Who pays 1500 for state insurance? It's subsidized. I would have to look up the exact numbers but it should be fairly affordable. I knew people who were single paying 75$.
My grandfather worked for the State and he's earned more money from his pension than he did working. Depends on how long you live.
It's attitudes like that, that makes government worse . Civil service used to be a duty to your country to try and make it better. Serve the people. It's not only about money.
I know people with 3 in their family. 2 adults and 1 child. For a single person, it's about $900. Compare this to say a retail store that I know of in Ala Moana Shopping center. For 2 adults, it's $400. Right now, we're paying $600/mo for 2 adults and 1 child for a different private company, plus the similar state position for Mrs.CMO was paying about $15K a year less than what she's getting via her private employer.
Like you just showed, your grandfather has good benefits. Civil service only goes so far, when it's so bad what's the point. Like any employment, if you want good workers, you have to make it worth their while.
Lets use the military as an example: a E2 gets shit pay. But they can get cola, housing, medical, see the nation/world, etc...
You can argue about it all you want, but my opinion stands due to looking at various jobs in the state from those that require a college degree to those who don't. Plus dealing with various state departments in person and over the phone and getting retards for most of it.