Senate Approves Cola Increase For Disabled Vets

[pacmanx1]

We all know that saying something and doing something are two different things. I could not find the full article even if there is a full article, there may not be a full article and for this to happen will be a miracle but never the less, I will pass it on. If someone can find more information or the full story please post it. I found this on WWW.Veteranstoday.com, it was under the Top 10 Veterans Stories in Today's News and the date is supposed to be 9/23/2010.

Senate Approves COLA Increase For Disabled Vets. CQ (9/23, Lesniewski) reports, "By voice vote, the Senate on Wednesday cleared a bill that would provide" a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for disabled veterans. After noting that the bill "would increase the amounts paid to veterans for disability compensation and to their survivors for dependency and indemnity compensation," CQ adds, "The Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that it will provide disability compensation to just over 3 million veterans with service-connected disabilities in the current fiscal year."

[jbasser]

Thats the same source-all they did was copy the blurb from cq.com

Fine a better source for this issue or leave it off the board. Got it.

J

[Pete53]

I am in my 60's as is my wife and have many friends who are our age. I am grateful for my service connected disability and the Social Security. I look at dear friends who through no fault of their own will have to live on meager incomes of Social Security and nothing else.

Hardly a day goes by that I don't tell my wife how lucky we are. As it stands I have an income that is sufficient to allow me to basically do almost anything that I want to do or at least have a crack at things I know friends and family can't do.

The way I look at it I have a damn good retirement Income and now that I have 10 years my wife is protected with DIC and ChampVA and will be able to elect my Social Security if I go first which is my guess right now.I have a good life and I enjoy it very much. There was a time I made 6 figures, had a nice Company Car and membership at Country Club paid by my Company and I worked every day of the week traveled by myself most of the time lived in nice hotels and ate at good restaurants.And if I had kept that job I would be dead years ago.

I cannot live very well when there is pressure. The worse pressure I have now is when I get called to fix Mrs Pete's remote control cause her guide won't come up. I also make the coffee everyday.

So PR I know what you are saying. When I had to survive on my savings and almost lost my house I dreamed of just an income of half of what I get from the US Gubermint.

[Quint7]

Don't cha feel we get enough?????????? I have plenty. Could I spend more - sure! We have shelter, food, water, a vehicle, family, friends, Hadit, etc. What more do we need??? Some of you are sounding to me like some of these CEO's wanting more and more. Look around the world and compare our lives to their's. I'll take mine any day! Sorry but I get sooooo tired of hearing the whinning. Woe is me!!! I get $20+ an hour, 40 hrs a week cuz I can't work. Unfortunately, in my area of the country, $10-$12 an hour is great pay - altho minimum wage is more prevelent. jmo

pr

Unfortunately you hit the nail on the head. I (from the sound if it) pay a lot more to live where I do than you do. Not because I live a fancy lifestyle, but because I happen to have grown up in the highest taxed county in the US (Monroe County NY, when all taxes like school, property, sales, etc are taken into account). If the VA used a system like the military where you received more or less based on the coast of living in your area I bet people would flip out that someone in L.A. or D.C. got double what they did. And unfortunately moving to a low tax state is not an option.

Remember, they made a contract with you when you enlisted just like you did with them. We have nothing whatsoever to be ashamed of for wanting compensation for giving up our time and health. Comparing it to some CEO getting cashed in is a pretty big slap in the face to a guy who has no legs or a woman who spent 100's of hours dealing with blown up 18 year olds. Would you fight your insurance company for a fair replacement value if they lowballed you on how much you got after your car was totalled? You bet you sweet bippie you would. This is no different in my mind. Maybe my youth and health are worth more to me than you and that is just fine. To each their own.

I know this is off topic and I apologize and I guess this should be a locked topic.

[carlie]

pr,

I couldn't agree with you more IF the disabled party is being PROPERLY compensated for their disabilities.

Even I would have to admit trying to make ends meet on 20 or 30 percent is a no go - while the claimant maybe waiting

many years on their claim issues.

I'm 60 percent VA plus SSD and I am making it, I really can't judge anyone else.

BUT

You are correct - for any and all that are receiving 100 percent from VA

and some of the wonderful benefits for P&T, life should not be too hard.

I have a buddy that was recently granted 100 percent with P&T.

Just getting the P&T benefit in FL. has saved them well over $200.00

per month on property taxes alone.

I think many of us have just raised our standards of living far too high.

[john999]

Consider a spouse trying to live on just SSA and DIC. It is not that much. With lack of pensions these days people will be going into retirement with small money.

[Philip Rogers]

Yup, I was talking about 100%ers and TDIUers. I believe during those good yrs we raised our standards of living too high and it was only because we could make the payments. Don't worry yours is coming!

pr

pr,

I couldn't agree with you more IF the disabled party is being PROPERLY compensated for their disabilities.

Even I would have to admit trying to make ends meet on 20 or 30 percent is a no go - while the claimant maybe waiting

many years on their claim issues.

I'm 60 percent VA plus SSD and I am making it, I really can't judge anyone else.

BUT

You are correct - for any and all that are receiving 100 percent from VA

and some of the wonderful benefits for P&T, life should not be too hard.

I have a buddy that was recently granted 100 percent with P&T.

Just getting the P&T benefit in FL. has saved them well over $200.00

per month on property taxes alone.

I think many of us have just raised our standards of living far too high.