LadyJazzer wrote: With all due respect the days of "selling food stamps" is virtually non-existent any more because the states have gone to the debit cards.
There were MANY outrageous misuses of the debit-cards issued by FEMA (under the Bush adminstration)..."Heck of a job, Brownie"...until they put the safeguards in place...(which should have been done before the cards were distributed). The computers are SUPPOSED to kick out purchases made on the cards for any items that are not on the approved list of food-stamp type items...(Which would exclude tobacco, alcohol, and just about anything that isn't food.) This wasn't done, and it doesn't take long for folks to figure that out. To paint ALL food-stamp recipients and debit-card users with the actions of the post-Katrina/FEMA fiasco is patently unfair.
Ever since Clinton signed the Welfare Reform bills the days of indefinitely "sitting around on one's butt, drawing welfare" was drastically changed. The benefits are time-limited and expire, just like unemployment benefits. It varies from state to state, but in most cases it can range from 30 months to somewhat longer...(I couldn't find the rules for all the states.) However, I did find a chart and some interesting statistics from one state, Connecticut. Here is a link to that chart:
Tested between 1996 and 2001, Connecticut's Jobs First welfare reform initiative featured one of the nation's shortest time limits on the receipt of welfare benefits. After 30 months on the welfare rolls, recipients would no longer be eligible to supplement earnings from a job with welfare cash assistance payments and food stamps. MDRC researchers found that during the first two years of the study period, Jobs First group members earned, on average, $837 more (as indicated by the left-most bar in the "pre-time limit" cluster) than a comparison group that continued to receive standard welfare benefits under the prevailing rules of Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC). The Jobs First group also received more in welfare benefits - $1,116 more, on average - than the AFDC group (the second bar in the "pre-time limit" cluster); they also received more in Food Stamps (the third bar). As a consequence, total income for the Jobs First group topped that of the AFDC group by $2,281 (as shown in the right-most bar in the "pre-time limit" cluster).
I realize it falls on deaf ears for some, but UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE BENEFITS are NOT "Welfare." UI is paid for by the employer AND the employee through payroll deductions. When the benefits run out, then the states have to come up with the money to continue, and they generally get it from the Federal government, unless they have it in their budgets.
Just injecting a bit of facts into the discussion.
you are right LJ, but as I stated there are majority are Legit. Its the minority that is not. Alot of fraud going on. Hell if we could (it would take a miracle) eliminate the minority doing the fraud it would save hundreds of millions of dollars. Then we those that are drawing UI. Same situation, but I don't think there is a good solution. It would be an over whelming task to say the least. We even have illegals drawing benefits that they are not suppose to get but because of the way the system works it happens. Solution: I have none
I agree... I also agree that in some instances, there are illegal aliens getting services they should not receive.
There is probably a lot more in healthcare fraud that would be in the hundreds of millions of dollars, if it can be found. But so many of the fraudsters are CEO's and executives, and they seem to be a protected-species of the conservatives. (Heck, the new governor of Florida was nailed for health care fraud by the US DoJ, and settled for $1.7 BILLION... Yet, he waltzes into the Governor's office...)
O.k. I apologize I didn't read the 200 pages of the military retirement plan and the 20 pages of how Veterans get scored for Government jobs AFTER they have retired from the US Government once.
The bottom line: The US Military does not pay a dime into their retirement plan. Not a single penny.
If you could outline...what are the ranks typically of 20 year - 30 year retirees and their average pay scales today?
The next bottom line: Retired Military get preference over non-military applicants who have never retired. I have no issues with veterans...I have issue with those who retire and then get hired again by the US government.
O.k. I apologize I didn't read the 200 pages of the military retirement plan and the 20 pages of how Veterans get scored for Government jobs AFTER they have retired from the US Government once.
The bottom line: The US Military does not pay a dime into their retirement plan. Not a single penny.
If you could outline...what are the ranks typically of 20 year - 30 year retirees and their average pay scales today?
The next bottom line: Retired Military get preference over non-military applicants who have never retired. I have no issues with veterans...I have issue with those who retire and then get hired again by the US government.
Correct, not a single penny was ever deducted from my pay to fund my retirement. I consider my account payed in full with countless months away from home standing back to back watches, and I had it easy.
Over the years I have seen numerous studies trying to normalize civilian vs. military compensation. All I can do is shake my head and laugh.
That said, WRT the deficit, cut everything across the board. Hand me the Vaseline and I will grin and bear it. Been there, done that.
I know it is totally off topic but the food stamp debit cards do have ways to get around them. You give the food stamp person your grocery list, he buys what you want and you pay him 50 cents on the dollar so he can buy his drugs and booze and let the kids get their meals at school.
Tom Tancredo said in Westword this week that he doesn't want the job but I think he would be a natural.
Thomas Sowell: There are no solutions, just trade-offs.
O.k. I apologize I didn't read the 200 pages of the military retirement plan and the 20 pages of how Veterans get scored for Government jobs AFTER they have retired from the US Government once.
The bottom line: The US Military does not pay a dime into their retirement plan. Not a single penny.
If you could outline...what are the ranks typically of 20 year - 30 year retirees and their average pay scales today?
