$250,000 for soldiers killed on duty...... big bushco plan, says NPR

[bobbieinok]

all the stories say this is an admin proposal......BUT didn't dems start pushing this ca 6+ months ago and dems in NV or NM push it for their people?

bushco claiming credit for something they were pushed into??????

[FreedomAngel82]

1. Of course

That's all they do. I remember reading he was also doing a plan of Kerry's. Does anybody know which plan that was?

[pocket]

2. they've always gotten 250k

It's called SGLI.

[MADem]

5. Of course, they've always had the insurance payment

...deducted from their pay, and they had the option to refuse it. It worked out to about ten grand for every dollar taken out each month, so if you got ten bucks deducted, you got a hundred K, for twenty bucks, 200K, for 25 bucks, 250K.

The sad thing is that very junior personnel see that twenty five lousy bucks in a very different way than more senior personnel do. To a young kid with a spouse and kid at home, that's diapers, baby food, or the dial up internet bill. And there isn't much in the way of discretionary income at the lower paygrades. As a consequence, a lot of the younger, more junior kids, who really need the insurance most, because they have very young children who will need some sort of nest egg, are the most likely to decline the SGLI. It is hard to counsel these young kids to cough up that money. The government should just CARRY the SGLI for anyone IN THE COMBAT ZONE, not deduct it, just pay it.

[bobbieinok]

7. stories I heard, families got $12,500 for dead soldier...is this different

[kodi]

3. This is different than Saddam giving bounties to suicide bombers just how?

In both instances money is promised for a person's death in action.

[UmpaLumpa]

6. So are you saying...

life insurace is like saddam giving bounties to suicide bombers?

ETA:I thought the goverment always gave money to soldiers KIA

[kodi]

11. What do you mean "life insurance?" They only get the money if they die.

Just like the suicide bombers whose families Sadaam paid.

Die as an American soldier/marine/sailor in the field, and the family gets $250K.

Die as a Palestinian suicide bomber in the field and Saddam gave the family nearly the same.

So, what is the difference, other than its the other side doing it?

[hughee99]

12. If a "suicide bomber" blows himself up

and doesn't kill or even hurt anyone else, do they still get the $25,000? If they don't, that would be one difference.

[UmpaLumpa]

13. Only if they die? WTF you only get money from life insurance when you die.

[genieroze]

19. "What do you mean "life insurance?" They only get the money if they die."?

That's life insurance, my family can only collect my life insurance if I die. Oxymoron term though, it should be called death insurance to be more accurate.

[KaliTracy]

21. I've had this thought too. there is the "death benefit" that goes

directly to the family if a soldier dies in combat/in war zone -- Gulf war it was 2K or 3K (I heard it a day or two ago, sorry so spotty). Currently it's 12K. They want to raise it to 100K, and then raise the Life Insurance another 100K too, which works like any life insurance -- any valid cause of death will give the benefit.

Yes -- the military has "always" done this, and it is something that needs to be done. However, my concern is with the unspeakable side of this, the recruitment of men and women (who are being targeted in high school) -- who might not come from very affluent families, in fact, may come from struggling circumstances (F911 and Michigan come to mind). And a recruiter saying -- Military pays this, military pays that -- go to School on our Dime -- Become Someone! Oh... and in the unlikely event that you heroically die servicing our country (and with the 100s of thousands deployed right now, this is a very slim chance, he says offhandedly), in the unlikely event that you die, servicing our country, rest assured that your family will be taken care of. Our great president * will see to it that your family will get 100K.....and you also will have a 200k life insurance policy...

No recruiter would be that awful now, and prey on people's life circumstances...would they? So I guess I'm just being way too cynical.

edit: for clarity on benefits

[zulchzulu]

4. Do they git a t-shirt too? Woo hoo! Oh...junior? Junior?

Disgusting.

