Man it sure sucks to be John McCain.
Wish I had these problems:
Must be nice to have that kind of money. Condo in Crystal City, home in Sedona, Condo in Phoenix, one in San Diego, and then investments besides?
Gives a whole new meaning to the phrase, “Trading Up”.
I guess the thing that bothers me is that he makes it sound like its a normal way to live. Yet, whenever he’s been given an opportunity to put money in Veterans pockets- some of whom are like me and are barely able to put together the wherewithal to buy one house(much less even think about owning 7!), thanks to America’s f**ked up divorce laws- he’s consistently voted against that. And although he is a divorced Navy retiree himself, he will not take a stand in favor of the over 150,000 veterans who unlike himself have to fork over hard earned money to someone else who did nothing to earn it.
But hey, the surge is working! So who cares about anything else?
1. Why do you say that McCain doesn’t “have to fork over hard earned money to someone else who did nothing to earn it”? Do you know how much of his pension his ex-wife receives?
2. Like my Dad said, “Ninety per cent of disapproval is jealousy.” He fell in love with the Naval Avaitor’s dream — hot, smart, and her Dad owned a beer distributorship. Doesn’t get any better than that. Given the same opportunity, you would have jumped in head first.
You too can become a politician, make the big bucks and own many homes in exotic places. You seem to have all the answers to the world’s problems. BTW, when you get elected change that law you think is so unfair.
First, I cannot get elected to Congress-the press would have a field day with me. I don’t pass the squeaky clean test. Maybe in the 60’s but not now.
Scott, as for his first wife, I wrote a post a while back about his divorce settlement-he divorced in 1980 back when division of military retirement was considered unconstitutional. ( Which it still is). His settlement was steep in terms of alimony and he lost his house then, but it also had definite limits that have long since passed. Besides he’s more than made up for it since then.
I don’t begrudge McCain his wealth, but I think he should be more fair minded when it comes to veterans issues and more supportive of repeal or reform of the USFSPA. I can show you plenty of documentation that shows he has been callously indifferent on the subject and has bought the Dr Chu position.
The law is blatantly unfair and the horror stories are numerous.
As for me having all the answer to the worlds problems, what is political blogging but having the answers to all the worlds problems? Now in truth I have a lot of answers-its getting people to accept that I know them that is the hard part.
well, you said before that “He did not lose any of his Captain’s retirement in his divorce……” Not really true, because he isn’t collecting any of it now. (See http://www.johnmccain.com/downloads/mccainfinancial/final/2007_FedAllocation.pdf.He) might have given it all away, knowing that he was going to be financially well, past his wildest dreams. But I also think it is a measure of what a decent person he is, that he basically gave his crippled ex- everything but the shirt off his back (well, less the Datsun 810). I wouldn’t have done it. But I agree that the maxim that the reason divorce is so expensive, is that it is worth it. Mine was.
Besides, tell me that if you had met a single Cindy McCain, you would have taken a pass. Not me, Jack.
No I probably would not have taken a pass , especially if she had a trick pelvis. 🙂 Then again I am more partial to Asian women………….
I’m curious how McCain does not recieve any of his military retirement-even if he gave it away to charity, it would still come “in the front door” so to speak. Plus he more than earned his retirement. If he gave away all his retirement to his ex there would still be a tax trail on it somehow leading back to him. I wonder if it is in a blind trust for his kids.(Which would file a seperate return).
There are simple reforms to the USFSPA that would take into account the changes that have happened since 1980. It would not cost McCain any of his decency to support them.
Here is the answer :
“He did just that. Now he is the presumptive GOP nominee. And as such he released his 2007 income taxes last Friday. Disclosed separately was pension income of $58,358 that went untaxed.
Monday, McCain’s staff identified the retirement benefit to The Times’ Ralph Vartabedian as a “disability pension” and said the candidate “was retired as disabled because of his limited body movements due to injuries as a POW.” ”
Which is consistent. Under the USFSPA that is not divisible in a divorce. He earned it if you ask me-I don’t begrudge him that.
Scott and Cy-Kick need to do some research before making their comments about the the vets who are being screwed by the USFSPA. I would even bet they are greedy former spouses in the Doris Mozley fan club. I invite them to explain what they think is fair and equtible about the USFSPA.
Doris Mozley is a self serving whore.
“Doris Mozley is a self serving whore.”
Heh, tell us how you really feel.
USFSPA is a load of crap though. It’s my money. Full stop. What’s so hard about that to understand?
Mike
Look up Doris Mozley some time. She is an evil woman.
Navy Vet, here goes. First I am not military, never divorced and had to look up who Doris is. I only made the comment that if Skippy thinks its unfair, change the law. Join USLG.
The Act itself does not provide for an automatic entitlement to a portion of the member’s retired pay to a former spouse. The person LOST IT in a divorce and that means 1) the spouse had the better lawyer. 2) You were not paying attension to the content of the decree (she had the better lawyer). 3) You agreed to it.(Your lawyer did not fight for you).
Now, here are my real feelings on divorce. Each leaves with what they brought and that which is aquired together is seperated equally. End of event. Of course when children are involved you need to support them. But then we would need a lot fewer lawyers.
Cy-kick,
It is just not as black and white as you make out.
