Browse Ideas with tag 'savings':

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  Centralized Teleconference Support Center for Fed. Govt! $AVE

  It seems like every Agency and Department has their own and I recently saw their budget for one Agency, wow! It is time we have centralized services across the federal government and mandate they be used. One service center, one budget, one contract. It doesn't have to be all of audio visual just the teleconference piece that can be easily managed remotely. Book a line on web or call a call center to schedule. No ...more »

  It seems like every Agency and Department has their own and I recently saw their budget for one Agency, wow!

  It is time we have centralized services across the federal government and mandate they be used. One service center, one budget, one contract. It doesn't have to be all of audio visual just the teleconference piece that can be easily managed remotely.

  Book a line on web or call a call center to schedule. No more using an up to 15 line for a meeting that has 20 participants - better options at less price and lower redundancy!

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  Submitted by Community Member 2 years ago

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  Consolidation within the Navy

  Consolidate the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) and Naval Supply Command (NAVSUP) into the Naval Installations Command (NIC). In 2003 all Class 1 (land) and 2 (infrastructure) real property was assigned to NIC. The consolidation of real property under one command is a good one. But in the end this consolidation created another command that was not provided the capabilities to perform its mission. In order ...more »

  Consolidate the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) and Naval Supply Command (NAVSUP) into the Naval Installations Command (NIC).

  In 2003 all Class 1 (land) and 2 (infrastructure) real property was assigned to NIC. The consolidation of real property under one command is a good one. But in the end this consolidation created another command that was not provided the capabilities to perform its mission. In order for NIC to perform its mission it requires contracting / acquisition capabilities. For NIC to accomplish its contracting / acquisition responsibilities NIC has had to utilize Memorandums of Understanding with NAVFAC and NAVSUP in order to provide the support, in its Host role, to the Tenant commands located at its shore facilities. In addition, to acquisition support NIC has arranged for personnel from NAVFAC and NAVSUP perform basic planning, programming and budgeting services associated with Environmental, Operational (Supply) and Facility Support.

  My opinion this is an inefficient and costly arrangement. The two service providers have no real vested interest in planning, programming, and submitting budgets for NIC. Both NAVFAC and NAVSUP are service providers and have not traditionally been involved in planning and programming for long term requirements. They are both short term planning agencies who, purchase this, construct this, or maintain that based on the funds provided during a given execution year. Their customers provide them with their future requirements based on the contracting / acquisitions they have projected they will be funded for. This short sightedness for long term planning has created a shortfall in funds required to cover the required annual life cycle costs. This arrangement is similar to contracting to a consultant asking them to tell you what your annual requirements are and how much will it cost. Then with that information you turn around and hire the same consultant make sure the services that they identified and provided a cost for are performed.

  NAVFAC and NAVSUP need to be consolidated into NIC. There are duplicative contracting /acquisition functions within both that could be consolidated into one contracting / acquisition department. The organizational structures could be consolidated into one Headquarters and all Regional Commands rolled into NIC’s structure. This would allow for a reduction of high level staff positions, eliminating some and transferring remaining billets to the major installation level at lower grades. All major installation Commands under NIC should be converted from appropriated funded commands to working capital funded commands. NIC provides appropriated funds via its Regional Commands for the basic operating and support services for the property, infrastructure, and mission tenants assigned to the major installations within. Regional Commands should be looking for common support services that could be bundled and provided to its major installations. The major installations are identified as working capital funded and staffed to provide the basic services to its mission tenant commands. Mission Tenant Commands who require support and service above the basic level can obtain those from the major installation (Host) at the same working capital fund rates established for that Region by NIC.

