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bucheon bum
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
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 Posted: Tue May 06, 2008 10:20 am Post subject: Doing the Troops Wrong |
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An op-ed today from Bob Herbert:
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| Senator Webb, a Virginia Democrat, has been the guiding force behind this legislation, which has been dubbed the new G.I. bill. The measure is decidedly bipartisan. Mr. Webb�s principal co-sponsors include Republican Senators Chuck Hagel of Nebraska and John Warner of Virginia, and Democratic Senator Frank Lautenberg of New Jersey. |
Who is against it? President Bush and John McCain. Why?
Well I don't know why McCain is but:
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| The Bush administration opposes the new G.I. bill primarily on the grounds that it is too generous, would be difficult to administer and would adversely affect retention. |
Webb points out:
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| For every dollar that was spent on the World War II G.I. bill, seven dollars came back in the form of tax remunerations from those who received benefits. |
Of all the ways we waste money, an extended/enlarged GI Bill seems like pretty sane spending to me. |
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On the other hand
Joined: 19 Apr 2003
Location: I walk along the avenue
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| Posted: Tue May 06, 2008 10:46 am Post subject: |
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Thanks, Bum. Would it be possible to link the whole article?
From the little I've read here, this would seem to be a p.r. trainwreck waiting to happen for the GOP, given what soldiers have already been put through as a result of Republican policies. |
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Nowhere Man
Joined: 08 Feb 2004
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| Posted: Tue May 06, 2008 10:55 am Post subject: ... |
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| Of all the ways we waste money, an extended/enlarged GI Bill seems like pretty sane spending to me. |
Strongly Agree |
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bucheon bum
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Tue May 06, 2008 11:07 am Post subject: |
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Whoops, silly me. Forgot to post the link:
Article |
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Kuros
Joined: 27 Apr 2004
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| Posted: Tue May 06, 2008 11:23 am Post subject: |
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This money is for education, right?
Education is a great investment of public money. Precisely because its an investment with great dividends. We should expand this bill to include in some way just about every American who is qualified to attend college. |
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Pluto
Joined: 19 Dec 2006
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| Posted: Tue May 06, 2008 11:43 am Post subject: |
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I'm not one to agree with the Times, but I think it's a great idea. Let's shut down the Dept. of Education and make it happen.
There are other options, such as the GI Bill kicker where you get an extra $200/month (an extra $7200 over the course of the life of the GI Bill) if you add an extra $500 to the fund while you're in the service. |
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Ya-ta Boy
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Location: Established in 1994
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| Posted: Tue May 06, 2008 2:15 pm Post subject: |
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| would be difficult to administer |
Something tells me that the administrators in charge are all ex-Korean Immigration employees who can't keep track of our documents. How hard could it be? The gov't has the soldiers' SS number. All they need is the current address and something from the colleges saying that particular person is currently enrolled in school. |
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CentralCali
Joined: 17 May 2007
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| Posted: Tue May 06, 2008 3:15 pm Post subject: |
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| Kuros wrote: |
This money is for education, right?
Education is a great investment of public money. Precisely because its an investment with great dividends. We should expand this bill to include in some way just about every American who is qualified to attend college. |
Why? There are other educational benefit programs. This one is specifically for military. |
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Adventurer
Joined: 28 Jan 2006
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| Posted: Wed May 07, 2008 4:17 pm Post subject: |
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| Who is going to pay for this? Where would the money come from? The government is saddled with so much debt after the war they can't afford these things, now can they? I do like programs like this, but I am nervous about more spending by the government after Iraq, which is like this bottomless hole for your tax dollars. |
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Gopher
Joined: 04 Jun 2005
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| Posted: Wed May 07, 2008 5:09 pm Post subject: |
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| Agree with Kuros on how it ought to be universal and not merely a military perk; and we should streamline/decrease the defense budget and esp. foreign aid to pay for it, Adventurer. A powerful air/space/nuclear force, a strong blue-water, carrier-based Navy, a small corps of an Army with a much larger conscription/reserve force available in time of war, and with no troops stationed in places like South Korea seems the best way to go. |
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Big_Bird
Joined: 31 Jan 2003
Location: Sometimes here sometimes there...
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| Posted: Wed May 07, 2008 5:19 pm Post subject: |
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| Gopher wrote: |
| Agree with Kuros on how it ought to be universal and not merely a military perk; and we should streamline/decrease the defense budget and esp. foreign aid to pay for it, Adventurer. |
Careful Gopher, you might turn into a socialist.  |
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Gopher
Joined: 04 Jun 2005
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| Posted: Wed May 07, 2008 5:22 pm Post subject: |
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| Big_Bird: you and several others here have always had my politics completely wrong. |
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Big_Bird
Joined: 31 Jan 2003
Location: Sometimes here sometimes there...
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| Posted: Wed May 07, 2008 5:23 pm Post subject: |
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| Gopher wrote: |
| Big_Bird: you and several others here have always had my politics completely wrong. |
Awwwww. Poor misunderstood little Gopher. Tehehe. |
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CentralCali
Joined: 17 May 2007
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| Posted: Thu May 08, 2008 12:33 am Post subject: |
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| Gopher wrote: |
| Agree with Kuros on how it ought to be universal and not merely a military perk; |
How many times does it have to be said for people to understand it? This is not the only government financial assistance for education program. This particular one is for the military. There are other programs available for others. For the military programs, the military members must opt in and serve a certain time to be eligible for the benefits. |
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Gopher
Joined: 04 Jun 2005
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| Posted: Thu May 08, 2008 12:52 am Post subject: |
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I hope you are not lecturing me on military service and its benefits.
In any case, since the original GI Bill, this has represented far more than the military. The military, however, for patriotic reasons, remains the best way, even if only limited, to sell socialist programs in America.
Same goes for "defense." Do you remember what Eisenhower called his federal education and highway initiatives? |
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