THE LATEST ON INDIVIDUAL UNEMPLOYABILITY AND CONCURRENT

RECEIPT -- NOT GOOD NEWS --  IT LOOKS LIKE THE WAIT

WILL BE A LONG ONE

I received this email late yesterday from a regular reader who is tuned into what's happening on Capitol Hill.

I will print it in its entirety...

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I’ve got some information you might be interested in printing. In the FY06 NDAA Conference Report which passed today, Republicans have stuck it to Veterans like me, once again. There were two Amendments that were offered to the Bill dealing with Concurrent Receipt. The first was from Minority Leader Senator Harry Reid. His Amendment was extremely fair. If it had passed, Military Retirees who are Individually Unemployable (IU) due to service connected disability, would have been given back their full retirement immediately, and it would be backdated to January 1, 2005. Due to Concurrent Receipt we are currently only drawing 40.8% (changing to 52.6% Jan 1, 2006) of our earned military retirement.

The second Amendment (SEC. 655 CONCURRENT RECEIPT OF VETERANS DISABILITY COMPENSATION AND MILITARY RETIRED PAY), a House Amendment, was passed instead. Currently Concurrent Receipt is being phased in over a 10 year period which began in 2004. The return of our retirement pay is heavily front-loaded. Although the 10 year period extends out to 2014, we actually will be receiving 100% of our retirement pay effective January 1, 2013. Apparently, the Congress assumes that we are a bunch of idiots that will not be able to figure out what an insult there Amendment is. The Amendment allows the current phase-in to continue through September 30, 2009. On October 1, 2009 we will start receiving 100% of our already earned retirement pay. By current law, at that time we will already be drawing 90.1% of our retirement pay. Without this Amendment, we would have to wait an additional 39 months (Oct 1 2009 until Jan 1, 2013) to get the remaining 9.9% of our retirement back. I’ve already called several Congressional offices to tell them what a disgrace this Amendment was, and asked that the Amendment be removed from the FY06 NDAA, because it is worthless, insulting, and means nothing. All Congress wants to do is pat each other on the back and say we support Concurrent Receipt. Nothing can be further from the truth.

It’s a hell of a way for Congress to thank those who gave so much. In front of the press, most of them say they want the best for us. However, behind closed doors (Conference) they are free to show their true colors, without the outside world knowing. These people are gutless, lack integrity, and are clueless about what patriotism is.  These self-described “distinguished gentlemen” are nothing more than a bunch of spineless slugs. They prefer the darkness behind secured doors to do their secret dirty business. I bet if you were to pour salt all the way around the Conference Committee Hearing Room none of them would be able to escape.

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Larry Scott

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