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  Submitted by Community Member 2 years ago

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  Save money - equipment

  Phones - replace all desktop phones with cell phones and even blackberries where necessary. Cell phone technology is in - land line technology is out. It's coming. Desktop landlines will be a thing of the past in the very near future. Cost for equipment purchase, connection, maintenance, space, etc. could be virtually eliminated. All that we get from a desktop landline is available via almost any model of cell phone ...more »

  Phones - replace all desktop phones with cell phones and even blackberries where necessary. Cell phone technology is in - land line technology is out. It's coming. Desktop landlines will be a thing of the past in the very near future. Cost for equipment purchase, connection, maintenance, space, etc. could be virtually eliminated. All that we get from a desktop landline is available via almost any model of cell phone and/or via internet.

  Several cell companies offer unlimited phone, internet, texting, and more for $50 per month. Do the math - it's a no brainer.

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  Submitted by Community Member 2 years ago

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  Stop Blackberry issue to ALL Government Employees

  Every employee in DHS/CBP/OIOC is required to have a Blackberry. They all don't need them! There are over 139 personnel in the Office of Intelligence Operations Coordination (OIOC). Management should get them as they are accountable to Senior Leadership, so that is maybe 6 blackberries 10 on the outside vice the 139 now being bought and supported. Think of the hundereds of thousands of dollars in saving in that one ...more »

  Every employee in DHS/CBP/OIOC is required to have a Blackberry. They all don't need them! There are over 139 personnel in the Office of Intelligence Operations Coordination (OIOC). Management should get them as they are accountable to Senior Leadership, so that is maybe 6 blackberries 10 on the outside vice the 139 now being bought and supported. Think of the hundereds of thousands of dollars in saving in that one office alone. Now think about that savings across the whole government. Senior Leadership should be the only ones issued blackberries. Why do normal employees actually need them? (Understand that other parts and employees of CBP have a valid need like the Border Patrol Agents actually on the borders, etc.) What did we ever do before the "crackberry?"

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  Contractor Overhead Rates

  Over the years I have seen contractor overhead rates range from 8% to over 200%. In that respect, a couple of years ago, DoD came out with an initiative that capped Academic Grants Overhead rates at 40%. With that in mind, I do not understand why this standard cannot be placed across all of the government contracts. This would force government contractors to be more leaner and lower the overall cost to the government. ...more »

  Over the years I have seen contractor overhead rates range from 8% to over 200%. In that respect, a couple of years ago, DoD came out with an initiative that capped Academic Grants Overhead rates at 40%. With that in mind, I do not understand why this standard cannot be placed across all of the government contracts. This would force government contractors to be more leaner and lower the overall cost to the government. Also, this would ease the down time that is created when awaiting a Defense Contracting Audit Agency (DCAA) overhead rate audit at the beginning or end of a contract. This would speed up award times and closeout times. By speeding up closeout times, the government would spend less time tracking outstanding unexpended funds and in some case allow them to reallocate those funds to another project. By freeing up DCAA, they would be able to spend more time analyzing labor rates and perform other auditing functions to ensure no fraud, waste or abuse was happening.

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  Submitted by Community Member 2 years ago

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  Heating Costs

  Turn down the heat during the winter!! Having to wear a t-shirt and shorts is ridiculous during the middle of January when the temperature outside is 30 below zero. The temperature in my cubicle is frequently between 80 and 83 degrees; turning the thermostat down even 5 to 7 degrees would save a substantial amount of money.

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  Research & Development Collaborative effort

  My idea is to create a panel to review new research and development projects to see how they could be combined with other agencies to get a bigger bang for the buck. In the past 5 years, I've seen each agency put small amounts of money into a fad, but get very little from it. Supposedly, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA) were created to ...more »

  My idea is to create a panel to review new research and development projects to see how they could be combined with other agencies to get a bigger bang for the buck. In the past 5 years, I've seen each agency put small amounts of money into a fad, but get very little from it. Supposedly, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA) were created to do this. However, that is not the case because they have their own budgets and initiativies. My proposal would require research projects being run through a panel like the Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) program or the IC's In-Q-Tel Program. In the SBIR program a panel of experts reveiw the research proposals for duplicative efforts and when one is found, they refer the submitter to the other agency to work on a collaborative approach which would result in a better research initiative. In the In-Q-Tel Program, the IC members review the venture capitalist proposals and collaboratively invest funds into a projec to get a bigger bang for the dollar. While this suggested panel may add additional oversight, in the end I feel that it would provide a better universal product and ultimately save money in the procurement area as well because instead of 10 contracts, there now might be two.

