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Thursday 06/17/2004 10:44:58pm
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| Name: |
Rick Thiel, SFC, USA, Ret |
| E-Mail: |
rthiel@tampabay.rr.com |
| Homepage Title: |
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| Homepage URL: |
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| Referred By: |
Web Ring |
| Location: |
Tampa, Florida |
| Comments: |
I'm a retired combat disabled veteran and I'm MMMAAAADDDD!
Its formal title is the Retired Pay Restoration Act of 2003. Veterans say it is a long overdue measure to end what they have nicknamed the "disabled veterans tax." By either name it is a hot button issue for 670,000 disabled American military veterans.
It is a cruel fate, given the fact that 82 percent of the members of the House and Senate, Republicans and Democrats alike have signed as co-sponsors of the act and have voiced strong support for its passage.
The House bill boasts 345 named co-sponsors, 170 of them Republicans. U. S. House Representative Michael Bilirakis, (R-FL-9) who initiated HR 303, the original bill, has been fighting on the hill for us for over eighteen years now to get full offset.
Rep. Bilirakis along with his co-sponsors have committed to continue the fight along with several veteran associations to repeal the Retired Pay Restoration Act of 2003 as it now reads, "paid out over a ten year period" (with payments beginning 02/2004) and continue fighting to restore the military retired pay benefits earned by our nation's disabled retirees until the current offset is completely eliminated.
No other class is singled out for such treatment. Civil service employees, whether of the DOD or Congress itself, are permitted to draw both full government retirement pay and service-connected disability payments without deduction.
We also have the ongoing problem of medical treatment for veterans to resolve and there are several issues pertaining to veterans that should be addressed in our voting as one voice.
My question to all who read this, why are we letting this happen? We are the strongest voice in the nation once we unite. Our votes will change the course of our destiny if we vote in one accord. Let’s wake up and realize what we have in uniting together to force the law makers, to vote the way we need them to vote in order for us to receive what is rightfully, legally and morally ours.
MADD: "Mothers against Drunk Drivers" – started by one (1) person contacting a few. The few (each) contacting a few, and on and on ------- until they became one of the largest organizations of the day, with enough influence (votes) to influence politicians into introducing bills and amendments and voting them into law to support their cause.
Can you for a moment realize what we as military families can do to change the course of our destiny, if we were to unite as one (1) voice? Just think of it!! We are already (combined) the largest organization in existence. Last count: "over 27 million" I refer to all military personnel, all active duty, all prior service, all National Guard, and all reservists. Not counting spouses, widows, widowers and dependent children of voting age.
We should all check the senate and congressional records to see how each politician running for re-election voted on all military issues. And not accept empty promises for the future.
We should all check the history of those politicians running for office for the first time to see how they stand on the issues affecting the military and veterans. All politicians, local, state and federal.
Most importantly, all of us should vote only for those politicians who support our benefits.
Contact your representatives and let them know of our plans to vote as one voice.
If everyone will forward this email to your military friends, relatives and associates – by election time we could be in place to influence politicians to vote our benefits into law effective immediately.
Remember, "We fought together", well why don’t we fight together one more time, by uniting and committing to only vote for those politicians who voted for us and those who have made a promise to vote for us if we elect them for the first time. If they don’t keep their promise, let’s make a commitment to not vote for them again.
Remember – vote only for those who support our benefits and us!!
Check the record: http://www.trea.org/CongReportCard.html |
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