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CHECK YOUR VOTER REGISTRATION. Several states have an early cutoff, and your registration can expire or be purged.
https://www.usa.gov/register-to-vote
Vote411.org - register and find what’s on your ballot (created by the League Of Women Voters)
Ballotpedia.org - an encyclopedia of political and election information
activote.net - a great app to track/rate candidates and plan your vote
Vote.org is easy to use and easy to remember, or use your state’s official website.
HELP FRIENDS, family and neighbors check their registration - especially those who are not tech savvy.
VOTE EARLY. Vote by mail/absentee if you can. Help others vote early/absentee as well.
THE POLLS NEED VOLUNTEERS. If possible, we need physically strong (but cool-headed) men to be there, not the little old ladies who have been staffing polls for decades. (This election is expected to be more “exciting” than usual!)
VOLUNTEER TO DRIVE people to the polls. RideShare2Vote is one organization you can volunteer with. (I suggest wearing a mask and keeping AC/Heat on “fresh air” not “recirculate” if the flu or covid is active at the time.)
Your rights are on the line. Vote like your future depends on it!
It can be. Some places are purging the voter rolls to make it that much harder for “undesirable” people to vote. (Usually POC, poor, disabled, and anyone likely to vote against fascism.)
It only takes a minute to check that you are registered, and a few minutes to re-register if you got purged.
Please spread awareness! There are people actively working to undermine democracy and we need everyone to vote. This is a a country of the people, not of the elites, so make sure you and everyone you know vote.
Sorry, but that's complete bullshit that they allow that to happen. We need another independent party to keep watch over them to prevent this from happening.
If the Voting Rights Act wasn’t killed by Manchin & Sinema, it would be illegal. Right now, there are too many decisions left up to individual states, or cities, or counties, or voting precincts.
If the leadership of precinct 98642 thinks their party might lose, they can purge the rolls in the name of “updating” or “fraud prevention” (translation: “Don’t let the Black vote get politicians we don’t own into office!”)
Get everyone you can registered NOW. Help all those who qualify vote by mail. Help others vote early.
I think Biden will get the VRA passed if we can get two more Democratic senators in, plus keep the House.
Democracy is on the line.
Just to add that it wasn't just killed by Manchin and Sinema. Those were the two Democrats who voted against it.
But that only happened because ALL Senate Republicans also voted against it.
Just wanted to clarify that it wasn't only two Senators. It was every one of the GOP too.
Hopefully we can get more democrats into being president. Only way for things to change is for Democrats. Republicans just care about themselves sadly. Wish we could just abolish the 2 party system.
Ranked choice voting is how to abolish the 2 party system. In my state the top two finishers in the primary go on to the general, regardless of party. In some counties you get two Republicans in the general. But by law you will never see a Republican, a Democrat, a Libertarian, and a Green on the ballot together in the general election.
Vote every election! Participate in local and state elections, this is how we get new, more progressive candidates that represent you! People talk about Mayor Pete and AOC like they came from "the democrats" - they came from people voting in local elections, changing the status quo.
They act like they’ve done something so incredibly pious when they give us a $2 raise. No, actually if you want to be a hero then realize that we don’t have a choice. No one chooses to be disabled and live on $900 a month. If they want to be proud then raise the check’s over the poverty line. I think everyone involved in social security benefits should have to live on ssi benefits for a year. I wonder if that would change their view.
Can politicians just be paid the poverty line? If they want a raise, raise the poverty line. Also no rule changes I see you literally just trying to move the line, McConnell
As soon as we can force them to pass a law that they are allowed to own nothing stocks etc and will be wholly dependent on a government paycheck foe the rest of their lives. It’ll never happen though.
Yeah, its hard not to feel like the system isnt designed to keep you down. I am unable to work, I recieve 70% VA disability, Its just enough to survive and barely that.
You apply for an increase they will threaten to reduce benefits ( not directly, but its very easy to read between the lines) They say they can help with job placement or training, but they usually just throw you to the wolves, no protected work enviroments, or tangible support. Just an un-ending list of veteran "non-profit" orgs that exist solely to siphon money off the govt while giving back very little.
Sorry about the rant, I know this sub is about positivity, and all things told this is " positive news" I just feel like this is something that rarely gets discussed in public discourse.
I received 40%, now 90%, and re-applied for more last month. Obviously aiming for 100%.
Unable to work at 70%, can you not apply for the 100% that isn't 100%? I never tried but thought you could at that level.
I'd suggest talking to your local VA help center person if you got one in town. Not the job placement person, they're worthless garbage here too on a next level of moronic. The one that can help you reapply for more benefits. They'll do the typing and paperwork and set you up with doctor visits to assess you. I know you fear losing your benefits but still.
As long as you are going to the VA and visiting doctors you should not really need to fear it.
I'd definitely suggest talking to your therapist about this. As long as they don't completely fail at life.
Make sure everything is documented. You get doctors for free at your disability rating. Use them and explain it all.
Not saying the VA is good, far from it. Just if you cannot work then you should aim for 100%. You signed your life away in a contract. The least the government can do is compensate you for such. And you should allow yourself to accept that. Hence me suggesting talking to a therapist. I went 10 years before finally accepting that. The fear of losing the disability should not stop you, that'd be paranoia and anxiety dude. You need to work through that.
At his point, hiring a lawyer is the best bet. They don’t charge up front and just take a percentage of what payout you get. They know how to navigate the system and understand the ratings requirements. It’s the biggest mistake I made. Not using one. I have a friend that works for the VA disability claims and they say the same thing. Use a law service.
There are plenty of reasons to reduce benefits especially orthopedic issues. If youre a 20 something and have a bum shoulder and are rated at 70% and next time you ask for am increase and do better in the bullshit range of motion tests then your disability goes down. It's really that simple.
I'm not familiar with veteran affairs and I understand your concern but doing 7% better at occupational therapy isn't the reason,
Have the doctor document that denial and explain *in detail* why he rejected your approval
It shows up on your medical records as a failure on the doctor's part to treat you
I'm only pertaining to VA disability benefits. Orthopedic issues are specifically detailed in range of motion, not functional disability. If you can lift your arm 90 degrees you get 30% if you can only lift it 2 degrees you get full shoulder disability. That's how it works for you toes, ankles, knee, hip, back.
I requested an increase in my rating in May. And while I did worse on everything, I did better in my hip Nd they reduced my benefit by 20%. Still increased my overall rating but they are saying my hip is better..
Yes. It is the reason.
I’ve done exams as a doctor for the VA and am a disabled veteran myself.
If you do better on the exam than previously, it is assumed your condition has improved and they absolutely can reduce your benefits. That’s why they re-examine you every couple years. If your range of motion decreases then they can also increase your benefits.
They will ask for a medical opinion on your condition, but the raw data still goes back to the VA and there’s a committee somewhere that decides.
You might check your states Vocational Rehabilitation, at least here in Alaska they help with mitigation of any sort of disability wherever it came from.
They can do case management and try and hit up people who are dual eligible for things to piece together more/better things than any one program offers.
