As long as I have been around the US government in a working capacity, I have been astounded at how often the General Accounting Office (an office of Congress) f**ks things up. Today, reading Stars and Stripes I was given yet another reminder of their inability to portray an accurate picture. In an article by Tom Philpott, about a recent study by this inept organization that says the problem in the military is not that troops need to be better compensated and taken care of, no, they need to be brainwashed into believing what they have is good enough, so Dr Chu can save more money for his boss. This appeared in today’s Stars and Stripes. Way to go, boys and girls, you screwed up again……..
There is only one correct response here, straight out of the movie Goodfellas:
” F**K you, pay me!.” That’s right, my dear fellows at the GAO, stop whining about how much earned benefits cost, instead just SHUT UP AND PAY THE BILL!
According to the article, “despite the recent competiveness of military compensation, GAO confirmed through focus groups with active duty service members what DOD survey’s also show- that many are dissatisfied and misinformed (my emphasis added) about their compensation”
Translation: Because civilian employers have increasingly been allowed to screw their employees, DOD should be allowed to do so too. And if soldiers want the benefits their country owes them, then somehow it is all their fault.
I submit to you, it is GAO, not the Armed Services, “that has failed to educate[the public] about their compensation.” Trust me, Soldiers and Sailors know all about what is fair, and GAO and their logic to deny benefits that are rightfully earned, is totally unfair.
Listen to me GAO, if you want to educate someone about compensation that is not earned……tell DOD to talk to my ex-wife!
As you can probably tell, stupid business reports such as this one get my blood boiling. Makes me want to fly to Washington DC, go straight to the GAO office, and GO POSTAL!!!!!. Since I cannot, I will tell you the only words that are appropriate: “You’re flat wrong”. It is particularly disgusting because Dr. David Chu will use a report like this to further oppose doing the right thing in terms of veterans benefits. It is what he does best.
Since the GAO only deals in numbers, let me give you a few numbers (you ignorant twits):
1821, 13819, 214. Those are the numbers that matter and should remind you that this is a butcher’s bill our Soldiers, Sailors Airman and Marines have paid. 1821 dead in Iraq, 13, 819 wounded, and 214 dead in Afghanistan and other regions. Those are the only numbers that matter to me.
Corporations do not have the right to ask employees to die for the corporation. The Armed Services have that as an unwritten part of the contract. In exchange for taking care of our Soldiers, Sailors, Airman, and Marines, they in turn, agree to be available for their nation and to fight and possibly die in executing the orders of the President and the officers appointed over them. That means that there is no amount of compensation of benefits that is somehow too much. There cannot be too much effort expended taking care of the members of the Armed Forces.
Today’s 19, 20, and 21 year old is actually a lot smarter about money than I was at that age. And they are happy with their salaries , however they know that if they move on to veteranhood, there is no guarantee that Congress or guys like David Chu won’t try to screw them out of what they were promised.
Accordingly the only proper reaction to this report is outrage.
Just shut up and pay them!
