GOP Faces Uprising on Veterans

[kskiska]

Compromise Sought on Retirement and Disability Benefits

Facing a rebellion in their ranks, House Republican leaders and Bush administration officials are working to come up with compromise legislation to allow hundreds of thousands of veterans to collect both retirement and disability benefits.

The move -- which could cost the government several billion dollars a year -- would change how disabled veterans receive pensions. Under current law, retirees generally must forfeit a dollar of their military pensions for every dollar they receive from the Veterans Administration in disability compensation.

Lawmakers and the administration came up with a compromise last year in the fiscal 2003 defense authorization bill that provided special compensation equal to the amount of retirement pay forfeited because of the disability compensation, allowing "concurrent receipt" of benefits. But the compromise applied to only a limited number of disabled retirees.

(snip)

"The veterans and retirees of this country are tired of being second-class citizens," Jones said. "This has become a flag issue across this country."

The lobbying has intensified in recent days. This week, 400 general and flag officers wrote President Bush asking him to allow disabled veterans to collect both sets of benefits.

more…
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A32695-2003Sep5.html

[blm]

1. You could hear their disgust with Bush at the VFW convention

two weeks ago. Condi and Rummy got a smattering of applause, while John Kerry received bigger applause while pounding on Bush.

[tokenlib]

2. I am questioning priorities here...

As a matter of principle I can agree that this issue should be addressed. However, I really wish that the veterans would put as their #1 problem--the underfunding and understaffing of the VA medical system. This is a matter of not only decency and fairness--but perhaps even life and death for some veterans.

Let's get the health care resolved first before putting so much energy into "concurrent receipt." The revolt should first be over the hypocrisy and callousness of the repukes in dealing with veterans health care. Hope most veterans get their priorities in order.

[nadinbrzezinski]

3. Actually

concurrent receipt is just part of the revolt.

The uprising is deep and adresses many issues,
including the gutting of the VA.

[morningglory]

4. I just caught the tail end of the story here in Florida that Vets

went en masse all over the state at 10am to their various counties and changed their registration. This is what it sounded like. Do any Florida Vets hear about this?

[nadinbrzezinski]

5. hmm

thanks that is SWEET...

I am sure Jeb is startign to get the message and soon
it will be his brother who gets the message....

DOWN WITH THE BUSH REGIME!

[Gman]

6. The right wing classifies veterans' benefits as an "entitlement"

which means it's something else they want to do away with.

[lebkuchen]

7. The rightwing is entitled to join the military

to take the places of the hoards of troops planning not to reenlist once this never-ending deployment ends.

[loudnclear]

8. What other folks collect both disability and full retirement

Is it for just any disability or a combat-related disability?
If I get hurt in a government lab (lost a leg), can I collect both disability and retirement? I don't think so...........Why should the military be any different? If combat-related disability paid twice as much as full regular disability ok...but both retirement and disability? The retirement fund can't stand that.

[Gin]

9. I agree...what are they getting now? it sounds unfair as is ....but..I

need more info.

[Big_Mike]

14. I look at it...

As a matter of fairness. I retired in '95, after serving in Panama, Iraq, Somalia, and as I got my orders to retire, they wanted me to go to Bosnia.

At my last duty station, Ft. Carson, CO I had a young soldier working for me. He had been on active duty a little over two years. He suffered severe dehydration that irreparably damaged his inner ear (how that happened, I have no clue). They put him out, and gave him a disability rating of 50%. For the rest of his life, he'll receive cash payments and treatment at the VA. That is right, and as it should be. They injured him, they should treat and re-train him.

I retired. Both my knees are shot so that I pull myself up stairs mainly by my arms. I have had four abdominal surgeries, messed up feet, etc. It ends up I have a total of eleven (11) compensable injuries. But my retirement pay is deducted dollar for dollar. The law about this was written in the 1870s. Over one hundred thirty years ago. The idea was wrong then, and it is wrong now. The lawyers and the politicians say that what I receive is a combined amount, and that the disability is rolled in to my payment.

I agree that the Health Care system needs massive overhaul. Unfortunately, this is a nation wide problem, not just one in this particular area. Personally, I would like to see the politicians (both parties) stop the obfuscation and get the thing fixed.

One of the benefits of serving as long as I did is that I don't trust the politicians of either stripe to do anything other than work as hard as possible to retain the job they currently have. What I think that means is that we have to connect their job retention hopes to fixing the problems with VA.