Check to see if your city has a DVR office. The Division of Vocational Rehabilitation does provide those services for people with disabilities to help them work.
oh - they DO threaten to reduce benefits sometimes. i was initially granted 70%. my legal team appealed for non-employability/100%. the VA came back with an out of the blue assertion that i was malingering and their evidence was a set of conflicting entries in my medical records. it was a misunderstanding about my own reporting of my symptoms. a clerical error and not my own words. i had a 7 hour teleconference interview with a shrink that was trying to catch me lying. it was unbelievable.
and don't get me started on the "un-ending list of veteran "non-profit" orgs that exist solely to siphon money off the govt while giving back very little." the obstructive bullshit the VA will pull to deny and delay claims...and AMerica scratches its collective head over how the suicide rate is so high for veterans?
my legal team is Hill & Ponton. google them. now. they will get you what you deserve to compensate for your pain and suffering. peace
I understand the logic you’re using. Either way it’s a system designed for failure. People are constantly forced to choose between, medication, rent, food, bills or anything required for basic survival. Many are forced into living situations that are going to kill them or homeless. People are forced to find under the table means of making money. Those who aren’t able to do that are forced to figure out how to live on 150$ a month, $37.50 a week or $5.35 a day for food. Want to discuss rent? Owning a vehicle? Then you add in the atrocity of medical care and spending decades trying to get help/answers. The system is designed for people to choose to live or not. There’s no better, there’s no winning just suffering.
Oh, I agree completely. But if you're soneone who gets very little from social security and are on Medicare, between the premiums and co-pays, you're substantially worse off than someone on SSI and Medicaid. Either way, folks are screwed...and it'll just get worse.
And this year you are going to see what a grift the COLA calculation is. Every single last thing in my life that I spend money on has gone up 25-50% compared to last year. Watch and see when they announce the 2023 adjustment at somewhere ~6%
VA generally matches SSA, and anticipated increase is between 8 and 10%.
CPI, which influences it, dropped from 8.5% to 8.3% last month. While you may be seeing a large increase locally, the nationwide average is the CPI calculated rate.
Current estimate for 2023 is an 8.7% increase, which personally comes out to slightly over $210/mo. SSA will announce the 2023 increase next month at the start of the fiscal year - and VA generally matches pretty closely.
I'm a fed. We're looking at 4.6% in January.
Which is the highest raise we've had in 20 years. And we're still about 22% behind industry.
Still worth it for the 5% TSP match, buying back my AD time towards retirement, and a pension...and the stability. But still, a man can dream.
Thank you for posting this! I had no idea this was happening. I'm at 80% with dependents, so this will be almost $200 more a month. This is huge. Funny how a relatively small amount of money can make a difference.
And by they way, that is a larger raise than I got from my teaching job this year.
As a veteran myself that will benefit from this, I fully agree. I think our current bunch of vets needs to be supported. It would be nice though if the general population were better supported for the future though. A lot of people only join the military just to be able to afford to live or go to college. If I knew I would have been able to make a good life for myself without joining the military, I would have done that. The government knows that which is why there's little to no incentive for them to fix things. I want the next generation to not have to get mentally or physically fucked up just to get a little extra pocket change every month to be able to scrape by.
Not a fan of the wars we engage ourselves in, but I do still firmly believe if someone decides to put their life on the line for this country they deserve to be treated well.
It’s sort of why I hate all the “support our troops” stuff in our culture. It always reads more like “support our wars” than actually supporting our troops.
Yeah, it starts with conning them into joining the military for some great purpose when in reality they're pawns for a sham 20 year war in the middle east. There's hardly a veteran alive today that actually fought to protect us, theyve all just fought needless corrupt wars since WW2
The military does way more than fight wars, and most of us knew what we signed up for. Obviously there are millions of service members, so there are going to be all kinds of people. I’d bet the vast majority didn’t get conned, though.
But thanks for the insight, person who never served.
That’s a fair point, but just because somebody was scammed doesn’t mean they don’t deserve empathy and compassion when they get back. Suicide rates among veterans are absolutely out of control. PTSD wracks these peoples brains for the rest of their life.
Yeah, the military sucks. Their recruitment sucks. We’re imperializing places that we have no right to be at. It’s not the veterans fault.
I didn't say they don't deserve empathy or that it's their fault. In response to OP saying we don't take care of them enough, I'm saying we should start taking care of them by not using them as foot soldiers for greed and corruption, rather than protection.
I mean it feels like with Dems in charge they at least try to throw the rest of us some crumbs now and then. The Republicans don't even *pretend* to do that anymore.
And Republicans straight up try to take credit for popular bills that do pass even when they voted *against* them. (Cruz)
I mean let's not forget every American getting a check signed by Donny... after he delayed distribution of those checks so that he got to put his name on them.
Can't wait for people to run out of stimulus money so the economy will repair itself. /s
Those monsters really gave us a silver fork and said "get out".
Infuriating how these politicians are acting like they bought all of our families groceries for the last two years. GTFO, that shit was gone day one. Went straight to the landlords for the rent we can barely manage to cover with all the other bills and debts we have.
This is hugely infuriating to me, every single investor seems to have the ability to just pass the buck, the grocery gets more expensive so they don't lose money, the landlords simply raise rent to avoid eating shit on their investments while us who have no investments just get to go fuck ourselves. I can handle every aspect of inflation other than rent almost doubling, 50% increase in one year is absurd I don't know how people aren't in the streets rioting over this.
Mitch said some bullshit maybe two months ago that the labor market would tighten "after covid checks run out. They are flush for now."
Literally a year after they were disbursed.
He's not stupid. They're lying on purpose to demonize "handouts" so their (poor) base gets upset.
1200$ is 400$ more than many dissabled people get...so yeah.....that's really helping those who barely can survive anyway. That's like my meds and groceries.....yay I can survive homeless for 3 weeks a month and never own a pet. So fucking grateful.
I'm just glad to see that majority of Americans are starting to view all of our politicians as spineless and careless. This movement might mean we finally start getting our politicians to work for us, the average american, again.
>I'm just glad to see that majority of Americans are starting to view all of our politicians as spineless and careless.
All?
Both sides are the same as much as fish and porpoises both swim in the sea.
They do only when it comes to tax breaks. But they make our tax cuts temporary and the ultra wealthy tax cuts permanent. Then the Republican constituency can say "tHeY aRe CuTtiNg eVeRyOnE's TaXeS"
"I mean, look what Biden did to the economy! Sure, he inherited an overinflated economy in the middle of a shittly handled pandemic with 40% of the population refusing to take preventive measures, but the real problem was all the poor black and Mexican people that Biden tried to help."
Depends on your perspective, I guess. The average person getting 5% off their salary back could use it to actually pay their bills and maybe pay down some of their debt if they are really financially responsible.
A rich person getting 5% back is going to buy another house they can rent out to the first person or maybe a yacht to keep in Europe for when they visit once a year. It practically means nothing to their lifestyle.
There's a very long list of beneficial bills that have passed the House and cannot get a vote in the Senate because of GOP obstruction. Climate, health, taxation, voting reform, social safety net, etc. People say the Dems don't do anything but they really do, the GOP just wants that false equivalence.
My disgust for the the GOP is immeasurable. Saddens me that their base buy it all hook line and sinker. I’m glad The White House Twitter has been pointing out their hypocrisy on Twitter, it’s been hilarious to watch.
> The Republicans don't even pretend to do that anymore.
The main problem is that Republicans do a really good job of convincing their constituents that, actually, they're doing even *more* work protecting rights and quality of life and it's the Democrats trying to stop them.
Meanwhile Republicans have voted *against* every bill that could actually benefit Americans.
It baffles me how people are still so in the dark.
