Posted on 08/09/2015 8:22:31 AM PDT by SandRat
Defense officials appear ready to ask Congress to repeal a law that commissaries must sell products at cost plus 5 percent, a formula that for decades has ensured commissary shoppers everywhere pay the same prices.
Officials have drafted a replacement formula that would allow prices to vary from store to store to meet a new twin goal: reducing taxpayer support for commissaries while maintaining still attractive savings for patrons.
Variable pricing would seek to keep savings consistent across the commissary system by pegging local commissary prices for a market basket of goods at some target percentage level below prices of “lowest-price” competitors nearby such as Wal-Mart stores.
(Excerpt) Read more at svherald.com ...
Sadly, “ military reform” always means BOHICA
Prices going up
Got TRICARE premium increase news yesterday
” free healthcare for life” is sure getting expensive
Unfortunately, there is a lot of abuse of the commissary system. Many people shop for friends and relatives who are not eligible for this benefit.
Who needs Congress? The Pentagon should just appeal to King ø to issue an executive order.
Just buying the food E-4’s and frail elderly retirees are having to leave on the shelves ....
A disturbing number of military are on food stamps
As usual, if it’s run by the government, it’s screwed up. People scamming government programs get more out of them than the people the programs are intended to help.
That, I doubt
There may be some unauthorized users but overwhelmingly the patrons are authorized
ID check in effect at doors and at checkout
Unfortunately, many who are eligible can not use the benefit due to distance or lack of transportation.
I smell cronyism and “Walmart welfare.” As I read the article, this means that in places where food costs are high, Commissary prices will go up.
However, DoD computes a local cost of living allowance, or COLA for GIs at every location. If the market-basket food costs go up due to increased Commissary prices, the COLA will go up. There is no saving of tax dollars.
However, if GIs don’t shop in the Commissary because of increased prices, Sams club, Walmart, Costco, etc., will benefit. How convenient!
Sounds like one or more Washington politicians will be getting campaign contributions, perhaps?
Your military ID card is scanned at the register. No ID card...no can buy.
100% politics and paying off big donors and this support will come from both parties. Politicians don't see military benefits as anything that helps themselves. They would much prefer hand out more free stuff to larger numbers of voters. Military beneficiaries actually earned what they received through service and dangerous work. The government chose to defer some of their compensation after their service, and now they are reneging on their promises. Notice that they won't do that for the folks in the Hood.
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