President Stupid just gave us vets a 2.7% Cola increase.

[fishface]

Another 4 years of these Cola increases and I'll be back to getting my meds cheaply like I used to before he got into office.


Veteran’s disability compensation increases to 2.7 percent


Vietnam Veterans of America - Legislative Update – October 27

President Bush signs 2004 COLA bill, veteran’s disability compensation increases to 2.7 percent

H.R. 4175, the Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2004 was signed into law on Monday, October 25, this new law directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to increase, as of December 1, 2004, the rates of veterans' disability compensation, additional compensation for dependents, the clothing allowance for certain disabled adult children, and dependency and indemnity compensation for surviving spouses and children by 2.7 percent.

And

Requires each such increase to be the same percentage as the increase in benefits provided under title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) of the Social Security Act, on the same effective date.

And

Adds osteoporosis to the list of diseases which, if manifest to a degree of ten percent or more after active military service, will be presumed to be service-connected, and therefore compensable under veterans' disability compensation provisions, when occurring in a veteran who was detained or interned as a prisoner of war for at least 30 days.

The Department of Veterans Affairs will be publishing the new COLA rates in the Federal Register soon. To access the Federal Register website go to http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/fedreg/frcont04.html

[aquart]

1. See, my way would be different.

Active service is extraordinary stress. Illnesses in veterans may be assumed to be linked however tenuously to that extraordinary stress. Therefore, all illness and conditions are covered.

When they risk their lives and health for us, we guarantee their health thereafter.

Think how much less paper my rules will take.

[fishface]

3. Bush and the GOP only "care" about veterans as a political

prop around campaign time. The rest of the time we're considered just another part of the socialist welfare system taking their hard earned money from the children.

[JSJ]

2. ida thought longer and much harder about joining 'that' man's army

[saracat]

4. That should get him a cuople of more Vet votes, shouldn't it?

The ratbastard strikes again!

[izzie]

5. I can not wait to see my pension check

Now SS will up the part A or B. I gave up on trying to figure up the drug stuff and will stick to the State of Maine low income drug card. I can not even put in gas in the old car with the interest I get on my retirement fund. So much for the good days of the GOP party.

[Downtown Hound]

6. Don't be too hard on him

He thought that the bill was so you could have more coca-cola. It's the real thing!

[luaneryder]

7. Wow, that's a huge

$17.52 a month for me.What'll I do with all that cash? I know, it'll be used to help pay my insurance premium when it increases by $20-30 in January.

[mrdmk]

8. Give the money to the G.O.P.

Maybe you will be able to buy some influence!:bounce:

[DemBones DemBones]

9. Has anyone heard what the COLA for Social Security will be? With Medicare

premiums going up 17% in January, I'm guessing retirees and disabled workers who draw benefits are going to have a net loss. But the BFEE gets its "due" !

[BiggJawn]

10. Heard that it too will be 2.7%

And the inflation rate for last fiscal year was 3.7%...

And MY public-sector "COLA" (the tell us it's a "Merit" raise, so if they don't like you, you don't get SHIT) Was 2.009%

Isn't that disgusting? They figure it out to 3 decimals...

[DemBones DemBones]

11. As I feared. How can it be a cost of living adjustment when it's

below the inflation rate? And I'll bet 2.7% of anybody's Soc. Sec. check is less than the 17% increase in their Medicare premium so people depending on Social Security have lost far more than usual.

I know about "merit pay" from teaching in public schools. Those who are most skilled at sucking up to the administrators are judged to have the most "merit."

But, hey, you got 2.009% -- that's more than 2.000%, right? :eyes:

[BiggJawn]

12. That's why they call it a "Merit" increase...

Hell, maybe they tell the pensioners they got a "Merit Raise", too.