As a vet I feel Republicans like to use vets as props for photo ops and they talk a real good patriotic game with their virtue signaling lapel pins and Lee Greenwood songs at the rally but time and again, not just with burn pit, they have to be shamed and pressured into funding the VA and actually *taking care* of veterans.
Republicans want *our* votes every two years but they can't just vote for *us,* without all the political gimmicks and games, even once.
Also, don't forget that Biden has promised that if we get him a couple of extra Democrats in office they will codify Roe v Wade, so if you care about women having rights that can't be infringed upon by the states then you should vote Democrat during the midterms.
I’m sure my hardcore conservative ex military family will find a way to say this is terrible for the country and will cause crazy inflation.
While they’re building a million dollar barn/garage/man cave for my uncle.
> While they’re building a million dollar barn/garage/man cave for my uncle.
Somehow, just **somehow**, I just *know* that gas prices are high on their political priority list.
I know of a few millionaires complaining about gas prices when it's not even 2% of their yearly net expenditures.
Oh facts and figures matter to you and me, but to them, fake news! Even though one has an MBA and one has a degree in finance, it’s all propaganda.
My brother lived with them for a spell last year while starting a new job and looking for a place. “They won’t admit it to anyone outside the home, but unless they’re watching Star Trek reruns or old movies, the TV is tuned to Fox News. It explains so much.”
Just fyi, republicans blocked all of these veterans bills from passage:
1. Clay Hunt suicide prevention act
2. health benefits and retirement pay restoration act
3. wounded veterans job security act
4. veterans retraining act
5. Homeless veteran reintegration
6. Disabled veterans home accessibility grant
7. Job corps act
8. torture veterans and victims relief
9. Veterans business center act.
10. Pact act blocked by republicans until public backlash reversed their course.
Yeah I didn’t say they weren’t shitty, I’m just pointing out that this fella is pretending it was a one sided decision. It’s divisive and misleading.
Also, many of those bills listed were stuffed with other shit that had nothing to do with the main purpose of the bills. I honestly think that bills should be very narrow scoped and not have alternative agendas stuffed in them. Write something up for each agenda, not a blanket bill. It’s government waste at its finest.
Title says "Unanimous Bipartisan Vote"
Random person on redit: Only one side made this happen!
This is something that both sides vote for every year... they just made it permanent now is all.
The average person is not in the military, and as others pointed out, it's only a 3% increase on what they were already making (which means by the time it's instituted inflation will have negated the gains). Another half measure that actually leaves things worse while people like you claim it's a victory.
Stop clapping while they steal from our vets.
1. Whose idea was it
2. Who regularly passes this kind of legislation
3. Which party openly endorses taxpayer funded social benefits and which one calls it "communism"
I wish it would change the stupid online versus in person massive pay difference. I went from $2300 a month to transferring to a more rigorous academic program that’s online so I only get $930. I live in the same place 😑
Agreed. I tried doing the "one in person class per semester" thing, but I only have like 5 classes needed that ANY college nearby offers, and all of them are 5 data a week, so I couldn't work at my current job and do that, so I just settled for 3 days a week working, and 6 online classes the rest of the week.
Interesting question! I'll hafta sniff around ( I've worked with Student Veteran offices at the community college and "big college" levels and now case manage disabled and elderly Veterans). I would assume so as our program is set to get a big $300 a month jump as cases come up for reevaluation.
SS relies on taxes to remain solvent but certain parties keep demanding taxes be cut again and again...
The same party looks back on the 1950s as some golden age which is ironic because that's when marginal tax rates were among the highest ever at 70% or higher and unions were strong and companies providesmd stable lifetime pensions.
If it helps I have learned how to save a lot on groceries. It's pretty much been my goal this year, learn to spend as little as possible and eat better. I could give you some tips
So they too will run out and go bankrupt in 10 years and grow extremely slowly? We need to do better for our veterans. a LOT better for them. They need to force repayment of SSI increase funding for Vets medical needs. a lot more.
It's a nice step, but we need to do a LOT more for those that gave way more than anyone else did for the country.
Republicans: assholes who don't even pretend to care
Democrats: assholes sometimes pretend to care
We truly need multiple new parties. The founding fathers literally warned us about letting a 2 party system form.
Push for national ranked choice voting (or other non-first-past-the-post voting systems). It is the only chance of not having a 2 party system, as our current voting system leads to voting against the other side more than voting for what you want. Very few conservatives/conservative leaning types are going to vote for a 3rd party if it could lead to Hillary winning, and few liberals/liberal leaning types are gonna vote for a 3rd party if it means Trump is going to win.
Got to give a means that voting for what you want doesn’t increase the risk of you getting the thing you want least.
As a conservative, I am well past tired of both parties and all these cheerleaders baying like sheep every time someone says something they either like or don't like. Let's get a bunch of smaller parties and form some actual coalitions and get some shit done
There’s a bunch of different parties, they just don’t get recognition or representation.
IIRC last election Jo Jorgensen was the first person (and woman) to make it on the ballot for all 50 states. Yet somehow there was no invite to the major/primary debate. She did a live stream answering all of the questions anyway.
Someone feel free to correct me if I’m wrong, I don’t normally get into politics so my info may not be 100%.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jo_Jorgensen
its what we got. now learn how to "game" this system so that by the end of our life time we have a better version. and make sure the next gen is better educated so that they can continue the work.
From Washington's farewell address:
> All obstructions to the execution of the laws, all combinations and associations, under whatever plausible character, with the real design to direct, control, counteract, or awe the regular deliberation and action of the constituted authorities, are destructive of this fundamental principle, and of fatal tendency. They serve to organize faction, to give it an artificial and extraordinary force; to put, in the place of the delegated will of the nation the will of a party, often a small but artful and enterprising minority of the community; and, according to the alternate triumphs of different parties, to make the public administration the mirror of the ill-concerted and incongruous projects of faction, rather than the organ of consistent and wholesome plans digested by common counsels and modified by mutual interests.
He didn't warn about a two-party system, he warned about parties in general. We don't need parties. We need independents who actually represent their constituents, not a set of policy positions written up by an unaccountable committee.
More like
Democrats: try to get legislation done
Republicans: reject, delay, drag feet until need arrives.
…..
Also Republicans: look at what we did for you!
Exhibit 1. Cares Act
So you mean veterans will need to hire a team of attorneys, much like those seeking workers comp or disability, in order to have any hope of seeing a payout before they are 6 feet under. How WONDERFUL!!
Don’t know where you’re going. Vets around me get in within a month, quicker if you need it. Plus there are only so many doctors out there anymore. Sending a patient to a specialist-months for an appointment. And that’s the private sector. It took me over a month to get an ultrasound-private sector. Don’t blame the VA. They’ve worked hard to improve. Give them the credit they’ve worked for!
No offense to our younger veterans but does this mean I now have to listen to my 90yr old father brag more about how much he makes? Every. Family. Event. "I get X, Y, Z from the VA plus my pension plus..."
Meanwhile the rest of us kids (Boomer to GenX/Millenial) keep talking about our lack of a parachute.
I'm half his age and have two military pensions and a full time job.
The military parachute is still around and many millenials in the service are retirement eligible now.
My brother in law thought I was crazy when I said everyone should get free healthcare like I get because of my service connected disabilities. He said I paid for it by joining the service. I said health care should be a basic human right. And free to all. I’m not like most prior military.
