Congress Nixes Extra Pay for Some Troops

[NNN0LHI]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20031029/ap_on_go_co/congress_iraq&cid=512&ncid=1480

WASHINGTON - House-Senate negotiators considering an $87 billion package for Iraq and Afghanistan have rejected a Democratic proposal to compensate federal employees on active duty with the National Guard and reserves.

The proposal by Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., would have made up the differences between the workers' regular salaries and their service incomes, as many states and private employers are already doing. He said 23,000 federal employees would be affected.

The Senate had included the provision in its version of the Iraq spending bill, but senators in the conference agreed to eliminate it Tuesday in a 16-13 vote that was mainly along party lines.

Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, said Durbin's legislation would create a disparity between the pay of guardsmen and reservists and those of active-duty personnel. He said other congressional committees should consider the proposal before it is approved.

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[Nambe]

1. You son of a ditch, you'll never get rich, you're in the Army now.

Wave the flag, suffer, and vote repug. Any questions?

[NNN0LHI]

3. Sir, no Sir! n/r

[smallprint]

2. Meanwhile, Congress gives itself a pay raise

Last week the Senate voted 60-34 to give their members a 2.2% pay raise, for the 5th straight year.

BASTARDS!!!!!!

:mad:

[Dookus]

4. hrmm.... this is a tough one

I want our soldiers properly compensated as much as anyone. But this isn't about that. it's about making up the difference in salary for a reservist between his military pay and his civilian pay. I know reservists who make well over 120k/year.

I can understand the concern that regular duty personnel would be deeply offended that the government was paying somebody twice as much as them in ADDITIONAL compensation.

[smallprint]

7. Yes, but the compensation is to make up a loss

not as pay for their military service.

It's just what reservists with private and state jobs are getting (for the most part). If the regular duty soldiers get pissed off, they should get pissed off at the private and state employers too!

[Dookus]

8. I understand....

I don't have a strong feeling either way. I said above it's a tough one.

I just can understand the point of view of a regular soldier making 25k being offended that the guy next to him is being paid 90k EXTRA.

I also don't think reservists sign up with the expectation that they'll get paid the same as they do in the private sector.

I'd prefer to see ALL soldiers, active duty or reserve, fairly compensated.

[smallprint]

9. Good points

Fairness is the key.

[markus]

10. For the most part?

I haven't heard of any reservists or guard getting paid by their employers while their gone.

The ruling class up here in Fargo is way to tight with a dollar to do anything like this. Hell, they pass the hate and make all their $7 an hour employees pay for the Come Home Soon banners.

These guys elected military service, and if they feel like they've been screwed, they shouldn't re-enlist. Hell, I think we should start a campaign to discourage re-enlistment.

The Bushies can't continue their plan for world conquest without an Army, and the draft would piss a lot of people off.

[smallprint]

11. I don't know the details across the country...

... I was going more by what the article said than anything. I could be wrong. I'm sure many places aren't giving their reservists or guards shinola.

As far a starting a campaign to discourage re-enlistment... well, I think that job is being done for us by the entire Bush administration and most of Congress...

[joeunderdog]

12. The campaign for discouraging re-enlistment is in full force

over there in Iraq. No one is re-enlisting. Most are voting Democrat.

Hits in health insurance, lack of military plan, no safety equipment, etc etc are enough to make the decision easy.

[JackSwift]

5. Now, now, let's be play nice democrats

We think that the honorable gentleman from Illinois should carefully reconsider the adverse economic consequences that this committee action might have on the brave and patriotic troops, reservists and guards and their loyal mostly Republican voting families. While I politely applaud the staunch Democratic support of the actual troops who must bear the brunt of the hot days and bullets of the Iraqis who are not loving their newfound freedom. The average cost to Americans will be only a few cents, and we do wish to support the troops. I notice that Democrats are in favor of higher pay for troops and better protection in the form ceramic bulletproof plates, which seems to be a lower priorty with the party in power.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

6. Support our troops! While the camera is looking,

but when you appropriate remember God helps troops who help themselves. :eyes:

[E_Zapata]

13. Yeah, a soldier is risking his life and sanity for this country,

and his/her spouse is at home with a few kids - filing for bankruptcy since they had a sudden loss of income and a parent.

Greedy bastards.

But I bet the halliburtan 'contractors' families are hitting the mother lode........

So, our soldiers guard the pipelines and the halliburtan folks and go broke..