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  Please Review

  I'd appreciate everyone’s review and vote if you agree at the below link as it affects all that have submitted ideas. Don’t let the ideas get dumped, please review below and no vote needed here, just at the below link if you agree as it is needed.

  http://governmentreform.ideascale.com/a/dtd/Utilize-the-Site/120215-13060

  .

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  Congressional Benefits

  Make government leadership affected by the decisions they make. Congress should be "OF the PEOPLE", meaning they get nothing in terms of continuing benefits the rest of USGOV doesn't get. a) Eliminate retirement and put them into a 401k plan or TSP that gets large payments each year, but isn't meant to be a lifetime retirement. (effect=reduced costs) b) Tie them to the GG pay charts, not their special congress pay. ...more »

  Make government leadership affected by the decisions they make. Congress should be "OF the PEOPLE", meaning they get nothing in terms of continuing benefits the rest of USGOV doesn't get.

  a) Eliminate retirement and put them into a 401k plan or TSP that gets large payments each year, but isn't meant to be a lifetime retirement. (effect=reduced costs)

  b) Tie them to the GG pay charts, not their special congress pay. When they freeze pay and retirement growth for USG, it freezes for them too as a result of joining the GG charts. (effect=reduced costs)

  c) Medical benefits expire when they leave office, but in office they receive the same medical plan the GG government receives.(effect=reduced costs)

  Current congressional benefits that are completely unaffected by the decisions the congress makes for the rest of the government have to end. (effect=better government leadership decisions b/c they put their personal skin into the game)

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  Improper Payments to Fugutive Felons and the Incarcerated

  The Departments of Agriculture, Veterans Affairs, and Social Security have existing programs, which deny benefits to persons who are wanted in other jurisdictions in local, state, and federal databases for felony offenses. These absconders from justice may use the benefits they receive to further their escape from facing justice and should not be entitled to taxpayer funds until their obligations have been satisfied. ...more »

  The Departments of Agriculture, Veterans Affairs, and Social Security have existing programs, which deny benefits to persons who are wanted in other jurisdictions in local, state, and federal databases for felony offenses. These absconders from justice may use the benefits they receive to further their escape from facing justice and should not be entitled to taxpayer funds until their obligations have been satisfied.

  This program if implemented at the Department of Education is a direct alignment with the Improper Payments Elimination and Recovery Act signed into law in 2010. In a White House press release fact sheet dated July 22, 2010, stated over $230 million dollars in benefits was given to over 14,000 fugitives or incarcerated felons who were not eligible to receive benefits. At the Department of Education, those incarcerated are already not eligible for benefits but this has not kept my agency from repeatedly finding those currently incarcerated receiving benefits to attend online universities or correspondence courses. There is however, no program at the Department of Education, which keeps wanted fugitive felons from receiving federal student aid funds.

  The information provided to apply for federal financial aid from the Department of Education could be compared with information contained in the National Crime Information Center database maintained by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and those results which have positive results properly vetted could provide information to local, state and federal law enforcement to apprehend the offenders and bring them to justice. We currently compare information contained in the Free Application for Federal Student Aid to records located at the Social Security Administration, Selective Service, Department of Homeland Security, and other databases for eligibility determination. This would be an additional larger review of to prevent funds from being provided to fugitive felons or incarcerated inmates.

  The Department of Agriculture’s program in its first year netted over 6,700 arrests, of which 1,500 were violent offenders. With the arrests made, a total cost avoidance based on today’s family monthly benefit average would total nearly $17.7 million dollars, not to mention the public safety gains. If the same positive results were found in the federal student aid program, it would be a cost savings of nearly $61 million dollars based on a 2009-2010 average undergraduate award of $9,100.

