribute up to $5,000 per year into their own version of health savings accounts. They can withdraw this money, tax free, to cover expenses not picked up by their insurance, including not just over-the-counter medicines but babysitting and summer camp fees for children under 13. Pension plans are also lucrative. While many workers in the 1099 or "gig" economy receive no retirement benefits, the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS), which covers federal workers hired since 1984, combines three retirement plans into one: a basic, or defined, benefit plan, a thrift savings plan, and Social Security. Read Full Article Other Noteworthy Articles and Series Affordable Housing Program Costs More, Shelters Fewer
NPR, "Frontline"
Enacted 30 years ago, the low-income housing tax credit fueled a booming $8 billion private construction industry. But as the tax breaks for companies increased, the number of housing units built for the poor fell. Why? Industry representatives cite rising expenses and regulation. But NPR and "Frontline" found little public accounting of the costs. Russian Domestic Hacking Hoists Kremlin on Its Own Petard
Wall Street Journal
Russian domestic politics are being roiled by hacking tactics like those Russia is accused of using to weaken its foreign opponents. Leaked documents, which fueled anti-corruption protests, came from a shadowy group called Anonymous International—also known as "Shaltai Boltai." That's Russian for Humpty Dumpty. Raising the Gas Tax Is No Longer Taboo In Many States
Governing.com
Twenty-two states have increased fuel taxes in the past five years, suggesting it's perhaps not the political risk it used to be. Washington has not raised the gas tax in 23 years, and that has helped persuade state officials that they must act on their own to shore up funding for roads, bridges and other projects. Why Car Mechanics Are Scarce and Your Repair Bills Are High
New York Times
Think the service department's labor charges of $125 an hour are high enough? Car dealerships still can't get enough people to do the work. A shortfall of automotive technicians has become more acute as vehicles have become more computerized and vocational programs have vanished from high schools. No more learning by looking over a patient mentor's shoulder: Goodbye, Mr. Goodwrench. Hello, Mr. Digital Motorgeek. Illegal Scavengers Steal Sunken Warships, Right Down to the Bolts
Outside Magazine
Why big old sunken ships are so appealing to illegal salvagers: "When it comes to scrap, it's all about the tonnage. If you went out to scrap a modern-day coastal freighter, you're not going to find much to it. But a World War II riveted hull, you're talking about lots and lots of structural steel." Now survivors and descendants of those who died on the USS Houston are pushing for strict new laws to save the ship and the remains of those aboard. Criminals Peg Digital Extortion to McDonald's Price
Observer
Don't look over your shoulder, Hamburglar: Fatboy is gaining on you. When the new ransomware by that name calculates digital extortion to free up devices it has infected and paralyzed, it has the good manners to take its victim's cost of living into consideration. It relies on the "Big Mac Index" maintained by The Economist magazine. In other words, Fatboy thinks the poor deserve a break today. | 
