Lawmakers open to changes in military benefits

[UpInArms]

Source: San Francisco Gate

The government's promise of lifetime health care for the military's men and women is suddenly a little less sacrosanct as Congress looks to slash trillion-dollar-plus deficits.

Republicans and Democrats alike are signaling a willingness — unheard of at the height of two post-Sept. 11 wars in Iraq and Afghanistan — to make military retirees pay more for coverage. It's a reflection of Washington's newfound embrace of fiscal austerity and the Pentagon's push to cut health care costs that have skyrocketed from $19 billion in 2001 to $53 billion.

The numbers are daunting for a military focused on building and arming an all-volunteer force for war. The Pentagon is providing health care coverage for 3.3 million active duty personnel and their dependents and 5.5 million retirees, eligible dependents and surviving spouses. Retirees outnumber the active duty, 2.3 million to 1.4 million.

Combined with the billions in retirement pay, it's no surprise that Defense Secretary Leon Panetta recently said personnel costs have put the Pentagon "on an unsustainable course."

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2011/10/22/national/w010149D33.DTL

[no_hypocrisy]

1. One word:

NO

[EFerrari]

22. Thank you. NO.

[bluestateguy]

2. I also say Hell No you can't

Besides, taking away guaranteed health care for any American, no matter who, makes it a little less likely that we will ever get single payer.

[brewens]

5. One the other hand, letting military people and veterans know

their healthcare is threatened, may make them see that right-wingers aren't really on their side. A few less people with the "I got mine and screw everyone else" attitude.

[rpannier]

9. Since the Democrats who are supporting changes include Sen Levin

I don't think they're gonna see this as a right-wing piece of legislation

[Sirveri]

10. They won't know with the currently co opted media apparatus.

[swilton]

12. It is not just the right wingers that are doing this

Ding, ding!

We have a Democratic administration in power now and their Defense Secretary is saying this as well...It's a false equivalency - that entitlement cuts are the way to fix the budget deficit and the Obama Administration supports that notion.

[spartan61]

3. And just when will these" lawmakers" signal

a willingness to change their own benefits? I'm talking about their salaries, health care and retirement. What have all the congress critters done for our country recently? I'm especially pointing a finger at the repukes and the blue dog dems. All they seem to care about are their own a$$es and they vote NO on everything the American people want and need. It's time to give them a pink slip. Instead of worrying about huge corps and oil companies and their benefits, lets make sure our troops are given what they have been promised. Are we still living in America?

[teddy51]

4. I think that maybe Congress should give up their medical coverage to lead the way.

And perhaps they wouldn't mind lowering their salaries and giving that to those that served.

[defendandprotect]

17. Agree... Congressional members need two homes? Cut salaries in half -- and benefits!!

[Ian David]

6. Here's what you do.

You start talking about this as a bipartisan idea, and then you put it up for a vote.

A bunch of Democrats vote in favor of it, and then, at the last moments before the voting is closed, they change their votes to "No," leaving only Republicans voting for a bill that fails.

[Hotler]

26. That would be sweet. eom.

[AsahinaKimi]

7. I think if Washington

decides to totally cut Veteran Benefits, as well as Disabled Benefits, they are going to KNOW what its like to be in HELL, because the veterans will NOT stand for it.

[EFerrari]

23. None of us can stand for it, not only veterans. nt

[LateTrade]

8. Bankers' and corporate CEO's and CFO's, no cuts, but let's cut the

cost of those who put their lives on the line so that Wall Street can reap enormous profits for the few.

SURE! cut the benefits of the military!!! Se how that pays off in the long run!

[hedgehog]

11. On a practical basis, if you cut benefits now, who is going to sign up

for voluntary service based on promised future benefits?

The way out of this for the Pentagon is to get out of the civilian health care business by pushing for single payer.

[RC]

13. What does the military need boots on the ground for when

they have drones than can murder their victims from miles away? Very convenient when you can declare anyone, foreign national or US citizen, a terrorist and sic a drone on them. No trial needed.

[GoldenOldie]

14. This really, really pisses me off!

Having worked and retired from the DOD, not only the Army but within the Pentagon, I know that the costs for the "boots on the ground, uniformed military," are a small budget cost compared to the "Corporate," costs for Blackwater, Halliburton, etc. Gen/President. Dwight Eisenhower warned of us this corporate take over of our military. The Pentagon has become the main headquarters of the oligarchs and recruitment center for retiring Generals.

