Bachmann wants to slash veterans' benefits

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   Mighty Momposted 13 years ago

   Bush era = "Support our Troops"
   Bachmann era = "F our Troops"
   
   Michele Bachmann has yet another brilliant idea! Let's cut off the veterans!
   Of all the programs to even contemplate cutting, how could anyone suggest cutting benefits for veterans? These brave men and women fought for our freedom.
   Providing for those returning from combat wounded -- physically, emotionally, and/or mentally is our obligation, if not our privilege.
   Taking money away from these programs is frankly immoral.There's simply no other word for it.
   
   
   http://nation.foxnews.com/health-care/2 … -companies

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      Brenda Durhamposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      The info I found said she proposed a CAP on spending, not cuts necessarily.   
      Anything Bachmann says is gonna either be attacked by the Left, or twisted.
      
      America may not realize it yet, but the Left has already set up the way to overspend majorly in our military.  They're right now even trying to figure out how to shell out money to the lovers of gays in the military for special health care and "their" children, etc.   Just one more load of fallout from the repeal of DADT,  one more burden placed on our military and Americans in general.   I believe our veterans should be well cared-for.  But if they want to complain about benefits from here on out, that's the place to start----ask why the heck the powers-that-be are proposing taking their benefits and putting them into the hands of someone based on their propensity to have sex with the same gender!  THAT's the huge embarrassment our military is being subjected to right now, and they don't need that burden shoved on them.
      
      There needs to be a CAP on SOMETHING or else America's gonna be left without any financial stability at all. 
      But of course God forbid there should ever be a CAP on anything that the Left desires.

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         Daniel Carterposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         Brenda, you agree that veterans should be cared for but put all kinds of conditions and clauses on it. No wonder MM, myself and others have a hard time with your thinking. It's pretty loaded in every direction. I'm not trying to be overly critical of you, I'm just pointing out that trying to find common ground with you is sometimes a loaded pistol. And I'm not holding the pistol.
         
         Bachmann, unfortunately, has her own agenda that doesn't really represent her constituents. If she had the values that she claims she has, she would pay much closer attention to whom she is representing and what they want. Instead, she's in office for her own promotion and will. Not uncommon, but still is a complete betrayal to the country and her constituents.

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         frogdroppingposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         The above is not a hint - it's a remark. And a very pointed one at that.

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      lady_love158posted 13 years agoin reply to this

      At least she's honest and really she's just floating ideas to cut the nations debt. Everyone will have to sacrifice something... perhaps even our veterans.

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         lovemychrisposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         What's Bachmann-Turner-Overdrive gonna sacrifice? How about she return that $250,000 she took from the "gangster gvt"? That would help. How about she get her 5 kids off the public payroll (healthcare)?
         
         How about JUST ONCE, she puts her money where her mouth is? (if she can keep it closed it long enough)
         
         Yeah, I see all these big mouthed slash-and-burners all high on the cutting spree......How bout Ole Koch give up those billions in public monies he gets? He DOES fund the Tea-P'ers you know.
         
         How bout they start with THEMSELVES?

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            Daniel Carterposted 13 years agoin reply to this

            I think you swept the house clean.
            

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         Daniel Carterposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         Oh for pete's sake...like they haven't sacrificed enough already?
         Where do you come up with this stuff? I think that's a complete insult to our veterans and those who now serve.
         
         How many veterans do you know who live in the lap of luxury and are emotionally healthy, sane and happy? Just about NONE.
         
         Shame on you.

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   tritrainposted 13 years ago

   She's an embarrassment to Minnesota.
   
   And as a vet myself she is just plain insulting.

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   Mighty Momposted 13 years ago

   She is an embarrassment period.
   She is an embarrassment to women, to women politicians, to politicians.
   But I suppose she is not an embarrassment to the Tea Party.
   Keep those practical and humane ideas coming, Michelle!
   Surest way we know to turn people away from the TP!
   
   P.S. Tritrain, thank you for your service.

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      habeeposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      I totally agree with you, MM!

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   frogdroppingposted 13 years ago

   My opinion - and not specifically relating to American troops but soldiers all over the globe.
   
   They're all great when they're fighting the good fight. Soon as they can't fight it no more they're largely forgotten. These are men and women that have given everything in the name of the country they fight for - and yet when no longer viable they're discarded like trash.
   
