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[5GallonBucket]

14 minutes ago, thetragichippy said:

Slightly more than 148,000 people enlisted in the US armed forces in 2020, a 

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 from 1980, when 360,745 new people enlisted in the military. The number of applications to the military has dropped 73% over that same time, from 768,532 to 205,105. while the military’s acceptance rate increased from 46.9% to 72.3%.

**Notice enlistment is on decline while acceptance is up. We have basically lowered our standards to have warm bodies in place.....and you want to cut more benefits?

How about we get all that money back that we sent to Ukraine and take care of our military. We have never had an attack on US soil in a organized "war" (I'm not considering the balloon bombs that Japan tried to float over), and I think the main reason is our elite military.  We need to take care of our military period. 

This is the same guy who doesn’t t care for teachers.

 

[CardinalBacker]

3 hours ago, 5GallonBucket said:

This is the same guy who doesn’t t care for teachers.

 

I know a guy personally who draws a 100% disability from the VA.  It amounts to $4300 or so per month.  He got PTSD while working as a mechanic on helicopters.  He also made $369k from Exxon Mobil last year.  Does that sound a little bit wasteful to you? 

EVERYBODY sustains lingering injuries, whether they're playing college football, doing a little roofing, construction, or whatever.  Nobody but the guys that we fed/clothed/housed/paid for four years get a lifelong pension for their "service."  I get it if you're actually disabled.  Can't walk, missing a limb, etc.... but free everything and a check for life, just because you went through basic and then deployed at Fort (whatever the new DEI name) for a couple of years?  Serious business... we were ALL losing our hearing in our 20s... whether it was going hunting, riding a tractor, rock concerts, or time on the rifle range.  

 

It doesn't qualify you for a check for life.  

 

It's a bad joke.  

[CardinalBacker]

4 hours ago, thetragichippy said:

Slightly more than 148,000 people enlisted in the US armed forces in 2020, a 

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 from 1980, when 360,745 new people enlisted in the military. The number of applications to the military has dropped 73% over that same time, from 768,532 to 205,105. while the military’s acceptance rate increased from 46.9% to 72.3%.

**Notice enlistment is on decline while acceptance is up. We have basically lowered our standards to have warm bodies in place.....and you want to cut more benefits?

How about we get all that money back that we sent to Ukraine and take care of our military. We have never had an attack on US soil in a organized "war" (I'm not considering the balloon bombs that Japan tried to float over), and I think the main reason is our elite military.  We need to take care of our military period. 

To answer your question... mechanization and automation has cost a lot of jobs in ALL fields, not just the military.

I don't have a problem with paying our troops MORE.  We'd probably attract more and better, and God knows that while you're in it, you behind is on the line.  

But when you come home, the ride should be over.  Obvious injuries aside, of course.  Lose a leg and can't work?  No problem.  Slight hearing loss, gimpy left knee and, you guessed it, "PTSD" leading to a check for the next 60 years?  Nah... that's wasteful spending. 

[thetragichippy]

1 hour ago, CardinalBacker said:

I know a guy personally who draws a 100% disability from the VA.  It amounts to $4300 or so per month.  He got PTSD while working as a mechanic on helicopters.  He also made $369k from Exxon Mobil last year.

I didn't realize you can receive 100% military disability and work a job with unlimited income.  I would not be opposed to paying them more while in service, and even more when in actual combat. They could limit the unlimited extra income if you draw disability after leaving. 

[rupert3]

I have refraind from posting in the political thread but here is my take on vet pay.  My understanding there is more than 1 100% rating.  If you are 100% due to to unemployability thenyou can't make money from being employed.  Youn can however make money off of extra stuff like lottery, insurance payments etc.

 

[5GallonBucket]

2 hours ago, CardinalBacker said:

I know a guy personally who draws a 100% disability from the VA.  It amounts to $4300 or so per month.  He got PTSD while working as a mechanic on helicopters.  He also made $369k from Exxon Mobil last year.  Does that sound a little bit wasteful to you? 

