Why are we supporting NATO? Why are supporting NATO in Libya? What does it have to do with the Deficit?

Given the latest remarks by the French President Nicolas Sarkozy 24 June 2011. http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?i=6914474&c=EUR&s=TOP  Why are we supporting NATO (I mean the French and the Brits) in this endeavor (folly) in Libya?

This question begs some additional larger questions.  What is purpose of NATO? (This is left to the reader)  Why is the United States still in NATO? (Ibid.)  Why is the United States paying most of the cost of NATO? (Ibid.)

In 1999 the United States was paying 1.148 Trillion Dollars for NATO operations.  In 2010 the United States paid somewhere around 0.712 Trillion Dollars for NATO operations.  We still pay the same percentage of the Total NATO Budget; because the NATO budget is smaller and  hence our portion is smaller.  Of course the main reason the NATO budget is smaller is that the United States is given less.  But regardless of the reason the United States is spending nearly three-quarters of a Trillion Dollars to be a member of the Country Club.

If we the people do not feel that we the people are getting our money’s worth then it is up to we the people to change the situation.

Just a little back of the envelope budget exercise, I know that it is as crude as an axe, but it is at least a starting point.  If the United States could magically drop out of the NATO Country Club, and stop paying our annual membership due what would that due to the United States Budget deficit?

The effect on the FY 2010 Budget would have resulted in a 54.9 percent reduction in the Deficit.  Here is how the math works out.  According to the Financial Management Service of the Dept. of the Treasury, May 2011 Monthly Treasury Statement the FY 2010 deficit was  $1,294,203,000,000.00.  I put all of the zero’s in for effect, since the MTS reports their number in Million, we do not want to scare the public.  If we subtract out the $710,000,000,000.00 for NATO for FY 2010, we are left with a deficit of $583,203,000,000.00 for FY 2010, which is a 54.93 Percent reduction.

If we get a little more adventurous and subtract the $11,400,000,000.00 for the F-#%, (F-35) program, and the $30,000,000,000.00 for the supplemental Afghanistan funding we would have knocked down the FY 2010 deficit to  $538,803,000,000.00 which is a 58.3 percent reduction.

Three items and we are nearly 60 percent the way to reducing the deficit to zero.

The NATO numbers come from the following link http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/Articles/2011/06/22/Libya-May-Be-NATOs-Last-Mission.aspx

The F-#% (F-35) Program come from the following link www.afa.org/edop/2009/R40567.pdf

The FY 2010 Supplemental Number for Afghanistan from the following link http://democrats.appropriations.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=623&Itemid=28

The Deficit numbers come from the following link http://www.fms.treas.gov/mts/index.html

Three items from the United States Budget ok two from the budget, and one from off the budget. And we have made a very significant inroad into the problem.  The deficit does not care if they on or off the budget.

As I used to say when I taught Physics, I have made the first pass; the rest is left up to the students to complete.

The best thing about cutting these items is: 

NATO does not vote in any House, Senate, or Presidential elections, so there should be no constituent’s cry about it, all right there might be some, who could lose contracts.  Given the resent remarks by the President of France on the outgoing SECDEF, it going to be hard if not down right impossible for most of us to continue our support of NATO.

Afghanistan has few if many individual who vote in any House, Senate, or Presidential elections.  There might be a few screams in Afghanistan, but that’s on the other side of the world.  Most of the screams will be from learning that the Gravy Train is leaving the Station.

F-#% (F-35) does have some constituents, but with killing of the F-#%(F-35) we will still have to spend some funds upgrading and purchasing additional legacy aircraft, and since they come from the same sources, the crying should not be as loud.  Yes they are not going to make as much money, but they are still going to make some money.

Crap that comes across my desk!

Some of the junk that comes across my desk is really mind altering.  Today a solicitation from Duke Energy for Duke PremierNotes ℠ these are subordinated notes which the average owner of Duke Energy Stock can “Invest your hard earned money prudently”.  After reading the prospectus one learns that these financial instruments are sort of kind of regulated (the prospectus was filed with SEC), since they will not be traded, and there will be no market. (The SEC cannot really help you in this one, because they really only deal with instruments that are traded on open markets).

It is only when you take time to read the prospectus that you learn just how screwed one would be if one were foolish enough to "Invest".

 One also learns that Duke Energy does not want these instruments rated and will not pay to have these instruments rated, by an outside agency.