1) The fact is that courts are pretty much automatically taking out a piece of the retirement. Its not even up for negotiation anymore-unless you can buy out your ex and a lot of us (like me) did not have anything left after our ex got through spending us into bankruptcy. There is not fighting it anymore-if the ex asks, she is getting it as long as you have been married over 10 years-especially in a community property state.
2) It is aggravated because instead of it being treated as income-it is treated as property. So it does not factor into alimony calculations. So even though when alimony is included the ex can sit on her fat ass and do nothing she will still collect money. That distinction as property is flawed from the Gitgo because its not the same as splitting up a 401K. At least from that you have time to recover. The USFSPA goes on and on and on. But its still income to the service member for tax purposes.
3) DOD is poised against the service member. Hell, DFAS publishes guides on how to “loophole proof” the decree to ex spouses. Dr. Chu has consistently refused to do the right thing and use the DOD’s bully pulpit to speak out against the law.
4) There are very few representatives who will propose changes to the law for fear of angering the League of Angry Whores. When you go back and look at the history of this law you find that it was poorly written, terribly presented and it was never intended to do what it does now. The law violates the spirit and intent of retirement pay.
Until you have had to live through the nightmare this is-you just don’t know how bad this law is. Plenty of us have tried and tried and we get no where. (I joined the USLG-so there.)
I do understand your frustration. It was a hasty law that was a knee jerk reaction by Congress to a SCR. Maybe when some Vet that makes it into Congress with some cahones gets ripped you will have your champion. Don’t hold your breath.
Cy-Kick at least had the balls to respond to my challenge. What about Scott?
OK, Smart Ass — get ready to eat your words. First, I never, defended the USFSPA, and never made any comments about anyone affected by it. Please show me the words that did that. Otherwise you are just shooting off your enormous pie hole. Please do the world a favor and STFU.
Second, I AM a twenty seven year veteran, retired O6, who gave up 1/2 of my retirement to my ex-wife. And considered it worth every penny. In every way, shape, and manner, I am better off now than I ever was with the mother of my children. My only regret about attending my son’s upcoming Marine boot camp graduation is that I imagine I will have to see her. Small price to pay.
If you have the “balls” you think you have, you can commence the groveling right now. But my experience is that cyberbullies like you, hiding behind the anonymity of computer screens, don’t have the “balls” to admit that some inexplicable force causes them to lash out, and make all kind of wild accusations. They then accuse their targets of cowardice, but never find the moral courage to apologize with the same fervor of their accusations. Have you no shame?
Lets all get along here-OK?
I’d prefer we engaged in a civilized discussion-there are a lot of good issues raised in these comments, but discussions of who is more manly will get us nowhere.
Scott, I am like you-although I do not consider it worth the money-if I had known how much better my life could be than it was, I would have walked out the door a long time ago. My only regret was not being given a better opportunity to try to get my children to understand that it was not a reflection on them that I could no longer live with their mother.
Look at the bright side-at least you will get to go to your son’s graduation from boot camp. I had to sneak into my daughters graduation and see her well after the fact. However I was there to see her walk across the stage.
After 5 years of fighting this insane law (USFSPA), we finally have a chance with Oklahoma HB 1053. Most of the opposition has been voiced by Family Law attorneys stating that "former spouses" will join the state welfare rolls…more like attorneys losing their "rice bowel" off the backs of veterans. The bill goes up for a vote in the next session (February 2010) in Oklahoma City. This could set the precedence for other states. Representative Gary Banz and Senator Patrick Anderson are the sponsers of HB 1053. Check out the bill and contact Banz and Anderson to tell them you support their efforts in protecting veterans rights at http://www.okhouse.gov or http://www.oksenate.gov . Pass the word.
Frank USN retired
Just came upon this interesting post. My mother married my father in 1959 after she became pregnant with his first child while she attended the same university as my father. My father was an ROTC graduate and joined the Air Force flying B-58 Hustlers. This was a time when women, even if they had a college degree, stayed home and did not pursue their professional career so that they could raise their military spouse’ children. My father served two tours in Viet Nam. 1970 to 1972. He rose in rank to a Major. In 1976 my mother had her first real job, as a school teacher in Omaha, NE, near SAC HQ where my father was stationed as a Lt. Col. My father had an affair with a junior officer (and I didn’t mention the woman from Thailand that called our home looking for her military man she met during the Viet Nam war). My mother found out about this affair and confronted my father about it. My father then petitioned for divorce. This was in 1980. Nobody brought up the word “pension” during the course of their divorce (did I mention my father arranged an attorney for them both). My mother never remarried. My father married the junior officer, moved to Washington DC as she got a job working for the State Department) and divorced her after four years. He then remarried a third time in 1997. She was with him less then two years as he passed on due to Prostate Cancer at age 59. She (his third wife of less then two years) now gets about $80K or so each year, has vowed never to remarry as a result of her lavish income our government now bestows upon her, and gladly helps her own sons purchasing condos, etc. She has never given my sister or I, that is my father’s only children, a penny. Sold all my father’s assets including the home he invested heavily in so that she could have a bed & breakfast in Washington, DC. Sold it within 6 months of his passing on. Bought a new car and found a new boyfriend within 6 months of my father’s passing on. My mother who supported my father attending Officer’s Club Wive’s functions, raising his two children, forgoing her professional career, etc., never received a penny. She now lives off of what little Social Security she earned herself. My mother’s time frame falls before USFSPA act was enacted. Call this fair? Call this equitable? I think not!