Comments for Focus, people, focus!

Focus, people, focus!

Fri, 06 Mar 2009 07:16:19 -0600

In my role as the retired soldier who hangs a shingle on the web, I get emails asking questions about veteran's benefits, retiree issues, etc. I answer 'em as I can, and I more often as not push the questioners to join any one of a number of organizations that have as their mission statement watching over those issues and which push out info via email and the web all the time. But these are perilous times, especially if you've managed your own resources well and are expecting to be punished for living like the ant, vice the grasshopper. If you look at the world through conservative lenses, as essentially at least half the country does in one form or another, we're in for a rough ride with the current President and Congress and are going to have to fight the fights from a position of weakness, at least until we see what changes occur in the mid-terms. There will be lots of fights to fight. So let's expend our energy fighting the fights that matter. Which means real fights, against real foes - and not raise the hue and cry and reach for the pitchforks and muskets and torches at every straw-man that pops off his pole and is heading down the yellow brick road. There are some real witches with flying monkeys out there. Keep your eye on the ball. Here's an example of a well-meaning distraction, sent in good faith:

Comment from John of Argghhh! on 2009-03-07

Sat, 07 Mar 2009 08:06:02 -0600

For the same reason I favor phasing in any hikes in TRICARE enrollment fees. To spread the budgetary impact of suddenly having to fully fund the VA payments, vice using the beneficiaries retirement pay to fund them.

Plus, a cold-hearted actuarial aspect - the WWII-Vietnam era retirees are a significantly larger group than the cohorts behind them, the Army having been much smaller post-Vietnam. During that 8 year period, a predictable number of them were going to die, thus reducing the outlay.

Comment from Argent on 2009-03-07

Sat, 07 Mar 2009 07:54:34 -0600

8 years? why?

Comment from John of Argghhh! on 2009-03-07

Sat, 07 Mar 2009 07:34:50 -0600

Casey, your lack of a dog is apparent... 8^ ) And I clearly fell into the trap of insider writing.

The "offset" was the policy that said that if you had a regular retirement check, *and* a VA disability payment, your retired pay was offset, dollar for dollar, by the amount of your disability check.

So, if I had retired pay of $2K per month, and a disability payment of $1K, the Army sent $1K of my retirement check to the VA, who the next month would give it back to me. The Army would give me only $1K direct. And the first month of that process would be a little...lean. At least after I died, my estate would get one more check from the VA....

If my retired pay were $500, and my disability were $1K, then the Army would send all of my check to the VA, and the VA would give me $1K.

The net effect of this is that I funded my own disability payment, up to the amount of my retired pay. The only advantage I got from that is that the dollars siphoned from my retired pay were taken pre-tax, and given back to me tax-free by the VA. Ironically, that set up the fact that those of us with the least need derived the greatest benefit, since the only benefit came in the tax break, and the break was greater the higher your bracket.

Congress forced, over the objections of President Bush (and every other President before them where the issue was raised) a change in the system, which was based on the wording of a post-civil war era law. This change is being phased in over an 8 year period, and with more caveats (many since removed) than we want to go into here, but the net effect is that next year, we'll get our full retirement checks *and* our full disability checks, without essentially self-funding any portion of them, except via the taxes we normally pay.

Comment from Argent on 2009-03-07

Sat, 07 Mar 2009 03:11:06 -0600

and your point is?

Comment from Mark In Irvine on 2009-03-07

Sat, 07 Mar 2009 01:28:54 -0600

"The point is the benefits and safety nets have been earnt whether you can realise that or not."

In the real world, having earned (or being owed) something doesn't necessarily mean that you ever receive it - "whether you can realise that or not.", as they say.

Comment from Casey on 2009-03-07

Sat, 07 Mar 2009 00:28:16 -0600

John,

Don't have a dog in this fight, but two statements you made seem to be at odds with each other:

President Bush was forced by Congress to repeal the offset ... He didn't want to do it. Nor did Clinton, or Bush senior. Or Reagan, or Carter, ad infinitum.

Then we have

Truth is, on things like this, the veteran's organizations and Congress are our natural ally

So at one point, Congress "forced" the President to implement policies detrimental to vets, but on the other hand Congress is a "natural ally" in terms of advocating veteran health care.

Later you say

The reality is, on issues like this, Presidents are generally only our friends when they want to fight a war

but isn't that contradicted by the fact that the Carter, Reagan, Bush '41, and Clinton administrations didn't face (as you say) "war conditions?" True, Bush '41 faced Desert Storm, but considering that we encountered more fatalities from one poorly-tracked SCUD than in battle, can you call it a "war?"

Not trying for snark here, but unless I'm missing something, the above seems contradictory.

Comment from Argent on 2009-03-07

Sat, 07 Mar 2009 00:09:02 -0600

Man the Castle Echo is getting quite frequent isn't it?

Mark: The point is the benefits and safety nets have been earnt whether you can realise that or not.

John: Your point about there not being infinite freedom in the pivate sector is quite valid but you're evading the reality that the private sector is indeed much freer than the military.

So, were you denied the opportunity to enlist in the Armed Forces of the United States, so as to enjoy (such as they are) these benefits?

Would you suggest some are not denied? Lets even gloss over being denied where there is a probable valid basis for the moment and instead point at your treatment of gays. No your military cannot pretend to fair opportunity and certainly cannot pretend that just anyone can gain access, and therefore access to the VA benefits.

Brad: No you set aside your physical well being for the needs of the company instead. :-/ You're also ignoring charity and volunteering. While their physical risks are way lower they get nothing and no pay either.

