9/11 entitlement politics

[Bugsby]

I just got this chain email. While I usually hate these, this one had some good points. Even though it was by Rush Limbaugh. Even though the guy is an idiot, he has some pretty sobering statistics:

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 $4.7 million.


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.

"When do we finally do something about this?" If this doesn't seem fair to you, it is time to forward this to as many people as you can.If your interested there is more.......................

This must be a campaign issue in 2004. Keep it going.

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 an Congressmen. Put them into the Social Security plan with the rest of us and then watch how
fast they would fix it.

If enough people receive this, maybe a seed of
awareness will be planted and maybe good changes will evolve. WE, each one of us... can make a difference..


How many people can YOU send this to

[/quote]

[Joe]

http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/outrage/military.htm

Here's Snopes on the whole thing. There are some fudged facts here apparently but the gist of the article is essentially correct.

[frigidmagi]

I've been told Congress men don't have to pay taxes during or after their terms. Is there any truth to that?

[Joe]

No. Senators and Congressmen have to pay taxes.

[frigidmagi]

Ah, thanks Joe. To they get any tax breaks or anything like that could have inspired the myth?

[Joe]

Ah, thanks Joe. To they get any tax breaks or anything like that could have inspired the myth?

Not that I'm aware of. I'm pretty sure they get the same deductions and rates as everyone else.

[Admiral Valdemar]

There'd be Hell to pay if that were the case anyway. Getting tax exemptions like that wouldn't go down too well with the public much like fat cat payoffs.

[frigidmagi]

True enough. Alright, thanks everyone.

[Bugsby]

There'd be Hell to pay if that were the case anyway. Getting tax exemptions like that wouldn't go down too well with the public much like fat cat payoffs.

Im not too sure about that. No one really looks into the tax code at all. People don't seem to care too much about the outrageous pensions awarded to congressmen, why would they care so much about taxes?

More importantly, congressmen make these tax laws. There is no incentive for them to limit the amount of money they get. Who will the public get mad at then? Congress as a whole? You can vote against people, you cant vote against the legislative branch. This is one of thees things like pork-barrel politics that is here to stay because there is no internal incentive to stop it. Its not fair, but thats what it is.

[Master of Ossus]

Ah, thanks Joe. To they get any tax breaks or anything like that could have inspired the myth?

The government is forbidden from offering special tax incentives to Federal employees, but they do enjoy some benefits such as free mailing privileges (congressmen) and immunities to misdemeanor offenses, which historically have USUALLY been waived.

[CaptainChewbacca]

Ah, thanks Joe. To they get any tax breaks or anything like that could have inspired the myth?

The President doesn't pay taxes, so that probably started it.

[Joe]

Ah, thanks Joe. To they get any tax breaks or anything like that could have inspired the myth?

The President doesn't pay taxes, so that probably started it.

Sure they do, they even release their tax returns. You can find Bush's 2003 tax return on the web.

[Sea Skimmer]

The President doesn't pay taxes, so that probably started it.

The US president certainly does pay taxes.

[Gandalf]

That's an ...interesting article.

In Australia, one of our more common governmental problems is politicians pension. Every now and them it comes up as an issue.