Given that they are not rated mean, that most if not all mutual funds cannot invest in this instrument.  That should be the first warning of an up coming screw job.

This instrument is subordinated, meaning that in the case that Duke Energy were to declare bankruptcy these instruments are just above the stock in terms of receiving and principal payout, in all probability you do not get you money back. (Second sign of a screwing)

The interest rate is variable.  It could go up or it could go down.  The "Duke committee" will decide. (Third sign of a screwing)

The prospectus states that members of the committee “may for time to time have potential conflicts of interest from the point of view of the investor in the note.”  This is a really nice way of saying they are not looking out for the investors, the committee and it its member’s fiduciary responsibility is to Duke Energy.  So let that be your Fourth warning that you are just a mark, and that they are out to screw you.

Duke Energy will set the rate, and as stated in the prospectus the rate will have no relationship to the actual risk of the investment. (Fifth warning that you are going to get screwed)  Duke is intentionally vague on how they will set the rate, and how often they intend to adjust the rate. (Sixth warning that you are going to get screwed)  But you can rest assured that the rate will quickly follow drops in the commercial paper market, and will serious lag increases in the commercial paper market.

Currently Duke Energy unsecured paper that has been evaluated has been given a credit quality rating of Baa2 (Moderate), just two levels above the beginning of junk status (Ba1).  This score indicates that Moody thinks the risk is moderate, but Moody does not have any skin in the game, however this would not be the case for you if you put money into this instrument.

Since the instruments are backed by nothing more than a promise that you might get some of your funds back after all the secured creditors in front of you are paid off in the case of default. (Seventh warning that you are going to get screwed)

For Duke it is a great source of funds, in that commercial paper is costing them somewhere between 4 and 6 percent.  So if they can find some unsophisticated investors who are willing to dump their life savings into this pit for 1.3 to 1.7, they are making money.

What do they want to do with this money?  Back to the Prospectus we go and we find the following statement “We will use the net proceeds from the sales of the Notes for general corporate purposes, which may include repayment of debt, capital expenditures, investments in our regulated utility subsidiaries or our unregulated businesses, and working capital.”

With 17,935,000,000 Dollars of Long Term Debt (17.9 Trillion), that is costing them on average about 5.5 percent, I expect them to accelerate the pay down some this expensive debt with cheap debt.  It is really good for them, in that much of the Long Term Debt was secured debt, now the can remonetize those capital assets (Issue new secured corporate bonds at with a lower interest rate, ie add more debt to the balance sheet).

On the other hand you can go out place nearly the same bet that is in my opinion just as risky, with the same guarantee that if the company implodes you get bupkis that yields 5.4 percent.  That path is to purchase the stock, with all of its explicit and implicit risks.

I decided to throw the solicitation for the Duke PremierNotes ℠ into trash. (Seven warning is more than enough for me, although at warning number one I was already out of the game)

 I do own stock in Duke Energy, and I do reinvest the dividends.  But I have not added to my position in this company in any serious way for sometime (Think some where near the bottom of the market).  My current dividend yield on my holding is above 7.0 percent.  To date I have recovered all of my initial investment in the company.  All of the money in this account are the returns that were paid to me by Duke Energy, so I am playing with their money now.

If you really must have your money safe, and insured by the FDIC, then this is not an investment for you, and for me there are different reasons for I would not invest in this crap.  I can get a better deal somewhere else where the return and risk are more in my favor.

Does every Fighter/Bomber have to be Stealth?

With the estimated total life time cost of the F-35 projected to be greater than the current GDP of Australia (.9 – 1.2 Trillion Dollars).  The total F-35 project is equal to  8.5 percent of the 2010 GDP of the United States.  Currently the United States Government income is about 10-15 percent of GDP (depends on who's number one uses), and United States Government expenditures are about 23-25 percent of GDP (same as before, who's number).  Can we really afford a puppy with such large feet (F35 Program)?

With an estimated maintenance cost to be at least 30 to 40 percent per flight hour greater than the aircraft they are replacing.  With the U.S. Navy trying to figure out how they are going to get replacement engines for the F-35 out to the fleet (too big, or too heavy) .  With each F-35 airframe containing more hazardous materials than the airframes they are replacing, complicating and contaminating the maintenance environment.  Can the United States government afford all of the airframes the Department of Defense has programed to purchase?

