President Bush on Pay Raises for Our Troops

[babylonsister]

http://www.speaker.gov/blog/?p=611

President Bush on Pay Raises for Our Troops
July 20th, 2007 by Jesse Lee

President Bush, moments ago:

I’m joined by veterans and military families here to express support to our troops and their mission in Iraq. I want to thank you all for being here today. We’ve just finished a really good meeting. In our discussions, these folks had a message that all of us in Washington need to hear. It is time to rise above partisanship, stand behind our troops in the field, and give them everything they need to succeed. In February I submitted to Congress a Defense Department spending bill for the upcoming fiscal year that will provide funds to upgrade our equipment for our troops in Iraq and provides a pay raise for our military - a comprehensive spending request - that Congress has failed to act on.

President Bush, May 16, 2007:

Military Pay: The Administration strongly opposes sections 601 and 606. The additional 0.5 percent increase above the President’s proposed 3.0 percent across-the-board pay increase is unnecessary.

[proud2BlibKansan]

1. Liar LIar Pants on FIRE!

[alfredo]

2. The rich need that money. Soldiers would waste it on crap like food, shelter,

and medicine.

[jmowreader]

6. Why would soldiers waste it on medicine?

Soldiers get medicines issued to them when they need them. For free!

What soldiers WOULD waste it on is repaying their payday loans, replacing field equipment that got torn up in the war, roaming charges for their cell phones...

[alfredo]

11. for their families or after the military determines it was a preexisting

condition.

[SammyWinstonJack]

14. Except when they don't. Meanwhile, congresscritters just voted for a $4,400 pay increase.

For themselves and they have government health insurance paid for by those of us who can't afford the same. How nice for them. :sarcasm:

[Yavin4]

13. You're 100% Correct About The Rich Needing That Money

Do you all realize how much Paris Hilton pays for coke? She needs that tax cut to provide jobs for Americans. Jobs like coke dealer, bar tender, parking valet, waitress, and DJ.

When are these soldiers going to stop being so selfish!!!

[DrDan]

3. so how much of a pay raise is in his latest request?

Above the previous 3%

(Sorry - I cannot access the document at the link - my PC is screwed up and I can take none of the links)

[Supersedeas]

4. up is down, wrong is right, and the WH Press corps will knod obediently

[Norquist Nemesis]

5. He wants the additional .05% for re-ups and signing bonuses

With Bushetal's ideology, flashing cash in front of people somehow hypnotizes them into doing anything the cash holder wants.

[Vinca]

7. Democrats were ready to vote on it, Republicans apparently

were not since they stonewalled it with the 60 vote thing. Don't blame the Dems on this one.

[babylonsister]

8. Who's blaming the Dems for anything, besides *? nt

[Vinca]

12. It was a rhetorical remark. Apparently it didn't translate well. nt

[ThomWV]

9. An E-4 Makes a little over $2,000 per month, max

So, with a 3.5% raise he or she gets 2,070 per month rather than the 2,060 that Bush finds necessary and appropriate. Ten bucks per average troop.

http://www.militaryfactory.com/military_pay_scale.asp

[JacquesMolay]

10. Who needs more money when you got such great lip service?

And giving more money to soldiers is going to take it out of the pockets of CEO defense contractors, the people who really bust their ass paying off legislators and trading stocks all day on computers.

[B Calm]

15. There will be all kinds of things attached to this spending bill,

forcing dems to vote it down! He is just spitting out garbage to fool the people in uniform. Most of the military budget will go to war profiteers that put Bush in office. What a bunch of shit. They need a 25% raise, but we know Bush and the cheap labor republican party and their little political game!