Letters submitted by BDN readers are verified by BDN Opinion Page staff. Send your letters to [email protected]
Our disabled veterans are grossly under compensated. This travesty of justice is causing enlistments to dry up. Danger!
In fiscal year 2023, a totally disabled veteran with no dependents is compensated at the ridiculous rate of $43,463.40 annually. The National Average Wage Index (NAWI) for 2021 was $60,575.07 per annum and the median income for 2021 was $70,784. The per capita gross domestic product in 2021 was around $70,000, among the highest in the world. Huh?!
Veterans have been asking various administrations and congresses for fair compensation since the end of World War I in November 1918. That was 104 years ago!
In my opinion, the basic reason for their gross undercompensation situation is because they are only compensated for projected loss of wages due to their disabilities. They are not compensated for what can be a low quality of life which is the norm now in personal injury cases in court. I think this is done to keep taxation low for the wealthy elites. And I think this is obvious to our young people. They are not interested in accepting the possibility of a lifetime of near poverty should they get injured in the armed forces for the apparent reason of allowing our wealthy elites to evade proper and fair taxation.
Congress must correct this injustice now!
Jesse James
Bangor