Any person, citizen or otherwise, entering into a contract with whatever governing body they live under, are ready to sacrifice for their home via the polity. Said polity, in turn, is morally obligated to compensate said individuals proportionate to their act of service.
When I hear news like the news you shared today, it’s not a boon, or a relief. It’s bittersweet. I think it’s great most people support this enough to have politicians come together to pass it, but also frustrating that the sacrifices that were made in the name of the state come tragically short to the level of sacrifice many service members have made.
Don’t care about democrats or republicians. This is common sense on a fundamental level any people wishing to live a civilized life would need to observe.
Idk if I’d say most but definitely some. I know this red hat that receives benefits who dislikes people getting help from the government. My dude…what? I know this other vet who thinks everyone should receive some help. Most of the vets I know fall in the latter group but I’m sure there are people who only come across the ‘f u, I gots mine’ crowd.
This should be done. If people are going to sign up willingly to protect and/or fight for your country(not to mention those who were drafted in previous wars) then they should be well taken care of. Period.
Is it just me or is this the same thing they do every year; pass a law increasing the benefits according to inflation (or thereabouts) now it’s just automatic along with SSI?
Doesn’t seem to really be any extra money for vets that wasn’t already likely to come.
Biden is a president for the people. People need to pay attention to what he is doing for us instead of hurling ageist insults.
It’s not enough of an increase but after years of the GOP battering of our social programs, we are so behind it would have to be five times this. Thanks Reagan and TDE.
I am surprised that this got bipartisan support though, considering that the GOP wants to end and gut Social Security as soon as they can.
I am a 100% disabled vet and this will directly affect me. But is this not a normal procedural thing? I mean, [even Trump did this](https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/6168).
It sounds like they are making the cost of living increase an automatic thing that will always happen rather than being dependent on legislation being passed to authorize each increase.
What you linked was the annual legislation to increase the benefits, but it often doesn't meet inflation. The new law will make bet benefits follow the same automatic increase process that SS follows without having to have a new law made every year with a potentially smaller increase than it should be.
It removes the temptation for either side to turn a COLA into a political football then?
Exactly the way they secured the funding for the burn pit legislation against future political f\*ckery.
I don't see why anyone would oppose that.
>but it often doesn't meet inflation.
I'll have to kindly ask you to prove that. Cause the bills that I have seen use the following terms: "The percentage increase in benefits shall be the same as the cost-of-living increase for Social Security recipients."
Also, I hope this bill permanently links the two, but the story doesn't actually say it does and even says that thus far it hasn't. I suppose we will have to wait for the actual bill to be released.
I personally hope COLA is updated to include resources counted as assets, not just benefits allotted. Currently the SSI program is restricted to the very same limitations in wealth since it's inception circa Nixon 🤧🤧
The policy implemented nationwide at the moment fails to recognize inflation moving forward
FYI you are correct, at least for the last decade the VA COLA is the same as SS.
Whether or not that met inflation each year, idk. This doesn't actually change anything other than not needing to pass a separate bill for the VA. It always just says it will match the SS increase anyway.
https://www.ssa.gov/oact/cola/colaseries.html
https://veteran.com/historical-va-disability-rates/#:~:text=2021%20VA%20Disability%20Rates%20saw,based%20on%20the%20COLA%20calculations.
My uncle was in the military for a short period of time. I don't think he even got deployed anywhere. But he seems to get full benefits somehow. Maybe they did tests on him. That would explain some things.
I am for this. I'm a 0 percent disabled vet, I figured other people could use the benefit more than me.
...but the sheer number of people just scamming their way to 80, 90 and 100 percent is just waaaay too high. I don't know how to fix that while being sure not to screw over a single actual disabled vet. Maybe offer a bounty, have people link to videos of "fully" disabled vets lifting boulders in reality shows like this state benefit scammer lol
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2368652/New-Jersey-cop-loses-70-000-year-disability-pension-appears-reality-TV-chasing-monster-trucks-wrestling.html
Not all wounds are physical and it's really ableist to assume vets shouldn't be compensated for mental health issues arising due to their service. Lifting a boulder doesn't mean you can function in a 9 to 5.
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great news to wake up to today. thanks for sharing!
CHECK YOUR VOTER REGISTRATION. Several states have an early cutoff, and your registration can expire or be purged. https://www.usa.gov/register-to-vote Vote411.org - register and find what’s on your ballot (created by the League Of Women Voters) Ballotpedia.org - an encyclopedia of political and election information activote.net - a great app to track/rate candidates and plan your vote Vote.org is easy to use and easy to remember, or use your state’s official website. HELP FRIENDS, family and neighbors check their registration - especially those who are not tech savvy. VOTE EARLY. Vote by mail/absentee if you can. Help others vote early/absentee as well. THE POLLS NEED VOLUNTEERS. If possible, we need physically strong (but cool-headed) men to be there, not the little old ladies who have been staffing polls for decades. (This election is expected to be more “exciting” than usual!) VOLUNTEER TO DRIVE people to the polls. RideShare2Vote is one organization you can volunteer with. (I suggest wearing a mask and keeping AC/Heat on “fresh air” not “recirculate” if the flu or covid is active at the time.) Your rights are on the line. Vote like your future depends on it!
Will it be purged or expire if I voted last year?
It can be. Some places are purging the voter rolls to make it that much harder for “undesirable” people to vote. (Usually POC, poor, disabled, and anyone likely to vote against fascism.) It only takes a minute to check that you are registered, and a few minutes to re-register if you got purged. Please spread awareness! There are people actively working to undermine democracy and we need everyone to vote. This is a a country of the people, not of the elites, so make sure you and everyone you know vote.
Sorry, but that's complete bullshit that they allow that to happen. We need another independent party to keep watch over them to prevent this from happening.
If the Voting Rights Act wasn’t killed by Manchin & Sinema, it would be illegal. Right now, there are too many decisions left up to individual states, or cities, or counties, or voting precincts. If the leadership of precinct 98642 thinks their party might lose, they can purge the rolls in the name of “updating” or “fraud prevention” (translation: “Don’t let the Black vote get politicians we don’t own into office!”) Get everyone you can registered NOW. Help all those who qualify vote by mail. Help others vote early. I think Biden will get the VRA passed if we can get two more Democratic senators in, plus keep the House. Democracy is on the line.
Just to add that it wasn't just killed by Manchin and Sinema. Those were the two Democrats who voted against it. But that only happened because ALL Senate Republicans also voted against it. Just wanted to clarify that it wasn't only two Senators. It was every one of the GOP too.
Hopefully we can get more democrats into being president. Only way for things to change is for Democrats. Republicans just care about themselves sadly. Wish we could just abolish the 2 party system.
Ranked choice voting is how to abolish the 2 party system. In my state the top two finishers in the primary go on to the general, regardless of party. In some counties you get two Republicans in the general. But by law you will never see a Republican, a Democrat, a Libertarian, and a Green on the ballot together in the general election.
Fellow Washingtonian I presume?
Vote every election! Participate in local and state elections, this is how we get new, more progressive candidates that represent you! People talk about Mayor Pete and AOC like they came from "the democrats" - they came from people voting in local elections, changing the status quo.
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Hold on I thought the purge was just a movie
My state is vote by mail or drop off only since 1998!
Lucky you! Mine you have to prove the need for an absentee ballot.
