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Post by T-Rex91 on Oct 18, 2010 6:27:05 GMT -5
BF's daughter is in Afghanistan and she is really the only active duty military person I've known. I am shocked at how little they give them in terms of amenities over there (if she wants email she has to cough up like 300 dollars a month, we're shipping her bodywash and an electric blanket, etc.). Then Oprah does a show last Friday that focuses on homeless vets, their foreclosure rates, and custody nightmares.
Question for you......do you think active duty military who serve in a combat environment deserve any extra "perks" from the government? No taxes for life? Foreclosure protection? Immunity from custody litigatiom while away on duty? Mental health counseling for life?
Just curious.......
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Post by Cambist on Oct 18, 2010 8:39:12 GMT -5
BF's daughter is in Afghanistan and she is really the only active duty military person I've known. I am shocked at how little they give them in terms of amenities over there (if she wants email she has to cough up like 300 dollars a month, we're shipping her bodywash and an electric blanket, etc.). Then Oprah does a show last Friday that focuses on homeless vets, their foreclosure rates, and custody nightmares. Question for you......do you think active duty military who serve in a combat environment deserve any extra "perks" from the government? No taxes for life? Foreclosure protection? Immunity from custody litigatiom while away on duty? Mental health counseling for life? Just curious....... There are plenty of veterans benefits already in place. What we, as Americans, have to do is demand that the programs be funded and that we remove barriers to access. Veterans already have their healthcare covered, cheap (sometimes free) prescriptions, home loan assistance and backing, federal government preference, etc... And while they are away on deployment, they cannot be forclosed. I believe the Patriot Act addressed that. I believe the biggest perk is the healthcare and access to the VA and while most VA's aren't the most luxurious facilities in the country, the staff is competent, the facilities are clean and the care is at no cost to the veteran. We have some work to do but I think we are on the right track.... |
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Post by T-Rex91 on Oct 18, 2010 12:43:09 GMT -5
The point made during the show was there are a lot of services out there (i.e. housing) but the gender gap in terms of availability was staggering. The soldier commented that if she was a male, she probably would not be homeless and the Asst Secretary of Veterans Affairs did nody loss while deployed, I think they said laws have been passed in less than 10 states.
Cam, you think the biggest perk is healthcare? with all the untreated PTSD out there and the questionable care at Walter Reed? I'm not sure I agree with you on that one.
As for the foreclosures, yes, the Senate did pass protection in 2008 but that apparently doesn't extend to HOA's. I found several stories out there about HOA's, not mortgage companies, siezing and selling military personnel's homes.
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Post by Cambist on Oct 18, 2010 13:31:00 GMT -5
A- I'm sure there are lots of disparities in gender although i'm not sure its an intentional denial or lack of active action due to gender. There are plenty of Reservist out there who are being treated like second class citizens because they weren't "full time" active duty. So although their lives are essentially stripped from them, they are still treated like weekend warriors. So there are definately disparities but i'm sure they aren't policy. That's why I say we need to insure that those policies in place are followed and augmented.
B- I do believe that healthcare is the greatest benefit despite what we see with some of the worst facilities. Health Care is expensive and necessary so having access to it helps with everything from career selection to reducing stress.
PTSD is just getting the respect it deserves. We have soooo many soldiers coming home with this disorder that we have to find a way to effectively deal with it on a large scale. Having said that, the VA is the most efficient and effective way of dealing with these injuries. We just have to make sure it's funded and monitored for quality.
The problem with HOA's is unfortunate and once again, I have to point out a failure on behalf of policy analysts at the Department of Veteran Affairs. This is an easy fix but someone has to get on it and make the noise.
My brother-in-law asked this morning why our Black radio personalities don't pick up and fight for military families or even stand up for the president and the good job he is doing with the military?
We spend all the money on the front end and then skimp on the back end. The medical service is good...most vets I know will say that it's not the Ritz but it's good and the price is right.
The benefits are there, we just have to make sure our veterans voices are heard when those benefits are not being equally or equitably distributed with the quality our service members deserve.
**I used the word soldier but meant it as a generic term. (didn't feel like going back and looking for it.)
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Post by T-Rex91 on Oct 18, 2010 13:38:35 GMT -5
Cam, Do I see an A and a B but no C?  *gasps* Doesn't that translate into a 1 and a 2 but no 3?  J/K- it' s just shocking to me that people put their lives on the line and serve in much harsher conditions than I realized. I guess the same could be said of any first responder role. |
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Post by Cambist on Oct 18, 2010 13:54:16 GMT -5
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!
I forgot the "C"....!!! LOL!
When you look at what our VA System is supposed to provide to our veterans, I believe most will say that it is a good deal. Enough? Of course not but how do you evaluate that aspect of compensation? How do you suggest an adequate level of compensation for someone who puts their life on the line? **shrugs** You can't...
In the end...it's a job. Just like those fire fighters who went into the towers...just like those police officers who run into abandoned buildings chasing armed suspects...it's a job and someone has to do it. It is meaningful service...whether paid or not.
We have to be
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Post by LejaOMG on Oct 18, 2010 14:16:28 GMT -5
... HOA's, not mortgage companies, siezing and selling military personnel's homes. yo real talk, HOAs are some of the hottest schemes out. I'm glad I don't belong to one and will make concerted efforts NEVER to live in a community with a HOA |
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Post by Cambist on Oct 18, 2010 14:26:50 GMT -5
My neighborhood has a HOA and I love it.
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Post by T-Rex91 on Oct 18, 2010 14:28:59 GMT -5
that's because you pay your bills and value your property values.
But they should not be able to seize a 200K house over 1.5K in unpaid fees. And folks here are seeing 100% year over year increases since the building market tanked. It's crazy.
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Post by LejaOMG on Oct 18, 2010 14:58:53 GMT -5
^^ which is I say EFF HOAs! HOA lien action is the screwiest policy in the entire canon of property law, IMO (adverse possession is a close second). There are plenty of entities who can take my home from me if they want to. Who I'm NOT interested in adding to that number are local soccer moms and stay-at-home husbands with nothing better to do with their Thursday evenings than sit around and legislate the regulation height of decorative bushes (as opposed to privacy bushes) along any given driveway.
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Post by LejaOMG on Oct 19, 2010 8:06:09 GMT -5
The problem with HOA's is ... a failure on behalf of policy analysts at the Department of Veteran Affairs. How's that? |
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Post by Cambist on Oct 19, 2010 10:04:40 GMT -5
The problem with HOA's is ... a failure on behalf of policy analysts at the Department of Veteran Affairs. How's that? I have no idea what I was talking about but i'm going to guess that I was connecting HOA based leins to deployed veterans and saying that HOA dues should have been addressed. Maybe...I realized this past weekend that I had hit the wall.... |
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Post by LejaOMG on Oct 19, 2010 10:52:35 GMT -5
lol. ok.
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