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 ...
Provide for the common defense.
All else can be done away with.
EPA: Gone
Funding for NPR: Gone
HHS: gone
the list goes on........
EXACTLY! The list sure does go on! Congress can cut funding to all the foreign countries who are our enemies, and my favorite would be to get rid of the Department of Education!
I want this shouted from the rooftops! The Federal government has been out of scope on its responsibilities for over a century, and it’s time to reel them back in.
That being said, let us also remember that many programs lauded by Americans will and should be cut under this moniker unless understood to be necessary for defense: i.e. NASA. However, as I recall, NASA started off as a private entity before the Fed subsidized and eventually subsumed it, no?
If only your words could become reality. Can you imagine how wonderful this Nation would be again?
NASA is one program that does not use very much of the overall budget, and in my opinion is definitely needed for National defense.
The many accomplishments of the program have also given much to society. I once had a very lengthy list of all the contributions NASA has made to improve our lives.
I’m of the same mindset, really. NASA’s the practical R&D department for the military, esp. with rocketry and space defense. I don’t see them as mutually exclusive. If anything, NASA should become another branch of the military, but how to do that would be logistically interesting.
Right on brother!
After four years active USAF duty, I did 33 years as a DOD CIV and my daughter (two deployments to Qatar and Afghanistan)is following in my footsteps. As a civilian I got sent to Vietnam a couple of times, trod a lot of dusty streets in the middle east, served all over Africa and Latin America. I put in a lot of unpaid hours. I hope nobody will begrudge me my pension.
Ron Paul is the only one who will do it. The others like democracy over a Republic.
How about all you freaking commies go live in Cuba or Venezuela?
The military is only TWO PERCENT of our population. But they carry the greatest risk, the put their lives on the line. LEAVE THEM ALONE _ you already tried to freeze them for 3 yrs - and make the wounded pay for their own medical expenses if they had a working wife - even if that wife had to quit work to care for her wounded husband - but had COBRA.
What a bunch of puling pukes, WAshington DC stinks from the odor - and that includes a lot of RINOS.
EXACTLY!
We need to crash DC computers with emails saying JUST THAT
Not hardly.
This is the man we need at the helm - He'll protect the military AND Us, - better than ANYONE you can name -
Revolution
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VP2p91dvm6M
Lt. Col West's statements - he says it up straight and backs down to no one.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGIZtD4ufFo
“I am sick and tired of this class warfare, this Marxist, demagogic rhetoric that is coming from the President of the United States of America....Third world dictator arrogance...” Lt Col Allen WEst, Congressman
“The United States is a Republic” and illegal immigration (He'd cut free health care etc to illegals - first of all, they'd be deported
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nmn0mFV7xFs
“Don’t blow sunshine up my butt and tell me it’s warm and fuzzy...put down the mike and go home!” (PC be damned!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkWXEvOenNY
- “the World is going to hell”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxHxugu8nYs
On Israel - He just received the “Defender of Israel” Award, the Lion of Judah
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mY8tVkaDqYw&feature=related
This man would hit the ground running - he's a seasoned leader, he backs down to no one, He loves this country and will defend our Constitution against ALL enemies, “Foreign AND domestic.”
I was talking generally about most republicans and specifically about those running for president. West is not running and should probably be allowed to finish at least his first year! I had high hopes for Allen West, but hate that he just voted to renew three unconstitutional parts of the Patriot Act. You are either for the Constitution, all the time, or you are not. Sadly, Allan chooses the way Franklin and other founders warned us about: “Any people that would give up liberty for a little temporary safety deserves neither liberty nor safety.” Benjamin Franklin
I would also keep the US mint and return to coining money with real value (i.e. silver and gold). Eliminate the Federal Reserve.
It would seem you either don't listen carefully or you have set your sights on another candidate and hope to dissuade people from Col. West.
If you listen carefully to HIS OWN words, you'll hear that he is NOT ruling out running. He IS dedicated to spending as much time doing his JOB and not jumping into campaigning long before necessary, like everyone else. (Reagan didn't announce until Nov.)
Listen to what he says - as he had said many times - about running " 'IF IT BE HIS WILL, it'll be taken care of, okay"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hChMR3sYPCI&feature=related
He is not running NOW - but is not ruling it out.
On the Patriot Act: No. He voted to a 3 month review of it becasue he wants to see exactly how they HAVE been using it, for one thing - but will not vote for it to continue as it is. Start listening at minute 4:50 here : "
http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/Westo
NOW - if you really 'had high hopes for him" don't post misinformation on him without doing due diligence as to research - or people may deduce that you are spreading misinformation because you have another horse in the race.
If you do have another horse in the race, fine - but be honest about it.
scroll down for video of the cowards pumping 71 shots into the vet
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