Michele Bachmann Undercuts Veterans

[dennishoddy]

As a volunteer I knew the risks when I joined. Conscripts such as yourself didn't have the choice.

Some 20,000 - 30,000 of my fellow Canadians volunteered for service with the US during the Vietnam conflict. An estimated 12,000 served there. How about we give them bennies too?
Does Canada offer veterans benefits? Just asking.

BTW, my older brother served in USAF for five years during the same period I did. The US government decided one day to pull his green card for no reason. He'd like to return to the US. Life is unfair eh?

Yeah, let's not slaughter sacred cows. And this is why I maintain that nothing will every change. Same ol' same ol'...

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[cktad]

The VA is already headed for a funding disaster. The requirements to receive disability benefits are being relaxed/expanded to the point that it will cost billions more to cover the cost. Adding diseases (ischemic heart disease in particular) last year that are covered by Agent Orange exposure has added over 170,000 disability claims in the last six months since expansion was approved. PTSD requirements were also relaxed in July of last year, which has also added thousands of disability claims. Job loss due to the bad economy, which results in health care insurance loss by veterans, has added even more veterans seeking VA health care. As a Veteran I want to take care of those vets that deserve it but the truth is many who get benefits get them for what is really non-service related illnesses or injuries. If cuts are made they won't be the right ones as the government never does things logically or intelligently.

 

[dutchwrangler]

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Yes, the Department of Veteran Affairs Canada provides benefits to it's veterans. However, this is about the US and not Canada which is of little concern to us here.

You may have misunderstood. Those Canadians I mentioned in my example served in the US military as volunteers. Same as my brother served in USAF while maintaining his Canadian citizenship but living here as a permanent resident. Those Canadians thus, under the reasoning of some, should be entitled to bennies from the US gov't too. Let's be fair now shall we...

 

[tRidiot]

Did you know that some veterans get disability benefits for conditions like acid reflux? I saw a guy the other day who had a 20% disability for GERD... he had other conditions, too, but his GERD was considered to be 20% disabling... really?

I'm not saying we should abandon our vets, but I think there is a lot of room in the system for improving efficiency in many areas. I think administrative costs are one of the biggest of these areas where waste is rampant.

 

[RickN]

Yup, I'm a lefty. I'm also a military retiree who's retirement check is reduced by the amount of my VA disability check since I'm not over 50% rated. So in other words, I don't see a dime of my disability $$, other than a modest couple bucks tax savings.

I will gladly give up the pension I earned through two major theater wars and numerous other conflicts in order to help the national debt/deficit problem. But only after some fat ***** in Detriot stops getting paid paid my tax money to sit on her ass, make kids, and do drugs without working a lick for it.

I understand the need to make deep, painful cuts but IMHO there's a whole lotta stuff to get to before we start eliminating stuff that has actually been paid for by the recipient.

No I do not think you are a lefty because what you posted actually makes sense .

If you're not willing to cut your projects, why should they be willing to cut theirs? I think she is doing a good thing by showing them that she IS willing to cut everything by starting with a very important item. Now they can't say 'But you're not willing to cut . . . '.

Surely we all realize that this small amount can be cut without affecting the benefits to the vets, right? It's govt. run, so they have far more than this in red tape alone.

Exactly!!! Anyone who has dealt with the VA knows there is plenty of waste and bloat that can be trimmed that will save far more then Bachman is calling for but the VA or any other government program or agency can not be off limits if we are ever going to have real cuts.

Heck they could probably balance the budget by just cutting out all the waste, bloat and fraud in government without touching anyone's benefits. Not that I really expect that to happen but it is a nice dream.

Not so sure Shirley that many vets are willing to give up their bennies. The mentality that they served means they're entitled to bennies seems to have a strong following. As far as I'm concerned the only vets that are entitled to benefits were those conscripted by government. Volunteers not so much, which I was.

This I totally disagree with. To me, if you served you deserve help when you need it.

 

[dennishoddy]

Yes, the Department of Veteran Affairs Canada provides benefits to it's veterans. However, this is about the US and not Canada which is of little concern to us here.

You may have misunderstood. Those Canadians I mentioned in my example served in the US military as volunteers. Same as my brother served in USAF while maintaining his Canadian citizenship but living here as a permanent resident. Those Canadians thus, under the reasoning of some, should be entitled to bennies from the US gov't too. Let's be fair now shall we...

I'm glad to hear that the DVAC does provide benefits to the veterans that served in the same convflict, as they should.
Should the US provide allies the same benefits as its citizens?
Should we provide benefits to the ARVN, Montenard volunteers that I served with?
Perhaps we should provide double benefits for allies that supported the US to include mujahideen in Afganisgan?
No, This is about providing benefits to the veterans that have been conscripted and those that have served our country voluntarily.
Yes, there have been issues and anybody can bring those up, but overall, we are talking about funding to the local veterans homes and disabled veteran benefits that some cannot live without.
When do we say that an unwed mother can only have one child, and if you have two, we cut you off of welfare?
In fact, we reward those moochers of society's money with more money. They did nothing to further our countries future other than be baby factories so they never have to be a "producer" to our economy.
So, mayby we cut there first.
In fact, how about we produce a list on this board of who needs to be cut first.Would it be Veterans that have been wounded and disabled in war, defending this country, or welfare recipients that only stay on welfare because they are moochers and can do so legally?

You tell me, and tell me in a civil way how this can even be in the same boat as veterans benefits.

Bring it on.

 

[RickN]

Cut the waste, bloat and fraud from ALL government programs.

 

[Dave70968]

Yes I read it. Most of her suggestions are outright asinine. And she provides no data to back up her claims regarding how much money each programs is currently funded with and for those that are not eliminated outright, what aspects of each program should get reduced funding in which areas and by how much.

Anyone who thinks that the "debt" to China actually means something is ludicrous. It's even more ludicrous that the Chinese actually think that we would actually fulfill our debts. What are they going to do? Go to war against us to collect a bad check? That war wold cost more than the debt that we owe to them. And they STILL wouldn't get their money.

Why don't you go look up the word "fungible" in the dictionary and get back to us?

While you're at it, look up "effect upon price of dumping huge supply on the market" in a high-school economics textbook.

We are dependent upon debt--our trillion-dollar-plus annual deficit is evidence of that. Our government cannot function without large amounts of loaned capital. China can crush us at will by either refusing to lend, or dumping our bonds on the market, driving prices down and interest rates through the roof.

 

[Cinaet]

Cut the waste, bloat and fraud from ALL government programs.

I would get behind that in a heartbeat.

 

[SMS]

Cut the waste, bloat and fraud, and freebies from ALL government programs.

Just added a little bit...with that, I'm in.