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Military retirees: You betrayed us, Congress
cnnmoney.com ^ | 12/13/13 | Jennifer Liberto

Posted on 12/12/2013 11:24:42 AM PST by Sleeping Freeper

Edited on 12/12/2013 11:27:38 AM PST by Admin Moderator. [history]

Military retirees are outraged that Congress will start voting Thursday on a budget deal that trims military pensions, calling the move "an egregious breach of faith."

The Military Coalition, some 27 military groups, wrote to leaders in Congress and President Obama late Wednesday about their "strong objection" and "grave concern" over the budget deal.


(Excerpt) Read more at money.cnn.com ...


TOPICS: Front Page News; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: congress; military; retirees
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To: OldGoatCPO

I retired from the US Army in 1987 after more than 23 years active service. I just hate lousy journalism. Now I have to go research this topic myself to find out how badly I am being screwed.


61 posted on 12/12/2013 12:55:29 PM PST by csmusaret (Will remove Obama-Biden bumperstickers for $10)
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To: Gamecock
Simplest way to cut spending in the Military is to stop moving everyone every 2-3 years.

PCSing a family costs a ton of money. Paid moving truck. cash allowences, about 4-5 weeks in lst productivity.

Keep people in their assignment for 4-5 years.

Can only work if the dangerous and very many undesireable billets have large incentive pay and other benefits attached. Like US civilian contractors in Iraq get.

62 posted on 12/12/2013 12:57:23 PM PST by USCG SimTech (Honored to serve since '71)
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To: Gamecock
Simplest way to cut spending in the Military is to stop moving everyone every 2-3 years.

PCSing a family costs a ton of money. Paid moving truck. cash allowences, about 4-5 weeks in lst productivity.

Keep people in their assignment for 4-5 years.

Can only work if the dangerous and very many undesireable billets have large incentive pay and other benefits attached. Like US civilian contractors in Iraq get.

63 posted on 12/12/2013 1:00:43 PM PST by USCG SimTech (Honored to serve since '71)
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To: USCG SimTech

True. We can figure this out though!


64 posted on 12/12/2013 1:03:45 PM PST by Gamecock (There are not just two ways to respond to God but three: irreligion, religion, and the gospel. (TK))
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To: Vigilanteman

I agree with your math. I misstated it. Whatever the 2.5% figure would be on month one, that same amount should be cut each month until you reach zero.

I would suggest we toss out the 5% figure, and just start lopping folks off the government payroll. If states want to pick up the slack, let them. States failing to do so should let folks know just how important those jobs were to begin with.

I would also suggest reorganization to be a very sound way to cut. Go to a federal sales tax. Eliminate the need for the IRS. Pay the states to oversee federal sales tax compliance, when they are checking on their own state compliance. That right there would cut a massive number off the federal government payroll.

Gut the EPA. Do the same to a myriad of other agencies across the fifty states. States would follow suit as their funding for such nonsense dried up.

In most instances, return federal land holdings inside states to the states.

You could go on for a year or two listing all the agencies to be cut.

Start on privatization of Social Security and Medicare. Get payroll deductions placed in funds controlled by individuals, that allowed for protection and great interest. All them to self-insure and make personal loans to themselves from those funds, subject to oversight.

In twenty years government cost of Social Security would be cut in half. In forty, it would be gone.


65 posted on 12/12/2013 1:06:12 PM PST by DoughtyOne (Zero = zero)
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To: Gene Eric

Now that’s funny right there!


66 posted on 12/12/2013 1:09:28 PM PST by rhubarbk (It's official, I'm suffering from Obama fatigue!)
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To: Sleeping Freeper
I retired with 20+ years of service. I made all my life's plans based upon what the US government promised me all those years ago. After retirement, those things started to get cut, then cut more, and finally chopped up with a chain saw. Now in my 60s, I am 60% disabled. It took me the past 21 years to get the VA to recognize three injuries from active duty service were actually more than just "strains". After two back surgeries for collapsed discs, and spinal fusion, they finally agreed that it was not just strains. So, up from 30% to 60%. The group that I hired to assist me with my appeals told me I should be at a minimum 80-90% disabled. They will appeal the VA's decision to the Board of VA Appeals in Sodom on the Potomac. That will take about 3-5 years. What they are hoping is that I die before they are all done with this, thus they save my military retired pay, my VA disability pension, and my social security. That way they have a hunk of change to put on their vote buying. They know this guy ain't voting for a bunch of communists. In my time, they trained me to shoot at communists, not vote for them. They have been screwing us in the ground for years. AFTER we are retired, old, used up, there is nothing you can do about the cuts.

