Where our tax money goes...

[TexasF355F1]

My dad sent me this. It was said by Rush Limbaugh, but whether you like him or hate him this makes perfect sense to anyone of how our "wonderful" government is wasting our money.

"I think the vast differences in compensation between victims of the September 11 casualty and those who die serving the country in Uniform are profound. No one is really talking about it either, because you just don't criticize anything having to do with September 11. Well, I just can't let the numbers pass by because it says something really disturbing about the entitlement mentality of this country. If you lost a
family member in the September 11 attack, you're going to get an average of $1,185,000. The range is a minimum guarantee of $250,000, all the way up to $4.7million. If you are a surviving family member of an American soldier killed in action, the first check you get is a $6,000 direct death benefit, half of which is taxable. Next, you get $1,750 for burial costs. If you are the surviving spouse, you get $833 a month until you remarry. And there's a payment of $211 per month for each child under 18. When the child hits 18, those payments come to a screeching halt. Keep in mind that some of the people who are getting an average of $1.185 million up to $4.7 million are complaining that it's not enough. Their deaths were tragic, but for most, they were simply in the wrong
place at the wrong time. Soldiers put themselves in harms way FOR ALL OF US, and they and their families know the dangers. We also learned over the weekend that some of the victims from the Oklahoma City bombing have started an organization asking for the same deal that the
September 11 families are getting. In addition to that, some of the families of those bombed in the embassies are now asking for compensation as well.

You see where this is going, don't you? Folks, this is part and parcel of over 50 years of entitlement politics in this country. It's just really sad.
Every time a pay raise comes up for the military, they usually receive next to nothing of a raise. Now the green machine is in combat in the Middle East while their families have to survive on food stamps and live
in low-rent housing. Make sense?

However, our own U.S. Congress just voted themselves a raise, and many of you don't know that they only have to be in Congress one time to receive a pension that is more than $15,000 per month, and most are now equal to being millionaires plus. They also do not receive Social Security on retirement because they didn't have to pay into the system.

If some of the military people stay in for 20 years and get out as an E-7, you may receive a pension of $1,000 per month, and the very people who placed you in harm's way receive a pension of $15,000 per month.
I would like to see our elected officials pick up a weapon and join ranks before they start cutting out benefits and lowering pay for our sons and daughters who are now fighting."

SOCIAL SECURITY: (This is worth the read. It's short and to the point.)

"Perhaps we are asking the wrong questions during election years. Our Senators and Congressmen do not pay into Social Security. Many years ago they voted in their own benefit plan. In more recent years, no
congressperson has felt the need to change it. For all practical purposes their plan works like this:
When they retire, they continue to draw the same pay until they die, except it may increase from time to time for cost of living adjustments. For example, former Senator Byrd and Congressman White and their
wives may expect to draw $7,800,000 - that's Seven Million, Eight Hundred Thousand), with their wives drawing $275,000.00 during the last years of their lives.

This is calculated on an average life span for each. Their cost for this excellent plan is $00.00. These little perks they voted for themselves is free to them. You and I pick up the tab for this plan.
The funds for this fine retirement plan come directly from the General
Fund--our tax dollars at work! >From our own Social Security Plan, which you and I pay (or have paid) into every payday until we retire (which amount is matched by our employer) --we can expect to get an
average $1,000 per month after retirement. Or, in other words, we would have to collect our average of $1,000 monthly benefits for 68 years and one month to equal Senator Bill Bradley's benefits!

Social Security could be very good if only one small change were made. And that change would be to jerk the Golden Fleece Retirement Plan from under the Senators and Congressmen. Put them into the SocialSecurity plan with the rest of us and then watch how fast they would fix it."

[jon@af]

[taranaki]

Soldiering is not heroic.It's just another way to pay the bills.Getting blown up in a terrorist attack is not heroic either.Can't see any logic as to why some victims of Sept.11 are worth $250,000 and others are allegedly worth 19 times that figure.