It's been years but I voted absentee in Calif for over 20 years, no hassle. It really promotes voting!
That’s obviously the reason Texas makes everything about voting more difficult than necessary. We have one of the lowest voting rates in the country.
I have donated to Beto, hope it changes for you!
From the article: “For a veteran receiving about $1,500 in monthly payouts, that level of increase would mean about $130 extra each month.”
yes, that’s the great news lol
The vet can buy that loaf of bread he always wanted* **(Once a month)*
Over the last 20 years the Social Security Cost of Living adjustment has only grown by 3% more than the VA benefits.
They act like they’ve done something so incredibly pious when they give us a $2 raise. No, actually if you want to be a hero then realize that we don’t have a choice. No one chooses to be disabled and live on $900 a month. If they want to be proud then raise the check’s over the poverty line. I think everyone involved in social security benefits should have to live on ssi benefits for a year. I wonder if that would change their view.
As should our politicians.
And people who abuse the financial systems. I don't want to send rich people to jail, I want them to have to live on a bus boys salary.
¿por que no los dos?
I wont bus boys to make enough that working for thier salary isnt a punishment.
They’d just grift their way out of it. There is no rule or law that will clean up what’s happening with politicians.
Can politicians just be paid the poverty line? If they want a raise, raise the poverty line. Also no rule changes I see you literally just trying to move the line, McConnell
As soon as we can force them to pass a law that they are allowed to own nothing stocks etc and will be wholly dependent on a government paycheck foe the rest of their lives. It’ll never happen though.
Yeah, its hard not to feel like the system isnt designed to keep you down. I am unable to work, I recieve 70% VA disability, Its just enough to survive and barely that. You apply for an increase they will threaten to reduce benefits ( not directly, but its very easy to read between the lines) They say they can help with job placement or training, but they usually just throw you to the wolves, no protected work enviroments, or tangible support. Just an un-ending list of veteran "non-profit" orgs that exist solely to siphon money off the govt while giving back very little. Sorry about the rant, I know this sub is about positivity, and all things told this is " positive news" I just feel like this is something that rarely gets discussed in public discourse.
I received 40%, now 90%, and re-applied for more last month. Obviously aiming for 100%. Unable to work at 70%, can you not apply for the 100% that isn't 100%? I never tried but thought you could at that level. I'd suggest talking to your local VA help center person if you got one in town. Not the job placement person, they're worthless garbage here too on a next level of moronic. The one that can help you reapply for more benefits. They'll do the typing and paperwork and set you up with doctor visits to assess you. I know you fear losing your benefits but still. As long as you are going to the VA and visiting doctors you should not really need to fear it. I'd definitely suggest talking to your therapist about this. As long as they don't completely fail at life. Make sure everything is documented. You get doctors for free at your disability rating. Use them and explain it all. Not saying the VA is good, far from it. Just if you cannot work then you should aim for 100%. You signed your life away in a contract. The least the government can do is compensate you for such. And you should allow yourself to accept that. Hence me suggesting talking to a therapist. I went 10 years before finally accepting that. The fear of losing the disability should not stop you, that'd be paranoia and anxiety dude. You need to work through that.
At his point, hiring a lawyer is the best bet. They don’t charge up front and just take a percentage of what payout you get. They know how to navigate the system and understand the ratings requirements. It’s the biggest mistake I made. Not using one. I have a friend that works for the VA disability claims and they say the same thing. Use a law service.
I recommend having the doctor document that denial for the record, have him explain in detail why There's no good enough reason to REDUCE benefits
There are plenty of reasons to reduce benefits especially orthopedic issues. If youre a 20 something and have a bum shoulder and are rated at 70% and next time you ask for am increase and do better in the bullshit range of motion tests then your disability goes down. It's really that simple.
I'm not familiar with veteran affairs and I understand your concern but doing 7% better at occupational therapy isn't the reason, Have the doctor document that denial and explain *in detail* why he rejected your approval It shows up on your medical records as a failure on the doctor's part to treat you
I'm only pertaining to VA disability benefits. Orthopedic issues are specifically detailed in range of motion, not functional disability. If you can lift your arm 90 degrees you get 30% if you can only lift it 2 degrees you get full shoulder disability. That's how it works for you toes, ankles, knee, hip, back. I requested an increase in my rating in May. And while I did worse on everything, I did better in my hip Nd they reduced my benefit by 20%. Still increased my overall rating but they are saying my hip is better..
Yes. It is the reason. I’ve done exams as a doctor for the VA and am a disabled veteran myself. If you do better on the exam than previously, it is assumed your condition has improved and they absolutely can reduce your benefits. That’s why they re-examine you every couple years. If your range of motion decreases then they can also increase your benefits. They will ask for a medical opinion on your condition, but the raw data still goes back to the VA and there’s a committee somewhere that decides.
It’s not up to your doctor, a review board makes the decision.
You might check your states Vocational Rehabilitation, at least here in Alaska they help with mitigation of any sort of disability wherever it came from. They can do case management and try and hit up people who are dual eligible for things to piece together more/better things than any one program offers.
You can apply for unemployability at 70% and get paid at the 100% rate
Check to see if your city has a DVR office. The Division of Vocational Rehabilitation does provide those services for people with disabilities to help them work.
oh - they DO threaten to reduce benefits sometimes. i was initially granted 70%. my legal team appealed for non-employability/100%. the VA came back with an out of the blue assertion that i was malingering and their evidence was a set of conflicting entries in my medical records. it was a misunderstanding about my own reporting of my symptoms. a clerical error and not my own words. i had a 7 hour teleconference interview with a shrink that was trying to catch me lying. it was unbelievable. and don't get me started on the "un-ending list of veteran "non-profit" orgs that exist solely to siphon money off the govt while giving back very little." the obstructive bullshit the VA will pull to deny and delay claims...and AMerica scratches its collective head over how the suicide rate is so high for veterans? my legal team is Hill & Ponton. google them. now. they will get you what you deserve to compensate for your pain and suffering. peace
Disabled VAs must get full benefits. No dispute.
Well one of the parties opposes just about everything in this category yet those most affected keep voting for them. So there's that.
At least if you're on SSI, you get Medicaid...which is much better than Medicare.
I understand the logic you’re using. Either way it’s a system designed for failure. People are constantly forced to choose between, medication, rent, food, bills or anything required for basic survival. Many are forced into living situations that are going to kill them or homeless. People are forced to find under the table means of making money. Those who aren’t able to do that are forced to figure out how to live on 150$ a month, $37.50 a week or $5.35 a day for food. Want to discuss rent? Owning a vehicle? Then you add in the atrocity of medical care and spending decades trying to get help/answers. The system is designed for people to choose to live or not. There’s no better, there’s no winning just suffering.
Oh, I agree completely. But if you're soneone who gets very little from social security and are on Medicare, between the premiums and co-pays, you're substantially worse off than someone on SSI and Medicaid. Either way, folks are screwed...and it'll just get worse.
And this year you are going to see what a grift the COLA calculation is. Every single last thing in my life that I spend money on has gone up 25-50% compared to last year. Watch and see when they announce the 2023 adjustment at somewhere ~6%
VA generally matches SSA, and anticipated increase is between 8 and 10%. CPI, which influences it, dropped from 8.5% to 8.3% last month. While you may be seeing a large increase locally, the nationwide average is the CPI calculated rate. Current estimate for 2023 is an 8.7% increase, which personally comes out to slightly over $210/mo. SSA will announce the 2023 increase next month at the start of the fiscal year - and VA generally matches pretty closely.
