exNavyOffRec
Well-Known Member
well this is interesting.
http://www.navytimes.com/article/20...0046/DoD-seeks-plan-shut-all-U-S-commissaries
http://www.navytimes.com/article/20...0046/DoD-seeks-plan-shut-all-U-S-commissaries
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Commissaries Closing?
- Thread starter exNavyOffRec
- Start date
I believe the entire Commissary budget should be taken directly from the "pots of $$$s", that we throw away giving to Egypt, Syria, Afghanistan and others, who absolutely hate us... PRIORITIES?
BzB
Keep commissaries open because it offers employment for spouses? Weak.
The commissary saves a family of four $4,500 a year? I don't believe it, unless their combined weight is over 1,000 pounds. Based on my limited shopping experiences inside commissaries that very we'll may be the case, though.
The commissary saves a family of four $4,500 a year? I don't believe it, unless their combined weight is over 1,000 pounds. Based on my limited shopping experiences inside commissaries that very we'll may be the case, though.
Commissaries have their place, I'm sure. San Diego isn't one of them.
Think "remote duty locations", OCONUS, etc.
Think "remote duty locations", OCONUS, etc.
So much for the Commissaries not costing the DoD much, $1.4 billion paid for by the DoD and not the 5% surcharge.
I wonder, are they talking about spouses of active duty members or are they including retiree spouses?
I wonder, are they talking about spouses of active duty members or are they including retiree spouses?
I'm not sure about $4,500 a year, but we (family of 4) save quite a bit by almost exclusively comissary shopping. During the shutdown last month, we did a weekly shopping trip, just bought our normal items, and spent about $20 more on our groceries at a local store (Giant) than our normal trip to the comissary, and I bought a lot of store brand items. $20 doesn't sound like much, but that's about 15-20% of our weekly bill. Sure, the comissary has it's negatives, but the savings are there to be had and I don't look forward to not having the option.
Spekkio
He bowls overhand.
Why does it have to be either-or there? Why can't we take a hard look at the way we procure supplies and allocate budget to ships so you don't waste hundreds of thousands of dollars per unit on an end of fiscal year spendex buying over-priced consumables that you don't need? With the money you can save there you could probably keep at least half of the commisaries they are closing, and you'd have no impact to the operational budget.
The better question is why should the DoD be subsidizing grocery stores so folks can save a $1 on a gallon of milk and $0.23 on salad dressing?
I would love to see the Venn Diagram for those who will complain about their spouses losing their job at the commissary and those who complain about "welfare states" and such.
Not something I'll miss CONUS, though I suspect those stationed in the more remote bases will feel this loss a bit. It seems to me like doing a study to determine which commissaries actually make money would be easy. Keep those open, close the rest.
Nothing wrong with injecting a bit of free market economy into this. It's no longer a benefit (thus, it isn't unfair that it isn't offered to everyone). It's a profit-based decision to offer or not offer certain things on every base. The argument I always hear for keeping all open if we keep some open is that it isn't fair to offer some people more than you offer others. But that's bullshit, as some bases have Bowling Alleys and theaters and McDonalds, etc., and other's don't.
And if the commissary is self-sustaining, then it isn't getting government $, so there's no unequal distribution of aide. Nothing unfair about putting a grocery store on a base where there is enough demand to keep it open, and not putting one where there isn't. They do it with Starbucks and fast food; why not groceries?
Nothing wrong with injecting a bit of free market economy into this. It's no longer a benefit (thus, it isn't unfair that it isn't offered to everyone). It's a profit-based decision to offer or not offer certain things on every base. The argument I always hear for keeping all open if we keep some open is that it isn't fair to offer some people more than you offer others. But that's bullshit, as some bases have Bowling Alleys and theaters and McDonalds, etc., and other's don't.
And if the commissary is self-sustaining, then it isn't getting government $, so there's no unequal distribution of aide. Nothing unfair about putting a grocery store on a base where there is enough demand to keep it open, and not putting one where there isn't. They do it with Starbucks and fast food; why not groceries?
The two are not (and should not) be mutually exclusive.
I'll take the bait. I'm an O-4 > 12 who is married to a SELRES O-4 who drills 8-10 times a month. We set a budget, live within our means, and save a lot of money.
We utilize the commissary A LOT. The price difference between local Safeway and the commissary is huge. It's not just the young Sailors and retirees who are using the benefit. My family would miss access, and while it certainly wouldn't drive us to food stamps, it would make a noticeable impact on our monthly budget, i.e., impacting how much we're saving/investing for the future when other (more costly) benefits are taken back.
$4,500 a year? Probably not, but my family saves a considerable amount of money with this benefit.
I would be curious to peel the skin back on the argument and see where the grocer lobbyists are on it. You know they're there - you know they're complaining about unfair competition and lost revenue. It would be interesting to see who's entertaining their arguments.
Also not sure if this suggestions (plan) is politically tenable. "Don't vote for Candidate X, he strips benefits from veterans...."
We utilize the commissary A LOT. The price difference between local Safeway and the commissary is huge. It's not just the young Sailors and retirees who are using the benefit. My family would miss access, and while it certainly wouldn't drive us to food stamps, it would make a noticeable impact on our monthly budget, i.e., impacting how much we're saving/investing for the future when other (more costly) benefits are taken back.
$4,500 a year? Probably not, but my family saves a considerable amount of money with this benefit.
I would be curious to peel the skin back on the argument and see where the grocer lobbyists are on it. You know they're there - you know they're complaining about unfair competition and lost revenue. It would be interesting to see who's entertaining their arguments.
Also not sure if this suggestions (plan) is politically tenable. "Don't vote for Candidate X, he strips benefits from veterans...."
Navy Times estimates just shy of 1.5 million active duty personnel on the rolls this years.
We take that $1.4B DoD hemorrhages on the commissaries each year, skip the middleman, and just pay it out as a stipend to all active duty folks. It works out to just under $1000 per person. I buy groceries exclusively at the Commissary on Mai Tai island because Safeway is about 20% higher and Whole Foods is 75+% higher, but even I would be happier to just get an extra $1000 cash each year.
We take that $1.4B DoD hemorrhages on the commissaries each year, skip the middleman, and just pay it out as a stipend to all active duty folks. It works out to just under $1000 per person. I buy groceries exclusively at the Commissary on Mai Tai island because Safeway is about 20% higher and Whole Foods is 75+% higher, but even I would be happier to just get an extra $1000 cash each year.