Our great goverment sticking it in our shorts

[4eestyle]

POWER CORRUPTS (Love him or loath him, he surely nailed this one right on the head)

By Rush Limbaugh:

I think the vast differences in compensation between victims of the September 11 casualty and those who die serving the country in uniform are profound. No one is really talking about it either, because you just don't criticize anything having to do with September 11. Well, I just can't let the numbers pass by because it says something really disturbing about the entitlement mentality of this country. If you lost a family member in the September 11 attack, you're going to get an average of $1,185,000. The range is a minimum guarantee of $250,000, all the way up to $4.7 million.

If you are a surviving family member of an American soldier killed in action, the first check you get is a $6,000 direct death benefit, half of which is taxable. Next, you get $1,750 for burial costs. If you are the surviving spouse, you get $833 a month until you remarry. And there's a payment of $211 per month for each child under 18. When the child hits 18, those payments come to a screeching halt.

Keep in mind that some of the people who are getting an average of $1.185 million up to $4.7 million are complaining that it's not enough. Their deaths were tragic, but for most, they were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. Soldiers put themselves in harms way FOR ALL OF US, and they and their families know the dangers.

We also learned over the weekend that some of the victims from the Oklahoma City bombing have started an organization asking for the same deal that the September 11 families are getting. In addition to that, some of the families of those bombed in the embassies are now asking for compensation as well.

You see where this is going, don't you? Folks, this is part and parcel of over 50 years of entitlement politics in this country. It's just really sad. Every time a pay raise comes up for the military, they usually receive next to nothing of a raise. Now the green machine is in combat in the Middle East while their families have to survive on food stamps and live in low-rent housing. Make sense?

However, our own U.S. Congress just voted themselves a raise, and many of you don't know that they only have to be in Congress one time to receive a pension that is more than $15,000 per month, and most are now equal to being millionaires plus. They also do not receive Social Security on retirement because they didn't have to pay into the system.

If some of the military people stay in for 20 years and get out as an E-7, you may receive a pension of $1,000 per month, and the very people who placed you in harm's way receive a pension of $15,000 per month. I would like to see our elected officials pick up a weapon and join ranks before they start cutting out benefits and lowering pay for our sons and daughters who are now fighting.

"When do we finally do something about this?" If this doesn't seem fair to you, it is time to forward this to as many people as you can.If you are interested there is more.......................

This must be a campaign issue in 2004. Keep it going. SOCIAL SECURITY:
(This is worth the read. It's short and to the point.)

Perhaps we are asking the wrong questions during election years. Our Senators and Congressmen do not pay into Social Security. Many years ago they voted in their own benefit plan. In more recent years, no congressperson has felt the need to change it. For all practical purposes their plan works like this:

When they retire, they continue to draw the same pay until they die, except it may increase from time to time for cost of living adjustments.

For example, former Senator Byrd and Congressman White and their wives may expect to draw $7,800,000 - that's Seven Million, Eight Hundred Thousand), with their wives drawing $275,000.00 during the last years of their lives.

This is calculated on an average life span for each.

Their cost for this excellent plan is $00.00. These little perks they voted for themselves is free to them. You and I pick up the tab for this plan.

The funds for this fine retirement plan come directly from the General Fund--our tax dollars at work! From our own Social Security Plan, which you and I pay (or have paid) into -- every payday until we retire (which amount is matched by our employer) --we can expect to get an average $1,000 per month after retirement. Or, in other words, we would have to collect our average of $1,000 monthly benefits for 68 years and one month to equal Senator Bill Bradley's benefits!

Social Security could be very good if only one small change were made. And that change would be to jerk the Golden Fleece Retirement Plan from under the Senators and Congressmen. Put them into the Social Security plan with the rest of us and then watch how fast they would fix it.

If enough people receive this, maybe a seed of awareness will be planted and maybe good changes will evolve. WE, each one of us... can make a difference..

[whizkid2300]

See the other side of that at the same time is that when you are in the Military you are saying that if need be you will put your life up. The people in 911 didn't get that chance.
Yeah it is kinda backed up. But the same people that get a lot of money when they retire I.e.
The Congressmen and Women. Are the same thing people that send the troops to war.

Whizkid2300

[Eagle One]

"If you are a surviving family member of an American soldier killed in action, the first check you get is a $6,000 direct death benefit, half of which is taxable. Next, you get $1,750 for burial costs. If you are the surviving spouse, you get $833 a month until you remarry. And there's a payment of $211 per month for each child under 18. When the child hits 18, those payments come to a screeching halt."

Who wrote this? Is this from a news group?
Any American soldier killed in action? Wrong! Maybe just the Army or the Navy or even the Air Force.
Eagle One-Out

[4eestyle]

I dont have a problem with a person that served our great nation for 20 plus years and then collects a retirement check. That is very well earned and deserved. But an E7 with 20 years in the military only gets about 1,200 which is pretty good. But for a congressman or woman to get 150,000 per year whil in office then get the kind of retirement pay they get for serving just one term. That is ****ed up and not right.

[whizkid2300]

15,000 that is how much you get if you serve in Congress for one term for the rest of your life. 15,000 that is a lot of money but if you get killed in War what does your family get a flag, 833,
6000. Oh and maybe 250,000 if you had SGLI (Service Member's group Life Insurance) which is rather expensive. 20 dollars a month. I bet if you search for life Insurance you will find some with a lower amount to pay. Then let's say you cancel your SGLI you have to go threw hell to get it back.

It is all comparative if your a Congressman you send people to war. If your a soldier you go to War. Hum who should be getting more?

Whizkid2300

I can't complain, I plan on running for office one day.

[4eestyle]

Real easy for a guy sitting in a suit and tie chugging down brandy and dropping loads of baby batter on a blue dress, while our fathers, Mothers, Brothers and sisters fight for our country. I am not saying that they dont deserve anything but at least make it real. The last president we had was a draft dodger, never served any military time, boycoted the war and gets a settlement like that for the rest of his life. Oh, by the way. My girlfriend does not agree with the last statement and it may be harsh.

[fourdc]

Not to get political but the current occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue skipped actual military service by joining the Texas Air Guard. His vice president used a baby deferrment to avoid serving.

Clinton, though a war opposer, did not dodge the draft. His number wasn't called. He wrote letters, he protested against the war, smoked pot (inhaled and probably enjoyed) but he didn't dodge the draft. Boycotting the war? How much time have YOU served?

[4eestyle]

I spent 6 years in the Army as a mechanic in an air defence artillary unit. One week of that was spent securing the air space in Granada. I have severd my country and therfore have the just right to critasize anybody that does not

[fourdc]

I too served my country, 7 years in the Navy. Didn't see action in Grenada as I was in the Med near Bierut at that time.

You're welcome to criticize anyone you like, but criticizing Clinton over military service is beating a dead horse if you choose to ignore ALL of the other politicians that weaseled out.

Clinton has so much else to criticise about...

But I think we agree that the Pols are too rewarded as compared to the armed services.

[4eestyle]

Did not mean to say that Clinton was the only one, he is not by far and we all know this. He just happend to be the most recent one that I know of and so I used him. Just wanted people to see what a pol. gets versus some blue collor that would put 20-40 years of his life into a job. Just pisses me off and is not fair. I am done with this thread now.