Posted on 05/25/2011 4:39:17 AM PDT by AnyStreetFL
The coming round of Pentagon budget cuts will force lawmakers to consider reducing military pay and benefits, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Tuesday, raising an issue that could prove politically sensitive in a time of war,
In what was billed as Mr. Gates's last major policy speech, the outgoing Pentagon chief said the government would have to "re-examine military compensation," consider altering the retirement system to bring down costs, and address spiraling health-care costs.
Trimming Pentagon spending, Mr. Gates said, "will entail going places that have been avoided by politicians in the past."
Secretary of Defense Robert Gates says a steep decline in military spending may force the Pentagon to abandon some missions, minimize the armed forces and possibly limit America's role in the world.
Military pay has risen steadily in recent years, as lawmakers have sought to reward troops for repeated, long deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. Health-care costs have also ballooned, expanding to $50 billion a year from $19 billion a decade ago.
Mr. Gates's previous efforts to trim compensation costs failed. The defense secretary, who has served in the administrations of both Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush, tried to raise health-care premiums or co-pays for military retirees, but lawmakers were loath to raise expenses for military families during wartime.
But growing pressure on lawmakers in recent years to deliver big reductions in the federal deficit have persuaded defense planners that Congress may be willing to take a new look at military compensation.
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
Sleaze ball government after military pay ping!
Easy fix, Republicans just say NO
If Congress decides to cut military pay and benefits will they cut their own?
If President 0bama signs off on it will he accept cuts in his pay and allowances?
There is one and ONLY 1 thing the Federal Gov’t is supposed to do:
Provide for the common defense.
All else can be done away with.
EPA: Gone
Funding for NPR: Gone
HHS: gone
the list goes on........
Maybe we should get millions off the freaking dole first.
How many of you get a “raise” just because you choose to have another child?
Those on welfare do.
The first step: no more money no matter how many more kids. Make ends meet, the rest of us have to.
Also: Don’t allow immigrants to immediately qualify for welfare. If you come here and can’t make it, you are welcome to go on home.
Eventually phase it out all together. Let the “needy” go to churches and private charities.
No military pay cuts until the sleazeballs in congress and the white house have their pay cut!
How about cutting them before hurting the trigger-pullers?
The coming round of Pentagon budget cuts will force lawmakers to consider reducing military pay and benefits, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Tuesday
OK. Start with YOUR salary Gates, then move on to the General Staff etc. I’ll bet millions can be cut before a real soldier ever loses a cent.........
One word: Obamacare.
This is the payoff of every socialist scheme since 1920: weaken the governments and military establishments of the Main Enemy capitalist West.
This is the Cloward-Pivening of the DoD.
Clearly room for pay cuts at the top grafes both officer and enlisted!
In the case of enlisted, the E8/E9 (supersgts) was a farce from the gitgo, i.e. 1960...
The original pre-1960 7 enlisted pay grades was good; if just a question of more pay an increase could have been effected t/o the enlisted ranks, especially those who do the work—privates, corporals, and buck sergeants!!!!!
Semper Fidelis
Gunny G
aka: Dick Gaines
1952...1972
*****
In times like these, even sacred cows are gonna have to be cut. As nasty as that sounds, it’s a must.
Hear, hear
Billions of stimulis pork doled out to keep union jobs and pensions paid for off the backs of taxpayers.
But....we are supposed to cut the military pay and benefits.
The country is a total disaster.
Oh man, you went after the sacred cow of the DOD lol. There are some good DOD Civs but there is a reason they have the reputation they do.
“Now, what is Congress, the President, his cabinent, Czars, government workers and welfare scum going to sacrifice? I earned my benefits after over 20 years service Mr. Gates. What are you going to sacrifice for our currently serving troops? “
************************
THEY’re not going to do zip-point-sh!t! As always...and it will stay thataway as we go the rest of the way down the sh!ttube!
All politicians (those in all walks of life) are scum—this is why the FFs were so harsh on them—their “quotes” are well known (but not enough well known, apparently)anduntil/if we the sheeple take over and rule the scum with an iron fist will things change.
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