purposefully misleading comparison. it s true when you average out all public employee salaries and compare them to private employee salaries, public employees make a little more. but you can t legitimately make that direct comparison, because they re also on average more educated. it s like saying can you believe workers at the veterans affairs make more money than private sector in, say, blum plumbing. well, they re doctors. when you compare the public and private employee with the same level of education, it turns out the results are the complete opposite. in 2008, state workers earn eed 11% less. and local government workers earned 12% less than their counterparts.