Posted on 11/29/2010 7:29:22 PM PST by 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.”
(Excerpt) Read more at thehill.com ...
How about—NO.
How many millionaires and above are in Congress right now? The pay they receive is chump change to them—I would LOVE to see Boehner lead the way in donating his ENTIRE Congressional salary to a military fund (if HolyO and those anti-American idiots force all this through)—what happened last week? John Kerry rented out everything somewhere for himself? (Saw the story in passing)—wonder how many democrats who pay lip service “Oh, I’m against the war but I support the troops!!” BS would jump on THAT bandwagon if the Republicans in the House and Senate did such a thing???
Yes, I’m dreaming again. Someone slap me and wake me up from this nightmare. :*(
I certainly agree that we need to make major reductions across government. Since the military is a substantial part of government spending, it cannot be spared. I am sensitive to compensation of military serving in war zones abroad. Perhaps pay of higher ranks especially for those serving in the US can be reduced or controlled more. The major savings will need to come from reducing our committments abroad and in some weapon systems.
Unfortunately, we have no choice but to reduce spending across government. Either we reduce across government or external forces will compel reductions for us. The impact of external forces will be much uglier than reductions initiated ourselves.
Before INCOME TAXES I assume? Of course this does not dependent allowances..which is a pittance. Back in the 60’s it was $130 a month for a wife and 2 dependence.
Burger flippers make more than a E-1 and are not laying their lives on the line.
Do me a favor post this as a stand alone thread and link back to this one. Civilians need to be more aware of what our Military is actually paid. A few photos of the conditions they live in from the ME would be helpful too.
Mine is long retired, but served on the Midway when they were bringing the ambassador out of Nam. Off the coast of Cuba during the Missile Crisis.
My dad put the flag back up on Corregidor on a telegraph pole under sniper fire when MacArthur retook “The ROCK”. Spent nearly his whole W2 time in the Pacific theater.
Uncle-in-law Ralph did his time in Burma area, part of it under Merrill’s Marauders.
They all more than earned the pittance they were paid, and the bennies they were PROMISED.
Yep, an they could have had a Marine serving their needs!!!
It would be interesting to know how far back in Mr. Hoyers family you need to go, how many decades, before you find a man who has worn the uniform. I think Hoyer should put this to a vote, and see how many votes he gets.
Don’t forget about cutting funding for turtle tunnels and bridges to nowhere before we cut troop pay and retirement!
There are a lot of things that be cut first.
Please be precise about military benefits. Exactly what benefits are “out of hand”?
Please be precise about military benefits. Exactly what benefits are “out of hand”?
When you were in ten years ago, we were coming off of Clinton’s military slashing. We had everyone who was an E-5 and below on food stamps and WIC. (We were in then, too.) Remember, he put a pay cap in COL increases at inflation minus 1%? After 8 years, we were so far behind the real-world numbers that people were fleeing the military in droves.
But that’s exactly what he wanted. He cut troop numbers by 40% then sent our understrengthed services off on “peacekeeping missions” for the UN. It was exhausting.
It was hell being in under Clinton.
GailA obviously has no clue about military pay/benefits. She hears some talking head say soimething and immediately absorbs it as truth.
How does FR attract people with so little thinking capacity?
Wow, Mr. businessprofessor. You’re just too smart for words. The military is the best bargain in government. And the people who volunteer to serve are even willing to give up their lives in defense of your right to say stupid things.
Our military is expensive and we are broke. You can deny this reality but external forces are waiting to pounce on the dollar if we do not reduce spending substantially. Military spending cannot be spared. However, I believe that military spending is a priority over most other parts of government. I am not criticizing the work done by the military. Military spending (as other parts of government spending) will be reduced either directly or indirectly. If you want to see the ravages of indirect spending reductions on the military, look at the meltdown of military spending in Russia after the fall of the Soviet Union. I want to avoid this type of situation by reducing government spending and unleashing our economic potential.
I think that you're right in some respects. Military spending must be cut.
HOWEVER, it shouldn't be the first thing cut. As I stated in a previous post, lets cut the turtle tunnels and bridges to nowhere first. Let's cut government grants. Let's cut spending on illegals first. Let's reduce federal workers' pay first. (Just to bring it more into line with civilian pay.) Let's cut the power and funding of the EPA and the NEA first. Let's streamline the tax code so that we can let go of 3/4ths of the IRS personal.
Then let's cut military spending. But before we cut the service-members' pay and retirement, let's stop funding on congresses' pet projects. Projects that are considered so frivolous and expensive that the Pentagon rejected them. Let's get out of Iraq (the right way). Before we cut troop pay and retirement, let's use their cheap labor (and it *is* cheap labor) to secure the border. Let's take contractors off military base duties like "gate guard" and give those jobs to soldiers.
