Posted on 01/06/2014 4:32:25 PM PST by SkyPilot
Led by Paul Ryan and Patty Murray but abetted by Barack Obama, Congress recently gambled with our nation’s future for an extremely modest short-term gain.
In doing so, it was given aid and comfort by knowledge-starved pundits, axe-grinding editorial boards, and self-anointed armchair analysts everywhere, as it left the military and veteran community standing with their jaws on the ground in despairing disbelief. Exploiting pressure to strike a budget compromise, Ryan and Murray entered into an unholy alliance to reduce veteran pensions – including those already vested under previous covenants – by an average of $84,000 to $120,000.
They obscured this act, as often happens when attempting to mislead, by employing complex-sounding budget doublespeak to minimize the magnitude of the associated moral breach as well as the consequences to veterans and families. In a way, this debacle can be seen as part of our nation’s continual inability to comprehend and bear the costs of being a global superpower with quasi-imperial interests secured by less than one-half of one percent of its population. But the particulars in this case suggest something more disturbing lurking behind the standard wallet-grabbing Congressional milieu: a startling absence of strategic deliberation. When such a deficit impairs elected leaders responsible for national security, potentially grave consequences attend.
Good strategists always ask of any potential course of action two key questions. First, what will this do for us? And second, what will this do to us? Given the dearth of statesmanly impulse at the national level in modern America, it is perhaps unsurprising that in crafting the recent budget, Paul Ryan and Patty Murray asked only the former question, leaving the latter for others to worry about.
The provision at issue retroactively renegotiated the deferred compensation of more than two million military veterans...
(Excerpt) Read more at businessinsider.com ...
“you’re jealous of those who are getting their promised benefits.”
Actually, if we cut and rationalize our costs, including federal, military, state and municipal pension costs, you can preserve a meaningful pension. If we use your strategy, military pension will be eventually eliminated because our money will be worthless, or we’ll be so far in debt we simply can’t pay.
“The fact that I cannot work due to my service-connected disabilities “
You sure there wasn’t a non-government issued cheeseburger or two in your past that may have contributed to your health woes?
Everything with you is someone elses fault. It’s pretty tiresome.
That said, I wish you the self-discipline and luck to fully recover and lead a long and healthful life.
Posted by you an anti military Fringe Libertarian Kook Troll looking for an argument or a government worker jealous of the military retirement. Or both. LOL
Whoever, Whatever, I'm done with your game. Last military associated checks I received was for reserve meetings I attended and for school I was enrolled in almost 30 years ago.
You’re being an ass. Please take it personal.
FOAD
“Posted by you an anti military Fringe Libertarian Kook Troll looking for an argument or a government worker jealous of the military retirement. Or both. LOL”
We cannot afford to make Federal, Military, State,and Municipal employees millionaires.
There is nothing fringe, or even Libertarian about accounting.
Best wishes to you, as well.
“You’re being an ass. Please take it personal.”
Could be. I’ll do my best to take it personally.
I know of which you speak but in the context of this "discussion", that is an uncalled for gross generalization.
There are many, who through no fault of their own are disabled in some fashion due to their jobs in the service.
For only the disabled vets to take cuts, above and beyond the gibsmedats and all the other leeches living large in this country is gross malfeasance and we will pay a price in the future for this action.
The amount of disability pay is deducted from retirement pay unless it reaches a certain percentage threshold.
I don't know any disabled vets who are millionaires...do you?
“Ryan and Murray entered into an unholy alliance to reduce veteran pensions – including those already vested under previous covenants – by an average of $84,000 to $120,000.” So it does say “reduce”. It’s not a big reduction percentage-wise, so that where the figure I’m using comes from. Maybe it’s your turn to “do a Litella”?
That’s not an annual pension; it’s the total payout until the veteran dies, including any survivor benefits.
Total, not annual.
Total, not annual.
Total, not annual.
Total, not annual.
Total, not annual.
Total, not annual.
Total, not annual.
Total, not annual.
“or someone who enlisted at age 18 and retired as an Army sergeant first class at 38, lifetime retirement pay would decline from $1.734 million to $1.626 million, according to House Budget Committee staff.”
The 2014 pay chart shows an SFC (E7) making a maximum of $4,947.
If he retires at half pay, that’s $2,474 per month, or $29,688 per year (less deductions, but let’s keep it simple).
At that rate, our SFC, who is at least 43 years old, would have to collect for 33 years to make even one million dollars. Actuarially, what do you suppose the odds are of a 26-year military veteran living to the age of 76?