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  Submitted by Community Member 2 years ago

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  Centralize Military Medical Care

  Centralize all military medical departments into one organization that provides medical care to all services. This would reduce individual medical departmental overhead and consolidate care.

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  Incentivize Programs that Return Funds to the Treasury

  There are several programs within the military that generate efficiencies and any savings are returned back to the US Treasury. The military program uses their funds to operate (a cost to that department) yet all the savings go to the government in general (outside of the department). With increasing budget scrutiny, the departments may be less inclined to use their limited resources if they do not receive any direct ...more »

  There are several programs within the military that generate efficiencies and any savings are returned back to the US Treasury. The military program uses their funds to operate (a cost to that department) yet all the savings go to the government in general (outside of the department). With increasing budget scrutiny, the departments may be less inclined to use their limited resources if they do not receive any direct benefit (although the general gov't does). Provide a percentage of the savings (e.g. 20%) back to the department.

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  Submitted by Community Member 2 years ago

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  Flat Tax Rate for everyone

  Enact a flat tax rate for everyone, no matter their income.

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  DOE: First Aid Education REQUIREMENT

  With health costs going up in this country, training people to help themselves first can drastically reduce both the number of emergency room visits and the cost of the resulting medical bills. For example, knowing to keep a broken arm in a sling, before you visit the emergency room, will help it heal quicker and straighter, reducing overall medical costs in the long run. Also, only about 18% of emergency room visits ...more »

  With health costs going up in this country, training people to help themselves first can drastically reduce both the number of emergency room visits and the cost of the resulting medical bills. For example, knowing to keep a broken arm in a sling, before you visit the emergency room, will help it heal quicker and straighter, reducing overall medical costs in the long run. Also, only about 18% of emergency room visits result in hospital admission. This means with proper training, fewer people will feel the need to visit the hospital for the small things they can take care of themselves.

  A side affect will be more interest in the medical field, which will create more medical professionals which will also help lower medical costs.

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  Intelligent Power Strips

  It is vital for the government to start adopting the energy efficiency programs already proved successful by major companies around the world. The government could save millions of dollars a year by simply making it mandatory for government facilities to have intelligent power strips. There are intelligent power strips that are designed for many different types of usage. From the average office work space to a giant server ...more »

  It is vital for the government to start adopting the energy efficiency programs already proved successful by major companies around the world. The government could save millions of dollars a year by simply making it mandatory for government facilities to have intelligent power strips. There are intelligent power strips that are designed for many different types of usage. From the average office work space to a giant server room using 100 times the amount of energy of a typical office building, there is an intelligent power strip the government could use to save money.

  The government would need to make a large investment to ensure the technology and policies are put in place, but the intelligent power strips would pay for themselves within the first year. The government cannot afford to ignore the methods already being used by Fortune 500 companies. Intelligent power strips can provide the government with a fail-safe way to save money and promote green technologies. The mandatory usage of intelligent power strips is a tangible, measurable, and realistic idea that will surely save government dollars.

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  Submitted by Community Member 2 years ago

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  Expensive office space

  Agencies have to follow Policy/guidelines when selecting where Government office space will be leased. This resulted in a move to one of the most expensive places in town and also now requires employees to pay for parking. Government needs to reconsider any Policy/guideline that requires leasing premium office space. Suitable and safe alternatives are available for much less money with no parking fees.

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  Submitted by Community Member 2 years ago

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  Reduce Ink expenses

  Ink is super expensive. I have been refilling ink cartridges on my US Govt. Printer for pennies on the dollar. Not sure how much money has been saved since I am not sure what we spend for ink but I estimate my expenses at about 17 dollars for around three years of ink.

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  Incentivize Participation in IdeaScale

  Place a ten thousand dollar bounty on ideas implemented through this system, that save the government one million dollars or more.