Would we not be better off from a budget and defense posture stand point to reduce the number of F-35 aircraft, and augment them with upgraded versions of the “Legacy” aircraft?

Block improvements to the F-16, Block upgrades to the F-15E, follow on upgrades to the F/A-18 E/F, granted these are not the next generation aircraft.  But just how many next generation aircraft are there out in the world, and is the United States going to be fighting all of them at once?

Except in the initial phases of the operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, stealth aircraft have played no role in the daily support operations.  The workhorses of these operations are the current generation/legacy aircraft.  The aircraft that we are burning through the airframe hours are not the fighter and bombers, but the cargo and utility airframes (C-130, C-17, KC-135, KC-10) (UH-60, CH-47, CH-53).

The need for stealth aircraft appears to date only required in the initial and early phases of operations.  Once the enemy ground based air defense have been reduced to rubble, and the enemy fighter/interceptor capacity has been destroyed either by direct combat, or by airbase destruction, the need for stealth is not required.  What is required after this initial phase is the ability to put ordinance on targets, typically in the CAS/BAI mission.

It is not that the F-35 is a bad aircraft, far from it, it has out standing physical performance.  But like its other stealth counter part the F-22, which has not come close to meeting the RFP’s maintenance requirement, the F-35 is already way behind the power curve in meeting the RFP’s requirements for maintenance.  The F-22 has gotten better, but based on the observed rate of improvement it will not meet those requirements before the program is retired.

The strain of both of these aircraft on the logistic train when deployed will be overwhelming.  Now it is not a problem, but as these two aircraft pickup more and more of the daily operational burden, the strain will be evident, and will result with the various commands being forced to going back to ask for more funding to shore up their respective logistic systems.

The aircraft at the currently projected numbers will eat the Dept. of the Air Force and the Dept. of the Navy, and consequently the American people out of house and home.  It is just too expensive in the quantities contemplated.  We need a dog to protect our house, just not this one.

Is Nothing Sacred? Now they (and you know who they are) are messing with our Pot

Now there are reports that Genetic Modified Marijuana is being produced in Colombia, where are Food & Water Watch, The Center for Food Safety, Friends of the Earth, Consumers International, and the ever popular CEO of Ben & Jerry's.  See this link http://www.physorg.com/news/2011-06-gm-marijuana-problem-colombia.html

Why are these groups not out in the streets protesting this abuse of science?  Maybe these organizations do not have committees, or groups that specialize in the dangers of Genetic Modified drugs (legal or illegal)?

We know where the Federal, State, and local law enforcement officials are on this issue. The top six answers are ( at the Donut Shop, at the Taco Joint, at the Road House, at the Mall, at the local speed trap, or just clueless)

To all those roach heads, and you know who you are.  A few thoughts as you down that bowl of Ben and Jerry’s in the wee hours of the morning.  Can you trust that doobie?  How did that doobie get so strong, just plan good old fashion horticulture with selective breeding, or did it come from a test tube?

How can you tell if that medicinal herb is real or that its effects been enhanced by gene modification?  I know your dealer told you it was not GM ganja, it is the real shit.  And we all know that we can trust a dope dealer.

Other than a really radical case of the munchies are there any really dangerous long-term effects from chronic use of GM cannabis versus chronic use of non-GM cannabis?  More research is need, and whether you like it or not you are the lab rats.  It is just going to be a really crappy experiment since the protocol is rather ad hoc, and the controls are really unknown.

Finally for those who are environmentally conscience users, is GM ganja considered to be organic?

Ok it was kind of slow today, it is summer time. 

Cherry Garcia is my first choice, if I am given one.

Long live deadheads, and please watch out for those sharks that feed right after dark.

We Have Declared Victory

Beside Osama Bin Laden not wanting to be Killed or Captured, there was one other individual who did not want Osama Bin Laden to meet that fate.  That person was none other than the President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, His Excellence Hamid Karzai.  For with the death of Osama Bin Laden, the United States people have no reason to be in Afghanistan, the mission is done.  The United States Government on the other hand might have a different view.  It will take the United States Government a few months to wake up and figure out that while they were walking down the street in front of the parade, the parade made a turn off the street, on or about 3 May 2011.

The majority of the people in the United States do not care one iota about rebuilding the nation of Afghanistan.  For that matter many of the citizens of the NATO states who have troops in Afghanistan do not care one iota about rebuilding the nation of Afghanistan.

