Posted on 01/08/2014 6:17:18 PM PST by SkyPilot
Congressional Republicans have been thinking up various clever ways to replace a cut in military pensions for under-62 military retirees with various other cuts in federal expenditures. This is a mistake. As the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget explains, the cut is modest:
Among the elements of the budget deal that passed Congress last month was a small $6 billion change to the way military pensions are calculated for military retirees younger than 62. In the face of lawmakers who would roll back this change, both the Washington Post and Wall Street Journal editorial boards defended the provision in the last two days.
The change would reduce by 1 percent the cost-of-living increases for retirees that are younger than a normal retirement age. Depending on the exact rank and year of retirement, an average retiree’s lifetime payments would be reduced by less than 3 percent, and payments to retirees over 62 would be unchanged. This policy is far more modest than the recommendation of the Bowles-Simpson Fiscal Commission, which recommended completely eliminating COLAs for retirees under age 62.
Over time, however, it will generate larger savings, and give future military retirees time to revise their plans. The provision also addresses, in a small way, the fact that rising compensation costs are crowding out other defense needs, like the need to invest in new technologies. And it demonstrates that Republicans are willing to push back on military compensation, despite the fact that this cuts against type. The fact that GOP lawmakers seem keen to cut spending programs that benefit predominantly Democratic constituencies while protecting those that benefit predominantly Republican constituencies greatly undermines their claim to be consistent spending hawks, and it emboldens their opponents.
(Excerpt) Read more at nationalreview.com ...
What a bunch of baloney.
The author's premise and hope seems to be that if the military, veteran's widow, and military retiree can be sacrificed, then the GOP will have shown the Democrats that since they are willing to murder their own, then maybe, just maybe, the Democrats will betray their base as well.
Reihan Salam? Knock me over with a feather.
Baloney? You are bring kind.
What part of “don’t screw the American veteran” is so hard for National Review to understand?
This despicable cultural Muslim is reveling in his opportunity to encourage the bleeding American veterans financially. Bill Buckley is no doubt rolling in his grave at the descent of National Review from its previous lofty heights.
Fifty years and twenty trillion dollars for The War On Poverty. It’s time for us to pull out of this war just like we pulled out of Iraq.
The Law Of Effect shows us that you generally receive more of the behavior that is rewarded and less of the behavior that is punished. So, retired Veterans sacrificed, suffered and risked for at least twenty years to protect their fellow Americans. They are being punished. Money is being taken from them. Yet, we’re going to give six billion dollars to illegal aliens. They are being paid for breaking our laws. So.....what behavior will we get more of? What behavior will we get less of?
Why, sure.....if we take from the retired Veterans to give money to the Democrats so they can give that money to their base to buy votes, well, then, I’m sure the Democrats will respond in kind. Just like they did last time they took the COLA from the military and started handing out $500 checks to buy votes.
National Review articles will have to start with, “Once upon a time, there was an honest Democrat who put his country ahead of his party.....” I love a good fairy tale.
we forget about all those millions of vets who answered the call but didn't make it a 20 yr career.....
now if we're talking a miltary career, than that is also a "job" ...a real job.....and its a voluntary job....
if one calls themselves conservatives and most here do, then we have to include any and all govt service, which is voluntary, subject to change and/or reduction....
come on people....we can not pay people after 20 yrs of voluntary govt service immediately.....
all govt pensions should not be collectible until age 60......
we are going broke paying these pensions out and I say that as a wife of someone getting a small military pension and on Tricare....
its the old NIMBY attitude....cut everybody else but don't you dare touch my good thing....
Government pensions need to be on the table if the military’s are. You are quite right in that financially we can’t afford everything any more.
Would you make the combat-disabled vet wait until age 60 for a pension?
My argument from the beginning is that if there is any relationship between the government and any of its employees that should be sacrosanct, it should be with the veteran.
“Fifty years and twenty trillion dollars for The War On Poverty.It’s time for us to pull out of this war just like we pulled out of Iraq.”
Why? It’s been a glorious success.
Sure it has gotten anyone out of poverty, and it has actually caused more to fall into poverty - but look at the percentage of poor people that vote Democrap.
That has been the aim of welfare and ‘war on poverty’ all along. And the Democraps are not about to stop anything that works, while the Republi-dwadles lack the ‘attachments’ to even make a small run at stopping it.
Within 15 minutes of some light google searching I could find scores and scores of government “agencies” that just don’t need to exist. I could find hundreds of “programs” that could be cut bare. Until generational welfare cuts are on the board (not deferring cuts, real cuts), until government bloat, until frivolous gov’t spending (remember the GAO video’s and lavish spending?), until cuts in un-employment checks and above all until we audit each and every individual on “disability” (sorry to you freepers that genuinely need it, not lambasting you), not one cent cut from valid veteran pensions and retirements.
According to the radio this evening, the average food stamp beneficiary has enjoyed at 31 percent increase just under the obammy regime. ( this is what the average person on the dole gets. It is not addressing the huge increase in the numbers of people put on the dole under obammy)
Good post.
2012 showed that America has gone past the tipping point.
The entitlement majority rules (temporarily).
1. Retirement benefits are deferred compensation, not welfare. I.e. they are taking away money that has already been earned.
2. War is a young man's at the tactical level game. Very few folks over 40 have the stamina to deal with the exertion, stress, lousy diet, and lack of sleep that exists at the tactical level. A few sage folks that are capable of dealing with the stress at the operation & strategic level are required - we call them “generals” and they are rare individuals. Watching a 50 year old Captain try to keep up with the 18 year olds in the field (German Army) is not pretty or effective.
3. Patsy Murray and the Dems have maneuvered this fight to right where they want it - a circular firing squad in which the retired population is falsely presented as in a zero sum competition with the current force for readiness. This is a false choice. The Free Shit Army (FSA) is the real competition for current and past obligations to job #1 (...provide for the common defense...). Don't get sucked into the BS idea that those who gave need to give more while those that did nothing pay nothing.
4. Finally, we have played this game before in the late 80s with the”redux” retirement plan. The effects on retention ten years later were atrocious. However by then, the maximum # of CPTs and SSGs had already been created. Their exit weakened the pool for all future promotions the MAJ / SFC and beyond.
1. While I would agree with “if one calls themselves conservatives and most here do, then we have to include any and all govt service, which is voluntary, subject to change and/or reduction, that is not what happened.
a. FUTURE gov’t workers pensions were trimmed. They have the ability to change their behavior based on a new contract. Retirees were not given that courtesy.
b. Nor was there any realistic hope that there cuts would be applied to deficit reduction. It was just a smash and grab to fund the illegals etc etc.
2. ....suggest you watch the movie “The Caine Mutiny”, specifically Lt. Barney Greenwald’s soliloquy at the end for a different perspective on what it means to stand the watch.
So breaking a solemn promise is okay as long as it is fiscally sound? No wonder the GOP-e never wins any more.
You are absolutely right.
Yep. No war could go on for fifty years unless someone was making money off it and the Democrats are making money off it.
Active Duty/Retiree ping.
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