tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-239070883775529047.post2824552372964748662..comments2024-03-02T16:26:31.465-05:00Comments on The Middletown Insider: Raising Minimum Wage Will Pay More Than US Pays Troops! by Ken McClellanMiddletown Insiderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10242085742226763775noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-239070883775529047.post-80206359217658378192014-03-12T19:07:49.510-04:002014-03-12T19:07:49.510-04:00Mr. McClellan why must you make a fool of yourself...Mr. McClellan why must you make a fool of yourself yet again by mistating facts? Look at the raises Federal Civilians have gotten in the past four years and compare them to the raises of the miltary. Federal Civilians for the past 4 years received raises of 0,0,0 and 1 percent for 2014. In all four years the military recieved a raise. Your last opinion piece about the elimination of the military COLA for those under age 62, was also wrong. It was planned that any COLA would be reduced by 1%. That plan was met with such an uproar it was repealed in two weeks. As for feeding the military, that has been outsourced to companies like ITT and Haliburton and yes they are ripping off the Feds. Please before you state something as fact at least research your topic.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-239070883775529047.post-80146376893157808782014-03-07T09:40:58.800-05:002014-03-07T09:40:58.800-05:00Darrell, you are correct. $1500/month is arbitrary...Darrell, you are correct. $1500/month is arbitrary and inaccurate. Privates, not Sergeants or Officers live in a barracks. The accommodations are more like a college dormitory than a house. And the meals are similar to a college dining hall. Trust me. I've lived in the dorms in college and I've been a Private in the US Army. CCSU currently averages about $1000 per month for room and board, so let's use that for comparison. This covers utilities, also. Privates living in barracks aren't eligible for Housing Allowance or Subsistence Allowance. I have no idea how you can include Rental Agent Fees, Renovations or Security in pay compensation. So let's move on to Separation Allowance. This is paid only to married soldiers in combat. We're back to the 24 hour workday, when you figure hourly wage. Free Healthcare: I'm going to say that most people earning minimum wage are either teenagers, still covered by their parents' healthcare plan, or they are eligible for some kind of government subsidy for healthcare in the form of Medicaid. In that same light, if you are working part-time or minimum wage, you are likely eligible for food-stamps and other government subsidy programs, which I did not include in the calculations. Tax Free wages for overseas service - This isn't just a military benefit. It's IRS. Besides, when was the last time you, as a civilian were sent overseas to work by your employer, whether you wanted to go or not? Not recently, I'll guess. I'll remind you that I'm doing a comparison between minimum wage and the military, so Sergeants and Officers are a different subject. A little more trained and skilled than your average minimum wage earner. For Privates, if they are married, they MAY be given permission to live off-post, and be eligible for housing and subsistence allowances. Military regulations say that privates may live off-post with the permission of their commander. In real life, this permission is rarely withheld, but it is a permission. When was the last time you had to ask your employer for permission regarding where you could live? Not recently, I'll bet. The point of the comparison is that President Obama wants to increase the minimum wage at the same time that he wants to REDUCE military pay. Minimum wage has increased more than military pay in the past 1o years, and the President want's to increase it more. Something is very wrong, when you want to treat unskilled workers more than better than you treat the individuals who volunteer to defend this country.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-239070883775529047.post-70445189357842295332014-03-06T16:29:47.803-05:002014-03-06T16:29:47.803-05:00Darrell,
$1500/month for housing certainly is arbi...Darrell,<br />$1500/month for housing certainly is arbitrary. Privates live in barracks. More like a college dorm than a house. The 'free' food they get in the Dining Facility is also comparable to the food available in a college dining hall. My son attended CCSU, and we paid $3,000 per semester for room and 2,000 food. Let's average it to $1000 per month. That includes heat and electricity. Let's look at the rest of your list: Rental Agent Fees, Renovations, Security? Not sure how you can include those as compensation. Family Subsistence Allowance: Only paid to married service members, if they are authorized to live off-post. Most privates are not. I'll come back to this point in a moment. Family Separation Allowance only applies to deployments into combat, where we go back to a 24 hour work-day. Free health care - you can check, but most people working minimum wage are either still on their parents insurance, or are eligible for some kind of government assistance. I'll call this a net wash. Tax Free wages on overseas ops - When was the last time you were sent overseas to work, whether you wanted to or not? 10% or less ever see combat? I have no idea where you got that statistic. In case you haven't heard, there are soldiers, airmen, sailors and marines who have served multiple tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. I know some who have served 5 and more. My daughter did 2 tours in Iraq. I did a tour in Iraq. Back to the point about privates being allowed to live off-post. By military regulations, enlisted personnel below a certain rank will be paid housing allowance and subsistence allowance if they are authorized by their commander to live off-post. When was the last time you had to ask your employer and get permission, regarding where you live? You also missed the point that minimum wage has increased by 41%, while pay for the lowest enlisted soldier has only increased by 35%. And the president wants to increase the minimum wage and DECREASE military pay. In light of Vladimir Putin's recent actions in Ukraine, and Russia's history of expansionism in Georgia, Moldova and the Ukraine outside of the Crimea, is this the time to cut military forces and lower military pay?<br /><br />Ken McClellanAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-239070883775529047.post-26541085134532188962014-03-05T23:57:38.317-05:002014-03-05T23:57:38.317-05:00That is your counter-argument?
WOW
RIP Midd...That is your counter-argument?<br /><br /> WOW <br /><br />RIP Middletown InsiderDarrell Lucashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11832727901658675982noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-239070883775529047.post-9317049806763975082014-03-03T20:01:21.475-05:002014-03-03T20:01:21.475-05:00To compare the two as you did Lucas is maddening t...To compare the two as you did Lucas is maddening to say the least. Those serving never know when they may be called into action and you minimize that by bringing up what was stated at a debate and that has a hint of anti military. Bill Wilsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06182392699701865282noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-239070883775529047.post-64022416105157923622014-03-01T00:58:21.413-05:002014-03-01T00:58:21.413-05:00This whole article is a type of reversal straw man...This whole article is a type of reversal straw man argument.<br /><br />"Assessing a soldier’s basic pay leads to the wrong conclusions because one also needs to consider remuneration, for instance, all soldiers are provided free (or almost free) housing (4).<br /><br />Choosing an arbitrary monthly house price of $1500 per month equates to saving $18,000 per annum on rent, making the Private’s ‘pay’ is closer to $40,000, however free housing is not the only financial remuneration, these can include:<br /><br />Utility bills<br />Rental agent fees<br />Cost of renovating a house to make it habitable<br />Money to improve housing security<br />Family Subsistence Supplemental Allowance (upto $1,100 per month)<br />Family Separation Allowance of $250 (5)<br />Free healthcare for them and their family<br />Food<br />Tax free wages on overseas Opps’.<br />It is now clear a soldier earns far more than his basic wage implies, even the lowliest private earns in effect far more than the US average wage (a sergeant and officer more still)."<br /><br />http://www.debate.org/debates/Should-the-US-increase-their-military-personnels-salary/1/<br /><br />Also only 10% or less ever see combat. Darrell Lucashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11832727901658675982noreply@blogger.com