"Will We Get Paid?"

[privateinvestor]

Troops ask amid debt crisis: Will we get paid?

'I honestly can't answer that question,' Admiral Mike Mullen says in Afghanistan

www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43954150/ns/politics-more_politics/

[deziloooooo]

I didn't know there was a time that they were not paid, granted it was only a week, but as the Admiral said, so many of our military run very close to the vest when it comes to the matter of personal finances.

Young , with families, Pay not really that good..little room for any blips on the radar..I remember those pawn shops near bases, and other lending operations, high interests rates used from pay check to paycheck by so many..

[rovo]

If the debt ceiling isn't raised it will be up to the Treasury Dept. to determine how existing cash reserves and new cash coming in is used going forward. If the troops do not get paid it will be because the Treasury, Executive branch, decides not to pay them.

[ameiko]

Jul 31, 2011 11:16:07 GMT -5 rovo said:

If the debt ceiling isn't raised it will be up to the Treasury Dept. to determine how existing cash reserves and new cash coming in is used going forward. If the troops do not get paid it will be because the Treasury, Executive branch, decides not to pay them.

+1

Of course, the MSM and Obama will spin it as the evil GOP's fault.

We have enough coming in to pay SS, our troops, and the interest on the debt as well as other services. If we fail to pay for these critical activities, it is because the government chose to fail them.

[BeenThere...DoneThat...]

>>> If the troops do not get paid it will be because the Treasury, Executive branch, decides not to pay them. <<<

>>>If we fail to pay for these critical activities, it is because the government chose to fail them. <<<


...agreed...

[privateinvestor]

Mullen: Effect of debt ceiling crisis on military unknown
Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) -- Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen said Sunday during an unannounced visit to Afghanistan that he doesn't know whether soldiers will continue to receive paychecks if an agreement over the U.S. debt ceiling cannot be reached.

"I certainly hope it gets solved," Mullen told reporters.

America's highest-ranking military officer said soldiers had recently asked him about the crisis, saying "here we are, halfway around the world, fighting our country's wars, and I've got to worry about a paycheck."

Mullen said August 15 would be the first payday jeopardized if the United States defaults. Soldiers normally get paid in two-week increments, making the last assured payday on August 1, he said.

Senate leaders said Sunday that progress had occurred in the talks on a deficit reduction deal that would raise the debt ceiling and cut spending. However, the deadline for the United States to face possible default on its obligations is midnight Tuesday, and political wrangling in Congress has held up an agreement so far.

On Friday, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta issued a statement to remind military personnel that they should plan to come to work as scheduled in the coming week, regardless of whether a deal gets worked out. Panetta pledged to do "everything possible to ensure that our national defense is protected."

A Department of Defense official told CNN on condition of not being identified on the possibility of military pay being withheld, "it's not a question of whether, but when, if an agreement isn't reached."

The Treasury Department has not specified what might happen for troops if an agreement is not reached. But the impact could be substantial if a prolonged battle prevents the government from sending out millions of checks owed to active-duty soldiers, Social Security beneficiaries, federal employees and others.

Congress has until August 2 to raise the current $14.3 trillion debt ceiling. Otherwise, Americans could face rising interest rates and a declining dollar, among other problems.

Mullen said Sunday that he has seen progress in Afghanistan since a so-called "surge" of 33,000 additional troops.

Jon Stewart, host of Comedy Central's "The Daily Show," is also in Afghanistan to visit with troops, along with basketball player Karl Malone and magician David Blaine.








Find this article at:
www.cnn.com/2011/US/07/31/afghanistan.mullen.debt/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

[verrip1]

Isn't it time that someone blurts out that government should not be run like a business?

[privateinvestor]

"Will We Get Paid?"

It is NOT just the troops in the Afghan who are asking this question but millions of others at home as well....to say there is a lot of anxiety in our country due to partisan gamesmanship in Washington DC would be the understatement of the year.

Liberals blame the Tea Party for not wanting to compromise, while the Conservatives blame Obama for not providing any leadership and changing the goal posts too much..

But what has our country become when our troops are worried about whether or not they will get a pay check for putting their lives on the line.. Try to imagine what they are all thinking about lately which is like Nero fiddling while Rome burned to the ground because they wanted to hear from their Commander in Chief to assure them they will be paid or not...instead he is silent and far more worried about being re elected in 2012..

[diamonds]

Jul 31, 2011 15:22:06 GMT -5 @privateinvestor said:

"Will We Get Paid?"

It is NOT just the troops in the Afghan who are asking this question but millions of others at home as well....to stay there is a lot of anxiety in our country due to partisan gamesmanship in Washington DC would be the understatement of the year.

Liberals blame the Tea Party for not wanting to compromise, while the Conservatives blame Obama for not providing any leadership and changing the goal posts too much..

But what has our country become when our troops are worried about whether or not they will get a pay check for putting their lives on the line.. Try to imagine what they are all thinking about lately which is like Nero fiddling while Rome burned to the ground because they wanted to hear from their Commander in Chief to assure them they will be paid or not...instead he is silent and far more worried about being re elected in 2012..

... Obama should come out and re-assure our troops they will be paid. He's pathetic. I think it is quite un-American. I tried to call my brother in the Veterans Home in DC yesterday to see how things were going and tried 3 times, but kept getting the busy signal. He
pays to live there! Ya think he's going to get re-elected with a 40% approval rating?
k to you...