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  Reward federal agencies for coming in under budget

  The entire federal government budgeting system is broken. Budgets are meant to be completely expended so that future budgets are not cut. This causes a flood of activity at the end of the fiscal year where money is wasted on anything and everything that it can be spent on. War time appropriations are even worse. If federal agencies were rewarded for coming in under budget rather than penalized for not completely expending ...more »

  The entire federal government budgeting system is broken. Budgets are meant to be completely expended so that future budgets are not cut. This causes a flood of activity at the end of the fiscal year where money is wasted on anything and everything that it can be spent on. War time appropriations are even worse.

  If federal agencies were rewarded for coming in under budget rather than penalized for not completely expending their budget, we'd find many agencies could truly live off of far less. Also if the senior management were personally rewarded (as in the private sector) via bonus options, the incentive would be to attract performing individuals with a sense for managing money to leadership positions rather than the current "this is how we've always done it" staff that we have now.

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  Submitted by Community Member 2 years ago

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  Revamp DTS Re:overpriced flights & emilinate travel agents

  The last time I traveled it was from Maryland to Nevada. Because DTS is difficult to use, I initially started finding flights through commercial airline websites. When I found a few flights that would work, I located them in DTS. A roundabout way, sure, but much easier and quicker in the long run than dealing with the ever-crashing DTS system, inconsistent information, confusing layout design, etc. When I found my flight ...more »

  The last time I traveled it was from Maryland to Nevada. Because DTS is difficult to use, I initially started finding flights through commercial airline websites. When I found a few flights that would work, I located them in DTS. A roundabout way, sure, but much easier and quicker in the long run than dealing with the ever-crashing DTS system, inconsistent information, confusing layout design, etc.

  When I found my flight onlined I noticed the price jumped from $190 as offered by the commericial airline's website to $950 on DTS.

  SAME exact flight number, date, time, airline, seat, everything...but almost $800 more. Why? I'm not getting special treatment, just a normal trip.

  (And this wasn't the first time I noticed the drastic difference in price.)

  Yes, I understand that these government airline tickets can be changed at a moment's notice without incurring addition fees, but is that benefit really work $800?

  But then again, as a normal passenger I could notify the airline (not the DTS travel agent) and also change my flight at a moment's notice..only the fee would be about a $150 or $200. So, even with that, my $190 ticket would go up to $390. It's still far less money than the $900 ticket I was forced to purchase through DTS.

  Furthermore, once I add trip information in DTS it is sent to another travel agent that must then do the purchasing for me. I can only imagine it must cost the government millions of dollars to pay these contractor travel agents to click "buy ticket" online.

  Perhaps this was a great system ten years ago, but with today's easy access to airline and trip planning websites, we no longer need travel agents to do the work for us.

  DTS is great for keeping track of government travel, finding per diem rates, and logging receipts for reimbursement, but it is absolutely ridiculous to pay more than double the commercial rate for flights. It is furthermore a waste of time and money to hire travel agent.

  If you want to save the government millions of dollars, or more, each year, then take a serious look at the DTS contracts, budget, ticket prices, and travel agent middle men.

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  Reduce travel costs by requiring use of certain hotels

  On any given weeknight, there are hundreds, if not thousands, of federal employees who are TDY in any major U.S. city or business center. Agencies now pay for hotel costs up to the per diem amount. The GSA should consider having hotels in a particular area (e.g., downtown Washington; O'Hare Airport) compete on who can provide the best services and lowest rate. The selected hotel would be required to keep a large block ...more »

  On any given weeknight, there are hundreds, if not thousands, of federal employees who are TDY in any major U.S. city or business center. Agencies now pay for hotel costs up to the per diem amount. The GSA should consider having hotels in a particular area (e.g., downtown Washington; O'Hare Airport) compete on who can provide the best services and lowest rate. The selected hotel would be required to keep a large block of rooms open at that rate, and federal employees would be required to use that hotel as long as it had rooms available. Because of the volume of guaranteed business, the rate should result in significant savings over the current per diem. The GSA could begin this as a pilot program, and consider feedback from federal employees and agencies. Hotels that believed that they could not compete probably would not like this change, but travel should be run for the benefit of the Government, not the travel industry.

