10-23-2002, 02:33 PM
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#16
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Guest
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Quote:
Originally posted by Timber Loftis:
Antryg, using the DoD as a catch-all term was a faux pas on my part - what I meant was "the military." As for the Congress, they approve the blank checks - and, yes, sometimes they are particular about where and how the money will be spent. All of which can be monkeyed with by the OMB. Four destroyers being built in four separate cities (in NC) is obviously attributable to one long-term Senator who loves to eat his bag of military pork barrels every morning, if I recall correctly.
Ok, Im really really not trying to be antagonistic here. I agree that that prticular senetor is not beyond the pork barrel spending, but there are some other issues to be considered. Ship building is not your run of the mill toaster oven manufacture. It takes a lot to build a ship and you have to spread the contracts around to maintain your industriel base so that you actually have the capability to produce these very large and very expensive items. Not only is the industriel base important, the tens of thousands of workers that are employed by these mega manufacturers are also skilled positions which if allowed to die out, they would be hard if not possible to replace. Some things just are not as simple to make as a television or some other mass market consumable and so special care must be taken by the government to somehow retain the special skills, qualifications and know how alive for when it is really needed. (even simple jobs like Welding are completely different with warship construction. Not just any commercial welder can weld the hull of a ship using special HY steeles and thats just one skill)
$355 billion increase too much? Dunno. I just saw a relevant article and posted it. I have no clue what it's all being spent on and if it's worth it. Check out the bill links to thomas.loc.gov at the bottom of the article if you're interested in the specifics.
I would but I already have more access to the military non-black budget info than I could use in a life time [img]smile.gif[/img]
Pay raises for armed services? I dunno. Look, I have tons of friends and family members who are vets, and I almost signed up at that time in my life. I have TONS of respect for the service. But, I have heard a lot of my military friends say that it *can* be the worst form of welfare in some cases. Before you flame me, check out what I mean. Good service will get you quite far in the military, but it is demanding. However, if you are predisposed to laziness and are happy being a career buck private, you can (from what I'm told) basically sit on your ass all day without fear of losing a job. Is this true? I admit, I'm not personally knowledgible on it.
Your average military member is on call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, if you calculate the per hour pay scale for the hardships they endure and the danger they face, I think they are vastly under paid. Not too many people have to worry about getting blown off the flight deck of a carrier every morning, nor do they have to worry about being evaporated by Jet turbine exchaust. Thenthere are the small matters of being shot at. Do you know, that nearly every single day of the year, a US serviceman is either shot at or has a brush with death due to his being in the military. Trust me, they do not lead luxury lives and many of the middle management equivelent people with families qualify for food stamps, which I find disgraceful. If your going to skimp, please don't do it with the pay for the people who risk their lives every day for your freedom.
However, I do note that the armed forces is one of the better middle income careers out there today, with great benefits for you and your family and a great pension. There are plenty of sectors with underpaid overworked folks. While maintaining every respect and decorum regarding our fine men and women in uniform, I would say I don't have the facts to know about the need to raise their pay.
Not much of a carreer if you figure that they can be discharged at any time for ay reason, they can be forced to change residences without notice, they can be ordered to sacrifice their live trying to drop food to people who are shooting ROPG's at them. Not one of your average middle income carreers I would think. That and how do you figure middle income out of
roughly 20-22k a year in base salary? (for the average enlisted)
PS. Note I tried to keep this as civil as possible.
P.P.S. The pension is nice but there are a great many of the people who get forced out just shy of their qualifying period. And most civilian Jobs do not have the phyusical and mental demands placed on you to earn those pension benefits. It is not like in the old days when you were pretty much gaurenteed retirement.
Cheers all. [img]graemlins/cheers.gif[/img]
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[ 10-23-2002, 02:38 PM: Message edited by: MagiK ]
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