OT - but important - The Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living AdjustmentAct of 2008

This link lets you send a note directly to the Senate.
http://capwiz.com/military/issues/al...ertid=11007971

They have been generous in voting themselves raises.
Isn't it about time we insisted that they care for veterans as well?


Senator Daniel K. Akaka (D-HI), Chairman of the Veterans' Affairs
Committee, introduced legislation today to increase veterans'
compensation through a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) (S 2617). A
bipartisan group of Veterans' Affairs Committee Members
signed on as original cosponsors of this legislation, including Ranking
Member Burr, and Senators Rockefeller, Murray, Obama,
Sanders, Brown, Webb, Tester, Craig, and Isakson.

"The COLA increase must be understood as a continuing cost of war. This
legislation is necessary to protect the value of the
compensation disabled veterans and their survivors receive and rely
upon," said Senator Akaka.

The Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2008 directs
the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to increase, as of
December 1, 2008, the rates of:

- Veterans' disability compensation,
- Dependency and indemnity compensation for surviving spouses and
children, and
- Additional related benefits.

The COLA increase for veterans will match the annual increase provided
to Social Security recipients. The COLA is designed to
offset inflation and other factors that alter the cost of living over
time. The COLA calculation is based on the Bureau of Labor
Statistics "Consumer Price Index." The increase for 2008 was 2.3
percent. The 2009 increase has yet to be determined.