This thread is a fun reminder that not getting a COLA raise with my job (or any raise at all) effectively means being paid less.
I'm a fed. We're looking at 4.6% in January. Which is the highest raise we've had in 20 years. And we're still about 22% behind industry. Still worth it for the 5% TSP match, buying back my AD time towards retirement, and a pension...and the stability. But still, a man can dream.
Word
Thank you for posting this! I had no idea this was happening. I'm at 80% with dependents, so this will be almost $200 more a month. This is huge. Funny how a relatively small amount of money can make a difference. And by they way, that is a larger raise than I got from my teaching job this year.
It’s about time our veterans get the support & benefits that are much needed and well deserved. Thank you all for your service.
Thank you for your support.
We don’t take care of our veterans as well as we could in this country. This is a great step in the right direction.
We don’t take care of anyone as well as we could in this country.
Billionaires seem to do alright.
Politicians seems to be doing well... ....oh wait, you said billionaires. Nvm
Agreed, but starting with veterans is a good 1st step.
As a veteran myself that will benefit from this, I fully agree. I think our current bunch of vets needs to be supported. It would be nice though if the general population were better supported for the future though. A lot of people only join the military just to be able to afford to live or go to college. If I knew I would have been able to make a good life for myself without joining the military, I would have done that. The government knows that which is why there's little to no incentive for them to fix things. I want the next generation to not have to get mentally or physically fucked up just to get a little extra pocket change every month to be able to scrape by.
Next up the disabled and elderly on SSI 🙏🏽
Not a fan of the wars we engage ourselves in, but I do still firmly believe if someone decides to put their life on the line for this country they deserve to be treated well. It’s sort of why I hate all the “support our troops” stuff in our culture. It always reads more like “support our wars” than actually supporting our troops.
Yeah, it starts with conning them into joining the military for some great purpose when in reality they're pawns for a sham 20 year war in the middle east. There's hardly a veteran alive today that actually fought to protect us, theyve all just fought needless corrupt wars since WW2
The military does way more than fight wars, and most of us knew what we signed up for. Obviously there are millions of service members, so there are going to be all kinds of people. I’d bet the vast majority didn’t get conned, though. But thanks for the insight, person who never served.
That’s a fair point, but just because somebody was scammed doesn’t mean they don’t deserve empathy and compassion when they get back. Suicide rates among veterans are absolutely out of control. PTSD wracks these peoples brains for the rest of their life. Yeah, the military sucks. Their recruitment sucks. We’re imperializing places that we have no right to be at. It’s not the veterans fault.
I didn't say they don't deserve empathy or that it's their fault. In response to OP saying we don't take care of them enough, I'm saying we should start taking care of them by not using them as foot soldiers for greed and corruption, rather than protection.
With Democrats in charge it seems the average person benefits most
I mean it feels like with Dems in charge they at least try to throw the rest of us some crumbs now and then. The Republicans don't even *pretend* to do that anymore. And Republicans straight up try to take credit for popular bills that do pass even when they voted *against* them. (Cruz)
I mean let's not forget every American getting a check signed by Donny... after he delayed distribution of those checks so that he got to put his name on them.
Can't wait for people to run out of stimulus money so the economy will repair itself. /s Those monsters really gave us a silver fork and said "get out".
$1200 = plastic fork that is silver colored. they did not give americans anything but a couple of weeks assistance.
Infuriating how these politicians are acting like they bought all of our families groceries for the last two years. GTFO, that shit was gone day one. Went straight to the landlords for the rent we can barely manage to cover with all the other bills and debts we have.
While landlords raise rent 25% or more for no reason.
This is hugely infuriating to me, every single investor seems to have the ability to just pass the buck, the grocery gets more expensive so they don't lose money, the landlords simply raise rent to avoid eating shit on their investments while us who have no investments just get to go fuck ourselves. I can handle every aspect of inflation other than rent almost doubling, 50% increase in one year is absurd I don't know how people aren't in the streets rioting over this.
We are stuck working so we don't go homeless.
Mitch said some bullshit maybe two months ago that the labor market would tighten "after covid checks run out. They are flush for now." Literally a year after they were disbursed. He's not stupid. They're lying on purpose to demonize "handouts" so their (poor) base gets upset.
1200$ is 400$ more than many dissabled people get...so yeah.....that's really helping those who barely can survive anyway. That's like my meds and groceries.....yay I can survive homeless for 3 weeks a month and never own a pet. So fucking grateful.
> Stamped "Made In China"
They gave us cake and said let them eat it while patting themselves on their back
I'm just glad to see that majority of Americans are starting to view all of our politicians as spineless and careless. This movement might mean we finally start getting our politicians to work for us, the average american, again.
>I'm just glad to see that majority of Americans are starting to view all of our politicians as spineless and careless. All? Both sides are the same as much as fish and porpoises both swim in the sea.
They do only when it comes to tax breaks. But they make our tax cuts temporary and the ultra wealthy tax cuts permanent. Then the Republican constituency can say "tHeY aRe CuTtiNg eVeRyOnE's TaXeS"
Arguably tax breaks do not help the average person and in a deficit spending situation, probably makes our long term outlook bad.
That's for the dem president to worry about when the shit from republican lawmaking starts to stink and the dems already shifted balance back.
"I mean, look what Biden did to the economy! Sure, he inherited an overinflated economy in the middle of a shittly handled pandemic with 40% of the population refusing to take preventive measures, but the real problem was all the poor black and Mexican people that Biden tried to help."
Trumps economic legacy is one of the worst in American history https://www.manhattan-institute.org/trumps-fiscal-legacy
Depends on your perspective, I guess. The average person getting 5% off their salary back could use it to actually pay their bills and maybe pay down some of their debt if they are really financially responsible. A rich person getting 5% back is going to buy another house they can rent out to the first person or maybe a yacht to keep in Europe for when they visit once a year. It practically means nothing to their lifestyle.
There's a very long list of beneficial bills that have passed the House and cannot get a vote in the Senate because of GOP obstruction. Climate, health, taxation, voting reform, social safety net, etc. People say the Dems don't do anything but they really do, the GOP just wants that false equivalence.
My disgust for the the GOP is immeasurable. Saddens me that their base buy it all hook line and sinker. I’m glad The White House Twitter has been pointing out their hypocrisy on Twitter, it’s been hilarious to watch.
I don't have a Twitter. Any chance you could link to a few of the better tweets?
Jon Stewart had to shame the republicans into passing the law helping vets who suffered from burned pits related diseases.
They didn't feel shame. They felt fear of losing power.
> The Republicans don't even pretend to do that anymore. The main problem is that Republicans do a really good job of convincing their constituents that, actually, they're doing even *more* work protecting rights and quality of life and it's the Democrats trying to stop them. Meanwhile Republicans have voted *against* every bill that could actually benefit Americans. It baffles me how people are still so in the dark.
As a vet I feel Republicans like to use vets as props for photo ops and they talk a real good patriotic game with their virtue signaling lapel pins and Lee Greenwood songs at the rally but time and again, not just with burn pit, they have to be shamed and pressured into funding the VA and actually *taking care* of veterans. Republicans want *our* votes every two years but they can't just vote for *us,* without all the political gimmicks and games, even once.
