Michigan Votes Forum

Introduced in the Senate on January 31, 2007

Click here to view bill details.

For all the rhetoric spewed during the election crunch (which seems to get longer and longer each time, spending more and more money...which could be used for...hey I have an idea...) about family, supporting the country, service before self etc..the fact that this bill has been in stasis, without being passed since 2004 is a sad thing indeed. Michigan, not even having a full time active base in it, is not nearly as impacted as some of the states that do offer this as a right to military spouses. I personally, as you may have guessed have become affected by this recently. I'm leaving a fairly high paying job with IBM. This is solely to stay with a wife, who not only completed her doctorate recently, but decided that she would like to return to service as an officer, subsequently taking a 25,000 dollar a year pay cut from the civilian sector. Lets talk about personal and financial sacrifices for the greater good here. While I should be able to get picked up relatively quick, others that don't have my experience, who's spouses will not rank as high as mine, but who sacrifice nothing less than we do, may not be able to. In case anybody wondered, the military is not paying top dollar for their professional officers and enlisted personnel. For those families that are relocated with one parent working that $35,000 a year job, that $1200 a month during their transition time can prove to be invaluable for making ends meet. Try to remember that you all are making about $80,000 a year as a base salary, while the average E-5 is making less than $30,000. Well...they don't have the same education...fair enough, the average lawyer/doctorate degree holder going in as a Captain (O-3) is making $39,000. As you well know, you all are there because we put you there, we are all here, because of a standing military that sacrifices more than the average citizen and has stood to protect our interests both here and abroad. For those that argue preferential treatment, those monuments in DC are there for a reason. The military members as well as their families sacrifice more plain and simple. Think about this when this bill hits the floor. Chris Brown Submitu@hotmail.com

In my irritation, I negelected to thanks Sen. Cherry for her time spent in actually bringing this bill to light and staying with it these many years to get it at least this far. She has my sincerest appreciation. Chris Brown Submitu@hotmail.com

As a veteran of the armed forces, I can appreciate the various reasons that a person may have for wanting to serve. However, I fail to see why taxpayers should foot the bill for a decision that a volunteer made to enter military service. Furthermore, I'm not sure that you've provided all necessary information to support your patriotic plea. For instance, most officers I came across on the combat or support organizations did not possess doctorates - which makes me wonder in what capacity your spouse would serve. The reason this is relevant for me is that I might tend to be more sympathetic to someone who might actually serve in a combat or direct support role, over someone who is going to become a dentist at Fort Lost In The Woods. Bottom line is: unemployment compensation was never intended to provide support to people who exercise personal choice to leave their current employment. Period.

Unemployment benefits are intended to help people whose employment is terminated involuntarily. Spouses of military personnel have the option -- however uncomfortable it may be -- of not accompanying reassigned husbands or wives until they can secure employment in the area of the new billet.

By the way, my "Thanx, but" post, you'll notice, didn't even BEGIN to touch upon the fact that the government confiscating the money from other citizens to give it to you is an appropriate governmental function.

our spouses for the sacrifices that they have made. I know I owe a lot of my success in the Marine Corps to my wife. You are right though, she chose to marry a Marine which of course would have the potential to move. She did in fact choose to move with me from Michigan to California and then to Virginia, three cross country moves over the last 7 years we have been married. She also chose to stay with me and support me through two combat deployments including the initial push to secure Baghdad and also included the April 2004 attack into Fallujah. My wife has made the choice to leave several jobs, transfer schools several times and support and follow me through my career that has been spent defending this nation. I think it would be a small price to pay for her to gain some benefits back, whether a couple months of unemployment in order to ease a transitional move, or being granted in-state status for colleges and universities immediately upon moving into a state due to military orders or even transitioning out of the military. Less then 1% of the United States citizens are serving in the military right now, we wouldn't want to waste money on helping them move or transition nor would we want to make life on their spouses, who often bare a larger burden then they do to help in those transitions would we. These men and women that are serving right now are sacrificing a lot and their spouses that stay home and take care of the home-front are often sacrificing even more, providing a transitional payment and employment services is the least we could do for them. Semper Fi, Gunnery Sergeant David Auwen

But your wife already is receiving certain military dependent's benefits that I am helping to pay for as a taxpayer. I appreciate your service, and your wife's loyalty to you, but I don't think she should be entitled to a special privilege of receiving unemployment benefits for voluntarily quitting her job to accompany you on assignment transfers.

that you have looked at a military Leave and Earning Statement in a while. If you had then you would realize that I also pay taxes and among other deductions pay for my wife’s dental coverage and life insurance coverage. She does get medical coverage; of course she must use the military medical facilities which essentially amount to socialized healthcare. In the over three years that I have been stationed in Virginia she has never been able to see the same doctor twice, as a matter of fact she has never actually met the doctor listed as her primary care manager. She is now pregnant and must see a nurse practitioner and now after seven months has not seen an actual MD. I guess your answer would be that at least she is getting health care; however I would rather pay for her to have the option to seeing a doctor especially if that would take such a burden off of you and your taxes. I would agree that she should not get unemployment just for being a military spouse. I would envision a plan that would provide transition assistance specific to military spouses. These spouses would only qualify for limited monetary payments if they had worked at their previous location within 60 days of making a permanent change of station (PCS) move. These payments would be designed to ease the transition of the initial move while waiting for household goods to arrive, and allow the spouse to engage fully in a job search without an extra pressure being produced upon the military family. I have more detailed ideas of a program, and quite honestly something like this would affect very few people in Michigan. But you have appeared to take your diehard stance that your tax money should not be spent in any way that benefits a military person or his family, which I find to be a shame since you claim to be a veteran yourself. Could this stance be the reason you maintain your anonymous status in this posting thread? By the way, I am a Gunnery Sergeant which is a big difference then Sergeant. Thank you for your service and tax dollars. Regards, David Auwen

and I hope all goes well with the new baby. What you are going through with the medical care is what the tree hugging, dictator loving, peace at any cost, cut and run liberals want for all of us. Lets hope they never pull it off. Anyways, tell everybody that there are lots of Americans that support them and don't listen to the talking heads at cnn or the other socialist stations.

