Death gratuity payments on hold while leftist groups are given exemptions from shutdown
The selective manner in which budget items are prioritized and laws are enforced by the federal apparatus under the leadership of the Obama administration is getting sleazier by the day. We already know that death gratuity payments for service members killed in the line of duty have been suspended as “non-essential”.
Are they, from the perspective of the legion of Washington bureaucrats enforcing federal governance, actually essential? Probably not. Yet, it’s part of the American ethic and, just maybe, a good idea too. It’s why Congress is already moving to reinstate the funding by law, one of the many ethical and simply good pieces of funding that the Congress has sent to Obama to be reinstated.
The odd thing is while this “non-essential service” is falling victim to Obama’s “no negotiation” strategy it comes to light that at the same time leftist union backed immigration amnesty groups are managing to have a previously scheduled rally on the supposedly shutdown national mall today. How? Courtesy of an Obama administration exemption. Imagine that.
Category: Politics, Protests/Rallies, Unions
I thought that the death gratuity was taken out of the same fund that our SGLI premiums went into and that it was separate from the general fund, like Tricare was supposed to be…
Oh wait, I forgot. Us veterans are all potential domestic terrorists and DHS has a party every time one of us commits suicide.
Anyone that can’t see the absolute loathing that this President has for the military need look no further. There’s no veil covering his true intentions, anymore. He’s a community organizer using his commie tactics on a national scale. F-ing scumbag.
Nothing this administration does anymore surprises me. And the fact that the media isn’t crying from the roof tops that “Administration cuts death benefits for troops it sends into battle” just proves how bias and complicit it is. If this was a Republican or Bush, we would be hearing this 24/7 about evil Bush not caring for the troops.
Said it before, say it again:
Our ancestors would have been shooting by now.
@4: Yep
I always thought our SGLI was underwritten by a private insurance company so I am not quite sure how a government shutdown would affect those payments. Something doesn’t smell right about this.
@6: Just like the scenic stops on the state highway in South Dakota are blocked so that people can’t stop and look at Mt. Rushmore, even though it’s a state highway and not a freeway, or on federal land.
Good thing for FNC, Greta Van Susteren all over this tonight…the other alphabet networks not even putting up token resistance to the neked emperor.
I was just about to leave this on the other post, but I’ll put it here – the Parks Service is exempting various activities on the Mall that fall under the First Amendment, including Honor Flights for veterans and their families, and, yes, this rally:
“Under the same First Amendment rights that are allowing Honor Flight veterans and their families to visit the veterans memorials on the National Mall, other groups will be granted access to the park for First amendement activities,” spokesman Michael Litterst said.”
Source: http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2013/10/08/park-service-allows-immigration-rally-on-closed-national-mall/
Well what do you expect from a cock-smoking poll-licking commie bastard.
Is it time to saddle up yet?
Anonymous Independent: so, the NPS police are now moving barriers out of the way on request when Honor Flight participants show up and want to visit the World War II or Korean War Memorials?
If/when they start doing so, you might have a point. Until then – um, not really.
@9
The administration got some bad visuals from their treatment of WW2 vets, so they backed down.
We’ll have to see how far that “First Amendment rights” line goes. It is, after all, the administration who is deciding what is covered by the First Amendment and what isn’t as far as this goes.
To me, it looks like B. Hussein 0bama & Co. rewarding its myrmidons just like the way Hitler & Co. rewarded Nazi loyalists!
What does the Emperor and Empress want, violence? Is that what they want? This cruel insanity may have more in its design than what is apparent.
They freakin barricaded the Honor Flight veterans. Did any of you expect anything different from this administration?
I really should not say anything because I don’t want my driveway blocked with The Regime’s Suburbans or the IRS calling tomorrow….that’s the only thing they seem good at.
A year ago such a statement would be tin-foil-hat worthy. Today? Park Service cops acting like the Gestapo?
Would everyone please take a moment to consider just what all is covered by the First Amendment and the simple fact that NPS has never required a permit for groups of under twenty? (That’s how the stinking yippers at Lafayette Park remain there, after all.)
So, who is up for “Take a Priest to the Mall Day” for a little inspirational talk to a group of maybe 15?