The next bottom line: Retired Military get preference over non-military applicants who have never retired. I have no issues with veterans...I have issue with those who retire and then get hired again by the US government.
I am going to try and find the website to post so you can go look at it. I remember a formula that was used. It was used to offset ones retirement pay from the military with the pay from the Federal Government. The retirement is one or the other but not both. I do not know the avg payscales. When I retired from the military, the typically rank at retirement for enlisted (this is Navy) was E6. For a 30 Year it was an E8. What are the payscales today. Here is a chart I found
http://www.militaryfactory.com/military_pay_scale.asp
. I can tell you the pay today is over double what my retirement pay is.
Actually veterans get preference over non veterans when appling for federal jobs. President Obama even signed another law dealing with that. A retiree must meet certain rules to be hired verus a non retiree veteran. The reason is the rule of a retiree already being paid a retirement check from the federal government and then drawing a Federal service check. There are laws about this.
When made the choice back in the seventies to enlist, I looked at various things, including what if I stayed for retirement. You can read the stories, watch the movies, watch the documentaries etc. but those that did not serve(not a bad thing) will just not understand the hardships. I grew up in a military family, I saw what my dad went through, he also is retired from the military. My family and I made the choice for me to reenlist. We knew it would be hard. But when I look back at my 20 years. I also know of those 20 years I was assigned to ships 17 of those years. I would not change a thing. No I did not pay into a retirement plan, but what neptunechimney stated is true. Port and starboard watches, constant deployments, My last 3 years I was home for a total of 90 days. Most of my time was spent either of the coast of Bosnia, former Yugoslavia, and in the Gulf. So I did along with 100's of thousands of other retirees earned our retirement.
O.k. I apologize I didn't read the 200 pages of the military retirement plan and the 20 pages of how Veterans get scored for Government jobs AFTER they have retired from the US Government once.
The bottom line: The US Military does not pay a dime into their retirement plan. Not a single penny.
If you could outline...what are the ranks typically of 20 year - 30 year retirees and their average pay scales today?
The next bottom line: Retired Military get preference over non-military applicants who have never retired. I have no issues with veterans...I have issue with those who retire and then get hired again by the US government.
Correct, not a single penny was ever deducted from my pay to fund my retirement. I consider my account payed in full with countless months away from home standing back to back watches, and I had it easy.
Over the years I have seen numerous studies trying to normalize civilian vs. military compensation. All I can do is shake my head and laugh.
That said, WRT the deficit, cut everything across the board. Hand me the Vaseline and I will grin and bear it. Been there, done that.
I appreciate your attitude...and thank you for your service. You sir, are a true American! You are willing to sacrifice your self for your country. For that...I salute you!
O.k. I apologize I didn't read the 200 pages of the military retirement plan and the 20 pages of how Veterans get scored for Government jobs AFTER they have retired from the US Government once.
The bottom line: The US Military does not pay a dime into their retirement plan. Not a single penny.
If you could outline...what are the ranks typically of 20 year - 30 year retirees and their average pay scales today?
The next bottom line: Retired Military get preference over non-military applicants who have never retired. I have no issues with veterans...I have issue with those who retire and then get hired again by the US government.
I am going to try and find the website to post so you can go look at it. I remember a formula that was used. It was used to offset ones retirement pay from the military with the pay from the Federal Government. The retirement is one or the other but not both. I do not know the avg payscales. When I retired from the military, the typically rank at retirement for enlisted (this is Navy) was E6. For a 30 Year it was an E8. What are the payscales today. Here is a chart I found
http://www.militaryfactory.com/military_pay_scale.asp
. I can tell you the pay today is over double what my retirement pay is.
Actually veterans get preference over non veterans when appling for federal jobs. President Obama even signed another law dealing with that. A retiree must meet certain rules to be hired verus a non retiree veteran. The reason is the rule of a retiree already being paid a retirement check from the federal government and then drawing a Federal service check. There are laws about this.
When made the choice back in the seventies to enlist, I looked at various things, including what if I stayed for retirement. You can read the stories, watch the movies, watch the documentaries etc. but those that did not serve(not a bad thing) will just not understand the hardships. I grew up in a military family, I saw what my dad went through, he also is retired from the military. My family and I made the choice for me to reenlist. We knew it would be hard. But when I look back at my 20 years. I also know of those 20 years I was assigned to ships 17 of those years. I would not change a thing. No I did not pay into a retirement plan, but what neptunechimney stated is true. Port and starboard watches, constant deployments, My last 3 years I was home for a total of 90 days. Most of my time was spent either of the coast of Bosnia, former Yugoslavia, and in the Gulf. So I did along with 100's of thousands of other retirees earned our retirement.
Just as I posted for Neptune...I appreciate your service to our country. I understand the hardships and sacrifices made by the military.
All I desire is a change in the retirement program of the US military. 1) 50% at 20 years on average of your last 10 years of services; reduced to 30% if you accept another government position, until age 65, you would receive 50%; 2) 65% at 30 years of the last fifteen years of service ; reduced to 50% if you accept another government position, until age 65, you would receive 80%; 3) Disabled soldiers and/or combat zone enlistees would receive full benefits at military retirement.
Military retirees would not qualify for veterans preference.