From E 5 GOLf OOOrah

Can you afford two households? These military families do not make the big money that others are able to make. That is not a fair statement!

 I am an Army Wife who is about to do exactly that. Quit my job to follow my husband to his new duty station. I am hear to tell you that I am very upset to hear that you feel Military spouses shouldn't be given any benefits or anymore than what you feel we are already given. I feel it's a small price to pay! It is very difficult to find a job in another state especially when you are a military spouse who will most likely be moving again in 2 to 3 years. Employers don't want to hire military spouses because of it. You must be very oblivious to the fact that Soldiers do not make very much money to begin with.

Military spouses serve this country as much as the soldiers do! We stand behind our Men/Woman and support them as all citizens of the United States of American should! We are the ones who are left behind who wait, worry and wonder if our spouse will make it home one day soon! It's not just the spouses its our children too! We have four children to support. Yes it was our choice! Yes it's my choice to quit my job and move to where I might be able to raise a family as a normal family for a few months before once again my husband deploys and the worrying starts all over again!

Military spouses should be given this benefit as it helps us to get through another PCS move to be a family and support our spouse who is figting for your freedom too!

I am ashamed to read what you have written and stunned that someone could actually be so selfish to feel this way! What have you done for our country? Maybe that is what you need to ask yourself and who gives you the right to have any benefits of any kind?

Maybe you're real complaint should be regarding the welfare department and how it is a crack dealer can get free money and food! Your tax dollars are paying for that too! Maybe I'm wrong but I would think you would want to make sure your money is going to someone is deserving of it!

A military wife & family is more deserving than any drug dealer in the United States!

At least we are doing our best to make an honest living and the sacrifices we make are more than you could ever possibly understand!

What is wrong with these people?

PROUD ARMY WIFE!

  I will start by saying you have never been inside a military base? If you ever do you will notice they are all different because each base uses the funds raised by the families contributions,percentages from sales of the exchange sales and mostly VOLUNTEERS. And lots and lots of fundraising,yeap the real reason why full time jobs are few in most bases.Your tax money goes to the military and what it takes to keep our country safe. Ok so neither here or there. I have worked since I was 17yrs old, now 35 I am for the first time unemployed. Why? because everytime my spouse moved I struggled and took any job I can to help him and keep my self busy when he is sent away. We were sent to Germany for three years again I took another job making less money and a lesser position as it often happens to military wives. But we march on because we love our spouses and want to suppot very move they make. So, his tour in Germany is now over. Great because I missed the Great USA, but then I was told well once your spouse leaves Europe you have to leave too. I was not even given a choice. I too an Armycivilian employee I must leaveve and was told had no choice. He was told to go and with that I didnt get a choice even though I loved the job I was doing and would have loved to stay there longer, or atleast until I got another job. I walked into the human esources office and was told you must leave the day your sponsor(my active duty husband) starts his leave to get ready to go back to the US.  Well I want to work I have applied for jobs since 5 months before we left Germany. We are not asking for hand outs simply for states to do what they are suppose to and pay for the insurance they charge employers & employees from wages earned.  Why make different rules for different categories of people. The government doesnt charge based on categories they simply charge. Oh by the way is not you paying is the goverment for insurance that is already being taken out from the person working that is why you have to have worked in the past to be able to collect this benefit not  a welfare program free for those who do not work.  Keep in mind we are trying to work not wanting to stay at home and get food stamps and free housing.Thats why its called insurance (key word so look it up).

 

 

Proud Army Wife and mother,

 

Abby

Being in the military is a choice. There are a myriad of reasons people choose to join or remain in the military, some of them based on service to our nation, some self serving. Neither is wrong, but it still is a choice. Unemployment is insurance. Insurance your employer pays into to tide a person over in between jobs they lose because of business decisions beyond their control. Great idea, an idea which has kept many families afloat in hard times, such as we are in now.

To use unemployment as an income supplement to voluntarily change jobs was not the intent. It matters not whether for military spouses or private sector jobs.

If the serviceman or woman chooses to be in the military, I would hope they take into account the implications their decision has on their civilian spouse. This should be a joint decision. I therefore am opposed to this bill to allow military spouses to receive unemployment insurance because they quit a job to follow their spouse. They made a choice.

If the draft were reinstituted, I would be in favor of this bill.

 If a person not in the military made a decision to move to a low-paying job in another location, their spouse would not have this 'benefit'.  As such, their decision to make the job change would need to consider the economic impact in total.  Appreciation for service notwithstanding, I'm not seeing how making a choice to move to seek a military career magically bestows this 'right' to tap my bank account upon the military spouse.  If the issue is that military careers do not pay enough, then the paycheck is what should be addressed.