The withholding of payments to the beneficiaries of the fallen is beyond unconscionable. The language of the law permits such payments as within the scope of national defense and security. This is all OBAMA. His legal beagles made the call. It could have just as easily gone the other way in construing the language of the law. BUT, that’s not what the boss man wants. He wants angst. He wants anger. Well, he’s got it, the SOB. “Hey that’s the presid…”–SAVE IT. He’s a son of a bitch.
If you follow the links in the news stories you can see a few congress people from both sides showed up or were expected to show up at the rally. I expect that is why it was allowed to happen as immigration reform is going to be one of big issues after the shutdown for repubs.
@9: Then how do you explain the Park Police kicking everyone out at the Vietnam Wall?
Yeah, that’s what I thought.
Well, OT, being a tourist, just observing the Memorials really isn’t a First Amendment issue? Wanting to pay respects to the fallen, if you word it correctly, might be???
OWB: dunno about that – there’s also that pesky little “peaceable assembly” clause in the 1st Amendment.
Okay. Boiling point has been surpassed. Now we are working on the flash point…. it is almost as if the administration wants to see how pissed off they can get folks, and maybe incite them to do something like I don’t know march on DC and take back our land and our monuments.
I hope that Captain Swenson grabs his Medal of Honor out of Baracka’s hand and walks out of the White House tomorrow. Or, has the ceremony been put off, and Baracka will drop the Medal in the mail?
Duh, misread the calendar, did the award ceremony happen today?
Well, if you guys had looked a little further, you’d have found that 8 congress critters, which includes 2 from Illinois, were arrested at that rally today, as noted here: http://news.msn.com/videos/?ap=True&videoid=57b4c280-1fe1-4817-90a4-9bd23c958671
Also, someone is stepping up to do what SHOULD be done for deceased vets and their families, as noted here: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35002/f/663303/s/3237a855/sc/7/l/0Lusnews0Bnbcnews0N0C0Inews0C20A130C10A0C0A80C20A871220A0Emilitary0Efoundation0Esteps0Eup0Eto0Ecover0Edisgusting0Edelay0Ein0Epayments0Efor0Efamilies0Eof0Efallen0Dlite/story01.htm
So, some things stink, but not nearly as much as the emperor’s lack of costume. I do see chinks in the armor appearing almost hourly, and it’s only Tuesday.
Also, people are not just defying the so-called barricades. I keep posting updates here: http://valorguardians.com/blog/?p=37850&cpage=2#comment-968075
In some cases, people are simply driving over the traffic cones or throwing them off the roadside, and moving the sawhorses out of the way or driving over them, AND publishing the photos.
And do not forget there is the One Million Vets March 10/10/13 to 10/13/13 http://communities.washingtontimes.com/neighborhood/metro-news/2013/oct/7/million-vets-are-coming-dc-demand-their-monuments-/
If you can’t go to WDC, there are to be rallies at vets’ memorials in states all over the country. There is a list on this website: http://1mvetmarch.wordpress.com/
And this is the Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Million-Vet-March-on-the-Memorials/539097822833735
In addition, there is a movement among bigrig truckers to not haul goods and to drive into Washington this coming weekend and create gridlock as a protest. http://thenewcivilrightsmovement.com/breaker-breaker-one-million-truckers-plan-to-shut-down-washington/news/2013/10/08/76506
Their Facebook page is Truckers Ride for the Constitution
Also, I’ve been posting all of this stuff as it crops up on my front page, so you could find a lot about it if you went to this: http://valorguardians.com/blog/?p=37850&cpage=2#comment-968075
OWB,
I thought the same thing as you did but here’s the problem I have with that. First,it assumes that the Park Police have the right to determine what is a First Amendment expression. Secondly, it assumes they are asking people their reason for visiting the Memorial.
They aren’t.
Let me illustrate…..
The Honor Flights are being let in the barricaded areas to be allowed to express whatever they want to express. Yet at the same time I, the son of a deceased WWII vet whose family lost two men during the war, cannot enter the area to pay my respects and remember my dad and his two brothers who gave their lives.
I would argue that the 14th Amendment does not allow the Park Police to distinguish and allow one expression while another expression is prohibited.
My expression of remembering my dad and uncles is just as important of an expression as the men and women within the Honor Flights honoring the memories of the people they knew.