   I've seen it, I've watched it and I'm disgusted by it. One guy I knew needed massive support when his army career was over. He got squat. Even when he lost it (PTSD) they kept their backs turned. The mans now in a wheelchair, ruined.
   
   It's just wrong that anyone would leave these men and women adrift - let alone voice their opinion publicly.

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   Mighty Momposted 13 years ago

   I'm with you on that, frogdropping.
   It didn't used to be so.
   Those who came back from WWII were treated as heroes and given the royal treatment.
   I think it is because every "non-war" we have been engaged in since has not had 100% (or even close) public support.
   The whole "Support Our Troops" propaganda of the Iraq war was just a ploy by Bush, Cheney, Rummy et al to prevent criticism of an unfounded aggression.
   
   I don't imagine Bachmann's proposal will go anywhere. I predict it is just a political ploy to get her name out there as she sets the stage for a presidential run in 2012.

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   C.J. Wrightposted 13 years ago

   This is where the problems lie. If the Tea Party believes that all the economic recovery can come from spending cuts and NOT expect things like this. They are absolutely delusional. The economic situation is SO dire that we are going to have to address revenue as well.
   
   I will tell you this. I have worked in the DOD for over 20 years. Nearly EVERY Service member is ENCOURAGED to nitpick their medical record for every scratch bump and bruise as retirement approaches. They do this to get even a nominal disability percentage declared. Even if the % is too small to qualify, they have a baseline set and used that as a springboard to disability claims based on NORMAL aches and pains. 20% is the threshold. MM, fraud is prevalent. I will also say I don't expect the government to make smart choices at this point. In other words a young person will not get a new prosthetic because some older patient needs meds to cover an illness thats NOT really service connected. It happens now, it will only get worse with cuts.

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   Mighty Momposted 13 years ago

   Brenda, I suppose you include the military establishment as part of the "left" then? Taking care of the people who put their lives on the line for their country is not something "the LEFT" desires. It is -- or should be -- something that falls under the perview of the Christian right. Your attitude is not very christian.
   
   CJ Wright -- I don't doubt for a minute what you say. That kind of padding goes on at the state and local levels, too. You should see the retirement earnings some cops and firefighters receive.
   I am certainly not condoning fraud by anybody.
   But when it comes to SSI, are veterans the only recipients gaming the system?
   If you have seen combat on behalf of this country, is there any such thing as a "NORMAL" ache and pain?

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      Brenda Durhamposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      No, I don't consider the military a part of the Left.  I SAID veterans should be asking why the military is proposing offering special benefits to gays in the military, while their own benefits might be in danger of being capped or cut.  AND I intimated that the military is NOW being CONTROLLED by the Left's agenda, which is plain as heck for anyone to see.
      
      Your attitude is not very civil, period, nor are (apparently) your powers of deduction when reading simple statements.

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      C.J. Wrightposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Yes, MM, even if you SEEN combat there are NORMAL aches and pains. Keep in mind that MANY who serve, even in combat do so with little or no longterm negative effects. Been there done that. Wouldn't you agree that MOST people will suffer hearing loss as they age? Vision loss? Joint trouble? Of course they will. What happens with a lot of VA disability is a person of 40 years old is evaluated and it's noted that they were exposed to a noisy enviroment 15 years prior. A certain amount of disability is assigned to that. Thats at 40 years old for something that occured 15 years prior. Fast forward 20 years, the guys nearly deaf....guess what? It's Service connected and after three or four trips to the VA they agree to pay for your hearing aids and up your disability. Keep in mind the guy isn't just evaluated for that. Example: asbestos was used alot in the Military in the past. If the guy comes down with lung cancer and had a 2 pack a day habit for 20 years, if the asbestos monitoring was captured in the health record, guess what? It's Service Connected...Starting to see where I'm comming from? Now think about how many vets and retirees are out there.
      
      Also don't confuse SSI with VA Disability. Primarily, the SSI system is different from the VA system in that there are no percentages of disability. While the system that exists for vets allows the veterans administration to conclude that a vet is 40% disabled and then receive benefits based on that determination (and potentially have that percentage upgraded over time to a full 100% rating), in the social security system it is all or nothing. So as you can see fraud in the VA is NOT apart of the SSI fraud problem its a whole other ballpark.
      
      
      Go to the VA hospital and volunteer. You will bet a better understanding. There are those in need. There are those who scam. I must warn you though, it can be emotionally draining experience. It can also be very rewarding.