Comment from Mark In Irvine on 2009-03-06

Fri, 06 Mar 2009 23:42:47 -0600

i didn't mean to offend you; i apologize.

Comment from Mark In Irvine on 2009-03-06

Fri, 06 Mar 2009 23:11:20 -0600

You seem to be feeling defensive ("You are demonstrably superior to me, who chose to go with the safe choice where I never had to make choices, whether in how to dress or how or what to think! "), and I didn't mean to me offensive. I'm sorry if it came across that way, sincerely.

Whoever commented that nobody's shooting at me is absolutely right - nobody's shooting at me - that's usually my test of how good/bad things are - as long as nobody is shooting at me, I'm doing OK and can handle whatever is going down.

We all make our choices; some we question after the fact; others we don't. We're lucky we have choices; not everybody does.

Comment from XBradTC on 2009-03-06

Fri, 06 Mar 2009 21:39:22 -0600

Mark, as a fellow Irvine resident, let me tell you option three. I served for 12 years, then got out. Now I'm in the private sector, facing the same challenges you are when COBRA expires. And the VA says it hasn't the time or money to address my needs. And to a great extent, I understand that. I'd hate for any treatment I received to impinge on the treatment available to a soldier who was wounded.

Yes, a lot of veterans are very touchy about the health care benefits. But then again, they worked for an organization that routinely asked them to set aside their physical well being for the needs of others. No private company I've worked for ever asked that.

Comment from Josh on 2009-03-06

Fri, 06 Mar 2009 20:29:41 -0600

You forgot the best part...nobody shooting at you!

Unless of course...you're into that kind of thing...

Comment from John of Argghhh! on 2009-03-06

Fri, 06 Mar 2009 20:28:48 -0600

There ya go, Mark! You are demonstrably superior to me, who chose to go with the safe choice where I never had to make choices, whether in how to dress or how or what to think!

Because clearly there is no pressure to conform in the private sector, it's nothing but freedom!

So, are you now wanting to have the security of gov't guaranteed and provided health care?

Or do you have a point?

Comment from Mark In Irvine on 2009-03-06

Fri, 06 Mar 2009 20:05:49 -0600

I chose another path ... the path of ... the private sector ... no safety net, no guarantees, no seniority, no tenure, no heirarchy carved in stone, no paternalism, no dictatorship ...no wait ... there is a dictatorship of sorts ... and opportnity to reach as far as I choose.

Comment from John of Argghhh! on 2009-03-06

Fri, 06 Mar 2009 19:44:13 -0600

True enough, Mark. It is, after all a condition of my employment contract. Which means I understand the concerns of UAW retirees, and am sympathetic to them, with the spectre of bankruptcy hanging there to change the rules on them.

And, I would note, that I am not hostile to the idea of my costs being adjusted.

So, were you denied the opportunity to enlist in the Armed Forces of the United States, so as to enjoy (such as they are) these benefits? Or did you choose to pursue another path?

Comment from Mark In Irvine on 2009-03-06

Fri, 06 Mar 2009 19:32:42 -0600

At least y'all are receiving benefits - us poor schmucks in the private sector have to pay for our own benefits, the prices keep going up and up and up, and once you leave the employ, the prices skyrocket (with COBRA). Things could always be worse ...

Comment from BillT on 2009-03-06

Fri, 06 Mar 2009 14:53:14 -0600

I'm still waiting patiently for an appointment for a dental exam I requested in 2005.

Darned backlog.-- errrrrrrrrrr -- large inventory...

Comment from John of Argghhh! on 2009-03-06

Fri, 06 Mar 2009 13:58:54 -0600

One of the reasons I posted much of the verbiage in the forwarded email was so people might find it if they googled for it.

But that's very much an *after* the fact, closing the barn door after the horses escaped response.

We do what we can.

Comment from Grumpy on 2009-03-06

Fri, 06 Mar 2009 13:51:30 -0600

John, *Well Done*! As I started to read this, I had a whole list of things to say. But as I finished, I realized you said it, much better than I could do. There is just one thing, I wish there was some place to verify some of these rumors. You make many good points, I don't want to repeat them all here. If they really mess with the Vets and the Retired Military, the only people they really screw is themselves. When it comes to fetishes, each to their own, this just happens to be *not* one of mine.

V/R Grumpy

Comment from R Jewell on 2009-03-06

Fri, 06 Mar 2009 10:25:00 -0600

I just got back Wednesday night from 5 days of meetings in DC with Indiana's Reps and Senators on these very issues. Two Indiana Reps did not respond to repeated requests for meetings with our American Legion Delegation.

There is no "backlog" of VA Claims.......a couple of years ago, the VA banned usage of the term backlog and changed it to "Large Inventory". We now have a "Large Inventory" of pending claims, but the backlog is gone. Spent an hour and a half with the Dep Sec VA for claims on Monday afternoon.

This year, just as last year, the Democratically controlled Congress has been generous with the VA Bucget, offering more than even the American Legion, VFW, and DAV had sought.

Visiting Democrat Reps and Senators this year was productive.

Some Republican Reps seemed to want to spend more time warning us about Dems than talk Veterans issues.

Tripped across California's new "kid" Rep. Duncan D. Hunter and spent some time with him, and liked him immediately.

Four inches of snow paralizes the Federal Government........and caught a bunch of our Reps in various sunny locations, unable to get back to work until Tuesday or Wednesday..........

Makers Mark was $9.35..........