This is a disgrace. The Cost of Living has skyrockeded. The price of oil and food has gone up dramatically and we are suppose to believe that this is limited to 2.3%. We are not only in a war on terror, We are in a war on the middle class. We should get at least a 4% increase or perhaps 3.5% the same as the Congress.
How can our country treat our veterans this way. Why can't the VA stop going by Social Securities cola index and the VA give veterans an across the board increase in benefit adjustment. I think every veteran should write the President, local Congressman, Senator and their Governor. This cola is a slap in the face to every veteran that has served his country. If enough voices are heard maybe we can change this foolishness and have the powers' that be do the right thing.
I'm finished getting excited about the phony Cost of Living Index that they have installed for raising SS, VA, and military pensions. Since they installed the CPI as being computed based on increases during the July through September yearly time frame, notice that each year, gas prices drop during that time frame as does the other mesuring figures. It is like we are having the wool pulled over our eyes - the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. Suck it up, you have no say.
I'm definately proud of our Senators and Congressmen who will get their larger pay raises, free medical care and other perks. 2.3 % pay raise - just enough to buy an extra tank of gas for the ole car. Some of our politicans can buy those new fancy shoes, so they can tap their feet in the bathroom stalls. As JFK asked: Ask not what america can do for you, but what you can do for america. Duh, we are veterans, fought for our country and served beyound comparison. We want our rewards, other than bending over and grabbing our ankles.
"The increase is based on the average change in prices for a market basket of goods and service"
Does anyone know what is in this "basket"? How about where they buy it? Mexico?? Everything I buy/use has gone up more than 2.3% in the last year, even the dog food.
According to this site the actual increase is 3.6% for all goods and services. I also don't believe the calculations weight the energy portion enough. Since I heat and cook with natural gas and have to drive my vehicle to and from work, energy takes a LARGE bite out of me.
The site says energy went up by 11.7%. Last year I was getting gas for between 1.89 and 1.95 This year it was in the 2.85 range. Sorry folks but that figures out to 28%-30%.
Lying pos's.
This message has been edited. Last edited by: MGYSGTLee,
Why dont we all (vets) reup and go do more of the oil cartels dirty work for them. I feel certaim that the govt will reward us handsomely for adding billions more to their off shore accounts. The really gungho warhawks will have bigger bragging rights than anyone and will probably get a whopping .52 or maybe a giant .78 percent cost of living reward for establishing more oil billionaires. Your rulers and superior political taskmasters will be so pleased that their priveleged kids wont ever have to get their silver spoons dirty. Cant you feel the love and admiration of a greteful nation everytime you visit the ration store and the medical aid station for survival supplies. Expand the war on america and more contractors will have secure work and our economy will shrink more as we cut costs and expenses by offshoring work to our enemies and reducing our abilities to build anything requiring skilled labor. Yep things look rosy for politicians and their lobbiest/rulers. I for one am glad that I dont have to buy that old car that i need to get to the doctor and the grocery store and my (6k$/yr) part time job. Its great to be a vet.
While 2.3% seems paltry, it sure beats "nothing". At least Congress didn't interfere with the formula like it has in past years (half-cola's, cola minus two percent, etc.) Right or wrong, it's the system we have and it sure beats "nothing" which is what a lot of civilian retirement systems get, if they are lucky enough to still have a retirement system.
A social security recipient will get approx a 24 dollar increase out of that, the average price of a gallon of gasoline has gone up by approx 35 cents since last year. The cost of heating oil is already about 30 cents a gallon higher since last year. A gallon of milk has increased by about 85 cents, life and medical insurance premiums up co pays for prescriptions, Medicare etc. I could go on and on but our nations retired members that have worked hoped for a quality of life retirement can only see less and less each year. I would like to see our members in congress or the house adjust to those rates wait and see how much of an increase they will soon vote for themselves.
I noticed in the last quarter July thru September, gas prices dropped, part of determining the cola, and as soon as the cola for January 2008 appeared gas prices have gone back up. I wonder...
The low cola is not an accident and complaining to the Govt won't help, the COLA is intentionally calculated lower to keep raises down. This is not the paranoia in me talking either :-), I remember back when I was an E5 and reading that the CPI of basket of goods had been adjusted to lower the perceived rate of inflation. Hamburger was substitued for steak and so on, the logic was, if a person can't afford steak they would still eat meat and hamburger was the next logical step down, what's next? Hotdog scrapings? That's still meat, pig snout - steak, it's all the same.
Remember the Social Security "crisis", part of the plan to keep it solvent is to keep the raises "in check". Welcome to the "check".
Real inflation is closer to 6%, not the 2.3% adjusted CPI. At this rate in 10 years our checks will have lost 36% of their current purchasing power, hello poverty!!
The only thing I can recommend is stay active duty until you drop dead or don't bother with retiring from the military, either that or have your own retirement system set up, mexico, PI? But as far at the dollar is currently dropping, I don't think that I could afford to live overseas, anywhere...this country is going to have a peso problem pretty soon.
Take care,
Tony (20 yrs and now having to find a real job ;-)
Originally posted by gysgte7ret: I noticed in the last quarter July thru September, gas prices dropped, part of determining the cola, and as soon as the cola for January 2008 appeared gas prices have gone back up. I wonder...
Don't forget food and energy were deducted from the calculations for "core inflation" as they are just too volatile :-( That doesn't keep me from having to pay more for gas and food.
I just sold my truck and bought a car, doubled my gas mileage, but I should have bought an even smaller car as the current one stills sucks gas.
Perhaps if the Senate spent less time fretting over the rhetoric of media personalities they would have time for the pesky little details like veterans compensation, immigration, gasoline pricing, etc, etc, etc.
Originally posted by TJHULL: Why even bother.Just enough to increase taxes.I wonder what kind of a raise Congress will get?Bet it's more than $57.00 a month.
Congress gets 3.5% average rank and file will get $481 a month raise unless they vote it down.
Originally posted by DocVQone: Right or wrong, it's the system we have and it sure beats "nothing" which is what a lot of civilian retirement systems get, if they are lucky enough to still have a retirement system.
Doc...with all due respect; The point is; all the big hat bastards in Congress would just as soon spit on us as look at us. This is nothing more that a weak attempt at pacification. You busted your *** for these idiots, and you suggest we just roll over and take it? You've either done your time or are doing it now...you've earned the right to kick and yell like a man over this stuff. They give us 2.3%, which puts us into the next higher tax bracket, so our tax goes up 5 to 6%...It's gonna take more out of your pocket.