Anybody daft enough to get killed in Iraq deserves very little sympathy.Unless they are Iraqis,they have no business to be there.

And BTW,Rush Limbaugh is a worthless piece of shit.Send him to Iraq and let him get shot,the world doesn't need worthless parasites like him.

[TexasF355F1]

Originally posted by taranaki
And BTW,Rush Limbaugh is a worthless piece of shit.Send him to Iraq and let him get shot,the world doesn't need worthless parasites like him.

Hey I didn't say you had to like him I just said what he said makes sense.

[NSX-R-SSJ20K]

I'm not sure it does.
The soldiers know that they are putting themselves in harms way, it's their profession.

Whereas the people who were hurt in September 11th where mostly office people they don't expect something as crazy as what happened.

Although i don't think the compensation ranging from 250 000 - 4.9mil is right either.

Even so i really don't think i can come up with anything better.

[YogsVR4]

I think that¡¦s from his newsletter. He's right from the standpoint that the government shouldn't be "compensating" anyone for these tragedies. There are charitable organizations that are helping out with more money then the government. Since they can do as they see fit, people from other tragedies can ask for help (or it comes freely) but they know they are not entitled to it. As soon as the government does it, then people feel that entitlement.

The soldiers of our country should be better compensated. Both in pay and in benefits. Its easy for congress to give themselves a raise, but its like pulling teeth to get a cost of living to the soldiers.

Lastly, the congress should be subjected to the rules that they pass just like the rest of us. Being able to exempt them selves is one of the greatest scams they've ever perpetuated.

[sidewinder69]

Texas I hope that's NOT news to you.

Congress has always done stuff like that, I mean if you could do it wouldn't you??? Congress' job is to pass bills, when was the last time they passed one that has made any signifigance whatsoever.....also one that hasn't benefited them in some way?

[TexasF355F1]

Originally posted by sidewinder69
Texas I hope that's NOT news to you.

Congress has always done stuff like that, I mean if you could do it wouldn't you??? Congress' job is to pass bills, when was the last time they passed one that has made any signifigance whatsoever.....also one that hasn't benefited them in some way?

Give me a little bit of common sense credit. Of course its not news to me. I just simply posted this for no reason in particular, but to give us something else to discuss. And yea you're right, if I could do it I probably would to, but it still doesnt make it right.

[Pick]

Originally posted by NSX-R-SSJ20K
I'm not sure it does.
The soldiers know that they are putting themselves in harms way, it's their profession.

So they're expendable???

[Pick]

Originally posted by taranaki


Anybody daft enough to get killed in Iraq deserves very little sympathy.

I hope you're not serious....

Originally posted by taranaki
And BTW,Rush Limbaugh is a worthless piece of shit.Send him to Iraq and let him get shot,the world doesn't need worthless parasites like him.

Its people like you and attitudes like that that keep him in business, so keep it coming. All hail the biggest show on radio period!!!!

[freakray]

Originally posted by Pick


So they're expendable???

Nobody is expendable, least of all the soldiers, but they did make the conscious decision to sign the paper giving the right to their life to the military and they did know they could be sent to their deaths by some brass that they have never seen.

[Pick]

Originally posted by freakray


Nobody is expendable, least of all the soldiers, but they did make the conscious decision to sign the paper giving the right to their life to the military and they did know they could be sent to their deaths by some brass that they have never seen.

But would you agree that that is different than saying they should be killed just because it is their profession?

[freakray]

Originally posted by Pick


But would you agree that that is different than saying they should be killed just because it is their profession?

Nobody said they should be killed because it is their profession, you interpreted it that way.

It is not their profession to be killed, it is their job to protect their homeland, if they are killed in the process then they died for a cause they believed in doing what they had chosen to do.

They choose their profession, the possibility of death in combat is an unavoidable reality of being in the armed forces and they know that when they sign up.