Sequester = Excuse to Avoid Obligations

[dusty]

Tell me I am wrong. Please tell me I did not hear this correctly.

I believe I just heard on the news that due to the Sequester, the Military Tuition Assistance Program has been suspended.

I was told when I was a potential enlistee that I would have life long free medical care for myself and my dependents if I chose the military as a career. I made that choice but I don't have "free" medical care. I have good coverage but it is NOT FREE.

Is our Government preparing to welch on still another deal?

[dlbristol]

Had not heard that one, but there seems ( to me) to be some disconnect here. The total $$ in the federal budget after sequester is almost exactly the same as last year. The total of the sequesters is 2.3% of the current spending. It sees to me that some areas like this on are being used as high profile " crisis" points. As I understand it the military had a higher % than the other "cuts", so if this program is part of the military funding, I guess it might be possible.
I don't think any one program could be so deeply effected as to be rendered totally inoperative. It might be impacted in a way to have very unpleasent effects on the people recieving the service or benefit. So I would suspect there is some hype in this one. That said, Dusty, You might be right, another official "sorry charlie"

[terrydowning]

I have a feeling the sequester is going to be the scapegoat for all kinds of shenanigans designed to pressure one side of the aisle or the other.

It will be interesting to see what else comes of this. I did read that the Thunderbirds Air Force Aerial Demonstration team is cancelling all shows between April and November including the traditional AF Academy flyover. All Active Duty Guard and Reserve units have been directed to restrict flying support for public affairs. Local static displays are acceptable flying NO. The flight hours are being turned over to combat units.

It would not surprise one bit to see either a reduction or elimination in Tuition Assistance for Active Duty members.

I have also heard that the commissary system is to expect cuts as well.

[pennview]

Yes, the Marines and Army have announced that they are cancelling tuition assistance. Those enrolled in approved courses can continue, but no new assistance. I believe I heard on the news that the Air Force and possibly the Navy would make an announcement next week on the subject.

Making the sequester as painful as possible to people seems to be the current course of action. But then again, what did anyone expect from Obama.

[db5]

I was told when I was a potential enlistee that I would have life long free medical care for myself and my dependents if I chose the military as a career. I made that choice but I don't have "free" medical care. I have good coverage but it is NOT FREE.

Often what enlistees are told by recruiters has always been false. "You and your buddy will serve together", "You will get the school of your choice", "You will be assigned to Hawaii after boot camp", "After you complete your enlistment you will have all college expenses paid for 4-years", and etc. etc. Recruiters are salespeople who want to close as many deals as possible but have the advantage of never having a dissatisfied customer being able to complain about the salesman and no customer service department to complain to.

What you were told was not true and hasn't been for more than 60 years. In 1961, after 4 years in the National Guard, I enrolled in the Marine Corps PLC program and I read everything before signing anything. It was clear then that medical care was not free for life and hadn't been for some time. It was on an available basis at VA hospitals and if you lived where there wasn't a VA hospital or a military base you were SOL (Sighing Out Loud). That is one of the reasons that I declined a commission when I graduated from college which was something I could do because I had completed my 6-year obligation and Viet Nam was already in second gear. It didn't take but two years before it was in Overdrive. All twelve of the other PLCs I graduated with were either killed or wounded. I made a wise decision.

"The large print giveth and the small print taketh away” - Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen (1895-1979). Read the tiny type. And make note of the *. You do know what the * is there for, don't you? If you don't read what follows the * you have your *.

If you didn't take the time to read it don't complain about it.

There is an exception and that's Obamacare. Nutsy Pelosi said "you have to pass it to find out what is in it." The law, as enacted, is 906 pages long and the Democrats passed it without reading it because they didn't have time or the inclination. Of course we didn't get to see it so we can complain about it.

How long will it take you to get through 906 pages on this website? I bet it would be much more informative and you would walk away with far more benefit than you will from almost any federal government legislation.

[fredsheldon]

And all they had to do was close some loopholes in the tax code for big oil and rich folks and none of this would have happened. I kinda think both sides wanted this to happen but agreed that they would play the blame game to take the heat off of each other. I don't think for a minute anybody thought there wouldn't be some pain if we were really serious about reducing the debt. So why the surprise now? Isn't this what Ryan and Co. wanted? Let's tighten our belts and ride this out until we get the debt under control. Everybody will have to feel some pain but nobody said it was going to be easy. Now I'm going out to the workshop and turn another bowl just in case I need to sell some to feed my family:D

[beeg]

So it looks like the army guys are going to be treated like the Native Americans now.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/201 ... medium=RSS

[wrdavis]

Seems to me they are trying to show that the country cannot survive w/o the govt. And the govt cannot function with one cent less.

[db5]

So it looks like the army guys are going to be treated like the Native Americans now.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/mar/8/army-suspending-tuition-assistance-program-active-/?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS

Read the article and then answer these questions:

Are you surprised? Are you shocked? Are you disappointed in what our elected officials promised and are delivering? Are you angry?

If the answer to any of these is "yes", then ask yourself this:

What promises have you made that you have not kept? If you are, or once were married, what did you promise when you took those vows? Did you keep your promises? All of them? Some of them? None of them?

From the divorce rate over the past 50 years most people (that's more than 50%) just made promises that they never meant to keep to get what they wanted at the time. Politicians are no different. They just cheat and lie and steal for more than we are able to (but would if we could). And, just like most of us they think they will never be caught. The world is too big and God is not big enough to catch everybody. Wanna bet? Even the Indian Gaming Casinos (who have mice-nuts for payouts) won't bet on that one.

Have I ever kept all my promises? Hell, no! Am I ashamed? Hell, yes! Will I do better? Damn right! Will it be perfect? Are you stupid, or what? I'll be ashamed again and vow to get it right the next time. Or die trying.

You expect those whom you elected to be better than you? Are you stupid, or what? If you would lie, cheat or steal for $100 why do you think they wouldn't do the same for $100,000?

Character counts! Focus on who the person is, not what the person has nor what he/she promises. What has been the character of that person?

This nation elected and re-elected a president because nobody focused on the character of that person but on what he promised. Teach your children to focus on character - not promises.

[heathicus]

Had not heard that one, but there seems ( to me) to be some disconnect here. The total $$ in the federal budget after sequester is almost exactly the same as last year.

Unless I'm mistaken, it's actually over 80 billion MORE. The cut was not a "cut" at all, but a very slight reduction in the INCREASE.

The total of the sequesters is 2.3% of the current spending.

It's a 2.3% reduction in the spending INCREASE. And that is spread out over 10 years, not just one year! Over that 10 year period, the INCREASE in defense spending is lowered from 20% to 18%. Non-defense discretionary spending increases by 12% instead of increasing by 14%. There are no real "cuts" being made here.

It sees to me that some areas like this on are being used as high profile " crisis" points. As I understand it the military had a higher % than the other "cuts", so if this program is part of the military funding, I guess it might be possible.
I don't think any one program could be so deeply effected as to be rendered totally inoperative. It might be impacted in a way to have very unpleasent effects on the people recieving the service or benefit. So I would suspect there is some hype in this one. That said, Dusty, You might be right, another official "sorry charlie"

That's exactly what is happening. Instead of cutting waste, instead of cutting foreign aid to China and Pakistan, instead of simply not rehiring for some of the 100,000+ Federal employees that will retire this year, there is a concerted effort to make a "big deal" of the "cuts" and make them as painful and disruptive as possible. The idea is to make the entire idea of a "spending cut" so distasteful that we will never want them to "cut" spending again.