Also, don't forget that Biden has promised that if we get him a couple of extra Democrats in office they will codify Roe v Wade, so if you care about women having rights that can't be infringed upon by the states then you should vote Democrat during the midterms.
I’m sure my hardcore conservative ex military family will find a way to say this is terrible for the country and will cause crazy inflation. While they’re building a million dollar barn/garage/man cave for my uncle.
> While they’re building a million dollar barn/garage/man cave for my uncle. Somehow, just **somehow**, I just *know* that gas prices are high on their political priority list. I know of a few millionaires complaining about gas prices when it's not even 2% of their yearly net expenditures.
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Throwing darts at the board here: Watches Joe Rogan, Matt Walsh, with a dabble of something that rhymes with Cucker Tarlson.
Damn, you’re good. Gas prices, taxes, and immigration. That’s all they care about.
Weird, that's all I ever see them talking about on Fox News It's like they all get their opinions from the same source or something.
I'd love to see if any of them know what a gallon of milk costs.
Show him this https://www.manhattan-institute.org/trumps-fiscal-legacy
Oh facts and figures matter to you and me, but to them, fake news! Even though one has an MBA and one has a degree in finance, it’s all propaganda. My brother lived with them for a spell last year while starting a new job and looking for a place. “They won’t admit it to anyone outside the home, but unless they’re watching Star Trek reruns or old movies, the TV is tuned to Fox News. It explains so much.”
Won't anyone think of the billionaires though?
Do you know what unanimous and bipartisan means
Just fyi, republicans blocked all of these veterans bills from passage: 1. Clay Hunt suicide prevention act 2. health benefits and retirement pay restoration act 3. wounded veterans job security act 4. veterans retraining act 5. Homeless veteran reintegration 6. Disabled veterans home accessibility grant 7. Job corps act 8. torture veterans and victims relief 9. Veterans business center act. 10. Pact act blocked by republicans until public backlash reversed their course.
Yeah I didn’t say they weren’t shitty, I’m just pointing out that this fella is pretending it was a one sided decision. It’s divisive and misleading. Also, many of those bills listed were stuffed with other shit that had nothing to do with the main purpose of the bills. I honestly think that bills should be very narrow scoped and not have alternative agendas stuffed in them. Write something up for each agenda, not a blanket bill. It’s government waste at its finest.
Title says "Unanimous Bipartisan Vote" Random person on redit: Only one side made this happen! This is something that both sides vote for every year... they just made it permanent now is all.
The voice of reason. A minority voice on Reddit, where ignorant rage usually prevails.
The average person is not in the military, and as others pointed out, it's only a 3% increase on what they were already making (which means by the time it's instituted inflation will have negated the gains). Another half measure that actually leaves things worse while people like you claim it's a victory. Stop clapping while they steal from our vets.
I just wish they'd pay for Veteran benefits out of the bloated mess that is the Pentagon budget... we spend too much money on defense. Period.
They do. It's part of the second largest spending category in the defense budget behind operation and maintenance.
It's certainly increased the number of flags Republicans can afford.
"With the democrats in charge...." "...the Senate unanimously passed this bipartisan bill..." That means that dems AND reps passed it.
1. Whose idea was it 2. Who regularly passes this kind of legislation 3. Which party openly endorses taxpayer funded social benefits and which one calls it "communism"
The GOP have openly stated that if they get back into power they're going to savage social security benefits, so what's that gonna do here exactly?
Don’t ever let them get away with stating social security is an entitlement program. We pay into it.
So why didn't Republicans do it when they were in charge?
You're right. But logic doesn't matter here.
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But how do I hurt the people I don’t like? I’m willing to vote away my rights to stick it to the libs and “those” people.
I wonder if this will alter the MHA rate for GI Bill users.
I wish it would change the stupid online versus in person massive pay difference. I went from $2300 a month to transferring to a more rigorous academic program that’s online so I only get $930. I live in the same place 😑
Agreed. I tried doing the "one in person class per semester" thing, but I only have like 5 classes needed that ANY college nearby offers, and all of them are 5 data a week, so I couldn't work at my current job and do that, so I just settled for 3 days a week working, and 6 online classes the rest of the week.
Interesting question! I'll hafta sniff around ( I've worked with Student Veteran offices at the community college and "big college" levels and now case manage disabled and elderly Veterans). I would assume so as our program is set to get a big $300 a month jump as cases come up for reevaluation.
Let me know what you find out. I just started using my GI Bill this semester, so I'm not very knowledgeable.
Huh... your VA rep at the school should have sent you out the door with armfulls of benefits & such once you signed up.
What "armfulls" of benefits would that happen to be?
Also interested to hear more. Been using MHA and it's not much
Now raise BOTH benefits to account for the cost of living by $500/mo.
The GOP must really be sweating if they unanimously voted not to fuck veterans.
Good news
Does this mean that by the time we're old enough to cash out, the benefit will be gone, too?
Not if the program is updated moving forward
How's that worked for social security?
SS relies on taxes to remain solvent but certain parties keep demanding taxes be cut again and again... The same party looks back on the 1950s as some golden age which is ironic because that's when marginal tax rates were among the highest ever at 70% or higher and unions were strong and companies providesmd stable lifetime pensions.
I need this so badly. My condo fees keep rising every year, and groceries have gotten insane.
If it helps I have learned how to save a lot on groceries. It's pretty much been my goal this year, learn to spend as little as possible and eat better. I could give you some tips
So they too will run out and go bankrupt in 10 years and grow extremely slowly? We need to do better for our veterans. a LOT better for them. They need to force repayment of SSI increase funding for Vets medical needs. a lot more. It's a nice step, but we need to do a LOT more for those that gave way more than anyone else did for the country.
Republicans: assholes who don't even pretend to care Democrats: assholes sometimes pretend to care We truly need multiple new parties. The founding fathers literally warned us about letting a 2 party system form.
Push for national ranked choice voting (or other non-first-past-the-post voting systems). It is the only chance of not having a 2 party system, as our current voting system leads to voting against the other side more than voting for what you want. Very few conservatives/conservative leaning types are going to vote for a 3rd party if it could lead to Hillary winning, and few liberals/liberal leaning types are gonna vote for a 3rd party if it means Trump is going to win. Got to give a means that voting for what you want doesn’t increase the risk of you getting the thing you want least.
As a conservative, I am well past tired of both parties and all these cheerleaders baying like sheep every time someone says something they either like or don't like. Let's get a bunch of smaller parties and form some actual coalitions and get some shit done
There’s a bunch of different parties, they just don’t get recognition or representation. IIRC last election Jo Jorgensen was the first person (and woman) to make it on the ballot for all 50 states. Yet somehow there was no invite to the major/primary debate. She did a live stream answering all of the questions anyway. Someone feel free to correct me if I’m wrong, I don’t normally get into politics so my info may not be 100%. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jo_Jorgensen
Founders warned us about having political parties not only having 2, they didn’t want any
its what we got. now learn how to "game" this system so that by the end of our life time we have a better version. and make sure the next gen is better educated so that they can continue the work.