The reality is that we may have to eventually cut military pay and retirement, but there are so many things that should go first. Why is everyone so eager to slash the throat of the military as soon as things get tight? (And it's like this EVERY FRIGGIN' TIME.) It's shameful.
Hoyer got re-elected.
And he’ll get re-elected again in 2012.
So what do you want me to say?
I know.
Unlike 95% of the career “civil servants” working for the government at least the military does some honest to God work everyday.
I say freeze then cut the pay and benefits of all of these career politicians.... Make it less lucrative to stay in office for life.
I agree. The left wants to gut military spending and leave everything else relatively untouched. We need to prioritize government spending. Military is a core function of government so military spending should be reduced less. Government transfer payments especially to able bodied individuals are not a priority.
Ok, how about this.....
How about cutting half or all of the Department of Education's budget since they loose half of it each year because of a total lack of accountability.
Or better yet let's eliminate or re-align some of this dead wood:
Administration for Children and Families (ACF)
Administration for Native Americans
Administration on Aging (AoA)
Administration on Developmental Disabilities
Administrative Committee of the Federal Register
Administrative Conference of the United States
Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts
Advisory Council on Historic Preservation
African Development Foundation
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)
Agency for International Development
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
Agricultural Marketing Service
Agricultural Research Service
Agriculture Department (USDA)
Air Force (Roll them back into the Army)
Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Bureau (Justice)
Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (Treasury)
American Battle Monuments Commission
AMTRAK (National Railroad Passenger Corporation)
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
Appalachian Regional Commission
Architect of the Capitol
Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (Access Board)
Archives (National Archives and Records Administration)
Arctic Research Commission
Armed Forces Retirement Home
Arms Control and International Security
Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Interagency Coordinating Committee
Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation
Bonneville Power Administration
Botanic Garden
Broadcasting Board of Governors (Voice of America, Radio|TV Marti and more)
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (Justice)
Bureau of Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade (Treasury)
Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services (DHS)
Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA)
Bureau of Engraving and Printing
Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)
Bureau of Industry and Security (formerly the Bureau of Export Administration)
Bureau of International Labor Affairs
Bureau of Justice Statistics
Bureau of Labor Statistics
Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
Bureau of Prisons
Bureau of Public Debt
Bureau of Reclamation
Bureau of the Census
Bureau of Transportation Statistics
Capitol Visitor Center
Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (formerly the Health Care Financing Administration)
Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board
Chief Acquisition Officers Council
Chief Financial Officers Council
Chief Human Capital Officers Council
Chief Information Officers Council
Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee
Citizenship and Immigration Services Bureau (formerly Immigration and Naturalization Service)
Civilian Radioactive Waste Management
Commerce Department
Commission of Fine Arts
Commission on Civil Rights
Commission on International Religious Freedom
Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (Helsinki Commission)
Committee for Purchase from People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled
Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements
Committee on Foreign Investments in the United States
Commodity Futures Trading Commission
Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS)
Community Planning and Development
Comptroller of the Currency Office
Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US CERT)
Congress
Congressional Budget Office (CBO)
Congressional Research Service
Constitution Center
Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)
Coordinating Council on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
Copyright Office
Corporation for National and Community Service
Council of Economic Advisers
Council on Environmental Quality
Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
Court of Federal Claims
Court of International Trade
Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency for the District of Columbia
Customs and Border Protection
Denali Commission
Department of Agriculture (USDA)
Department of Commerce (DOC)
Department of Education (ED)
Department of Energy (DOE)
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
Department of Justice (DOJ)
Department of Labor (DOL)
Department of State (DOS)
Department of the Interior (DOI)
Department of the Treasury
Department of Transportation (DOT)
Director of National Intelligence
Disability Employment Policy Office
District of Columbia Home Page
Domestic Policy Council
Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)
Economic, Business and Agricultural Affairs (State Department)
Economic Adjustment Office
Economic Analysis, Bureau of
Economic Development Administration
Economic Research Service
Economics & Statistics Administration
Election Assistance Commission
Employee Benefits Security Administration (formerly Pension and Welfare Benefits Administration)
Employment and Training Administration (Labor Department)
Endangered Species Committee
Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
Energy Information Administration
English Language Acquisition Office
Engraving and Printing, Bureau of
Environmental Management (Energy Department)
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
Executive Office for Immigration Review
Export Administration (now the Bureau of Industry and Security)
Export-Import Bank of the United States
Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE)
As well as the hundreds of others that I havn’t listed.
Each one of these so-called “commissions” has a board where each member receives a 6 figure salary each year
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