How long is it going to take for Congress to realize that $25K in the Military Pay does not equal $80K?

Question

Military Pay, Congress, Military Affairs, Appropriate Compensation

I am Active Duty Military and have been in for several years.

BTW...if you hand me the "Company Line", your answer is not going to be the best. Lies don't work on me.

Side Note: Republicans send us to war to die over lies and half truths. Democrats inspire us to reach new heights...like the moon, social reform, and balanced budgets. Can't fight a war when taxes are getting slashed and budgets are at all time low.

If a military member is "Government Property" then the Government must pay for all items to maintain its property. Those things are not perks, but an obligation denoted by the word Property.

Answer 1

I agree to the fact that we don't see "Solid Money", but think of the benefits. How much would you be paying out of pocket for good health insurance per month? Then add in rent, because a civilian won't give you BAH. Next, add in BAS because no other company I know would give you money for food. Life Insirance, can you get $250,000 for $16/month anywhere else? Though there are places that do it, the Army pays for your college, if you decide to take advantage of all of the benefits the Army offers. Do you go to the gym? As far as I know, thats free...unless it is appropriated funds (which most aren't).

If you add all of these things up, it would be pretty close to 80K. Again, I agree with you to an extent, we do need a monetary raise, but our job w/ benefits really does stack up.

Answer 2

I am serving, and I will tell you what you obviously do not know:

This is disposable income first of all. No required living costs come from that pay.

Second of all, $25,000 is pretty much pay for someone in the Army for 4 years. How many Americans earn $80,000 in 4 years of starting a career?

Third, here is the missing compensation: Housing allowance, or free housing (example: I earn $2850 a month, tax free, to pay my rent and utilities in San Francisco); $270 a month to feed myself; medical coverage for a family equal to $750 a month from Kaiser; $400 a month in tuition paid to the college for us; add in my Special Duty pay of $450 a month; my cost of living allowance for San Francisco of $375 and my pay of $3700...I earn (tax advantage factored in with free medical coverage for my family) over $120,000 per year. Out of the 1.5 million people that work in San Francisco everyday, I earn more than 80% of them.

Sorry to have to reveal the truth. The reason Congressional Reps don't have children enlisting is there is no longer a reason for people to encourage their children to enlist, they all feel someone else will serve. Ask yourself, why aren't you serving (and keep the politics out of it, Bush will be out of office in 1 1/2 years, Clinton was in office 8 years ago, if you're over 25, you could have served then..no excuses)?

Answer 3

No. Nor will they be denied the backhanders, or funds they obtain from the bankers, oil businesses and palms sellers. Nor will both activities be stopped any funds paid into them both. If something human beings conflict through to any volume in any respect it will be ok as long as those spivs save getting theirs. Why else do you imagine they chosen a occupation of status and conversing with their palms out each and every of the time? i assume they sense if it fairly works for beggars then why do not you scroungers like them as well.

Answer 4

If your only making 25K in the military now you arent going to make 80k in the civilian world unless your willing to go to Iraq

Answer 5

Mark is absolutely correct.

If you include all the stuff you don't pay for - it adds up. Plus the fact there isn't worry about layoffs. That is priceless :)

Answer 6

The folks on the auto workers union feel the same way...what they don't realize is the cost of doing business. By the time you pay for buildings and accountants and benefits and administer the benefits. it costs the government 80K to pay you 25K. Its called bureaucracy. No one ever said it was efficient. The auto workers complained bitterly when the company said it was paying out an average of 65k per year per worker. They only saw about 45K. And then they wonder why the company is so tight with money.

In the military you get some extra perks. I'm not against those perks but you need to understand they are not free. Some one is paying for them. I don't have access to a VA hospital but you do. I don't get any collage money but you do. So yes it costs about 80k to take you on as a soldier and pay you 25K. Get used to it. When you become an employer like me. You get a first hand look at what it cost to hire some one. When you have to spend 5k just to bring your restroom up to handicap standards even though you don't have a handicaped employee who needs them, it is considered part of the cost of hiring folks and in truth it comes out of the money they earn. I don't pay the employer match on FICA tax. That comes out of the money the employee earned but they never see it so they don't know its there so they never complain to a congressman about the high taxes they are paying which is why they do it that way...the employee pays half and the empoyer pays the other half...but not really. It all comes from money the empoyee earned. If I paid it out of my pocket I'd be broke and out of business. Same with the restroom upgrade and the workers comp insurance...thats all money they earned and I could have paid them but gave it to the government instead.

So yes I have hired people under the table for little jobs here and there because I could pay them more and it was cheaper for me to do it that way.

No they are not lieing to you. You really are costing them that much money. You just don't see it because you never get your hands on it.

When I hire a minimum wage employee, it will cost me about 8 to 10 dollars per hour depending on how long they stay with me. So they have to earn close to 15 dollars an hour for it to be worth my time to get them on board. Can you imagin how cheated the employee feels if they ever find out they are earning 15 and hour and I'm only paying minimum wage? When congress raises the minumum wage I'll be letting people go. I won't be able to afford them.

If you really want to get depressed lets look at the taxes that DO come out of your check. Also the sales taxes and property taxes and state taxes and local taxes if any and the little tax that appears on your phone bill. and on and on and on. You pay about 45% of your total income in taxes of one form or anther, further reducing your 25K. Sorry but I just had to throw that in.

In truth your walking home with about 13k per year after all is said and done. Then after you pay your bills, and try to raise a family, you have nothing left over at the end of the year. Welcome to the real world. Now stop whining. Its exactly the same for the rest of us but we have no tuition or VA hospital.

I don't resent that it cost me 80k per soldier per year. its cheaper than what Osama would charge me and I don't look good in a burka. I'm also fond of keeping my head attached. So I learn to live with it...its the cost of doing business.

In as much as you have edited your question, I'll edit my response.

Your right about the lies. Osama has no interest in cutting off any ones head. al Qaeda has no interest in blowing up anything any more. When it comes time to re-up, don't. Yes the democrats have inspired folks to new hights. Like slavery and breaking away from the union and keeping blacks out of public schools and universities. And your social reform? You think thats free do you? Look moron who do you think pays for all that? YOU DO silly. You just never see it just like you never see the 80k.

Iran has conducted missle tests. The missle goes up and then poof. It fails. They call that a success. They are chasing the nuke. Do the math on that one and you get an emp weapon. What ever reason Bush had for going there in the first place has put al Qaeda on the defensive. If you don't think so look at the statement put out by Osama on the 11th of this month.

Get a map and take a look at all the people on it who are a threat to us. Now look at where we have troops.

If you ever play chess you will see that this is only the begining of something much larger. Bush is trying to stay several steps ahead. You can't see past your own nose.

Please drop out of the military...the sooner the better. With soldiers like you who needs enemies.

Call it a perk or something else and in the end its an expense. Part of the 80k only for some reason you still think its free.

Get a civilian job fast...become an employer, you'll do well.

Answer 7

I always disliked the ads in the Army times about how our pay stacked up against the civilians pay lol.

Answer 8

Um...how many congressman's kids are in the armed services at all, much less as a rank & file serviceman or servicewoman?

There's your answer, friend.

;-)

Answer 9

they r never going to realize that. they believe Bush, no matter wut he says, even though he is lying more than 100% of the time!