I'm over you. I'm over your petty fighting, whether it be fighting amongst yourselves or with those on the other side. I'm over you using our troops for political gain, for your social experiments, for all your dumbassery -- especially if you have never served, have never been married to a service member, or grew up as a military kid. I'm over you thinking that the military has it made, we don't. Many of us live paycheck to paycheck, not because we're horrible with money but because of the peanuts we get paid. While you sit up there in your cushy DC office, lunching on take out from The Palm or some hot new place in the District, not worrying about your personal health care because you can afford a private concierge doctor if you or your family gets ill, or worrying that the price of half soy-half coconut organic fair trade quart of milk in a recyclable box from Whole Foods went up a whole twenty-five cents, you have many families that are worried about if they're going to have enough money in their budget to cover the essentials from the grocery store, let alone being able to grab take out from Chik-fil-a or pizza on a Friday night. I'm sitting here trying to re-work our own household budget and thinking that I may have to give up my smartphone because if we could save that extra $30 in data fees, that could go towards something else, or how we're going to pay our car insurance which is going up almost $3 every month, which for an E4 with 3 years in, that $3 can go a long way. If we didn't have issues with our car I might not be as stressed out, but when you have an unexpected problem come up with your car that you're pretty sure you got ripped off on but you needed something at the time, it's stressful. But you don't have to worry about that do you? I'm sure it must be hell trying to find a private car company in the District though with the latest overseas import. I'm just thankful that we live on post because then we don't really have to worry about a landlord giving us the boot -- can you imagine though if our crappy privatized housing tried to boot everyone on post for non-payment? I mean, I'm sure you worry about your multi-million dollar Georgetown townhome being foreclosed on every night that you're losing sleep over it -- must be what's prompting you to vote the way you do and not fund the military.
I'm completely bias and selfish with this next bit. You can go ahead and not fund the rest of the government. I don't give a damn if you never fund another school lunch (seriously, from what my friends with school aged children have been telling me about public school lunches, you'd probably be doing these kids a favor) or put another satellite into space, just pay your first line of homeland security. In fact, you can go ahead and privatize the TSA and just get rid of the Department of Homeland Security all together, that might save you some money. Seriously, how in the world do you expect our troops to muster the morale to continue to fight for a country which won't even pay them? Do you really think that the guys down range are going to be focused on their missions when they're worrying about their families back home, making sure they're getting food, clothes & shelter? Hell no, so don't be surprised if there are more accidents and what not down range if you don't pay these guys. So let's go even further about our talk of defunding... I'm good with defunding Obamacare, it's crap legislation and had you all read it before lemming off the cliff like Nancy suggested and not read it, you would have never funded it. The government has no place in health care, the regulations now are fine, and it's not broke therefore don't fix it. We can also take away the salaries for one year of the White House if they make over $100,000, all Congress members' salaries (oh and those bonuses that they thought they so justly deserved) and any aide who makes an excessive amount of money, the Supreme Court justices and any clerks for them that make an excessive amount of money, the AG can get his salary cut too since he's worthless and lets guns run amok, John Kerry doesn't need his salary either. If we cut those salaries, just even for one whole year, think of how much money could be saved? Actually here's what it is broken down for just the three main branches of the government:
President: $400,000/year + $50,000 expense account/year
Vice President: $231,9000/year
Congressional Leaders: $803,700/year
Rank & File Senate Members: $8,352,000/year
Rank & File House Members:$7,516,800/year
Supreme Court Chief Justice: $217,400/year
Associate Supreme Court Justices: $1,664,8000/year
Total: $19,236,600/year
I know that may not seem like much but it's something. Kind of like that $3 I wish I had that's going to my insurance company now every month. But when you add in all the other salaries and department cuts that I've thrown out there, it adds up to bigger numbers.
If we as citizens can manage a budget, do our job (if we're lucky enough to have one) and what not, but you guys still get paid even if you cannot even do your job -- unless it's to blame someone else for all the crap that has happened. It's ridiculous that you all act like freakin' second graders on the playground rather than adults. When I was younger and acting like a fool, I didn't get paid an allowance or have extra privileges. When I got a little bit older, if I didn't show up to work and/or do my job, I didn't get paid and risked getting fired. If my soldier husband doesn't do his job not only is he risking not getting paid, and his job, but he could end up hurting one of his battle buddies in the process. Quit being selfish and learn that this isn't about you and your wants -- especially when the American people tell you that they don't want crap like Obamacare or having to worry about being audited by the IRS because of a political affiliation. Shut up and actually listen to your constituents, all of them, not just the ones that support you. I'm so fed up with the government, and although there are a few shining lights within the vast system, they're few and far between and you idiots marginalize them even though they're actually doing what the people are asking of them.
Bottom line is, knock off using the military pay as a scare tactic, it's not cute, it's not funny -- it's dirty and it's wrong. I pray that if you keep doing it, someone in top brass will say to hell with you, we're not going to work until you pay these Joes, and if we get attacked it's on you, not us. And if you think I'm being ridiculous by saying that, stop and remember that military doesn't have these hot shot, big bucks wage negotiators or these silly unions to watch out for them -- ultimately that's the job of top brass, Congress and the President. So if you claim you support the troops, ante up because if you let the military be affected by the government shut down then it makes me wonder how much you truly care about the troops and their families.
In Regards,
Meg
Founder, The Morning Snark Report
One Overly Annoyed Army Wife
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