2008/11/25 08:54:00
If our country can afford almost $1 trillion in bailouts for firms whose financial troubles were caused by their own mismanagement or recklessness, what about those in the uniformed services community suffering grievous circumstances imposed on them by the government through no fault of their own? Here are MOAA’s nominees for those most deserving a government bailout. Add your own views and nominations in the “rate this item” forum at the bottom of the list.
8. Currently serving uniformed services families – the only large group of employees denied use of Flexible Spending Accounts to deduct out-of-pocket health and dependent costs from income and payroll taxes. Who needs a child care tax break more than a family whose sponsor has been deployed?
7. Employers of Guard/Reserve personnel -- who deserve tax breaks to help ease the burden of hiring temporary replacements for ever-more-frequently deployed staff members. The government that imposes these requirements on them, and expects them to keep hiring Guard/Reserve members, needs to do more to assist them.
6. Guard-Reserve members deployed since 9/11 – whom the government has acknowledged deserve a reduced retirement age in return for frequent active duty callups, but has denied credit for those called up (for multiple combat tours in hundreds of thousands of cases) between 2001 and 2008.
5. Military families (again) – who’ve suffered terrible family separations because of past government resistance to manpower increases, despite predictions of a long war. Now, some congressional leaders have proposed cutting back on manpower increases, when the only possibility for relief is to accelerate them.
4. Severely disabled retirees with less than 20 years of service – who forfeit most or all of their military retired pay to fund their own VA disability compensation. Congress passed legislation to assist the combat-disabled, but a glitch in the law stymied relief for many. And a 100% non-combat disabled retiree has no relief.
3. Military widows whose sponsors died of service-related causes – thousands of whom must live on an annuity of $13,000 a year because their VA survivor benefits are deducted from their Survivor Benefit Plan annuities. Congress’ “first-step” relief action provided a mere $50 extra per month.
2. Separated wounded warriors – Thousands of wounded or potential PTSD/TBI victims were separated with low-balled disability determinations, “personality disorder” or disciplinary discharges that limited or denied benefits. Programs are changing now, but those already separated since 9/11 deserve reconsideration.
1. Caregivers for wounded warriors – hundreds of mothers, fathers, siblings, spouses, and other loved ones have had to quit their jobs, sell homes, and cash in retirement funds – to provide full-time care to severely wounded servicemembers. The government owes training, respite, and compensation to those who never dreamed that a loved one’s wounding could put their own livelihood at such risk.
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Colonel Reynolds |
12/24/2008 1:49:59 PM |
I agree that our veterans, troops on active duty and their families shouls be given more considseration but, for the most part, these are budget itmes, not bailouts.
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Chief Warrant Officer Hubbs |
12/23/2008 11:35:23 AM |
We have to meny non-vets in congress, But thanks for keeping their feet to the fire.
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Captain Pillion |
12/12/2008 12:50:04 PM |
If only our legislators felt this way.
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Colonel Dettor |
12/12/2008 11:00:34 AM |
Thank you for keeping us on point!
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Commander Kunerth |
12/11/2008 7:51:50 PM |
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Chief Warrant Officer Green |
12/11/2008 3:29:40 PM |
Agree completely with your priority of Federal payments BEFORE any bailouts or rescues of corporations.
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12/9/2008 10:15:21 AM |
Colonel Cardin and Captain Gladden are exactly right. The groups cited are well-deserving and probably face additional challenges from the economic crisis; however, as written, the suggested message appears to be more "band wagon" than "bail out." If MOAA truly wants to get assistance (not absolution) passed through Congress, the message needs to be focused. For example, push for a "guaranteed homesale program" similar to that offered to many DoD civilians and hold members accountable for the difference between mortgage due and purchase price and consider assistance based on an extended ADSC as "collateral." (Helps member out of a jam and helps retention)
Highlight the need for a helping hand, not a hand-out. Simply stating "look at all these wothry groups" without a recommended solution becomes static that drowns out the real message.
Stay on target. Stay on point. Stay on message.
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Colonel Peterson |
12/7/2008 10:09:46 PM |
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Colonel Sidio |
12/7/2008 8:28:17 PM |
Well stated.
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Captain Poling |
12/7/2008 1:57:11 PM |
My wife and I have been married for over fifty years and have raised two children. We have always paid our home mortgage and automobile payments on time and paid our credit card off every month. This was done by keeping within our budget while making as much as $3200 a year.
My wife has informed me that she is tired of cooking and cleaning now and we intend to eat out every night now and stay in luxury resorts. We know we can’t afford it but what the heck; we feel our government owes us.
We know we will require a bailout so were requesting to get on the bandwagon for all this give away money our government seems to have.
We realize this money will come from our children’s taxes but we’ll be living the good life.