[The Zanti Regent]

8. I refuse to take one ¢ent from the Nazi Party

I told those assholes point blank I don't want one god-damned cent from them for killing my only child, my son. No amount of money is worth more than my son, especially money that comes from these theiving Nazis.

What do they think I am, a Republican who worships money over everything else, a Republican who would kill anyone or stab anyone in the back for money. Shit, that's the MO of these motherCENSOREDS.

I'd rather die broke than live with a stockbroker account funded because my son died. F these Nazis. F these Christians. F these whores and everything they stand for!

[UmpaLumpa]

10. I fail to see the difference...

between this and life insurance that you would undoubly accept

Edit: because I can't spell

[The Zanti Regent]

20. Read what I wrote

I TURNED THE MONEY DOWN.

Now do you comprehend?

[imaginary girl]

15. Sorry for your loss

I'm scared enough for my 13 mo old due to *'s policies. I can't even imagine the depth of your anger.

[mordarlar]

9. Meanwhile we cannot afford veterans benefits.

[Negatron]

14. This is how Republicans think.

If it were coming from Democrats, I would think differently about this, but now that Republicans want to claim the credit, it sounds like a recruitment gimmick. Send us your kids, and if they die, we'll at least give you the consolation prize of a cool quarter mil. I'm not saying that these people actually want the worst to happen, but if it does, at least there is the money. What good SUV subdivision family couldn't use a sum like this to pay off the second mortgage? It may sound disgusting and cynical, but if we don't acknowledge that this kind of thinking occurs, we're kidding ourselves. For me, the biggest part of understanding the GOP mindset is coming to terms with fact that many people will sell anything, up to and including their kids and their souls.

The crucial difference is illustrated in this thread. Some here wouldn't take a penny, but I don't think you'll see any Republican, no matter how bereaved, sending back the check.

[kerrygoddess]

16. Kerry proposed this almost a year ago

The President’s Proposal?
4 February 2005

The news was a buzz the past few days over a proposal from the President to raise the military death benefit to $250,000. It’s high time our government did this and I am not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, but I am somewhat curious… because I could swear I have heard this somewhere before…

Protecting Our Military Families in Times of War – Remarks of John Kerry on March 17, 2004

“As President, I will sign legislation to provide for those families who suffer a loss in war and to protect the livelihood of reservists who are called up and have to leave their jobs. This legislation will include $250,000 on top of their present life insurance policies for all service members who die in the line of duty.”

http://www.lightupthedarkness.org/blog/default.asp

[Negatron]

17. Yeah, it just sounds uglier coming from Bushco. (n/t)

[bobbieinok]

18. from another DU thread

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x1565917

The President’s Proposal?
4 February 2005

....
Democratic Governor Bill Richardson of N.M. has taken the lead on this issue and signed into law on Wednesday “a plan to pick up the tab for a $ 250,000 National Guard death benefit policy.”

Thanks to Richardson’s lead, “at least 16 states are now considering similar legislation,” rather than wait on the President, who’s track record on providing for our troops and veterans is abysmal.

more....

http://www.lightupthedarkness.org/blog/default.asp?view...

[DistressedAmerican]

22. I suggest we hold out for the amount paid to the 9/11 families!

Bush claims these folks are dying in the war on terror. I'd say the soldiers lives are every bit as valuable as any World Trade Center employee. If I recall the average paid to each of those families was about 2.3 million per (although it may have been 2.3 billion total). Please correct me if I'm wrong.

6,000 was a joke. 12,000 is a joke. 250,000 is still no where near what the families of folks that "willing" and consciously gave their lives in Bush's oil war deserve.
DA
http://www.seedsofdoubt.com/distressedamerican/main.htm

[sendero]

23. NPR..

... have been lying whores for at least 2 years now. Didn't you get the memo? :)

[welshTerrier2]

24. Gov. Richardson just appeared on Imus talking about it

the $250,000 life insurance benefit for New Mexico National Guard and all enlisted personnel went into effect today ... the federal benefit has been only $12,000 ...