What these people do care about is the cost of the war in terms of their dead and wounded, and the financial cost to prop up a corrupt government, that currently is tied for second place with Myanmar as being one of the most corrupt. The number one honor goes to Somalia  (2010 Transparency International).  Boy, we sure no how to pick them, I am just surprised that we do not have troops in Myanmar.

With the Presidential announcement about the draw down of the United States Armed Forces in Afghanistan (and the various NATO member announcements), the impending and accelerated departure of Gen David H. Petraeus so that he can step right into his new position as Director Central Intelligence Agency (The Senate will confirm, he is a war hero), and the recent sharp statements from the current United States Ambassador to the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, to the President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, the writing is on the wall, the gravy train is leaving the station.

It is time to start getting ready to make a run for the border, because when the last American boot leaves the ground in Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, all hell is going to break lose.

The big question for His Excellency is can I get out of this pit without getting member of my family or my self killed, and what nation will provide me with asylum?

WTFAH

Could someone please explain to me how a 153.6 Million Dollars fine to JP Morgan Chase & C., whose reported Net Income for 2010 was 17,370. Million Dollars actually punishes the company?  The Material impact on their bottom line is less than 1 percent of 2010 net income.

What kind of “Hard Working” lawyers does the SEC have on their staff?  My best guess is lawyers that want to work for JP Morgan, when they get tired of the their current gig, and have built up enough brownie points to get hired by JP Morgan.

Other than a promise that JP Morgan Chase & Co. will cross their heart (If they actually have one) (Wait corporations don’t have hearts, yet they are afforded rights as if they were human), never ever do this again. What assurances do we really have that they will not turn around and do it again?

I know it is the ever-vigilant and timely United States Security Exchange Commission.  You know the groups whose motto is “Vel caecus interdum can reperio a lamnia lammina lamna”,  (Even the Blind sometimes can find a coin).  This is the government agency with something like 3700 full time employee, whose budget in 2010 was 1,571 Million Dollars.  Note that the SEC budget does not exceed the 10 percent of JP Morgan Chase & Co. Net Income for 2010.  JP Morgan Chase and Co. employees alone outnumber the SEC employees 65 to 1.  Add in Citicorp, Bank of America, …etc., well you get the picture.  The SEC is like 7^th Calvary at the battle of Grease Grass (Little Bighorn), where the famous refrain of the day was “Where did all the dam Indian come from”.

Oh, and all of these games took place in 2007, let see it 2011.  Three and half years to find the incident, and to come to some type of agreement on the subject where the pertpatrator did not admit any guilt or wrong doing, but just handed over a small token to get the morons out of their offices, not bad for a government agency who as far as I can tell main function is lip service.

JP Morgan Chase & Co. is only one of the companies that this commission is chartered to provide over site on.  What kind of job are they really doing?  I am sure that most of the employee’s are well past trying to drain the swamp, past trying to killing all of the Alligators, past the point of even trying to kill just one small Alligator, and more in the mode of just trying not to get eaten by the Alligators.

When dealing with any institution that is regulated by the SEC, a word to the wise “Caveat emptor”.  Remember the 15 Qualified Investors who were really outside of the sphere of the normal JP Morgan Chase & Co. clients, (Most of those clients told them to go away on the Squared CDO), that bought the crap from JP Morgan Chase and Co. called “Squared CDO”.

Wal-Mart vs. Dukes

The Supreme Court has rendered an opinion which in this case which remind me of the punch line from the old jokes about the Lions and Christians in the Roman Coliseum where the announcer who is calling the action on the floor say, “At the bottom of the First its Lions 10 and Christians 0.

It’s a big win for Wallyworld, and a big loss for Wallyworld’s female employees.  The decision decided by 5 Old White Men (Scalia, Roberts, Kennedy, Alito, and Thomas).  Yes, I do put Justice Thomas in this class.  Given the relationship between Justice Thomas and Harlan Crow he just might be one of the most compromised justices of the late 20^th and early 21^st century.

The court majority opinion written by the sage of justice, Justice Scalia, immediately drills down to fine minutia of the law, Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 23(b)(2), because God forbid that these 5 individuals do not want to make any law that might be construed to expand the rights of an individual versus the rights of a corporation, or for that matter the state.

