Solz doubles down on teh Stupid
Jon Soltz, the executive director of VetVotes, freshly bathed from his tour of the war against terror, continues on from his blunt point last week about Mitt Romney’s tax returns. Apparently, last week, the meme from the White House was to beat up Romney about not releasing his returns, now his returns weren’t enough for the White House/Soltz’ likings.
“Particularly disturbing are all of these off-shore accounts. While it seems that he and his accountant decided to pay taxes on those in 2010, what about the years before this campaign? While men and women were putting their lives on the line on the battlefield, and military members and retirees were paying a higher tax rate, was Mitt Romney trying to weasel his way out of paying taxes that care for those troops when they are in the field and come home?”
Yeah, it’s a veterans’ issue again. He cloaks his language in the DNC’s approved words like “contributions” for “taxes”. Where are Soltz’ tax returns? How much money has he weaseled out of paying. And let’s see how much he’s “contributed” to the war effort. If people are sheltering their money overseas, that means the tax rates here are too high. If you want to bring that money home, cut taxes and spending.
Will he cut veterans benefits to pay to lower his taxes even more? Given Mitt Romney would like to lower taxes for him and other multi-millionaires like him, it’s a fair question.
I don’t know how Romney will be able to cut veterans’ benefits any more after Obama gets through with them. Where is VoteVets on the hikes in Tricare instituted by the Obama Administration? And why haven’t we heard VoteVets complain about the lack of a COLA increase for military retirees for three consecutive years?
Of course, my breath isn’t bated waiting for an answer or REAL support for veterans from Soltz or VoteVets because that might result in a reduction of their “contributions” from MoveOn and the Soros Foundation.
Thanks to TSO for the link and the title of this post.
Category: Taxes
This isn’t Soltz as Veterans Advocate. This is Soltz as Audition for Elective Office.
As a democrat operative, Soltz has a job to do like anybody else.
It’s just a damned shame he won’t be honest about it.
So, I am showing my lack of understanding at how our government works. But I thought that COLA increases were a function of congress (first originating in the House and then the Senate)? The same goes for the hikes in Tricare. Considering that there has not been a budget passed in more than 1000 days, these changes could not have come from the top. Can the president just set Tricare rates and COLA increases without the House doing anything at all? Does he even have anything to do with that?
Will Obama cut the military to pay for more entitlements for his base? It’s a fair question, right, Soltz?
Vet, not sure, if there’s no Federal budget, does a continuing resolution cover increases in COLA or TriCare, or is it done by Executive Order? I read a couple of the articles on CR’s, and it’s the typical Washington double talk, so I can’t really tell how COLA and the increases in TriCare are handled.
I did find this on Military.com, “In an effort to reduce government expenses, the Senate is now considering changing the rules for how COLA is determined. The proposed changes will likely result in reducing the COLA in 2012 by up to .3 percent”.
http://militaryadvantage.military.com/2011/07/plan-to-reduce-retiree-cola-gets-clearer/
Let’s dispel the myth of Congress not having passed a budget in 1000 days.
It has passed 2 negative-budgets, also known as raising the debt ceiling. The government has not stopped spending money, and both Dems and the GOP approved this extra-Constitutional authorization (aka “Budget”) to spend.
What doesn 0.3% equate to? $30/month? $3000/week?
UpNorth,
Thanks for the research. This is what I thought, cola, tricare, and similar funding has been managed by congress through the use of continuing resolutions. These are passed by the House which is currently held by the GOP. The president has nothing to do with it. So if we want to change this, look to your congressman, not Obama.
Vet, it would appear that the Senate is the driving force behind the changes in the COLA. I’m not sure about TriCare. And, if the Senate had or does change anything, it would have to return to the House, so leaning on the reps would seem to be the first order of business. I’ve tried with the Senators, mine is the Chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Levin, and I can’t even get a response from that douchenozzle. Stabenow is a waste of skin, so I don’t even bother with her.
What I think is being missed here is that by the way the Constitution sets it up, the President submits his budget request, and that is made up of the various agencies. Just like with the TRICARE premium increases. And as the DoD is being asked to cut, they are trying to get outside revenue streams, like the premium increases. The lack of a COLA is tied into that as well.
UpNorth @7
Yeah, I have the same problem. My rep is Jason Chaffetz (R-UT3) and while he is very good on some things (and will probably get my vote again) he is terrible on vet issues.
TSO@8
The President has submitted his budget request three times now, but none of them have been passed, even when his guys were running the Senate and the House.
Hey Soltz….As soon as you can get Obama and his administration/staffers to pay their damn taxes, you can look into Romney’s.
Until then, STFU and GFY, douchenozzel.