Posted on 12/16/2013 10:07:17 AM PST by SkyPilot
Edited on 12/16/2013 10:11:53 AM PST by Admin Moderator. [history]
GOP lawmakers and military groups have lined up against the bipartisan budget deal making its way through Congress because of a provision that would trim pay for young military retirees.
In a joint statement last week, Sens. Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) said they cannot support the legislation because it
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
Republicans, democrats. Same scum, different boot.
“I am not counting on SS, are you?”
I don’t know that you can count on anything from the government, whether it be SS or military retirement.
A reduction in the COLA for soldiers under 62 who are employed elsewhere doesn’t sound too bad. If I understand it correctly, that is. In any event, all of us are going to have to make sacrifices to stave off a bankrupt USA. The government’s unfunded pension liabilities are nearly equal to the future shortfalls facing social security. We’re all going to have to tighten our belts a little, lest it all fall apart.
Ahh, but that was only one question and it was pretty much rhetorical.
This one was more relevant and was actually directed at you and folks like you who advocate that veterans get cut FIRST...
“Should I be forced to surrender my “full pension” from the military because of my success after my service?”
I’ll also add now, that disabled vets are not exempt from the cut.
Cowards always play word games, semantics, rationalizations. I don’t suffer fools for long.
When do you start getting on the right side of this so called budget agreement and see that once again, the veterans of this country are tasked with sacrificing first? Above and beyond the takers, the vermin, the scum of society?
You let me know when WE are ALL in this together “tightening our belts”. I’ll play along then, but not when entire segments of the “entitled” class are exempt.
Right now, the only ones getting screwed are the ones who stepped up and made sacrifices for this country.
If anything, those who have made the sacrifices and decisions to serve should be considered the “entitled” segment in all of this.
But instead, they are being singled out for a form of retribution, punishment if you will for doing the right thing.
The sad thing is, and I think I speak for all or almost all military retirees — I will gladly take the cut in benefits and pension IF it was done across the board to the entire Federal Spectrum.
Cut everyone - SS, Welfare, gibs me dats, fed employees, CONGRESS, PRESIDENT, etc. Cut fairly and evenly and you will get no argument from those of us who have sacrificed have our lives for this great country.
“Take the example of an average officer.He has a bachelors degree, and, if he’s anything past a captain, which, if he’s retired, he certainly is so, he has a masters. Rare exception not to.
He’s made, on average, an enormously less amount of salary than his civilian counterpart, for instance a pilot or a doctor, and certainly much less so for his education.”
According to militarypaychart.us, a lieutenant colonel makes $100,000 a year. I don’t know what you think civilians make, but I don’t think that is “enormously less.”
Hes not an Ltc for twenty years
That’s after 20 or so years. Leading up to Ltc, he’s making 60 to 70g An Ltc gets kicked out at age 45 or so, then hhis salary goes to 40 g overnight.
If you don’t look at comparing, compare a superior best trained in the world pilot flying for delta after five or ten years
Then compare an Ltc to a 20 year guy not looking at getting put on a pension, having to look for employment equal to what he’s capable of, competing with guys who’ve been doing the same but are already in the job
Then look at what he does. Most are not just flying. They’re teaching, competing, going on long deployments, briefing superiors, managing a squadron, with superior competence, and have masters degrees.
Then he has to move himself and his family and look for a job. That costs a ton of money.
The finance office estimated five years ago that it costs $20 thousand per move and that’s WITH moving company paid for
That’s what I mean
Jim...please don’t hold back..it’s bad for the BP...
Agreed! While nobody is talking about section8 housing, aid to foreign countries that hate us, or funding for pbs, retired soldiers are the LAST place to cut.
As a military retiree, your motion is seconded...
Who else retires after 20 years?
Police and Fireman, who are also asked to risk their life and limb. In your forties, and after being rode hard for twenty years, few can keep up with the twenty year olds in the physical demands of warfare. That is to say, they ARE too old to do their job - fighting against twenty year old enemies. It is not just a desk job. In the forties, we start having guys die of heart attacks just taking their Physical Training tests, much less than the demands of war. In the forties most are getting too old to keep up with the young guys in physical contests - they are getting too old to do their jobs
Let’s face it - more is demanded from the military, which deserves more pay (even if it is deferred until retirement). I have been trough Walter Reed many times before its closure, meeting with horribly wounded soldiers. I have not seen similar facilities thronged with deformed union members. Being deployed to a combat zone not only puts you at risk, it tears apart your family. You are legally and practically denied the ability to have sex or drink alcohol while deployed - perhaps for years of your young adult life (as in my case). You can be forced to live in conditions like those of a homeless person (as I did), lose out on developing equity in a home, and are constantly subject to a more restrictive legal system entirely than the rest of the citizens of the country.
So the twenty year retirement is there to incentivize people to gut it out, as well as in recognition that most people cannot maintain physical competitiveness of twenty year olds through their fifties and sixties, and need to be eased out without just being dumped to start over at entry level when their kids are coming to college age.
I guess that in your inch deep analysis of this as a “scam”, you would just dump folks on the street whenever they can no longer keep up on the runs, and expect all the rest to not jump ship while they are still young enough to make a good career somewhere else.
THIS Private Ryan is not worth saving. He is a national disgrace.
“Federal employees will have to contribute more to their pensions.
No doubt Patty Murray demanded in return a concession from the military.
What I find amazing is that we got no proposal for income tax hikes from the Democrats even with a socialist Senate and President. And no unemployment extension.”
I have to like this deal. Ok, it would have been nice to get everything you want all the time. But only spoiled children think like that.
Fact is, we got a lot of stuff we like and had to give the other side something too.
Yes...it amazes me the number of people on FR who think we'll never have to give on anything in these budget deals even tho we only have 1/3 of Govt.
Instead of orientating the ire of conservatives on Democrates by merely staying put, the stupid GOPe is attracting the fire on itself... and they call that smart strategy....
I retired at 21 and have a moderately successful 2nd career.
When “they” talked of changing military retirement from what it is now to a 401k type you couldn’t touch until 62 “they” said it would “save” on average $430,000 per retiree.
What they are talking about now is “saving” $83,000 on average per retiree.
Any time “they” talk about “saving” it means taking money out of the pocket of some retiree.
If the full pension was part of the original agreement when the military person signed on then they should get the full pension whether they have a civilian job or not. The civilian job is no one’s business, but the pension...that is a promise that either should not have been made, but since it WAS made it should be kept.
Adding: The symbolic bullet was dodged when Romney/Ryan did not win the presidency. Ryan is an idiot.
Benedict Ryan still has support in WI, I guess, but why? Just name ID
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