The dissenting opinion (Which agreed with the Majority, but for a different reason) written by Justice Ginsburg said that instead the plaintiffs should have been certifiable under Rule 23(b)(3) but that issue is not before the court.  More importantly that the broad interpretation that the majority opinion holding that plaintiffs (Not just the ones in this case, but any future cases) must first cross the “commonality” line set by Rule 23(a)(2) will make it extremely difficult to certify any class for a class action suit.  This is a big win for corporate America.

Meanwhile nothing was decided by the court on whether or not Wallyworld either by design or by neglect, or a combination of both, discriminated against female employee’s trying to gain access to management positions.  If you feel, think, or know that Wallyworld does discriminate against female employees what are you to do?  The court is no help to you on this one.

May I suggest that you take a clue from that old Greek play write Aristophanes and his classic tale Lysistrata.  You know where Lysistrata persuades the women of Greece to withhold sexual privileges until the men negotiate peace.  Only this variation, women who control most household purse strings, just stop shopping at Wal-Mart until Wal-Mart comes to its senses.  The drop in sales and cash flow will get their attention.

It will not happen over night, but it will happen, as their numbers start to suffer, it will get the attention of many individual both inside and outside of the company.  Wall street might forgive a quarter where the numbers are down (Which could be explained by the phase of the moon, or that the Mars is in Virgo), but string a few sub par quarters together and individual and organizations that own large chunks will start to question the company management.  Management does not like to be questioned or have their abilities questioned.

Wal-Mart is no longer the leader in their industry; their numbers are downright disappointing given their size.  Wal-Mart stock price has been flat since January 2000.  The stock has to this date not reached it 1999 highs.  The company is just not working.  Wal-Mart is losing market share in China.  It appears that profit margins are being squeezed by both rising commodity and labor prices.  Wal-Mart no longer reports to the public Month over Month same store sales, why add to the bad news.

Why else would a company announce a 15.0 Billion Dollars share buyback program?  Which based on the market cap of 188.8 Billion Dollars, on 6 June 2011 represented approximately 8 % of its market cap.  This is on top of a previous 13.0 Billion Dollars share buyback program, which Wal-Mart management label as successful.  The successful part of the program was that their stock did not tank.  Add to this a recent 21 percent dividend increase in March of 2011, and you really have to wonder.

Wal-Mart was driven from Germany, the Germans for some reason just did not like the way the company does business, go figure.  They did not do so well in South Korea, and cracks are starting to appear in China.

For the most part Wal-Mart is just treading water, hoping that they do not sink any deeper.  Their management is in the Monty Python mode, you know “Now for Something Completely Different” or let’s throw this idea out and see if it sticks to the wall.

You want to let Wal-Mart know that you are not happy with the situation?  Them let them know via the only path that they seem to understand, their wallet.

It could be a Solid World

The Bank of International Settlements estimates that the European Union is sitting on at least $70.0 Billion Dollars of Greek Debit.  The European Union with an estimated combined GDP of $16.2 Trillion Dollars appears to be formidable, and on the surface should be able to handle this loss.  But this debt under the current rules for European Banking allowed that no reserves be held again these assets, the are supposed to be "SAFE".  Shades of the scene in "The Marathon Man", where the question is "Is it Safe?"  Assuming a 10 to 1 leverage ratio, the EU should be surprised to see at loss of at least 700 Billion Dollars.  If there is a Haircut, it might be less.  If the banks are operating at a higher leverage ratio, it could be worse.  If it is an outright default it will be as if 2.4 year of EU GDP growth just disappears over night.  The European, if not the worlds financial system will go solid, no one will lend anyone any money at anything approaching a normal rate.  The LIBOR spread, will be more of a wall.  Trust will, liquidity will gush out of the system.  Other nations, in the same pit, will give more consideration to the path just taken by the Greeks.

I know that I am not able to describe the emotional carnage that will occur to the millions of individual who through no fault of their own will have to suffer through aftermath of this event.  The destabilizing effect will not be just confined to Europe.  The rest of the world will be affected.  This event will test the resiliency of every democracy.

The European Union will have to change or it will cease to exist.  Individual in the know currently state that there is no “mechanisms” for countries to leave the Union.  This fact will not stop any county from leaving.  In countries where the majority of the population demands that their country leave the EU, they will leave the EU by fiat.