When you are still on active duty, you can walk away and tell them to kiss your hip pockets. If I had known back then what I know now, I would have walked and never completed a military career. I tell any kid that asks me now about a military career, to just forget it. Don't do it. The government will just screw you in the ground. I tell them that if they absolutely HAVE to go into the military, choose a job that you can train up on, use for three years to gain experience, then walk. Take that to the civilian sector and get hired. A good example I give them is police work. You cannot become a cop at 18, because you cannot carry a gun until you are 21. But, in the military you can. So, go in for three years, get the MP training, then come out and go to a police, sheriff or state trooper job. You have the up side of three years military police training. Civilian forces like that. They know you are trained, experienced, and disciplined. That is the only way I would tell them to go into the service today. I DO NOT TRUST ANYONE IN SODOM ON THE POTOMAC. DIMOCRAT COMMUNIST A-HOLES, OR THE RINOS. None of them. They are all lying scum as far as I am concerned. If you think I will go into the field and get shot at today to keep these scum in office, think again.

67 posted on 12/12/2013 1:26:00 PM PST by RetiredArmy (I am proud to be a Christian and follower of my Lord Jesus Christ. Time is short for U to know Him!)
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To: a fool in paradise
Obama will never bail out the military. They don’t vote the right way.

Actually, that is incorrect. Obama got the largest voting numbers from military of any dim in about 40 years. Probably back to the 1960s. Carter and Klinton didn't get the votes. But Obama got 30-35% of the military vote I believe.

68 posted on 12/12/2013 1:28:38 PM PST by RetiredArmy (I am proud to be a Christian and follower of my Lord Jesus Christ. Time is short for U to know Him!)
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To: Obama_Is_Sabotaging_America

I hope so—two birds with one “stone”!


69 posted on 12/12/2013 1:29:38 PM PST by SgtHooper (If at first you don't succeed, skydiving is not for you.)
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To: Sleeping Freeper
"This nation is not long for demise"

Ah, the American people can neither spell or define "demise".

70 posted on 12/12/2013 2:05:33 PM PST by Theodore R. (The grand pooh-bahs are flirting with Christie, but it's Jebbie's turn!" to LOSE!)
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To: RetiredArmy

Doesn’t the military vote nearly exactly along racial lines?


71 posted on 12/12/2013 2:06:30 PM PST by Theodore R. (The grand pooh-bahs are flirting with Christie, but it's Jebbie's turn!" to LOSE!)
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To: Logical me

No, I don’t miss Romney nor GWB either. All are precursors for what we have.


72 posted on 12/12/2013 2:10:54 PM PST by Theodore R. (The grand pooh-bahs are flirting with Christie, but it's Jebbie's turn!" to LOSE!)
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To: Gene Eric

Heck no, they are doubling down.


73 posted on 12/12/2013 2:11:42 PM PST by Fledermaus (If we here in TN can't get rid of the worthless Lamar, it's over.)
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To: AzSteven

Even if ALL federal civilian employees had to contribut 1.3% more it’s still a joke.

They should be paying in their own money to the tune of closer to 80-90% like in the real world.

FU Paul Ryan you spineless POS!


74 posted on 12/12/2013 2:13:56 PM PST by Fledermaus (If we here in TN can't get rid of the worthless Lamar, it's over.)
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To: Grampa Dave
worthless instant unemployment degrees

Now I don't care who you are; that's damn funny.

75 posted on 12/12/2013 2:15:08 PM PST by Fledermaus (If we here in TN can't get rid of the worthless Lamar, it's over.)
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To: Logical me

Like Romney wouldn’t have done this?