Now, to get back to your example, your SFC retired after 20 years of service. That means that his retirement (at half pay) would be $2,186, or $26,232 per year. This guy would have to collect for 62 years to collect $1.626 million. That means he would have to live to the age of 100.
How many military retirees live to be 100 years of age? How many humans of any description live to that age?
Could it be that the sleazeballs in the House Budget Committee are lying—again?
“And that $1.626 million would still be filled out with generous military health coverage”
Road apples. The VA charges me twice as much for generic drugs as Walmart. I pointed out a health problem to the doctor, and she said, well, unfortunately, we don’t do much for that here, or words to that effect. Veterans are not getting the health “coverage” that we were promised when we went in harm’s way.
“and earnings for working in the civilian sector, which most military retirees do.”
That didn’t stop them from cutting the benefits of those disabled by wounds suffered on the field of battle, did it? And while it is true that we sixty-something cripples have employers banging on our doors every morning begging us to come to work, a lot of us remain unemployed. Go figure.
“There it is....$108k not including health benefits, which adds a significant sum to the millions.”
I guess “$108k” is a typo, since that figure doesn’t appear here. Did you mean “$120k?” And once again, the “$120k” is not the annual benefit; it is the total sum paid the veteran until his death, plus any survivor benefits. There are no millions.
“It’s simple math really.”
The difference between an annual payout and the total payout is simple, too, but you don’t seem to be able to get it.
“We cannot afford to make millionaires out of every Federal, Military, State, and Municipal employee.”
You don’t make a millionnaire of a man by paying him $2,186 per month.
Would you please delete my note 110? I accidentally posted it without formatting.
“The difference between an annual payout and the total payout is simple, too, but you don’t seem to be able to get it. “
I understand that you don’t think I get it.
The problem is that I do get it.
It’s you that does not get it. Numbers are complicated, some people simply don’t understand.
You’re one of them.
“That’s not an annual pension; it’s the total payout until the veteran dies, including any survivor benefits.”
That’s not what is being pointed out.
In this case the $108,000 difference is the lifetime difference between $1.734 Million and $1.626 Million, before medical benefits are calculated.
It’s reducing the increase every year.
Federal Pensions pay out similarly, if not higher.
That’s just the way it is. It’s why they won’t be paid as expected. We simply cannot make every Federal, Military, State, and Municipal retiree a millionaire.
Again, money is complicated. COLAs are hard for some people to calculate over the life of the recipient.
“In this case the $108,000 difference is the lifetime difference between $1.734 Million and $1.626 Million, before medical benefits are calculated.”
Please try to understand, before I die of old age.
Those $1.7 million and $1.6 million figures are completely bogus, as the calculations in my last post demonstrated. Didn’t you even read it?
There ain’t no million dollars. If you’re lucky, you’re above the poverty line. If you retired at too low a rank, you are below the poverty line.
Below the poverty line. Not a millionaire.
“We simply cannot make every Federal, Military, State, and Municipal retiree a millionaire.”
I think you are just trying to stir something up. No one could be that obtuse.
“Again, money is complicated.”
You can’t understand this simple arithmetic, and you lecture others?
“COLAs are hard for some people to calculate over the life of the recipient.”
Yeah, well, if COLA increases go up to 100 per cent per year, then you might start seeing some millionaires—some years down the line.
“I understand that you don’t think I get it. The problem is that I do get it.”
I understand that you think you get it. Unfortunately the arithmetic is available for all to see.
“Numbers are complicated, some people simply don’t understand. You’re one of them.”
Howls, Bruce. Howls of derisive laughter.
Taking monthly pay, dividing it in half, and multiplying by 12 is not complicated. That gives you the annual payout. Divide one million by that number, and you have the number of years the veteran must live to collect a million dollars.
Not complicated. Not at all.
I would have said “even a moron could do it,” but I now see that I would have been mistaken.
“...$1.626...That’s the number upon which budgets are based.”
That number is a lie.
“If the number was your number”
Everyone here is telling you the same thing.
“So like it or not, nearly everyone retired from the federal, military, state, and municipal jobs gets a million dollar retirement package.”
I will speak only to the military retirement. We do not get a million-dollar retirement package. Never have, never will.
“That number is a lie.”
It’s the number in the budget. That’s the number that you and everyone else is complaining about.
It’s the number upon which every bitch and complaint on this thread is based upon.
What are you complaining about if not that?
Here’s a novel idea: If it turns out the number is correct will you stop complaining?
“What are you complaining about if not that?”
Your obtuse refusal to understand simple declarative sentences.
“Here’s a novel idea: If it turns out the number is correct will you stop complaining?”
Stop complaining about you? Sure. However, the number is ridiculous.
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