What is the European Union do?  Invade them and force them back into the fold.  The European Union does not have a standing military.  The EU would have to ask their members nations to send their armies.  The European Union could boycott the countries that wish to leave European Union, but the EU does not control the checkpoints at the borders, if there were checkpoints.  The borders are controlled by the member nations custom and police forces.  The members of the European Union are still sovereign nations, and as such still retain all of the instruments of sovereign nations.  The members of the EU are not states that have succumbed to a federal power either by declaration or force.  At best the EU is a confederation, and not a very cohesive confederation.  This debt crisis is the first real test of this confederation, since it involves something near and dear to nearly everyone, MONEY.

What is wrong with this person.

The results of the Department of Defense Inspector General investigation are in and it does not look good for the past Director of the Department of Defense Education Activity, who is currently in a holding pattern at some other not so public position in the DOD.

See the following link http://www.stripes.com/news/investigation-finds-former-dodea-director-abused-her-authority-1.146532

I am sure that Ethic, Official Travel Card, and Government Procument Card, training is part of the normal in processing, and it is part of the Annual refresher training.  Well I know it is required for the Government Service (GS) grunts.  I do not know that it is required for the Senior Executive Service (SES) personnel?  God knows that GS folks have to go to an annual refresher. I do not know about  SES?

But if all of this was presented at the in process briefing or at the annual refresher training she must have slept through it, or had a really long restroom break.  "You can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make it drink".  Or for you more educationally inclined, "You can put a student into a classroom, but you cannot make them learn".

Ignorance is no excuse, nor is it a defense, especially for an individual in a leadership position.  For some it might be a mitigating factor in sentencing.

Now is time for due process to be applied, and it is time for Dr. Shirley Miles to depart from US Government Employment as soon as practical.  If it was a grunt, you can bet tomorrows sunrise that they would be gone.

Maybe she can find here way back into working for some unsuspecting local school district in Colorado. Typically these school districts do not have Inspector General so that will be a big increase in the relief factor.   The local District Attorney are typically more interested in violent crime, and that will add to the relief factor.  God only knows what the State School Board is really interested in?

Then again maybe Public School Administration is not in her future?

Again as before it is time to contact the appropriate individual, and just ask WTFIGO?

Why is this man still in the United States Air Force

Why is Major Gen. James T. Rubeor, still the commander of the 22nd Air Force after the Air Force Inspector General Report on one of his personnel actions.
 
Read for you self at:
http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2011/06/air-force-ig-found-whistle-blower-forced-out-061211w/

Had this individual been a Company Grade Officer, the powers that be would not have been treated so gently.

Had this individual been a Field Grade Officer, the powers that be would not have have been treated so gently.

Words that come to mind are "Conduct unbecoming", and a visit JAG for a possible Article 39, to investigate whether  Article 133, and possibly Article 134-19 of the UCMJ had been violated. 

But this Air Force Flag Grade Officer, and Two Star to boot, is protected by the SKAB (Sky King Academy Brotherhood), would you expect anything less of the thin blue line.  And the SKAB decided that Letter of Reprimand (LOR) was enough.

A LOR is a career ending maneuver for any officers.  Not quite as much fun as BCD.  As they say in aerial combat a nick is as good as a kill.  But it does matter how long it takes to kill, because in this case time is money, our money.

Gen Rubeor time in service will continue to rack up those valuable Sky Points Retirement Miles.   In this time of tight Federal Budgets, do we really need this.   It is OUR tax dollars at work.

The General can still create havoc, and if the next investigation of an incident takes as long as this past investigation, the general could well be on his way to extra bonus points.  (35 Years and retired from the USAF).

The SKAB is hoping that the upcoming USAF Force Shaping will do the trick.  After all it appears that there are 4,373 redundant officers in the service http://www.stripes.com/news/air-force-wants-to-trim-5-750-people-by-2012-1.100306 , an maybe just maybe he might be one of them.

So what is the cost delay, just a back of the envelope estimate for us morons;

If the General is forced to retire now he will gross somewhere around $10,751 per month or 129K$ per year.   This just brings a tear to my eye.

If the General can stretch it out another year before he retires he gets $11,556 per month or 138K$ per year.  Now I am really sobbing.

If he is really lucky and can stretch it out for two year he get $12,313 per month or 147K$ per year.  Now I am a candidate for Thorazine with a Hadol chaser.

And it only gets better, for he is in luck, he gets COLA on top of his retirement.  You know COLA, the gift that keeps on giving.

You all know who the individuals are that can end this tale of wonder, and you should write them.