Moreover, my being able to thank thw men and women on the Honor Flights within the area of the Memorial (within the Memorial) should be protected as well as there is no compelling time, place or manner government interest to prevent it.
The “First Amendment” claim by the administration is as bogus as a three dollar bill.
For the record, these are the names of the congress critters who were handcuffed (yay!!) and arrested:
Joe Crowley
Raul Grijalva
Luis Gutierrez (IL)
Jan Schakowsky (IL)
Keith Ellison
Al Green
Charlie Rangel
John Lewis, a longtime civil rights activist.
Note: they are ALL Democrats.
It looks like the Fisher House is stepping up to the plate to help these families until the government un-f@&$s themselves
Sorry…link here
http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2013/10/amid-outrage-private-foundation-offers-to-restore-military-death-benefit-during-shutdown/
@9, that is not exactly what’s going on with the Honor Flights, at least not last Saturday. They had the WWII open, but the other memorials were blocked. Bus drivers did not feel comfortable driving to the Iwo Jima Memorial even if the barricades were removed until a group from Syracuse pulled up. Their drivers were willing to drive through, so that is when the barricades came down. Not an easy task, they filled them with water to make it as tough as they could to remove. There were quite a few WWII vets in wheel chairs who were not able to visit this memorial due to buses not being able to get close enough.
It seems like the liberal orgs are getting a pass on all the closures, while the Veteran groups get hammered, at least that’s my perception.
Double Duh!! I think I’ll just hit the “reset” button and start over tomorrow.
At this point I think both parties are acting like little spoiled rich kids. Both parties should have had enough knowledge and common sense to see what could happen when they shut down the Fed govt. I’ don’t often talk about politics, but I think all of the assholes in DC need to be voted out of office as soon as they’re up for re-election. Get some folks who actually give a shit about America into office.
@ #27: Must agree with you on all points. However, I also know what their regs are on a few of these points and in a very broad sense know how the guys on the ground interpret those regs.
For instance, on at least one day, the guys on the ground chose to interpret each bus which drove up filled with Honor Flight veterans to have under 20 pax and that they were there exercising their First Amendment rights. Not quite the reality most of us would see, but they selected to interpret their own regs that way. So, no permit was required (it never is for groups under 20) and until reined in, the guys on the ground got by with it. When others ordered in the front end loaders, additional fencing, and bailing wire, the guys on the ground had fewer options.
Under the right circumstances, most of those guys are no more pleased than are any of us with this lunacy. That’s why I am contemplating taking a priest with me to visit the area some time in the near future.
It might be great fun (although it would add nothing of value to the fight really) to erect some tents just like the slime over in Lafayette Park have then force a court case to determine why it is OK there but not OK in other places. Well, other than we smell much better, And I really do not want to make the jobs of the good people trying to make sense of this nonsense any more difficult than it already is.
Yes, Hondo, there is that assembly thing, but it is not unlimited these days, what with terror threats et al. Requiring groups to bear the expense for the porta potties they need and extra EMS standing by are not unreasonable expectations really. All that is taken care of through the permitting process.
@31: I agree that it wasn’t what was going on last Saturday, but I’m inclined to think things will be a bit better now. For the simple reason that there’s a pretty long ‘chain of command’ between the mid-level NPS guy responsible at the scene, who has probably been there multiple years and for multiple Presidents, and the current President and his team in the White House.
These situations *naturally* start off hard-line — that’s just human nature. No doing such-and-such. And then, when push comes to shove, they see their original position wasn’t really working. Or fair.
I have zero faith in either side of Congress to do the ‘right’ thing regardless of politics, but I generally have some faith in the decent people who SERVE the people and SERVE the parks. Who the hell takes that kind of job and wants to see them shuttered? Nobody.
Viewing it from another angle, what would YOU do in the situation? I can’t speak for others who may have a much better sense of things, but if *I* was ordered to set up barricades, I’d probably do so.. thinking it was stupid the whole time, but hoping it’d be resolved before we even finished. And then, when faced with people with very good cause wanting to get in, I’d say, “Fuck this…”, and find a way to let them in. Maybe everyone else here is far more forward-looking than I am and would’ve immediately come to that conclusion – I can’t say. But that’s what I’d do, and not because of evil orders from on high, but because it’s a natural progression. That’s my perspective.
