Is anyone here receiving a govt. pension, social security or support payments from govt?

[cbc58]

If so... would you mind telling us what it is (pension, benefits, SS, Medicaid/care, or whatever) - and how do you feel about receiving these benefits in light of the current economic situation (govt. is broke).

A honest discourse on this from both sides needs to happen and it would be beneficial to see different viewpoints on the receiving end vs. the paying end. I know alot of younger folks will say "it's not my problem" - but it is whether they like it or not - and they getting saddled with a future that doesn't look so rosy.

[opal]

Does VA comp count? Hubby served 20+ years - gets disability but not concurrent receipt.. still being screwed out of his earned retirement and he gets SSDI. Long story there involving 4 separate DD214's and some sealed records.. but I digress.
100% permanent and total disability - 23 documented service connected disabling conditions with the VA.
how do we feel about it? It was part of his contract for joining the service.. and they're really not living up to their part of the deal. He's got his masters in EEE from MIT and would like to work but cannot.
He'd like to be able to say he's medically taken care of but he's not. He had a temp filling put in in July.. still has not been able to get an appointment for the permanent filling.
ok.. I'll stop or this could turn into a full on morning rant

[tod evans]

Never even used the GI bill.

I disliked "Our-Government" so much when I got out of the service I swore then and there I would do everything in my power to not cooperate, support or even acknowledge them in any way.

[cbc58]

Opal,

VA comp counts and while I sympathize with your husbands situation - I wonder what your thoughts are from a RP perspective on govt. spending vs. the debt situation we are in. I don't know what type of contract is signed upon enlistment but the fact is that the US is broke and borrowing money to pay Vet's benefits and other govt. programs.

Trying to look at this problem from all sides and yours is on the extreme end where a disabled vet should be supported but only in terms of a reasonable ability to pay. I can't see how payouts can possibly go up from here in terms of the value of today's dollars as we are broke (more than broke - in debt up to our grandkids eyeballs).

My mother-in-law receives SS surviving spouse benefits in addition to her own and honestly she doesn't need it. She uses it to go out to eat, buy clothes and travel. She feels entitled to it and I think she shouldn't get it. Another person I know retired from the military at the age of 49 - gets a nice pension but works at a full time job. If we are broke - why should these people get anything? Know this is not a popular side to take... but we're fu#&ing broke folks.

[Acala]

I work for local government so I get a paycheck on the taxpayers and may one day get a pension (I have been paying for one but have doubts about it ever materializing). Local government has some debt, but here generally operates in the black.

I don't get any Federal or State benefits. But my general opinion about Federal benefits is that you should take what you can get while you can because the ship is going down and you can't stop it. Time to grab what you can and make a life raft.

[cbc58]

isn't that in direct contradiction to the RP methodology?

[jclay2]

I work for local government so I get a paycheck on the taxpayers and may one day get a pension (I have been paying for one but have doubts about it ever materializing). Local government has some debt, but here generally operates in the black.

I don't get any Federal or State benefits. But my general opinion about Federal benefits is that you should take what you can get while you can because the ship is going down and you can't stop it. Time to grab what you can and make a life raft.

Agreed.

My wife and I have combined received at least 50 k via college and other things, however within the first 2 years of work, all of that money and then some was taken back from us.

[cbc58]

you paid 50k+ back plus regular taxes?

[eric_cartman]

the more money you get from the government... the quicker the government will go bankrupt. the sooner the bankruptcy happens, the better IMO. hopefully that'll stop the wars, stop the police state, etc.... and get the country back on the right track

[klamath]

These threads always make me laugh.