EVERYBODY sustains lingering injuries, whether they're playing college football, doing a little roofing, construction, or whatever.  Nobody but the guys that we fed/clothed/housed/paid for four years get a lifelong pension for their "service."  I get it if you're actually disabled.  Can't walk, missing a limb, etc.... but free everything and a check for life, just because you went through basic and then deployed at Fort (whatever the new DEI name) for a couple of years?  Serious business... we were ALL losing our hearing in our 20s... whether it was going hunting, riding a tractor, rock concerts, or time on the rifle range.  

 

It doesn't qualify you for a check for life.  

 

It's a bad joke.  

all govt programs need revamping.  

[LumRaiderFan]

2 hours ago, 5GallonBucket said:

all govt programs need revamping.  

Many need removing.

[thetragichippy]

16 hours ago, rupert3 said:

I have refraind from posting in the political thread but here is my take on vet pay.  My understanding there is more than 1 100% rating.  If you are 100% due to to unemployability thenyou can't make money from being employed.  Youn can however make money off of extra stuff like lottery, insurance payments etc.

 

I looked it up in disbelief. If you are on 100% disability from military, there is no restriction on other income, including a full time job.

[LumRaiderFan]

There are about 1 million forms of government waste we should address before disability payments for working veterans is even discussed.

[rupert3]

4 hours ago, thetragichippy said:

I looked it up in disbelief. If you are on 100% disability from military, there is no restriction on other income, including a full time job.

If you mean disabled vet vs disabled military, it is 2 different scenarios IMO.  Usually disabled military is  a retiree from the military and they can't draw Vet disablity and retiree pay.  However if you are 100% due to unemployabilty.  Then you can't be gainfully employed unless they have changed it recently.

[CardinalBacker]

16 hours ago, rupert3 said:

If you mean disabled vet vs disabled military, it is 2 different scenarios IMO.  Usually disabled military is  a retiree from the military and they can't draw Vet disablity and retiree pay.  However if you are 100% due to unemployabilty.  Then you can't be gainfully employed unless they have changed it recently.

I read through a website and it was little confusing to me. 

[CardinalBacker]

17 hours ago, LumRaiderFan said:

There are about 1 million forms of government waste we should address before disability payments for working veterans is even discussed.

How about Social Security?  Are we ready to discuss that one?  What about Medicare/Medicaid?  How do we feel about defense spending?  

I just ran through a majority of our federal spending and haven't hit on a single area that you or anyone else is willing to even discuss making cuts. 

[thetragichippy]

33 minutes ago, CardinalBacker said:

How about Social Security?

I would love my lump sum in one payment that I have paid over the years.  I don't even need the interest it earned. 

I also think unemployment should be limited to 4 months.

 

[5GallonBucket]

44 minutes ago, CardinalBacker said:

I read through a website and it was little confusing to me. 

Most govt websites are confusing.  Possibly designed that way on purpose

[LumRaiderFan]

59 minutes ago, CardinalBacker said:

How about Social Security?  Are we ready to discuss that one?  What about Medicare/Medicaid?  How do we feel about defense spending?  

I just ran through a majority of our federal spending and haven't hit on a single area that you or anyone else is willing to even discuss making cuts. 

I paid for my social security and medicare, so it's owed to me, not an entitlement.

That you lump medicaid in with it shows your ignorance about what is an entitlement and what is owed to citizens because it was paid for by them.

As far as defense spending, it's allowed in the Constitution, but there is a lot of waste.  That will soon be addressed by Musk and Ramaswamy, you may know them as Trump's team.

[rupert3]

18 minutes ago, 5GallonBucket said:

Most govt websites are confusing.  Possibly designed that way on purpose

It's called job security

[SmashMouth]

Working With a 100% Disability Rating

The VA uses the severity of your health condition to calculate how much disability compensation you qualify for, assigning a disability rating ranging from zero to 100 percent.

