Re: Subject: Military Paid too much?
 

Sounds as if our thinking is much more inline than I initially thought. Here is the source of what I alluded to in the difference of compensation between different segments of our society:

Rush Limbaugh (not exactly a neutral source either--but the facts and number check out):

"The vast differences in compensation between victims of the September 11 casualty and those who die serving our country in Uniform are profound. No one is really talking about it either, because you just don't criticize anything having to do with September 11. Well, I can't let the numbers pass by because it says something really disturbing about the entitlement mentality of this country. If you lost a family member in the September 11 attack, you're going to get an average of $1,185,000. The range is a minimum guarantee of $250,000, all the way up to $4.7 million. https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...emlins/eek.gif

If you are a surviving family member of an American soldier killed in action, the first check you get is a $6,000 direct death benefit, half of which is taxable. https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...s/confused.gif

Next, you get $1,750 for burial costs. If you are the surviving spouse, you get $833 a month until you remarry. And there's a payment of $211 per month for each child under 18. When the child hits 18, those payments come to a screeching halt. https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...emlins/mad.gif

Keep in mind that some of the people who are getting an average of $1.185 million up to $4.7 million are complaining that it's not enough. Their deaths were tragic, but for most, they were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. Soldiers put themselves in harms way FOR ALL OF US, and they and their families know the dangers. https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...lins/dunno.gif

We also learned over the weekend that some of the victims from the Oklahoma City bombing have started an organization asking for the same deal that the September 11 families are getting. In addition to that, some of the families of those bombed in the embassies are now asking for compensation as well.

You see where this is going, don't you? Folks, this is part and parcel of over 50 years of entitlement politics in this country. It's just really sad. Every time a pay raise comes up for the military, they usually receive next to nothing of a raise. Now the green machine is in combat in the Middle East while their families have to survive on food stamps and live in low-rent housing. Make sense?

However, our own U.S. Congress voted themselves a raise. Many of you don't know that they only have to be in Congress one time to receive a pension that is more than $15,000 per month. https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...emlins/mad.gif And most are now equal to being millionaires plus. They do not receive Social Security on retirement because they didn't have to pay into the system.

If some of the military people stay in for 20 years and get out as an E-7, they may receive a pension of $1,000 per month, and the very people who placed them in harm's way receives a pension of $15,000 per month.

I would like to see our elected officials pick up a weapon and join ranks before they start cutting out benefits and lowering pay for our sons and daughters who are now fighting."

Re: Subject: Military Paid too much?
 

Bill,
I didn't intend any offense by my previous reply, and I hope we can remain on a friendly basis. After all, how many folks out there truly love the N96? https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...ns/naughty.gif

One thing I neglected to say in my previous post -

THANK YOU for serving our country, for putting your life on the line so fat old guys like me can sit around a keyboard and debate freely! https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...ns/worship.gif https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...mlins/flag.gif
THANK YOU and all other veterans for defending our precious freedom. https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...mlins/flag.gif https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...lins/beers.gif

-Sam

Re: Subject: Military Paid too much?
 

[ QUOTE ]
After all, how many folks out there truly love the N96?

[/ QUOTE ]

Now that's funny! https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...mlins/haha.gif

You didn't offend me at all Sam. I checked the sites you posted and got sucked in to fact-check.org until 11pm last night. I still think that a "reduction in the rate of growth" or a "rollback" sounds a lot like a "cut," it's just how people interpret what's being said.



N96's and black rear panels forever. https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...iggthumpup.gif

Re: Subject: Military Paid too much?
 

A wise old accountant told me once that there are three kinds of lies. White lies, Damn lies, and Statistics.
If you think the folks from Arthur Anderson were crooks, (remember Enron? they would sure like to forget it if they were still around), they learned at the feet of the GAO.
Nobody can cook the books like our own government.
If any private enterprise used government accounting practices, they would soon be out of business.
Having said that, just remember this:
1. People in this country can succeed if they work hard enough.
2. Nobody ever said that life was fair.
3. We all row our own boats.
4. We have an all volunteer army.
Just my .02 worth. https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...mlins/flag.gif
Andy

Re: Subject: Military Paid too much?
 

The only problem I have with Mr. Braggs letter back to Cindy Williams is he left out some very pertinent facts about his low salary.

Yes he may take home "only" $13,000 per year BUT he has free housing, free utilities (except phone), no property tax, does not have to do any lawn maintenace like cutting grass if he lives on base housing, PX privledges etc etc. Plus he received free training in his occupation from his years in the military which he can then go onto the civilian side when he retires. Another perk is he for the most part does not have the fear of being laid off, outsourced, etc. He mentions he works with Cisco infratructure. Look ta all the iT pros that are out of a job right now and begging for IT work. In this day and age of this happening quite frequently the reassurance of having a job that is safe means some compensation in itself (mental health ease alone).


