Posted on 11/07/2002 6:17:32 AM PST by matrix
By JENNIFER SERGENT
Scripps Howard News Service
November 06, 2002
- For the first time in his adult life, retired Army Master Sgt. John McNatt voted a Democratic ticket in Tuesday's elections.
The Clearwater, Fla., man said he voted against Gov. Jeb Bush as a protest against Bush's brother, who is threatening to veto defense legislation that would increase pension payments to disabled military retirees - veterans with 20 or more years of service.
"Yesterday was the first time I voted for a Democrat, ever," said McNatt, whose service-related heart condition rendered him unable to work at age 46. "I was trying to send a message to the president that his administration's stance on this is wrong."
McNatt is not the only one fighting President Bush. More than 50,000 military retirees spread the word on the Internet to vote Democratic in this year's midterm elections. And if the president follows through with the pension veto, they promise to go after him in 2004.
"I think the veterans' community will voice their displeasure at the ballot box. This is one of the most cohesive issues that I've ever seen as far as bringing veterans together," said retired Army Lt. Col. Larry Wayne, 60, of Knoxville, Tenn. Wayne suffers from Lyme disease, which he contracted during his service and has led to painful arthritis.
At issue is a provision in the 2003 defense authorization bill that would allow disabled military retirees to receive their full pension from the Department of Defense at the same time they get disability pay from the Department of Veterans Affairs.
At present, their pensions are offset dollar for dollar by the amount they receive in disability. Some retirees who have major disabilities must forfeit their entire pension for that reason. The only advantage to the offset is that the disability portion of the payments is tax-free.
Congress enacted a law forbidding "concurrent receipt" of the two payments in 1891, after it discovered that the government was mistakenly paying active-duty soldiers a retirement pension and disability at the same time.
Veterans groups say the policy is outdated and grossly unfair. Soldiers earn their pension with 20 or more years of service; they earn disability if they are injured during that service.
"They are really two different things," said Marvin Harris, a spokesman for The Retired Officers Association near Washington. "They are not overpaid. Their benefits are not generous."
Congress is attempting to respond to that concern. The House and Senate each has a bill designed to help the veterans. The White House rejects both.
In its veto recommendation to President Bush, the Office of Management and Budget said the needs of active duty soldiers and the current war effort outweighs those of veterans.
The pension costs "would necessarily require tradeoffs with war fighting capabilities," a budget office memo said.
The defense bill remains in limbo because of the veto threat. Lawmakers expect to bring up the issue during a post-election session that starts Nov. 12.
Of the nation's 25.7 million veterans, only 643,000 are military retirees whose pensions are offset by disability payments.
David Chu, undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, said that small niche of veterans is taken care of through a generous retirement program, which includes 50 to 75 percent of base pay, free health care and deep grocery discounts at commissaries.
"We think we've done a good job at taking care of that group of people," Chu said. "There isn't the kind of need there that would justify the expense to the taxpayer and the sacrifices others will have to make if either provision passes the Congress."
Daniel McCarthy of Albuquerque, N.M., offered a one-word answer to the claim that soldiers would suffer if military retirees got more money: "Bull."
"It's not taking money from anybody," said McCarthy, 56, a retired senior master sergeant of the Air Force who is disabled from a gunshot wound in the Vietnam War and lingering post-traumatic stress disorder.
Back in Clearwater, McNatt said he isn't going to think about the Bush administration's excuses when the presidential election comes around.
"We would be very disappointed in a president who's willing to send American men and women into battle, knowing they will sustain injuries and wounds that are going to affect them for the rest of their lives, and not having the decency to provide them with their (disability) compensation and their retirement."
... I guess if you can win without them, disabled vets don't count ...Are we supposed to vote for those who benefit us personally?
And it is foolish to try to "punish" someone's brother for the action/inaction of a sibling...
The VFW endorsed Wellstone for Congress. They got taken apart for this action. Vets/retirees make a real mistake by tossing away their votes for an ambiguous "promise" from the Dims.
The VA is the best example of why the government shouldn't be in the health care business. Have you seen the type of care they offer? The burial plot you refer to is usually the finish of the Vet's treatment. Somebody who has dealt with Veteran's death benefits lately can update this, but i'll tell you that what the government pays doesn't make up for much of the cost.
Once again the dems exploited this issue hoping to hurt the republican party.
Nice to know that President Bush has his priorities straight....and by the way everyone in our family is a vet! And none would ever dream of voting democrat.
Firstly, we're in a war-time deficit. I dont care what some veteran's interest group says -- any monies directed to them is taken away from active duty soldiers. Our enlisted soldiers are pathetically paid-- some have to live off food stamps, for heaven's sake, because the pay hasn't been increased enough in the past 20 years. Give them the money first, then the vets.
I certainly dont begrudge the veterans any benifits they derive. But there must be other priorities first. The vets certainly havent been ripped off.
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