My number one-grandson just returned from his second deployment in the ME. His last deployment was in an outpost in Afghanistan. He told of us a local Afghani group were sub-contracted to empty the porta-potti's utilized by the troops. The Afghani civilians would make their daily trip to the posts via a dilapidated truck, large open vats, and dip out the contents of the porta-potti's....all by hand. When the soldiers, complained that they did not leave toilet paper, the Afghani, said they were not given the funds to replace toilet paper. When asked how much they were paid, they were told as sub-contractors, they each received $5.00 a month. When the post commander, investigated into this contract, he discovered the US Contractor, had received millions of dollars to not only furnish porta-potties, suction trucks to remove waste, equipment to dig and dispose of waste and provide personal items such as toilet paper. This individual contractor had not only subcontracted to poor Afghani for pittance and had been sending his ill-gotten gains to an off-shore bank....thus avoiding US taxes. He not only de-frauded the US taxpayer,failed to meet the obligations of his contract, denied the troops, and to top it off abused the poorest of Afghanistan. This contractor is just a very small rat within the sale of the Pentagon. Imagine the take from the Halli burton's, etc., etc.

When they talk of the high cost of military, remember, it is not the boots on the ground, grunts in uniform that are escalating the Pentagon budget, it is all those corporate oligarchs who have taken over the Pentagon and have sucked the life out of our actual military.

[Lasher]

19. Amen, Brother, Ike was right.

And the MIC did just like he warned they would do.

[MADem]

20. +1 nt

[JoeyT]

24. +1

If the DoD budget were just spent on the actual troops/equipment and they still used troops to do the work, an E2 would be making 80k or more a year.

No all the good money is funneled off to no bid contracts. Can't let the troops construct their own barracks. They might screw up the wiring and electrify the showers. Oh wait, that was KB&R that did that.

[PavePusher]

18. 'Scuse me.... "murder"?

That's an issue to take up with the politicians who give us the orders, not the military folks who are obligated to carry them out.

[defendandprotect]

15. Destroying safety nets and unemployment insurance is another way to round up lives as fodder

for the military -- !!!

Same warprofiteers want to be sure they're not spending a penny on the other end

cleaning up the mess they make!

[defendandprotect]

16. Interesting that "fiscal austerity" comes AFTER bailing our capitalists and funding MIC -- !!!

[Lasher]

21. I see work hasn't stopped on the USS Gerald R. Ford or the new USS JFK.

Our government is very selective about what they consider 'unsustainable'.

[defendandprotect]

28. MIC forges ahead -- !! Thanks for the info -- !! :)

[pinboy3niner]

25. They take you, use you up, and throw you away *puke*

But they never will take my sons again...

Johnny I Hardly Knew Ye

While goin' the road to sweet Athy, hurroo, hurroo
While goin' the road to sweet Athy, hurroo, hurroo
While goin' the road to sweet Athy
A stick in me hand and a tear in me eye
A doleful damsel I heard cry,
Johnny I hardly knew ye.


With your drums and guns and guns and drums, hurroo, hurroo
With your drums and guns and guns and drums, hurroo, hurroo
With your drums and guns and guns and drums
The enemy nearly slew ye
Oh my darling dear, Ye look so queer
Johnny I hardly knew ye.


Where are the eyes that looked so mild, hurroo, hurroo
Where are the eyes that looked so mild, hurroo, hurroo
Where are the eyes that looked so mild
When my poor heart you first beguiled
Why did ye scadaddle from me and the child
Oh Johnny, I hardly knew ye.


Where are your legs that used to run, hurroo, hurroo
Where are your legs that used to run, hurroo, hurroo
Where are your legs that used to run
When you went to carry a gun
Indeed your dancing days are done
Oh Johnny, I hardly knew ye.


I'm happy for to see ye home, hurroo, hurroo
I'm happy for to see ye home, hurroo, hurroo
I'm happy for to see ye home
All from the island of Sulloon
So low in the flesh, so high in the bone
Oh Johnny I hardly knew ye.


Ye haven't an arm, ye haven't a leg, hurroo, hurroo
Ye haven't an arm, ye haven't a leg, hurroo, hurroo
Ye haven't an arm, ye haven't a leg
Ye're an armless, boneless, chickenless egg
Ye'll have to be put with a bowl out to beg
Oh Johnny I hardly knew ye.


They're rolling out the guns again, hurroo, hurroo
They're rolling out the guns again, hurroo, hurroo
They're rolling out the guns again
But they'll never will take my sons again
No they'll never will take my sons again
Johnny I'm swearing to ye.

[Name removed]

27. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Honeycombe8]

29. The health care they get isn't so hot, anyway, and to take away THAT....

I've known veterans. To get care, they have to travel far away sometimes to the nearest VA hospital, and it's for sure located in a seedy, unsafe part of town. They have to wait for care for eons. But they DO get care.

To take that away, or make them pay for what is sometimes very hard to get in the first place...that's not right.

[workinclasszero]

30. No health care for vets = return of the DRAFT!

Wonder how the troops will like getting body parts blown off and then the gov tells them you are on your own for healthcare the rest of your life!