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   Mighty Momposted 13 years ago

   Simple statements to not require deduction.
   Your statements are not simple.
   
   You appear to be creating a causational argument that the reason veterans' benefits are at risk is because of the repeal of DADT.
   
   
   I don't think I am the only person here who has trouble following your logic.

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      Doug Hughesposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      There is no logic to LoLos defense.  Bachman DID propose  a cap on veterans benefits even though the medical NEEDS of thousands of veterans of two intense wars of long duration is not known. Our demands of our vets for the last decade have been enormous. Our commitment to them should be unqualified.
      
      By the way I AM a vet. And I worked at a VA hospital in NC.  There are procedures  in the VA to identify service-related from non-service related conditions and to prioritize accordingly. The VA is horribly overburdened - I am not suggesting the system is perfect. But it's not a blank check for vets to abuse if that was ever implied.

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         C.J. Wrightposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         I didn't say it was a blank check Doug. What I did was clear up some mis-understandings about VA Disability and SSI. Further, I pointed out that there IS fraud in the VA system. There is also A LOT of waste....I didn't go into that aspect.

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         C.J. Wrightposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         HIV? Service Connected?

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   Mighty Momposted 13 years ago

   Wow, CJ Wright. I see (I think) where you are coming from.
   And I can see how scaling up the couple of examples you offered could add up to beaucoup bucks.
   The issue seems to be separating out legitimate claims from scam claims. Not an easy thing.
   
   But I go back to my Tricare example (on a different thread). My father-in-law served in WWII and was a reservist in the Air Force. His wife (now his widow) didn't serve ever. Yet both of them receive fully covered health care for life.
   Who am I to suggest that he is not entitled to this benefit?
   Who am I to suggest that she is not entitled to this benefit?
   
   What has irked me is observing the amount of health care both consume (which happens when you are in  your upper 80s). Doctor visits, about 20 prescriptions each, lab tests, hospitalizations -- all with $0 from them.
   While my husband, who is the one taking them to these appointments, cannot get health insurance at all. He has been rejected by every company we have applied to. And not for anything major (he has never been hospitalized in his life).
   THIS is what I find unfair with the US healthcare system.
   It is inequitable.

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      C.J. Wrightposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Keep in mind that TRICARE is HEAVILY subsidized. That means the taxpayer. The cost to the member is SUPPOSED to be 27%. However there has NOT been a raise in rates since TRICARE took over CHAMPUS. In todays dollars the ammount people pay for TRICARE amounts to 11%. In December of last year the prohibition on raising the rates was extended to September of this year. I suspect the rates are going up.

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    Mighty Momposted 13 years ago

    Quick addendum. I think you have suggested volunteering at VA hospitals before. I know it would be both emotionally draining and rewarding. I come into contact with quite a few vets in the rooms of AA and in my service work at a local psychiatric hospital. I get it.
    And I do appreciate the sacrifices these men and women make.
    I sincerely wish we, as a nation, were as gung-ho in "supporting our troops" once they get home as we are (or were under Bush) when they are in active combat.

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    Mighty Momposted 13 years ago

    Everyone will have to sacfifice something, eh?
    How about we start with repealing the Bush tax cuts?
    Reset the budget after we pull in the revenue that should have been collected.
    Or how about we stop subsidizing industry -- if capitalism is all that perfect, then no business should require government assistance, right?
    Make a big old dent in the deficit with revenues and then figure out what needs to be cut after that?
    I mean, if Michelle Bachmann can float ideas, we all should be able to, right?

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       lady_love158posted 13 years agoin reply to this

       She also floated the idea of reform of farm subsidies but i guess that doesnt make for a good headline. The Bust tax cuts expire in 2012... so i guess that leaves spendibg cuts.. lets start by repealing Obamacare.

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          habeeposted 13 years agoin reply to this

          Ummm...didn't she accept a big farm subsidy?

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       C.J. Wrightposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       Agreed. Corporate welfare has to stop.

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          lady_love158posted 13 years agoin reply to this

          Yeah tell that to Obama who approved an ethanol subsidy in the tax cut deal! Ethanol is total welfare and a waste of money it raises the price of food and is actually more harmful to the enviroment than gas!

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             C.J. Wrightposted 13 years agoin reply to this

             UH, I believe he just granted an EPA waiver to GE as well. Nothing in my comment was partisan.

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