News for hackers. Stuff that matters.

A comment on Which Occupations Are Priced Out of Homeownership?. Parent comment

Re:Which Occupations Are Priced Out of Homeownership? by poof131 on Thursday February 25, 2016 @02:57AM (#11173012)
Astronauts aren’t doing it for the money. The government doesn’t pay it’s people well for risk. Contracting with the government is much more lucrative in this regards. Military can often pay less than $50k a year[1] to people taking a ton of risk when a contractor taking significantly less risk is making $1000 a day. This is one reason privatizing so much of the military is corrosive.

http://www.militaryrates.com/military-pay-charts-e1_e5_2016

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Which Occupations Are Priced Out of Homeownership? by icebraining on Thursday February 25, 2016 @08:04AM (#11174095)
Why is that corrosive? Increasing the cost of going to war sounds great to me.
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Which Occupations Are Priced Out of Homeownership? by bryondowd on Thursday February 25, 2016 @10:26AM (#11175005)
It would be great, if that cost reigned in our willingness to go to war. However, it just provides even more incentive for all the people making money off it directly or indirectly to support the war.
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Which Occupations Are Priced Out of Homeownership? by falsestprophet on Thursday February 25, 2016 @06:08AM (#11173701)
Like everything in life, it is a matter of supply and demand.

At the height of the Iraq war, there was a suddenly increased demand for the services of private military contractors relative to their supply.

Now, the demand is reduced and the market rate for private military contractor services is much less expensive.

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Which Occupations Are Priced Out of Homeownership? by linkregister on Thursday February 25, 2016 @07:41PM (#11179076)
Those pay charts obscure the near-match of base salary for Basic Assistance for Housing (untaxed!) and free medical, $300/mo grocery allowance, etc.

That E-5 is earning comparably to $65k or so, depending on the locality.

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Which Occupations Are Priced Out of Homeownership? by fapjacks on Thursday February 25, 2016 @03:40AM (#11173147)
Yes, but that number goes up when you're getting shot at. Your point about contractors stands, though.
[ Parent | on HN ]