Active duty service members and food pantries

[MillCreek]

http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2017/04/19/524563155/when-active-duty-service-members-struggle-to-feed-their-families?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=news

I have not read stories about this in the local media about our large Naval bases, Fort Lewis or McChord AFB in our area, and I wonder if it is happening here.

[wmenorr67]

http://militarybenefits.info/2017-military-pay-charts/

An active duty E4 with over 4 years of service earns a base pay of $2432.10 a month, which is taxed at least by the Feds, different states have different rules when it comes to taxing military pay.  Where I live, zip code 66214, with dependents an E4 will receive an additional $1311.00 for housing, tax free, and then $368.29 for BAS (Basic Allowance for Substance), which is also tax free.

So now you have them earning $4111.39 a month, $1679.29 of that is tax free.  Sometimes it comes down to mismanagement of money, other times it isn't enough money for the location.

[Fly320s]

Military members pay federal income tax?  Why?  They are paid with taxes.  Having them "pay" taxes is a waste of time and effort.

[makattak]

Military members pay federal income tax?  Why?  They are paid with taxes.  Having them "pay" taxes is a waste of time and effort.

Yes. And? "Waste of time and effort" describes most of the government.

[MechAg94]

That might be similar to taxing social security payments which started in the 90's under Clinton. 

[dogmush]

Wmenorr67 beat me to it.

The military pays you enough to eat unless you mismanage both your life and your finances.  Like any long term career, you won't make enough at the lowest ranks and earliest years to support 3 or 4 kids along with a non-working dependa(spouse). But you will make enough to buy some *expletive deleted*ing condoms.

Don't have a bunch of kids before you have a plan for housing and feeding them.  Pay charts aren't secret, and the military offers free, and in some cases requires attendance of, classes on monthly budgeting.  


Edited to add:

This quote from the bottom of the article pisses me off:

Abby Leibman, of the advocacy group MAZON, says she supports the measure, which her group estimates could double the number of military families who get SNAP. But she says there's a larger issue that society as a whole must grapple with.

"This part of our community is not being served and that's our responsibility, because they are sacrificing so much for us," says Leibman. "It becomes our obligation."

Bullshit.  These service members are receiving the pay and entitlements that they signed up for, and commiserate with the service they are providing the US.  Want more money?  Provide more service.  WLC and the NCO boards are over there.  Special Missions Teams at every retention office will help you put in an Officer packet.  Then you can have more money.

Abby Leibman can take her knock off poverty pimp attitude back to the ghetto. That's not the help we need, or want.

[KD5NRH]

So now you have them earning $4111.39 a month, $1679.29 of that is tax free.  Sometimes it comes down to mismanagement of money, other times it isn't enough money for the location.

It could also be people still paying for past bad choices that they saw the military as a chance to work their way out from under, and maybe overestimated their ability to pay off quicker.  (i.e. they assumed the .mil would cover more of their ongoing expenses and set their monthly debt payments too high)  Or, for that matter, the food pantry could be another thing they factored into their payment schedule; if you're under a heavy load, an extra $200-300 a month not spent on groceries is that much less time to full repayment.

[lee n. field]

Military members pay federal income tax?  Why?  They are paid with taxes.  Having them "pay" taxes is a waste of time and effort.

Really bad precedent.  All gov't employees are paid with taxes.

[Firethorn]

Military members pay federal income tax?  Why?  They are paid with taxes.  Having them "pay" taxes is a waste of time and effort.

Not to the politicians who want to play their games with influencing behavior through taxes on the military as well as the civilians.

[Frank Castle]

Also "everyone is approved" car dealers. Had one kid ,with 28% interest rate. 

[T.O.M.]

Yeah, a lot of young soldiers, like college kids, get a little crazy with spending and get themselves in trouble.  New cars, motorcycles,  partying, can suck up the money. Throw a credit card or two at these kids, and trouble can build fast.  That said, I'd rather see a pay raise for the military than the guy screwing up my fast food order.

[KD5NRH]

Yeah, a lot of young soldiers, like college kids, get a little crazy with spending and get themselves in trouble.  New cars, motorcycles,  partying, can suck up the money. Throw a credit card or two at these kids, and trouble can build fast.  That said, I'd rather see a pay raise for the military than the guy screwing up my fast food order.

Kinda seems like they really need a high school level class in common sense.  I've seen guys with car payments that were higher than the total price to get a reliable used car from a mechanic willing to guarantee it for 90 days, and they were living in the car because they couldn't afford rent.  Of course, being in a college town doesn't help, since half the used car lots around are the "crappy credit?  no problem" type, but it's still not that hard to find something mechanically sound at or under $1k and even good looking under $5k.

[Frank Castle]

Throw a credit card or two at these kids, and trouble can build fast.

Military star card !! This credit card is accepted everywhere on post.

( I bought guns with it )

[freakazoid]

Military members pay federal income tax?  Why?  They are paid with taxes.  Having them "pay" taxes is a waste of time and effort.

Yup. They tax the tax. I wouldn't doubt that that is somehow used to cook the books.

[Fly320s]

Yup. They tax the tax. I wouldn't doubt that that is somehow used to cook the books.

Yeah, I knew the Gov did that, but for some reason I thought the Mil wasn't "taxed."  That just goes to show how F-ed up the Gov is.

And I agree with you, Freak.  It is just another way to cook the books.

[Frank Castle]

Yeah, I knew the Gov did that, but for some reason I thought the Mil wasn't "taxed."  That just goes to show how F-ed up the Gov is.

Only time we don't get taxed is in a combat zones. 

[freakazoid]

Only time we don't get taxed is in a combat zones. 

True. Best time to reenlist and get a bonus. 

[wmenorr67]

Military star card !! This credit card is accepted everywhere on post.

( I bought guns with it )

Yes I do.....Next thing is a safe thru AAFES.com to be delivered for free.   

[KD5NRH]

Only time we don't get taxed is in a combat zones.

Well, if the SJWs get their way, that may well be most of CONUS in the next 3.5-7.5 years.

[Frank Castle]

Well, if the SJWs get their way, that may well be most of CONUS in the next 3.5-7.5 years.

Maybe.

Everyone is hardcore at first , but seeing people dying removes it.