And, much to my sorrow, I just don't see it happening.

[stewert]

10. What ?

These guys risk their life for their country, then they get disabled in the line of duty. And
you want to cancel their pension ? Do you think they fell of a ladder or something, they
were disabled in the line of duty. They deserve disability, and their pension.

I have a pension from International Paper, that I can collect when I turn 62 years of age.
If I become disabled before then I still get my full pension. Why should someone lose their
pension because they become disabled ?

Especially when it is in the line of duty, and they risk their life for it. They should get both, and
I can not see any reason to deny them a pension. Would you risk your life for your country if
you knew that if you got disabled in the line of duty you would lose your pension ?

I sure as hell would not do it, if that is the rule, nobody would join the military.

[mbperrin]

11. Right! There is no other

job that requires a CONDITION OF EMPLOYMENT that periodically you risk your life and limbs. And EVERY TIME the US goes to war (and name a time when we haven't somewhere) SOMEBODY is going to get KILLED and a whole LOT more SOMEBODIES are going to get injured.

If we are going to have a volunteer military, then we need to pay them and pay them well. It's a stinking lousy dangerous job (please do not anybody bring up law enforcement or firefighting - they're not close) and if we want it done, we'll have to pay. Otherwise, we can cheerfully draft folks at random for death and disability and save all that CASH!

But I must remind you that the one group who consistently thinks CASH is BETTER than PEOPLE are Republicans.

I'd just as soon be a goat-f**ker. (Apologies to goats.)

[Ellen Forradalom]

12. Several billion dollars a year

In other words, as much as they spend in Iraq in a month.

Disabled vets have earned every penny. Give them their benefits.

[glitch]

13. you beat me to it

I heard $4 billion in Iraq, $1 billion in Afghanistan, every month.

[JoFerret]

19. I heard...."?

...you make it sound like a conspriracy rumor. It a fact. (give or take a few millions)

[aquart]

17. Damn straight.

God forbid a man who survived war should have it easy?

It AIN'T like falling off a ladder in a government lab.

You don't have the same kind of nightmares.

We owe them. We owe them BIG.

[leftbend]

15. It amounts to a 100% tax

It is a completly unfair tax on retired veterans. Only retired military are subject to this dollar for dollar offset. I retired from the military after 20 years and I am now 100 % disabled, primarly because of Agent Orange. I lose my entire retirement pay,if I left themilitary, went into civil service and retired I could receive both the retirement and disability. BTW the funds for the VA hospitals and VA disability are not the same funding source as the military retirement pay, which comes from the defense budget.

[TheYellowDog]

16. I agree

Veterans deserve better.

P.S.- Thank you for serving :)

[bearfan454]

18. They want to cut every penny they can for VETS

I am a Vietnam Era Veteran and I go to the VA in Temple, Tx. All of the Doctor's there are told to keep the costs down no matter what. I had an abdominal pain they couldn't figure out from what for over a year. The Dr. wanted me to go to their block clinic where they kill the nerve so it would block the pain ! I asked him wouldn't it be better to find out what is causing the pain ? You can talk to you regular Va Dr. at your next appointment in 6 months was what I got. It is total bullshit. Now the regular Dr at the VA wants to see me only once a year. I have to go once a year to keep my benefits alive. If you go a whole year and don't see a VA dr, then YOU ARE OUT OF THE VA SYSTEM. This sucks. I finally had to go through my shitty ass HMO at work and get an endonoscopy, colonoscopy, CT scan, and upper GI to find out I have diverticulitis. And yes I had to pay out the ass with the copays. Sorry for the rant folks, but it pisses me off to no end what this misadministration does to VETS.

[Corgigal]

20. VA System

Not only are you removed if you don't go to the VA doc for a year but they have changed the forms to make it even more difficult.
I a housewife right now but I take care of my disabled in the line of duty Sheriffs deputy. I only went to the VA 3 times in my life but in the back of my mind I always thought if something serious happen to me at least I can get some treatment.
However Bush has changed alot of it and my butt hangs in the breeze.
My husband condition is better when I'm around because with my EMS training,I can help him BUT if I don't get a job soon with medical insurance I might drag my whole family under if I get ill.
This Veterans issue should have been taken care of years ago and just because your disabled or sick doesn't mean the bills get any cheaper.