53% of Federal, State and Local Employees are unionized. Many are paid twice the amount of taxpayers working in the private sector. The U.S.  is  fast moving in the direction that caused the former USSR to collapse, imploding numbers of government bureaucrats. Ordinary Soviet Union Citizens not working for government barely earned enough money to buy food, while Soviet government workers were paid well and had lots of perks. In the U.S. despite the horrific recession, most government employees have not been adversely affected economically compared to U.S. Citizens working in the private sector. In addition to federal employees, state and local government employees have received pay increases and supported raising property taxes to ensure their government jobs and perks stay in tact. Meanwhile millions of U.S. Citizens appear destined for soup-lines. Considering the high salaries paid government, state and local employees, in many cases two government employees could be hired for the salary of one.  Candidates running for government office should include in their campaign issues cutting the salaries of certain government bureaucrats to help cut federal deficits.