| Author | Message | ||
     Gregtonn |
Love him or loathe him, he nailed this one right on the head.......... By Rush Limbaugh: I think the vast differences in compensation between victims of the September 11 casualty and those who die serving our 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 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 harm’s way FOR ALL OF US, and they and their families know the dangers.. (Actually, soldiers are put in harm’s way by politicians and commanding officers.) 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 US Congress voted them-selves a raise! 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 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, they may receive a pension of $1,000 per month, and the very people who placed them in harm's way receives 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.  G | ||
| Midnightrider |
I see his point - but he's kind of stacked the deck on one point. Servicemen are automatically insured under Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance (SGLI) for the maximum amount of $400,000 unless an election is filed reducing the insurance by $50,000 increments or canceling it entirely.. I think the monthly premium for the $400K is under $30 per month. So while he is technically correct IF a servicemember is a bonehead and elects to opt out, most GIs I know are in for the full amount. I'm not saying that in any way the $ can replace the loss of a loved one, but I don't like the way he selectively reports the facts to make his point. That's my problem with Rush and all the talking heads and many of the politicians on both sides of the political spectrum. They sensationalize their arguments in pursuit of the elusive "sound byte" , focusing more on ratings than the truth, and lose all credibility in the process. | ||
| Midnightrider |
And an E-7 who retired in 2010 with 20 years of service should earn $1,789 per month ( with annual increases for following years, not $1,000) | ||
| Pellis |
http://www.snopes.com/politics/military/deathpay.a sp | ||
| Indy_bueller |
That's not accurate and I am sure Rush didn't say it. The amount of money a survivor gets depends on how much the servicemember signs up for. |