Another perk is you can retire after 30 years collect your pension and then go into civilian job sector and receive prefferential treatment on hiring because you are a vetern.

Also besides your combat pay you pay no income taxes while in combat.

I really do appreciate what the military does and have a brother in law who is a Col in the Army. But sometime these letters irk me(whether liberal or from the right) when they leave this info out and portray something as a really bad deal when in reality it not that bad a deal.

Re: Subject: Military Paid too much?
 

"Yes he may take home "only" $13,000 per year BUT he has free housing, free utilities (except phone), no property tax, does not have to do any lawn maintenace like cutting grass if he lives on base housing, PX privledges etc etc."

$13,000 take-home is still jack-squat, whether someone else mows the grass outside his enlisted dorm building or not. I lived in officer housing in the USAF and if I left the porch light on after sunrise I had to stand tall in front of the Wing Commander. I also had to mow the grass, front and back, and if the Wing Commander thought my lawn was a tad long then I was in trouble. The PX ain't that great unless you live on a base with a large retired military community nearby, like Luke AFB in Phoenix. Great Commissary (supermarket) there but the ones at more remote bases suck. We did most of our grocery shopping in town. Oh, and many of those young enlisted with babies were delivering pizzas in the evening after duty hours.

"Plus he received free training in his occupation from his years in the military which he can then go onto the civilian side when he retires."

That's the trade-off we make with a all-volunteer force and it's a major recruitment tool. Why would any red-blooded young American not want to learn a marketable skill while in uniform? How many prison guards, police officers, customs agents, border patrol, TSA, etc. got their start in the military? Millions of them.

"Another perk is he for the most part does not have the fear of being laid off, outsourced, etc."

Ever heard of a RIF? That's a "Reduction In Forces" and it's how the military reduces certain over-staffed (or just plain cut, like navigators) career fields. Yes, the smart/lucky ones can cross-train into a different career field but RIFs usually result in fewer troops in uniform. In today's military they need every breathing soul they can get so no RIF fears at the moment.

"He mentions he works with Cisco infrastructure. Look at all the IT pros that are out of a job right now and begging for IT work."

Much of the civilian I.T. work has been sent overseas where the cheap labor is, so yes, $13,000 looks great by comparison.

"Another perk is you can retire after 30 years collect your pension and then go into civilian job sector and receive prefferential treatment on hiring because you are a veteran."

A great old friend of mine retired from the USAF as a Master Sergeant. He went out to San Diego and applied for a job at a BMW motorcycle dealership. (He had attended the BMW mechanics school in Texas and gotten some form of certification.) The shop owner hired him but later said that because he was a retiree getting a gov't check he should take less pay than the other guys at the shop. That's a slap in the face in my book. "Thanks for your service and I'm going to pay you less because of it."

"Also besides your combat pay you pay no income taxes while in combat."

Well I certainly hope so! "While you're getting blown-up by car bombs we're gonna' make you pay income tax." SLAP! Again, that's part of the deal we make with our volunteer Army.

"I really do appreciate what the military does and have a brother in law who is a Col in the Army. But sometime these letters irk me(whether liberal or from the right) when they leave this info out and portray something as a really bad deal when in reality it not that bad a deal."

We all support the troops. But try getting by on that $13K per year plus "perks", plus many months in lousy combat conditions, and tell me how good a deal it is.

Don't get irked. Call your Congressman and ask him why the troops are still scrounging through Iraqi garbage dumps looking for armor for their Hummvees.

Re: Subject: Military Paid too much?
 

WOW Bill, You are into it. Are you a politician?

Re: Subject: Military Paid too much?
 

NO! I couldn't do that job---couldn't kiss that much a$$ either. I like people, really I do, but my moral compass would go wild among that crowd. But it would be nice to get Congress' lifetime health care and retirement benefits. Oh, and the paycheck ain't bad. Plus, they get free parking up front at Washington National (Reagan) airport. Hey, you need a Congresional representative in your neck of the woods?

https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...lins/beers.gif

Re: Subject: Military Paid too much?
 

You da man Bill. Like I said, my son is going to Iraq. We are not happy about it. I don't care what they get paid. If he doesn't come back, it is all in vein. Don't know why the National Guard has to get deployed to there. I don't think this will ever end.

Re: Subject: Military Paid too much?
 

[ QUOTE ]
Another perk is you can retire after 30 years collect your pension and then go into civilian job sector and receive prefferential treatment on hiring because you are a veteran.

[/ QUOTE ]

That is if you're lucky enough to survive that long...And I personally haven't seen any preferential treatment with hiring of veterans...