Hoyer: Military should also see pay freeze

The Hill ^ | 11/29/10 | Russell Bermann

[GailA]

The second-ranking House Democrat said Monday that President Obama’s move to freeze the pay of civilian federal employees should also be extended to military personnel.

Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) said including the military would have increased savings and add “an element of fairness." He made the comments in a statement about he president’s announcement of a two-year pay freeze.

“While I appreciate that the president reduced the length of his proposed pay freeze from three to two years,” Hoyer said in a statement, “it would have produced significantly more savings had that sacrifice been shared between federal civilian and military personnel — with a strong exception for the members of our military and civilian employees risking their lives on our behalf in Afghanistan, Iraq, and anywhere else they are serving in harm's way.”

[Nip]

I have an idea to make things “fair” when comparing the military to civilians.

I will support a pay and benefits freeze for the military the day that Congress and other civilians suffer the same personnel losses for the same sources as the military has suffered since 2002, from Wikipeda:

OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM - Afghanistan (Only) As of July 2, 2010, there have been no fewer than 841 dead and an 6,622 additional American have been wounded in action

OPERATION IRQI FREEDOM - As of May 28, 2010, there were 4,404 dead and 31,827 wounded in action.

So, let's make it “fair’ - when civil service total up 5,451 dead in their offices with an additional 38,449 suffering wounds up to an including multiple amputations in their offices I will accept military pay freezes. Until then, go pound sand!

[SIDENET]

I have utmost respect for our military but a pay freeze is required for all or most military personnel. No part of government can be spared from budget reductions. I am not comparing military service to government work. I am indicating that we are broke and better start acting like it if we want to avoid an economic collapse. Military spending reductions will be necessary although hopefully less than other areas of non core government services.

Respectfully, but after what our government has spent in the last few years, what makes you believe that any of those leftist clowns have the slightest interest in cutting spending?

Seriously, are the dems REALLY trying to save money? Is a proposed military pay freeze really supposed to be "fair", or is it just supposed to be a poison pill for other proposed Federal pay freezes?

I mean, come on. How much money are we pissing away on endless so-called "unemployment" benefits? How much did we give to ACORN? Yeah, but controlling spending begins with freezing military pay and screwing with military health plans and retirement.

[Soul of the South]

I agree. I work for a small privately held company. The employees at my company have not had a pay increase in 5 years. When I lost my job a year ago I took a new job for less than 1/2 the pay I was making. We have to put our nation back together and every citizen must bear some of the burden. The minute we make one exception, there will be other clamoring.

I also feel social security benefits should be cut by 5% across the board and the COLA eliminated. Time to get serious about making real cuts in spending.

With respect to the military, we can no longer afford to be the world’s policeman. Bring the troops home from around the world and let the rest of the world deal with its own problems. Station troops on our southern border to stop the invasion of illegals as well as the drug trafficking and gang crime.

[A.A. Cunningham]

We use lots of outsourcing for military work from contractors performing dangerous functions abroad to lots of support work in this country.

Done out of necessity since active duty manpower levels are far below what they need to be.

[Volunteer]

Steny, you are stupid. Do you have to talk and remind everyone how damn stupid you are?

[lookout88]

while I probably agree that military spending and benefits are way out of hand, isnt’ it odd or telling that Hoyer would wait til after the election to bring this up....

Why do you agree with this? A combat soldier starts out at 22K. Another squeak from an ungrateful nation. Right now, the military is the ONLY thing that is keeping you out of a Burqua. Shame on you.

[Paleo Conservative]

I think Congress should get a pay cut, and their pensions should only be funded out of congressional pay rather than be a perk in addition to their bloated pay.

[SIDENET]

Since I retired (22 Years), I get really irritated when someone bitches about military benefits. If it wasn't for these benefits I would've of never had my hearing restored and got my life back.

I like how people act like military and retired military are getting over on the system.

Hell, I've encountered that attitude just from getting tax-free in a war zone. Yeah, I'm really getting over on the system.

Just for the record, my hearing is destroyed. Thousands of hours flying and listening to static on HF, VHF, and UHF radios did the trick. Staring at radar scopes did a number on my eyes, too.

[packrat35]

Hoyer, you piece of shit...

[packrat35]

I feel your pain. I got the old commie also.

[Frantzie]

No cuts for illegals and muslims. They deserve every benefit and freebie they get. They really need more. (s)

[celtic gal]

The military has had a freeze..for those retired and others no COLA for two years. Give me a break..the federal civil service personnel don’t get the same good deal as the military..they have the raises and colas.

[Personal Responsibility]

You mean there is a difference between patrol in Fallujah and making up temperature numbers at the EPA? /s

[celtic gal]

unionizing the military is not a new idea..it was kicked around in the 80’s and is not a good idea..it would not work..military personnel do not go on strike..many of our “rights” are set aside during military service.

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

All troops are in harms way, as any military base can be considered a target. Remember Fort Hood, Stimpy?

And besides, our soldiers and sailors get Public Housing-style pay, while civilian federal employees get something closer to Gated Community-style pay.

Maryland “Freak State” PING!

[DocH]

Hey Hoyer...

GO F**K YOURSELF, YOU DISGUSTING LEFT-WING democRAT POS.

[reader25]

Congress should roll back their pay to 1996 levels. Then should not consider any new funding unless it is offset with a reduction in some other area. NO EXPANSION of budget.billion. If the Democrats want to expand unemployment benefits at a cost of 3 billion then they should be willing to cut the State department budget by 2 billion.

[Robe]

Go ahead and keep pi$$ing off the folks with
the BIG GUNS.. we’ll need ‘em on our side when the time comes ....

[Dundee]

By the looks of it, an E-5 tops out at around $35,000 per year.

Noting that the Aussie dollar is about equal to the greenback, his Aussie counterpart earns a base salary from an absolute low of $57,065 (brand new in the lowest possible pay group) to a max of $91,807 (3 years or more in the hightest possible pay group).

That’s before any extra allowances.

http://www.defence.gov.au/dpe/pac/Pay_Allow_Nov_10.pdf

[gogogodzilla]

Easiest way to save money regarding the military would be to stop fighting wars. The entire war budget would then be saved and the equipment replacement/repair budget drops dramatically.

Not to mention the drop in transportation expenses, what with much less deployments.

---

But you’d keep that going and then cut pay on the guys doing the fighting? Geez...