WTF???!!! Bush gets a $200,000 pension for the rest of his life - on our dime???

[Thickasabrick]

That is just so wrong. I realize now that all the retiring presidents get them, but there should be a clause that if you fuck up to the extent he has, it is null and void. He also gets a full time staff and office all paid for by the taxpayers for the rest of his life....why...so he can continue to fuck up the world? Sorry for the rant but I was totally ignorant about this "perk" until today.

Why is the government still paying pensions anyway when the rest of us have seen them go away or reduced by half when companies go belly up?

[elleng]

1. Because the U.S. government

is more reliable and honorable than the others. There are MILLIONS of former Fed employees relying on such.

[Thickasabrick]

5. It's not the former fed employees or even current that I'm wondering

about - most companies are starting new employees without the pension option while still honoring past commitments to former employees.

[nadinbrzezinski]

2. Every member of the military with twenty years or more gets a pension

every member of the military with LESS than 20 years with a service related disability gets a pension

Every house member with two terms gets a pension

Every Senator gets a pension

This is standard

And has nothing to do with his performance on the job

Now if he is CONVICTED or a crime that is how he can loose it

[Thickasabrick]

11. The military I get and agree with but how much of their pay would

they get if they served 8 years? 50% of pay for 8 years of total screws up? Most people would have to work 20 years to get anywhere near that under the old pension system - and they wouldn't have jobs if they screwed up that much.

I wonder how much Cheney gets?

[nadinbrzezinski]

13. Half his pay... just like George

that has to do with TRADITION going back to ALMOST the foundation of this country

[Duckhunter935]

15. Yes, I am one retired from the military

I do get a pension, I worked 20 years on call 24 hours a day, I pulled a lot of duty, deployed in a tent for six months during desert storm. Made to take anthrax shots. Took the unproven medication for desert storm. Was promised health and dental benifits for and spouse for life(do not get that anymore)Many moves costing me money that the military did not pay for everything. Yes I think I deserve a pension. Yes I am now civil service and in another 30 years I may get another retirement check. And no none of that miliatry time counts fo a civil service retirement

[Thickasabrick]

17. I am totally behind any military getting a pension. Would you get

half your pay if you had served 8 years?

[Duckhunter935]

21. not even close

[Statistical]

23. You get $0 if you only serve 8 in the military....

unless you have some service related disability.

However it is not an option for a President to serve 20.

Look at it this way.... would you want him "serving" another 12yr to collect retirement?

Give him the $200K and he is out of politics forever. Possibly the best $200K the govt ever spent.

[nadinbrzezinski]

18. We are in a similar boat, that is why at times posts like this irk me

By the way, we still get our healthcare, but we pay for it

Tricare Prime

[Duckhunter935]

22. True

You can pay for your dental also

[rangersmith82]

25. Yep its only like...

$500 a year if I remember correctly.

[nadinbrzezinski]

26. yep, around there... we pay for dental too

not the best, but we have dental

[elleng]

20. But you can get your military pension

along with your civil service, AND any soc sec you may have earned, eh?

[Duckhunter935]

24. Military is just like any other pension

I payed into the social security system for those 20 years and am paying into it now for the next 30 years. So yes I will get social security when I am eligable

[elleng]

27. You're not paying into ss while you're a fed 'ee, are you?

I didn't.

[Duckhunter935]

30. Yes

They changed the retirement system to make like the normal system. People complained and it was changed. They are now changing the pay system so the we will no longer get annual raises and my pay can be reduced on performance evaluations

[elleng]

32. Oh, right,

I'm on the OLD system, you have the opportunity to invest. Same for my husband.

Good Luck to you!

[Duckhunter935]

31. Every year they think about the 20 year military retirement

bump that up to 25 or 30 to save money

[no_hypocrisy]

3. Does he still get it if he's impeached and convicted?

[TahitiNut]

8. Well, let's impeach, remove, indict, convict, and imprison him and find our.

:grr:

[Donnachaidh]

4. the ULTIMATE Golden Parachute.

So WHEN are we going to address the Governmental WELFARE given to those who need it the LEAST?

[patrice]

6. What further proof does anyone need that we live in a plutocracy?

Crazy, isn't it? And we vote in support of this shit.

[yodoobo]

7. The hundreds of billions he made alone in oil

during his residency should be more than enough to retire on.

[Turbineguy]

9. His pension is peanuts compared

to his continuing cost. But yes he gets it since he didn't get booted out by Congress.

[Duer 157099]

10. Send Pelosi the bill.

The price of taking impeachment off the table.

Well, a part of the price. The whole price is HUGE, unimaginably huge.

[CatWoman]

12. and then there's this:

Bush first ex-prez to face limit on Secret Service protection

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/310/story/58949.html

[Thickasabrick]

14. LOL....he's the first ex-prez who will need it longer than 10 years.

[nadinbrzezinski]

16. Oh my, I could tell a story involving them and a former Pres

Oy the ethics if it had been George... oh never mind... George would never dirty his precious hands

[TheCowsCameHome]

19. It's almost worth it to keep him the hell away from ruining anything else.

[alarimer]

28. So does Clinton, by the way.

As does any ex-President.

[redqueen]

29. Yep, and he doesn't need it either.

What's say we introduce means-testing to this tradition?

[Duckhunter935]

33. I think I read Carter donates his

[redqueen]

34. That would not surprise me at all.

Hopefully Clinton does the same!

[1]

35. a surprise to some here? dude was a president. they get shit you and i could only dream of...

don't even look at the offices and staff and expenses and whatnot. for life.

it will only make you mad...

[oldnslo]

36. Does his estate get it if he gets killed? n/t

[Duckhunter935]

38. Don't go there

[Incitatus]

37. He's been rewarded for destroying everything else he has touched.

I didn't expect any different this time.

[tuckessee]

39. Look at the bright side......

The 200 grand a year pension is cheaper than what it would cost to incarcerate him.:)