@35
These situations *naturally* start off hard-line
I dunno. Have they ever started off by blocking off open-air memorials that normally don’t close, evicting people from their homes, or keeping tourists under armed guard to make sure they don’t “recreate” before?
Hey don’t forget to Watch the President’s “Hispanic Evening at the White House”. It’s a party at the White House featuring popular entertainers celebrating Hispanic month”. Guess entertainment for the President is considered “Essential to National Security” so that’s not cancelled. I cringe every time it comes on AFN–All one channel of it thanks to the shutdown.
@36, I suspect you’re correct in that things are loosening up on the Mall. Some folks from the local VFW went down yesterday and the Vietnam Memorial was open and ‘authorities’ cordial.
I’m curious as to who makes the decisions? Who decided to close off the memorials? Why does VA suddenly furlough 7000 employees a week later, shut down regional offices and complain it’s causing a back log? At the same time, commissaries reopened (DOD).
@36. The calculations regarding the closures and the decisions as to what gets closed and when are made at various WH levels, with legal input. El presidente would like us to believe that his hands are tied, that he has been forced to close the offices, parks, websites, and other federally funded elements that he has, to include beneficiary payments for our Fallen. But daily we are learning that he has been highly selective and the selections have been what he and his perceive to be in furtherance of their cause, to cause the maximum pain to the greatest number in order for those affected to pressure Congress to rubberstamp his plan. Well, bullshit. He can take the proverbial leap at the rolling donut. And, sure, the peons and serfs are doing what they’re told to do. But they too can make a statement. They can take sick leave opther than on their traditional days of doing so: Fridays and Mondays.
awesome idea.
AirCav–and of course he goes on TV to whine that those mean Republicans are the ones responsible, and the LIV’s (low-information voters) eat the shit up with a spoon. Then he turns around and demands the GOP “unconditionally surrender” to his demands.
Uh, Barruh? Ain’t the way it works, homes.
On February 8, 2008, Barry did elude he was on the path to “fundamentally change the United States”. Actions like this clearly represents that is precisely his intention.
It appears the only people who were listening and predicted that was a veiled threat are actually the ones on blogs like TAH.
Everyone else is surprised.
@ Run Pat Run. The person who makes such decisions and in the case of non-decisions is the agency head who is typically a presidential political appointee. The president selects a person who is either a dfriend, contributer and or politic operative. Aided by political ideology of the president and guided by agency and or regional counsel decisions or non-decisions are made to support presidents leftist agenda.
That is the reality!
And it is shameful!
@9–put it this way–if this had happened under a Republican presidency, what would the MSM being saying instead of the stony silence we’re getting now?
If it were rogue NPS cops or Interior/VA/DoD/etc bureaucrats making these dumb ass decisions, El Presidente would simply say knock this shit off and it would be done in minutes. He has not done this so it continues with his de facto blessing.
Imagine if W had done any of this.
Might explain why Bodaprez’s approval rating is now down to 37 percent, according to AP.
And if the MSM was even mildly objective, it’d be far lower than that.
@ 38 DevilChief … Can’t wait to see all the bad and disrespectful behavior within the walls of the WH. Some of the events on the agenda include:
1. Eat the worm contest.
2. Rum belly shots.
3. Gangsta rap break dancing.
4. Pre-teen Mother of the Year Award.
5. FLOTUS Twerking Competition.
@NHSparky, what stony silence? It’s on the news here. Schakowky and Gutierrez are from Chicago. They were handcuffed and arrested yesterday, along with 6 other congress critters, at that immigration rally on the Mall.
I don’t see ‘stony silence’ where I live, but then – Chicago IS an island unto itself. And besides, as I’ve said before, I don’t think da Maire likes Obama one bit. I don’t think he even likes the unions. The teachers’ union strike the day after school opened resulted in the closures of schools that were ‘underutilized’ by families in their neighborhoods. The suggestion by a couple of aldermen to bring in the NGs to deal with gangbangers was met with an angry rebuttal from both the Chief of Police and da Maire.
I would love to be the fly on the wall in da Maire’s office when he’s watching bodaprez on TV. Bill Daley, too.
Ken Fisher just manned up on FOX News to pay 100 k to each family in order to bridge the gap. The Fisher Foundation is OUTSTANDING.
The Fisher Family is a great American Patriot family.