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>I think the vast differences in compensation between victims of the
September 11 casualty and those who die serving the 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 just 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
>harms way FOR ALL OF US, and they and their families know the dangers.
>
>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 just voted themselves a raise, and 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 also 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,
you may receive a pension of $1,000 per month, and the very people who placed
you in harm's way receive 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.
>
>"When do we finally do something about this?" If this doesn't seem
fair to you, it is time to forward this to as many people as you can.If your
interested there is more.......................
>
>This must be a campaign issue in 2004. Keep it going.
>
>SOCIAL SECURITY: (This is worth the read. It's short
>and to the point.)
>
>Perhaps we are asking the wrong questions during election years. Our
Senators and Congressmen do not pay into Social Security. Many years ago they
voted in their own benefit plan. In more recent years, no congressperson has
felt the need to change it. For all practical purposes their plan works like
this:
>
>When they retire, they continue to draw the same pay until they die, except
it may increase from time to time for cost of living adjustments. For example,
former Senator Byrd and Congressman White and their wives may expect to draw
$7,800,000 -- that's Seven Million, Eight Hundred Thousand), with! their wives
drawing $275,000.00 during the last years of their lives.
>
>This is calculated on an average life span for each.
>
>Their cost for this excellent plan is $00.00. These little perks they voted
for themselves is free to them. You and I pick up the tab for this plan.
>
>The funds for this fine retirement plan come directly from the General
Fund--our tax dollars at work! From our own Social
>Security Plan, which you and I pay (or have paid) into -- every payday until
we retire (which amount is matched by our employer) --we can expect to get an
average $1,000 per month after retirement. Or, in other words, we would have to
collect our average of $1,000 monthly benefits for 68 years and one month to
equal Senator Bill Bradley's benefits!
>
>Social Security could be very good if only one small change were made. And
that change would be to jerk the Golden Fleece Retirement Plan from under the
Senators a Congressmen. Put them into the Social Security plan with the rest of
us and then watch how fast they would! ld fix it.
>
>If enough people receive this, maybe a seed of
>Awareness will be planted and maybe good changes will evolve. WE, each one
of us ... can make a difference.
>
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. I am a retired military man, I did retire at E-7 paygrade and I do get a little over 1,100 a month from the federal government. Here in Wester Missouri it pays my mortgage each month, if in the east or west coast, forget it! I knew about the retirement plan for our elected officials and it is a SIN! The biggest payraise we ever got to counter balance inflation was in '82 or '83 when President Regean was in office. It was about 2.3% and we thougth that was GREAT! You said it so very clearly........