The children be darned! Tobacco taxes.

[Edwina's Secretary]

Maybe you know Kalifornia better as Mexifornia?

Aren't you the clever little racist!

[blue]

Aren't you the clever little racist!

Clever? I have my moments, if I where realy clever I would have writen the book and be a best selling author.

Racist? Hardly, unless Kalifornians are now a race of their own, but thanks for the insult.

May I assume you will never accept Medicare or Social Security ???

I dont expect either to be around in the near future, so Im planning ahead.

Or unemployment. Or food stamps. Or workers' comp. Or veterans benefits.

We can certainly tell he did not take advantage of public education.

He does not even know the correct names of the states!

I currently qualify for Food Stamps and no I am not participating, families with kids have a far greater need for the funds then I do.

Ive paid more into unemployment, and workmans comp then I have recieved back by a longshot, and they are not the same as government handouts.

To equate Veterans Benifits as a handout is an insult to every man and woman who has served the United States of America who earned those benifits by serving.

I graduated public school with honors, so again thanks for the insult.

For someone who likes to make fun of and insult others you realy dont understand sarcasm in the least.

[pomtzu]

To equate Veterans Benifits as a handout is an insult to every man and woman who has served the United States of America who earned those benifits by serving.

I'm not very often in agreement with anything that "blue" has to say, however, this is an exception. I stand behind this statement 100%!

[Puckstop31]

I'm not very often in agreement with anything that "blue" has to say, however, this is an exception. I stand behind this statement 100%!

I'll add that providing for a military is one of the very few things the Federal Government is actually allowed to do via the Constitution.

I am a combat wounded veteran. Do I personally think that entitles me to anything special? No, absolutley not. My view is that it was a PRIVILIDGE for me to serve this country that I love in the way that I was able. Sure, I have a partial hearing loss in my left ear from the service. A hand grenade explosion, being a tank crewman and LOTS of combat shooting (no ear plugs) will do that to ya. But again, I am not going to take the money I am "entitled" to because of that. I don't NEED it.

My Dad on the other hand.... He is fighting stage 3 non-hodgkins lymphoma that the VA says is the result of Agent Orange exposure from his 2 tours of duty in Vietnam. Nothing to say of the mental anguish he still quietly fights to this day. I've only seen my Dad cry ONCE in my entire life. That was at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in DC. Don't we think he might have actually EARNED a little gratitude from our country?

So, it IS a little insulting to compare Welfare to Veterans Benefits.

[pomtzu]

I'll add that providing for a military is one of the very few things the Federal Government is actually allowed to do via the Constitution.

I am a combat wounded veteran. Do I personally think that entitles me to anything special? No, absolutley not. My view is that it was a PRIVILIDGE for me to serve this country that I love in the way that I was able. Sure, I have a partial hearing loss in my left ear from the service. A hand grenade explosion, being a tank crewman and LOTS of combat shooting (no ear plugs) will do that to ya. But again, I am not going to take the money I am "entitled" to because of that. I don't NEED it.

My Dad on the other hand.... He is fighting stage 3 non-hodgkins lymphoma that the VA says is the result of Agent Orange exposure from his 2 tours of duty in Vietnam. Nothing to say of the mental anguish he still quietly fights to this day. I've only seen my Dad cry ONCE in my entire life. That was at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in DC. Don't we think he might have actually EARNED a little gratitude from our country?

So, it IS a little insulting to compare Welfare to Veterans Benefits.

Kudos to you Puck. There aren't too many folks out there that wouldn't take advantage of the benefit that they have earned in service to their country if they had the health issues that you noted. It's your prerogative to do as you see fit in this case, and if you wish to decline because you don't need the money or services, then you are among a very rare few indeed. (I would imagine anyway - no statistics to back that one up!)
But if you change your mind in the future and feel that you need the services, in no way could it ever be looked upon as a handout!

[Puckstop31]

Thanks Pomtzu. My service was, to me, just that... SERVICE.

The only VA benefits I have ever used are the GI Bill/Army College Fund and the VA home loan programs. I paid into the GI Bill, to get the benefit after I left active service. The home loan program only "gave" me about $2500 at closing. That is a one time fee that insures the loan in lieu of having to pay PMI. Saves me about $300 a month on my payment. That is more than enough for me.

[Edwina's Secretary]

I am glad to see the thick skins!

Guess it doesn't go both ways.

And...unless Alaska is different from every other state in the union - employers pay worker comp insurance and unemployment insurance. The only payroll taxes contributed to by employees are social security, medicare, and of course - income tax.

Ah Johanna! That is why you are a lawyer...you put things so much more eloquently than I!

[Cataholic]

So, it IS a little insulting to compare Welfare to Veterans Benefits.

How so? I am not talking about people that take advantage of either program. I am talking about the hard working individual, maybe they have worked 30 years at a low paying job, paying into the benenfit program, and all of a sudden, find them selves out of a job, unable to make ends meet. And, they apply for welfare. They are "entitled" to it, have paid for it, and "deserve" it. Does that make them less of a person, simply because they didn't serve their country?

Benefits are benefits are benefits. No one is better or worse, as a person, because of what they do for a living. And, none of this should be taken as a slight against the enlisted men and women (or former enlisted...).

[Puckstop31]

How so? I am not talking about people that take advantage of either program. I am talking about the hard working individual, maybe they have worked 30 years at a low paying job, paying into the benenfit program, and all of a sudden, find them selves out of a job, unable to make ends meet. And, they apply for welfare. They are "entitled" to it, have paid for it, and "deserve" it. Does that make them less of a person, simply because they didn't serve their country?

Benefits are benefits are benefits. No one is better or worse, as a person, because of what they do for a living. And, none of this should be taken as a slight against the enlisted men and women (or former enlisted...).

I hear ya. I do. The example you provide is what the programs should be for. Limited and for extreme cases... A last resort if you will.

My work takes me to some public housing communities. The things I see there would make anybodies blood just boil. Lots of cars with "bling". Most of the residents are there, all day... hanging out and smoking. Did ALL of these people earn the right to live on our dime?