Why Growth Rates Matter: Veterans’ Disability Pay vs. State Revenue

As veterans, we’re taught to value stewardship, accountability, and fairness—especially when it comes to how people are treated after service.I recently released a podcast episode that takes a careful, data-driven look at a comparison that’s been made in public discourse: veterans’ disability compensation versus state revenue, framed as an issue of “budget management.”In this episode, I respectfully address my Army brother, Wes Moore, not from a political angle, but from a shared understanding of service and responsibility.The episode walks through:Why comparing an individual veteran’s compensation to state revenue is an economic category errorHow inflation-adjusted growth tells a very different storyWhat veterans’ compensation would look like today if it had simply tracked the same real growth rate as Maryland’s revenueWhy these comparisons matter for veterans who have been restricted from work and rely on compensation as wage replacementThis isn’t about criticism or ideology.It’s about using the right math, the right framework, and the same economic logic we apply everywhere else.🎧 Listen to the full episode here:I welcome thoughtful, good-faith discussion—especially from those who care about veterans, public finance, and responsible governance.