[SkyPilot]

Two points about the article:

1. Compensation costs are not hollowing out the Pentagon's budget as Ryan and Chuck Hagel have repeatedly said. They are using a cooked book number by taking the projected costs only since 1998 projected through 2008 - during that time, Congress had to fix the disastrous REDUX that robbed post 1986 military officers and enlisted, and Congress implemented TRICARE For Life (TFL) that prevented retired military from being immediately booted from TRICARE when the reached Medicare age. But those were one time fixes. The personnel and compensation costs for military today are about 1/3rd, almost identical to what they have been since 1980.

2. Lawrence Korb is a George Soros financed hack through two Soros front groups: the Center for American Progress and the Business Leaders for Sensible Priorities. Both organizations are left wing Soros outfits whose stated goals are to gut the military, rob veterans, and destroy our defense capabilities so as to free up Billions in funding and give it away as socialism and welfare.

Paul Ryan's cynical attack on veterans and their families, all to "save" $5.7 billion over ten years, will not be quickly forgotten.

[GeronL]

Who didn’t think that was going to “backfire”?

[SkyPilot]

Ping - and good news.

It's over.

Senate votes to restore military pensions

The Senate vote was 95-3 in favor, following the overwhelming vote in the House last night. It now goes to Obama's desk.

Jet - I would appreciate a ping to our military and retired military giving them the good news. Thanks.

[mrsmel]

And to think of all the places where cuts could be made with much more justification. I have my own ideas on that, would love to see others’ suggestions.

[afraidfortherepublic]

Ryan gets blasted again over military retirement jpay.

FReep Mail me if you want on, or off, this Wisconsin interest ping list.

[SZonian]

Good news, but it shows the razor’s edge that is being walked with regards to military benefits...

Hell, there are folks right here on FR who believe a veteran “retiring” is still of “working age” (define that please you losers) and thus, shouldn’t collect a dime until “retirement age” [another nebulous definition that can be unilaterally and arbitrarily changed by the USG at any time].

Oh, and they’re shiftless and lazy, staying at home after “retirement” and “forcing” their spouses to go to work.

[I’m just repeating some of the garbage that I’ve read from other FReepers, so hold your fire.]

[Feckless]

retire with pensions in their 40s after 20 years of service

Retired at 37 with 20 years and 24 days.....

[blueunicorn6]

Good news, but we have a lame duck President who doesn’t like the military. These Congressional sneaks could all vote for it knowing full well that Obama would veto it, and then they shrug their shoulders.

[VRWC For Truth]

The stoopid party needs to quit thinking and start acting. Useless as mams on a bull.

[Norseman]

The graph of personnel costs showing 1/3 of military spending goes to personnel costs and benefits doesn’t really indicate whether or not there’s a problem with benefits out of control. Clearly health costs are a much higher percentage than they used to be, but retirement benefits are apparently wrapped up in the personnel costs figure.

So we can’t tell whether retirement costs are growing as fast, for example, as health care costs. In other words, the graph doesn’t say anything about total benefits vs. total active duty military pay.

The military was bearing half the cost of the sequester. By making a very modest adjustment to the COLA Ryan was able to restore some military funding for troops still on duty. That has to count for something.

And yes, the cut was hitting retirees who were still working age, most of whom probably actually do get jobs upon retirement somewhere around age 40. The disabled were exempt, and the full pay as though no COLA cut had ever occurred was restored at age 65.

Ryan obviously stepped on a land mine in taking this on, but it’s his and the military’s opinion that personnel costs, particularly benefits need to be brought under control. That an extremely modest proposal like this is untenable politically indicates that if benefits are out of control they will remain out of control for the foreseeable future.

[CdMGuy]

One of the things I would like to “quickly forget” is Paul Ryan. He was a bust when it came to debating the Idiot Biden, and he has been a total disappointment since then as he has turned into Boehner’s butt boy. Boehner, Cantor, Ryan are three Congressmen who need to be shown the back door.

[tinamina]

Paul Ryan is dead to me. He came up with the military pension cuts, collaborated with Patty Murray of all people, and now he can’t do anything to restore his reputation in my eyes.

[Jet Jaguar]

Active Duty/Retiree ping.

[ZULU]

Paul Ryan is an overrated idiot.

[SFC Chromey]

One point rarely addressed by these lunatics that talk about these “working-age” retirees, is that most of them have to start at the bottom rung and work their ways up again in whatever industry they decide to enter.

Some may end up with federal contractor work similar to what they had done before they retired, but that is a small percentage of the total.

[MSF BU]

Korb is an interesting character. Certainly he was one of the Reagan Administrations poorer appointment selections. It is interesting given the plethora of combat veterans why he was selected for anything.