No matter where you fall on this scale, veterans can still legally work, even full-time, even at a 100 percent disability rating (single or combined).

However, to collect TDIU benefits, veterans must show that their service-connected disability renders them unable to maintain “substantially gainful employment.”

Working While Collecting TDIU Benefits

From the above, it sounds like veterans who get TDIU benefits can’t work at all. But this is not the case. Under certain criteria, veterans can still earn money while collecting TDIU benefits.

Self-Employment and Freelance Work

What if a veteran earns a little side money, helps out a local business, sells collectibles or artwork online? Can they still collect TDIU benefits? Yes. As long as the veteran doesn’t have “substantially gainful employment,” they can still work and receive TDIU benefits.

So what qualifies as substantially gainful employment? As of March 2019, VA defines substantially gainful employment as “employment that is ordinarily followed by the nondisabled to earn their livelihood with earnings common to the particular occupation in the community where the veteran resides.”

Therefore, if you earn an annual amount that’s above the poverty line for your area (as set by the Census Bureau), the VA can discontinue your TDIU benefits.

Therefore, a veteran who sells items on eBay or receives money for small side jobs can still collect TDIU disability benefits – as long as they aren’t making more than the poverty line in their area.

Marginal Employment and TDIU Benefits

Another way veterans can work while receiving TDIU benefits is to earn money from “marginal employment.” VA considers several different scenarios as marginal employment, including:

Working less than part-time hours for a particular job.

Collecting less than half the average wage for a particular job.

Working for family or friends in a job tailored to your abilities (protected employment)

[SmashMouth]

On 12/9/2024 at 1:33 PM, CardinalBacker said:

Slight hearing loss, gimpy left knee and, you guessed it, "PTSD" leading to a check for the next 60 years?  Nah... that's wasteful spending. 

If anyone of those injuries was sustained in the private sector, the affected employee could sue the pants off their employer and end up with a huge settlement and/or continued payments. Usually not so with a member of the military. And what is the deal with PTSD? Do you not think it can be debilitating? I'm only guessing you never killed people or got shot at for a living...

I can remember my Mom (a former Woman Marine) telling me stories of my Dad (Sgt. Major, USMC who retired after 30 years of service) returning from combat.

After a couple purple hearts, a couple bronze stars with combat V for Valor and a host of other commendations during 2 tours in Viet Nam, after losing several very close friends in combat (some in front of his own eyes), after having to write letters to kid's parents letting them know their sons were heroes but weren't coming home, after being spit on and cursed at the airport when he returned home as "thanks" for his service, I can only imagine the stories she told me of how he was affected were only a scratch on the surface. Luckily, he was able to persevere and didn't retire from the USMC until the mid 80's. Not all guys were as tough (on the surface) as my Dad. I could never imagine him showing weakness at all. But to hear her tell me stories of him waking up in a cold sweat, sometimes wetting the bed or crying out in the night or launching himself to the floor when he heard a plane flying overhead even months after returning home made me a believer of how tragic that experience could be.

He passed away from non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma (cancer/leukemia) attributed to the Agent Orange (kinda like round up on steroids) he would march through, sleep in, be covered in during his time in the field. They were kind enough to provide him a flag, a gun salute and inurnment at Arlington National Cemetery. Though never on disability, he did have full retirement for the rest of his life, though cut short. I think he earned it.

[baddog]

1 hour ago, SmashMouth said:

If anyone of those injuries was sustained in the private sector, the affected employee could sue the pants off their employer and end up with a huge settlement and/or continued payments. Usually not so with a member of the military. And what is the deal with PTSD? Do you not think it can be debilitating? I'm only guessing you never killed people or got shot at for a living...

I can remember my Mom (a former Woman Marine) telling me stories of my Dad (Sgt. Major, USMC who retired after 30 years of service) returning from combat.