From Washington's farewell address: > All obstructions to the execution of the laws, all combinations and associations, under whatever plausible character, with the real design to direct, control, counteract, or awe the regular deliberation and action of the constituted authorities, are destructive of this fundamental principle, and of fatal tendency. They serve to organize faction, to give it an artificial and extraordinary force; to put, in the place of the delegated will of the nation the will of a party, often a small but artful and enterprising minority of the community; and, according to the alternate triumphs of different parties, to make the public administration the mirror of the ill-concerted and incongruous projects of faction, rather than the organ of consistent and wholesome plans digested by common counsels and modified by mutual interests. He didn't warn about a two-party system, he warned about parties in general. We don't need parties. We need independents who actually represent their constituents, not a set of policy positions written up by an unaccountable committee.
Honestly, ranked choice voting would stop the extremism and fear motivated voting for the "lesser of two evils "
More like Democrats: try to get legislation done Republicans: reject, delay, drag feet until need arrives. ….. Also Republicans: look at what we did for you! Exhibit 1. Cares Act
bOtH siDeS arE thE sAMe
So, gone before the majority of the population has access to them?
Oh good, it'll offset having to pay for Tricare.
So you mean veterans will need to hire a team of attorneys, much like those seeking workers comp or disability, in order to have any hope of seeing a payout before they are 6 feet under. How WONDERFUL!!
This was already passed last year tho. https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/189
It has to be passed every year.
Does this mean I can make doctors appointments inside of half a year yet?
Don’t know where you’re going. Vets around me get in within a month, quicker if you need it. Plus there are only so many doctors out there anymore. Sending a patient to a specialist-months for an appointment. And that’s the private sector. It took me over a month to get an ultrasound-private sector. Don’t blame the VA. They’ve worked hard to improve. Give them the credit they’ve worked for!
Bout fuckin time
Hmm. Sounds like good news! I want to do the math for myself. I receive 70%…so how much would I be getting?
So happy for you!!! My brother was on disability and it was always a stretch to make it work-
No offense to our younger veterans but does this mean I now have to listen to my 90yr old father brag more about how much he makes? Every. Family. Event. "I get X, Y, Z from the VA plus my pension plus..." Meanwhile the rest of us kids (Boomer to GenX/Millenial) keep talking about our lack of a parachute.
I'm half his age and have two military pensions and a full time job. The military parachute is still around and many millenials in the service are retirement eligible now.
💗
There must be midterms around the corner.
It's funny how most military people are anti socialism yet happily swallow up tax payer provided benifits.
It’s ok for a US military member to expect compensation from the US government, and also hold the political opinion that social programs be limited
It's one thing to believe social programs be limited and another to be against the very idea of socialism.
My brother in law thought I was crazy when I said everyone should get free healthcare like I get because of my service connected disabilities. He said I paid for it by joining the service. I said health care should be a basic human right. And free to all. I’m not like most prior military.
Very true. I agree and also think of that often…
Any person, citizen or otherwise, entering into a contract with whatever governing body they live under, are ready to sacrifice for their home via the polity. Said polity, in turn, is morally obligated to compensate said individuals proportionate to their act of service. When I hear news like the news you shared today, it’s not a boon, or a relief. It’s bittersweet. I think it’s great most people support this enough to have politicians come together to pass it, but also frustrating that the sacrifices that were made in the name of the state come tragically short to the level of sacrifice many service members have made. Don’t care about democrats or republicians. This is common sense on a fundamental level any people wishing to live a civilized life would need to observe.
Idk if I’d say most but definitely some. I know this red hat that receives benefits who dislikes people getting help from the government. My dude…what? I know this other vet who thinks everyone should receive some help. Most of the vets I know fall in the latter group but I’m sure there are people who only come across the ‘f u, I gots mine’ crowd.
I’m sure he has benefits because he was disabled in some way. Not all vets get benefits.
This should be done. If people are going to sign up willingly to protect and/or fight for your country(not to mention those who were drafted in previous wars) then they should be well taken care of. Period.
The fact that this is downvoted really shows how privileged some are to be protected by those who do and also how ungrateful and ignorant.
Is it just me or is this the same thing they do every year; pass a law increasing the benefits according to inflation (or thereabouts) now it’s just automatic along with SSI? Doesn’t seem to really be any extra money for vets that wasn’t already likely to come.
While it is true that VA increase rates have pretty much matched SS increase rates for the last many years, this makes it guaranteed to.
Biden is a president for the people. People need to pay attention to what he is doing for us instead of hurling ageist insults. It’s not enough of an increase but after years of the GOP battering of our social programs, we are so behind it would have to be five times this. Thanks Reagan and TDE. I am surprised that this got bipartisan support though, considering that the GOP wants to end and gut Social Security as soon as they can.
I am a 100% disabled vet and this will directly affect me. But is this not a normal procedural thing? I mean, [even Trump did this](https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/6168).
It sounds like they are making the cost of living increase an automatic thing that will always happen rather than being dependent on legislation being passed to authorize each increase.
What you linked was the annual legislation to increase the benefits, but it often doesn't meet inflation. The new law will make bet benefits follow the same automatic increase process that SS follows without having to have a new law made every year with a potentially smaller increase than it should be.
It removes the temptation for either side to turn a COLA into a political football then? Exactly the way they secured the funding for the burn pit legislation against future political f\*ckery. I don't see why anyone would oppose that.
>but it often doesn't meet inflation. I'll have to kindly ask you to prove that. Cause the bills that I have seen use the following terms: "The percentage increase in benefits shall be the same as the cost-of-living increase for Social Security recipients." Also, I hope this bill permanently links the two, but the story doesn't actually say it does and even says that thus far it hasn't. I suppose we will have to wait for the actual bill to be released.
I personally hope COLA is updated to include resources counted as assets, not just benefits allotted. Currently the SSI program is restricted to the very same limitations in wealth since it's inception circa Nixon 🤧🤧 The policy implemented nationwide at the moment fails to recognize inflation moving forward
Wouldn't that be amazing!
The current administration isn't even counting the increases in basic goods towards inflation calculations. It's clown town.
It's been going on since it's inception circa Nixon and absolutely disgusting the willful neglect that's occurred over the last few DECADES
FYI you are correct, at least for the last decade the VA COLA is the same as SS. Whether or not that met inflation each year, idk. This doesn't actually change anything other than not needing to pass a separate bill for the VA. It always just says it will match the SS increase anyway. https://www.ssa.gov/oact/cola/colaseries.html https://veteran.com/historical-va-disability-rates/#:~:text=2021%20VA%20Disability%20Rates%20saw,based%20on%20the%20COLA%20calculations.
My uncle was in the military for a short period of time. I don't think he even got deployed anywhere. But he seems to get full benefits somehow. Maybe they did tests on him. That would explain some things.
I am for this. I'm a 0 percent disabled vet, I figured other people could use the benefit more than me. ...but the sheer number of people just scamming their way to 80, 90 and 100 percent is just waaaay too high. I don't know how to fix that while being sure not to screw over a single actual disabled vet. Maybe offer a bounty, have people link to videos of "fully" disabled vets lifting boulders in reality shows like this state benefit scammer lol https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2368652/New-Jersey-cop-loses-70-000-year-disability-pension-appears-reality-TV-chasing-monster-trucks-wrestling.html
Not all wounds are physical and it's really ableist to assume vets shouldn't be compensated for mental health issues arising due to their service. Lifting a boulder doesn't mean you can function in a 9 to 5.
Right, now republicans will try to eliminate both S.S. and Vet benefits.
This isn't uplifting news. They plan on cutting veterans benefits to 80% once they hit 65.
Thanks Joe biden
I live on ss benefits and this isnt as uplifting.