76 posted on 12/12/2013 2:17:09 PM PST by Fledermaus (If we here in TN can't get rid of the worthless Lamar, it's over.)
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To: Fledermaus

“worthless instant unemployment degrees
Now I don’t care who you are; that’s damn funny.”

One of our younger relatives, coined the phrase, “Instant Unemployment Degrees” over two decades ago, when those with IUD’s couldn’t buy a job.

Two decades since, his “Instant Unemployment Degrees” remarks are even more truthful/painful to those with the IUD’s and a mountain of debt for their worthless degrees.


77 posted on 12/12/2013 2:38:41 PM PST by Grampa Dave ( Obamacare, ItÂ’s a Wonderful Lie! Obamaganda is failing 24/7! Soon Obamaganda will fail 24/365!)
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To: Old Yeller

“I have a former b-i-l who collects SS disability because he pouts and can’t keep a job. He does self-employed landscape work on the side and gets paid in cash.”

Sounds like a perfect plot for a home made video to give to the SS board after the local tv stations get it.


78 posted on 12/12/2013 2:41:30 PM PST by Grampa Dave ( Obamacare, ItÂ’s a Wonderful Lie! Obamaganda is failing 24/7! Soon Obamaganda will fail 24/365!)
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To: Colonel_Flagg; House Atreides; Jim Robinson

My letter to my congressman this morning (an assist to House Atreides for about 4 of the paragraphs from an earlier post of his)

Dear Congressman Wenstrup,

In addition to this budget increasing taxes (fees) and spending, apparently, Paul Ryan arbitrarily decided to injure veteran retirements.

Whether he consciously decided to do that or was tricked into it—he IS disproportionately hurting military members.

CURRENT RETIRED military (if under age 62) would have their computed cost-of-living increase reduced by 1% each year. So if the COLA percentage is 2.3% they’d only get 1.3%. This would repeat year after year, adding up over time. The same thing would happen to ALL CURRENT ACTIVE DUTY military (year after year until they reach age 62) once they retire. And the same thing would happen to future military.

ON THE OTHER HAND current civilian civil service employees and current retirees are ALL NOT EFFECTED AT ALL. The only civil service employees who would be affected would be those hired January 1, 2014 or later—and they would not be impacted until their retirement.

This is unacceptable, Congressman Wenstrup. Like you, I made a career of the military, and I was told that the government would provide a retirement for those years of separation, isolation, and service.

Am I opposed to doing my share in balancing the Federal budget? Not at all. But, veterans should not be first in line. Moreover, in any financial sacrifice, given their sacrifice during years of service, it’s absolutely certain that veterans should NOT be the ONLY ones in line. That is the solution proposed by the Ryan budget.

This is totally disparate treatment. Injure the military and protect the federal employees and contractees.

You must oppose this plan, Congressman Wenstrup. It is absolutely unfair.

With you, I will support a budget calling for an across the board equal cut for every federal employee or contractee. If that takes from me, but it is equal treatment, then I’m an American and will sacrifice again for this nation.

This plan does NOT do that. It is an assault on those who’ve already paid their due in separation, danger, blood, and isolation.

Make it equal ACROSS THE BOARD or kill it!

Faith,

______________


79 posted on 12/12/2013 2:44:25 PM PST by xzins ( Retired Army Chaplain and Proud of It! Those who truly support our troops pray for victory!)
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To: OldGoatCPO; RetiredArmy

Thanks to all of you for your service.

My wife and I on Veterans day heard an interesting statistic, and we have not been able to verify it.

The stat was only 2% of Americans adults have served any time in the military.

That would mean that our retired military and disabled vets are even less of a %.

Yet our congress can’t keep its promises to those of you who gave up your young years to serve, our disabled vets and those on active duty now.

Yet congress wants to give millions of illegals everything, keeping funding the knockout kings and their queens, and fund the so many questionable disabled with no problem.


80 posted on 12/12/2013 2:50:44 PM PST by Grampa Dave ( Obamacare, ItÂ’s a Wonderful Lie! Obamaganda is failing 24/7! Soon Obamaganda will fail 24/365!)
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