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  End Cargo Preference Regulations

  The Cargo Preference Act requires U.S. agencies to use U.S.-flagged carriers when transporting food for emergency and development purposes. However, this "buy American" provision is deceptive because foreign-owned businesses can easily flag their vessels as U.S. carriers and benefit themselves. In fact, an academic paper by Cornell's Chris Barrett looked at trends in 2005 and found that 68.6 percent of USAID food aid ...more »

  The Cargo Preference Act requires U.S. agencies to use U.S.-flagged carriers when transporting food for emergency and development purposes. However, this "buy American" provision is deceptive because foreign-owned businesses can easily flag their vessels as U.S. carriers and benefit themselves. In fact, an academic paper by Cornell's Chris Barrett looked at trends in 2005 and found that 68.6 percent of USAID food aid shipments were carried by just four lines, three of which were foreign-owned.

  This act was originally intended to support the U.S. merchant fleet, but the reality is that today the chief beneficiaries are foreign-owned businesses transporting food on ships that are too old to have any military use, and there is already a Maritime Security Program offering subsidies specifically for ships that do have military value. This act no longer does what it was intended to do, nor does it serve the beneficiaries it was intended to serve. What it does is erode the efficiency of government programs that save lives. Get the best bang for taxpayer dollars and eliminate cargo preference.

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  End All Federal Bonuses for Big Savings $$

  Federal workers don't need, expect, or even deserve, bonuses. Bonus money is spread around like candy and offices are obliged to spend it. The bonuses are not that significant and it will not affect morale if the bonuses aren't there. Believe me. If someone gets "an attitude" over stopping bonuses, that someone would probably be frowned upon, particularly during these fiscal times.

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  Tell Me Why the Government Does That?

  Create a site that explains why we do things that on the surface seem inefficient. There are a number of suggestions that don't take into account the laws and policies that require the government to ensure a level of fairness in competition, to provide oversight and ensure compliance with regulations and standards, and vary based on authorities and mission. The government is not like a business and we have inefficiences ...more »

  Create a site that explains why we do things that on the surface seem inefficient. There are a number of suggestions that don't take into account the laws and policies that require the government to ensure a level of fairness in competition, to provide oversight and ensure compliance with regulations and standards, and vary based on authorities and mission.

  The government is not like a business and we have inefficiences that are built in. If we know why, we can make better assessments of when a practice or program is really inefficient.

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  Re-evaluate eligibility for military disability payments

  I am probably not using the proper terminology here, but I hope to get the point accross. I know of at least two people who were formerly in the military who receive payments into perpetuity for injuries they received while in the military. One woman I know had shin splints and gets, I believe, $250 monthly for the rest of her life. Meanwhile, she is now totally recovered (out of the military for about 7-8 years now)and ...more »

  I am probably not using the proper terminology here, but I hope to get the point accross. I know of at least two people who were formerly in the military who receive payments into perpetuity for injuries they received while in the military. One woman I know had shin splints and gets, I believe, $250 monthly for the rest of her life. Meanwhile, she is now totally recovered (out of the military for about 7-8 years now)and is an excellent athlete.

  The other person, a gentleman, had a back injury from parachuting in the military and is receiving this monthly payment as well. I don't know the amount, but he is in his 50's and I cannot see that he has any long-term disability from this injury that would justify this perpetual payment.

  Every payment of this type should be re-evaluated upon release from the military and every five years (maybe fewer years...?) thereafter to determine the need. We cannot continue to subsidize these minor "disabilities" when there are people returning from war as guadraplegics and with traumatic brain injuries that will need assistance for the rest of their lives. We have to realign our priorities.

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  3 comments for Idea: Re-evaluate eligibility for military disability payments

  Submitted by Community Member 2 years ago

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