After a couple purple hearts, a couple bronze stars with combat V for Valor and a host of other commendations during 2 tours in Viet Nam, after losing several very close friends in combat (some in front of his own eyes), after having to write letters to kid's parents letting them know their sons were heroes but weren't coming home, after being spit on and cursed at the airport when he returned home as "thanks" for his service, I can only imagine the stories she told me of how he was affected were only a scratch on the surface. Luckily, he was able to persevere and didn't retire from the USMC until the mid 80's. Not all guys were as tough (on the surface) as my Dad. I could never imagine him showing weakness at all. But to hear her tell me stories of him waking up in a cold sweat, sometimes wetting the bed or crying out in the night or launching himself to the floor when he heard a plane flying overhead even months after returning home made me a believer of how tragic that experience could be.

He passed away from non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma (cancer/leukemia) attributed to the Agent Orange (kinda like round up on steroids) he would march through, sleep in, be covered in during his time in the field. They were kind enough to provide him a flag, a gun salute and inurnment at Arlington National Cemetery. Though never on disability, he did have full retirement for the rest of his life, though cut short. I think he earned it.

Thanks to your father for his service. Sorry he passed.

[SmashMouth]

54 minutes ago, baddog said:

Thanks to your father for his service. Sorry he passed.

I appreciate that. It was hard growing up with 2 Marine parents. You can damn well bet my bed was made every morning! Lol.

[thetragichippy]

51 minutes ago, SmashMouth said:

I appreciate that. It was hard growing up with 2 Marine parents. You can damn well bet my bed was made every morning! Lol.

You added context to this subject and I appreciate that. 

Appreciate your Fathers service, and it was shameful how the were treated after the war.  Those men were stronger and tougher than we have now. 

[CardinalBacker]

6 hours ago, LumRaiderFan said:

I paid for my social security and medicare, so it's owed to me, not an entitlement.

That you lump medicaid in with it shows your ignorance about what is an entitlement and what is owed to citizens because it was paid for by them.

As far as defense spending, it's allowed in the Constitution, but there is a lot of waste.  That will soon be addressed by Musk and Ramaswamy, you may know them as Trump's team.

Here’s the problem… all of the money you paid into Medicare won’t cover a week-long stay in the hospital in today’s money. 
 

You’re demanding a handout. 

[baddog]

1 hour ago, SmashMouth said:

I appreciate that. It was hard growing up with 2 Marine parents. You can damn well bet my bed was made every morning! Lol.

I see nothing wrong with that. It’s discipline…..something a lot of people in this world could use. It made you a better man….but you already know that.

[LumRaiderFan]

29 minutes ago, CardinalBacker said:

Here’s the problem… all of the money you paid into Medicare won’t cover a week-long stay in the hospital in today’s money. 
 

You’re demanding a handout. 

lol, I could have bought a nice home with my Medicare payments.

And you're right, I'm demanding they hand me back a small portion of what I paid in, and still will have to buy additional insurance.

It's a government scam that I was forced to participate in.

Quit wasting time here, get back to bashing veterans on disability.

[CardinalBacker]

2 minutes ago, LumRaiderFan said:

lol, I could have bought a nice home with my Medicare payments.

And you're right, I'm demanding they hand me back a small portion of what I paid in, and still will have to buy additional insurance.

It's a government scam that I was forced to participate in.

Quit wasting time here, get back to bashing veterans on disability.

Your Medicare tax rate was 1.45% of your gross earnings. So if you averaged $75k annual for your entire 50 year career (bag boy at Market Basket at 16 y/o until your started drawing Medicare at age 65) you would have personally paid $54,375.  Except you and both know that you weren’t making $75k a year as a bag boy 50 years ago. And it’s unlikely you ever grossed $75k at any point in your career, either. 
 

Your actual contributions to Medicare probably total less than $40k… but you demand free healthcare because “you already paid for it.”

 

you a welfare queen.