[billisonboard]

Wonder if anyone will get shot?
www.v-r-a.org/docs/bonusmch.htm

[handyman2]

If they don't get paid there will be heck to pay from the old vets on their behalf. Our fine military deserve what little they get and more. We put them in these foreign hell holes and it would demoralizing and down right dishonorable to not them.

[verrip1]

Hmmmm. Someone once said that a shake up every two hundred years or so is cathartic to society.

[ameiko]

Obama should come out and re-assure our troops they will be paid. He's pathetic. I think it is quite un-American.

Obama isn't American so what do you expect?

[privateinvestor]

Jul 31, 2011 17:56:14 GMT -5 diamonds said:

Jul 31, 2011 15:22:06 GMT -5 @privateinvestor said:

"Will We Get Paid?"

It is NOT just the troops in the Afghan who are asking this question but millions of others at home as well....to say there is a lot of anxiety in our country due to partisan gamesmanship in Washington DC would be the understatement of the year.

Liberals blame the Tea Party for not wanting to compromise, while the Conservatives blame Obama for not providing any leadership and changing the goal posts too much..

But what has our country become when our troops are worried about whether or not they will get a pay check for putting their lives on the line.. Try to imagine what they are all thinking about lately which is like Nero fiddling while Rome burned to the ground because they wanted to hear from their Commander in Chief to assure them they will be paid or not...instead he is silent and far more worried about being re elected in 2012..

... Obama should come out and re-assure our troops they will be paid. He's pathetic. I think it is quite un-American. I tried to call my brother in the Veterans Home in DC yesterday to see how things were going and tried 3 times, but kept getting the busy signal. He
pays to live there! Ya think he's going to get re-elected with a 40% approval rating?
k to you...

President Obama is more worried about another grueling fight over the debt limit during the 2012 elections. And you know his White House political team is also worried by his @40% Approval Rating and probably lower as we get closer to the 2012 elections because of the economy and unemployment..so the troops concerns was not high on his agenda at this time...but now if the deal is struck watch him try to take credit for being the leader of this mess in our Nation's Capital...but that old dog might just not hunt anymore IMHO

[mmhmm]

Hee! Thanks, Verrip! I'm up for a bit of Airplane this morning. It was a long, rough night! ;D

[privateinvestor]

Aug 1, 2011 7:14:48 GMT -5 @toughtimes said:

PI, this is what comes of living in a world where the people who become soldiers no longer represent a cross-section of America. I cannot even imagine our parent's generation letting soldiers sweat one day about this.

Or Veterans demeaned and degraded for whatever reasons??

And retired miltitary pensions being questioned by liberals or progressives here because they object to getting a pension for 20 years of service to our country.. My parent's generation which was called "The Greatest Generation" would have a problem with that liberal nonsense, I would guess??

[skweet]

If the debt deal was not struck by today, Obama said that we would default on our debt. That means that he would have chosen to pay the military, and worse the general unnecessary social programs, before paying our debt. That is good news for the military It is also the reason that we SHOULD be downgraded by both Moody's and S&P, even though we may have come up with a political sham of a solution. Given the tough choice our President would chose to default to our creditors, before delaying payment to various programs. It is why our debt can no longer "not be questioned".

[skweet]

Aug 2, 2011 17:18:51 GMT -5 @toughtimes said:

These "unnecessary social programs" may also be a matter of life and death for the poor, crippled, minor children etc. As the saying goes, it all depends on whose ox is gored. To me breaking promises is despicable period. We would have had to prioritize paying investors, like it or not, or we could not draw water from that well. Nonetheless, it is sad to see our country in such straits.

I am not saying that we should break promises, eventually. I do think we should stop promising, that a lot of what is expected was never actually promised, and that we made a huge mistake by threatening our creditors, political theater or not. BTW the life and death hyperbole is a little much.

[❤ mollymouser ❤]

<--- would've been grouchy if the military wasn't getting paid.

[skweet]

Aug 2, 2011 17:25:57 GMT -5 ❤ mollymouser ❤ said:

<--- would've been grouchy if the military wasn't getting paid.

<----- Would have been grouchy if millitary and SSI was cut by 5% for three months with the defficiant $$$ being caught up latter, BUT
<------- Am very angry that our creditors now know that we will default, instead of tightening our belt. Am going to be seeing red, if we are (and we should be) downgraded and the cost of debt increases 3 fold. Is very concerned that we will need to address debt ceiling again very soon, because debt payments raise our cost of borrowings up to the ceiling again.
Especially when it was as simple as Obama saying that - no accord means tough choices, but our debt will not be questioned, instead of no accord means default.

[floridayankee]

Aug 2, 2011 17:35:12 GMT -5 skweet said:

Aug 2, 2011 17:25:57 GMT -5 ❤ mollymouser ❤ said:

<--- would've been grouchy if the military wasn't getting paid.

<----- Would have been grouchy if millitary and SSI was cut by 5% for three months with the defficiant $$$ being caught up latter, BUT
<------- Am very angry that our creditors now know that we will default, instead of tightening our belt. Am going to be seeing red, if we are (and we should be) downgraded and the cost of debt increases 3 fold. Is very concerned that we will need to address debt ceiling again very soon, because debt payments raise our cost of borrowings up to the ceiling again.
Especially when it was as simple as Obama saying that - no accord means tough choices, but our debt will not be questioned, instead of no accord means default.

We'll relive all this drama all over again in a year and a half when we hit the new debt ceiling.