What is Digg?18 Comments
- dagnabbit, on 10/11/2007, -2/+21So much for supporting the troops.
- dagnabbit, on 10/11/2007, -1/+9Might seem like nothing to you or I, but to many of the now-single moms back home that extra $500 per year in benefits adds up to a lot. In fact, we owe them a hell of a lot more than that.
- JCSaint, on 10/11/2007, -2/+9They're nothing but a backdrop and cannon fodder to Bush.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2004/10/27/22442/878
http://www.americablog.com/2007/02/novak-house-gop-fired-veterans-friendly.html - Nydas, on 10/11/2007, -1/+8Basically nothing? I make about 1400 a month in Iraq. Back home in the states im making less then 1200. And im a E-3/PFC. We don't make jack *****. So every pay raise is a welcome one.
Im lucky though. I don't have a car payment to worry about, yet. But as soon as i buy one (when i get back from Iraq im putting down all the money i saved while over here), and the insurance for that alone will eat up about 1/3 of my paycheck. And thats not including the car payments - dawurz, on 10/11/2007, -1/+7When the administration is also opposing a $40/month allowance for military survivors, additional benefits for surviving family members of civilian employees, and price controls for prescription drugs under TRICARE, how exactly is it "much ado about nothing"? I look forward to your response.
- nreisan, on 10/11/2007, -1/+6troops really dont get paid enough for what they do and the risks they have to take...
you think their country would look after them...
since their only following orders.. - redrock34, on 10/11/2007, -1/+5How can we afford a pay raise and extra benefits when we are blowing up new trucks in Iraq for a flat tire, paying $100 to do a bag of laundry for each soldier, and having civilian contractors do most of the soldier's work for six times the pay?
http://youtube.com/watch?v=6cJlJudDtVE
- protogenxl, on 10/11/2007, -1/+3A veto that will get Overridden
I don't support the war, But I support the troops. - Paroparo, on 10/11/2007, -1/+3I read your comment after taking a rather long nap, and being still dizzy it took me a while to figure out which one of us wasn't reading/writing straight. It's you.
- hawkeye17, on 10/11/2007, -1/+3Bush is once again revealed to be a total disgrace to the Office of President. This is just heinous on so many levels. How dare you Mr. President?
- PATSCRU, on 10/11/2007, -1/+2the independent contractor militias surely get more than them.....if only there were data on the soldiers of fortune, our real troops would probably be red in the face.
- sidsarkar, on 10/11/2007, -4/+4Go ***** yourself
- ViperDaimao, on 10/11/2007, -3/+2What misleading rubbish
http://www.qando.net/details.aspx?Entry=6022
Special Survivor Indemnity Allowance: The Administration opposes section 644, which would pay a monthly special survivor indemnity allowance of $40 from the DoD Military Retirement Fund. The current benefit programs for survivors, DoD's Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) and Department of Veterans Affairs' Dependency Indemnity Compensation (DIC), provide sufficient benefits and avoid duplication of two complementary federal benefits programs established for the same purpose - providing a lifetime annuity for the survivor of an active, retired or former servicemember. This offset policy is consistent with private sector benefits. The provision is estimated to cost $27 million in the first year and about $160 million through FY 2013. It appears to be the first step toward eliminating the offset between SBP and DIC; full elimination of this offset would cost the Military Retirement Fund between $6 and $8 billion over 10 years.
The point is good. Add the $40 bucks to an existing surviver benefit annuity, but don't create another and certainly don't take it from the Military Retirement Fund. But everyone will grind to a halt at the word 'widow' and while recoiling in horror, never get to the reasoning.
Oh, and, speaking of widows, Ms. Pelosi, of course, doesn't mention this:
Refusal by lawmakers to approve Tricare fees for beneficiaries, something administration officials view as an important step in holding down health care cost, also drew opposition, along with a provision imposing price controls on prescription drugs dispensed to Tricare users.
Yeah, so give 'em $40 bucks a month, but health care fees for widows ... ohhh no. - elebrio, on 10/11/2007, -3/+2I'm not saying I don't think soldiers should get paid more, my brother is in Iraq right now. I'm just saying this is political posturing by the Dems.
- TrentTheThief, on 10/11/2007, -4/+2Bush is a fetid piece of fermenting *****. Lousy bastard.
Pay them you cheap bastard. - MurphyWatson, on 10/11/2007, -4/+1So is exactly is cutting troop funds?
- SqueakyWheel, on 10/11/2007, -6/+1Great Flame Bait
Attack LIbs! - elebrio, on 10/11/2007, -21/+2FULL TEXT of the bill
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=h110-1585
from the original article (NOT THE THINKPROGRESS PAID TO SUBMIT TO DIGG BLOGSPAM) you will find this:
"The Bush administration had asked for a 3 percent military raise for Jan. 1, 2008, enough to match last year’s average pay increase in the private sector. The House Armed Services Committee recommends a 3.5 percent pay increase for 2008, and increases in 2009 through 2012 that also are 0.5 percentage point greater than private-sector pay raises."
Much ado about basically nothing.
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