Who is Paying the military salaries?

Herro spalladino I know that BP has been paying for clean-up and income to people and businesses in the South. HOWEVER, I personally think they could speed up the claims process with less paperwork. I only know what I see on TV about having to provide IRS records for 2-4yrs. I will say, "when?" BP pays the fines, after the appeals process...What will happen to the money? Will it be used to reimburse the losses of the gulf states? I can only hope that our worst fears of the Gulf being permanently damaged will not come true. I hadn't thought of the government billing BP for equipment and fuel. Like you, I am a taxpayer paying the salaries of our military, as well as my retirement benefit. I am retired US military. I appreciate your thoughts and taking time to respond. Prosperous mylotting

Herro spalladino I appreciate you thanking for service. I thank your husband. Although we lost that battle, I believe it was the beginning of the war on terrorism. May God bless you and your husband. Is he getting care at the VA? I did not serve in Vietnam, however did serve during that time frame at Travis AFB, CA. Prosperous mylotting

Good question, TexLadyPj...I don't know what the fine money will be used for but it would be nice if it was used to help the states that have been effected by the spill. I share your same hopes as I am in south Florida and the thought of our beautiful Gulf coast beaches being permanently damaged is one of my worst fears, too. Thank you for your service to this country, by the way. My husband is a disabled vet who did two tours in Nam.

Herrojamed28 I understand that the country pays its military through taxes. My question was not just personnel, but equipment. When our personnel and equipment and fuel is used to fight this catastrophe, what will happen when we run out of money for a "mother nature" catastrophe, e.g. hurricane, floods, tornadoes. How will we help earthquake people, like we and other countries are helping Haiti. I pay taxes just like other citizens of the US. My taxes pay current active duty and retired military. Prosperous mylotting

Herro dawnald I appreciate you taking thought and time to respond to the conversation. I'm not sure what will happen with the military expenses. Personnel salaries, equipment, fuel. I suspect that we, the taxpayer, will foot the bill. The argument will be, how do we discern the difference between civilian and military expenses. I could say, the Admiral's salary, the expenses of the Coast Guard ships and fuel, the spotter aircraft, the new Navy blimp that just joined the search. Prosperous mylotting

Herro faisai It is sad that the catastrophe happened. I believe that BP contributed beyond the accident definition by their carelessness and inattention to safety procedures. How do you pay the families of the lost oilmen. Another question, on topic, yet off. What about the families of the coalminers in VA? That too was contributed to by the company. Did we as a government contribute by turning a blind eye? Probably. Money talks. Lobbyists talk. Legislators listen to lobbyists who give money to their home states. If we could turn the clock back, I'm sure major corporations would do things differently. I have heard the phrase, "hindsite is always twenty-twenty!" I appreciate you taking to the to respond. I look forward to hearing from you again. Prosperous mylotting

Herro MagicalBubbles I know that BP has paid quite a bit of money towards clean-up, I was specifically asking about the military expenses. I have read the next response and will respond to them individually. I appreciate you taking the time to respond. Looking forward to seeing your responses in the future. Prosperous mylotting

Herro lacieice Let's look at the other side of the issue. If the government bills BP, will that cause BP to go bankrupt, then what happens? I appreciate you taking the time to respond to this discussion. Prosperous mylotting

Herro lacieice You are probably on target. It is just a fear that we in a poor economy have. I see everyday the damage from the oil. I wonder how long it will take to clean the Gulf, 5years, 10years. We also have the oil below the surface that is killing a lot of life in the gulf. Hopefully we will not get a storm until the catastrophe is stopped. Then aggressive clean-up can start. We also have the problem of the dispersant that is killing so much life in the Gulf. At least some fishing is beginning to come back. Now for the tourist business to return, sooner, than later. Prosperous mylotting

Hi...I don't really think any of this is gonna cause BP to go bankrupt. All conpanies have funds set aside for this type of situation, and, although their profits will be down this year, I think they can well afford to pay all damages and clean-up costs. They make billions and billions a year...this is a drop in the bucket for them.

Herro dorothyDauphinee Yes, I was referring to the US taxpayers, including myself. I file and pay taxes every year. I do wonder if we as voters can change this idea? Our primary option is voting. How many of us will use this option at midterm elections? Prosperous mylotting

Herro 2004cqui I agree with you, I'm not sure we will ever understand the total damage of the catastrophe. We can rebuild buildings from hurricanes, floods, earthquakes. How do you rebuild the Gulf. I appreciate you taking the time to express your thoughts. Prosperous mylotting