McCain Opposed To New Benefits for Veterans
Posted by
Kevin
I have hardly ever agreed with McCain on the issues, but I don’t think I have every held him in contempt. Until now
Disappointingly, Sen. John McCain, presumptive Republican candidate for president, so far declines to back the measure. He seems to be responding to concerns of the military brass that enhanced educational opportunities could negatively affect retention rates. Not only is it wrong to want people to stay in the military because they have no alternatives, but such thinking ignores the advantages enhanced educational benefits offer in recruitment. To meet recruitment goals, the military has offered bonuses and lowered some of its standards. Imagine being able instead to promise possible recruits a first-class college education.
these are combat veterans we are talking about. We owe these men and women every bit of help adjusting back to civilian life we can possibly give them and we certainly owe them the chance to improve their station in life. Unlike McCain, not every vet is going to be able to marry an heiress. But McCain doesn’t support this bill? Why: becasue he thinks it will hurt retention. McCain is afraid that if we actually reward soldiers who have risked their lives in the service of their country that they wont have any incentive to stay for extra tours.
McCain is afraid, at the end of the day, that if we treat our veterans with the decency they deserve and provide them with the opportunities due them from a grateful nation that he won’t have enough soldiers left to stay in Iraq for a hundred years or fight the wars he apparently confuses with “national greatness”. And so tough luck boys and girls: Johnny McCain needs you back on the front lines, not home with your families and certainly to in a college classroom backing a better life for you and yours.
As a disabled Veteran who took full advantage of my GI Bill, the Hazelwood Act (for Texas Veterans), and Chapter 31, Vocational Rehabilitation to earn a BS and MA degree — I’m not at all concerned about them raising current GI Bill funding or benefits.
The facts are that relatively few Veterans even use any portion of their GI Bill benefits. Most Veterans I know never went to school after their military careers were over. Not because the GI Bill wasn’t sufficient, but because they weren’t interested in going to school.
The only change I would like to see would be passage of U.S. Representative Rick Larsen’s GI Bill for Life Act (H.R. 2247), which would allow a Veteran to use their earned GI Bill benefit at any date…not just within the current 10-year time limit.
The problem isn’t “enough” funding for Veterans interested in going to college from the Federal Government. Attacking McCain on this is really rather silly.
All States should step up and do what Texas has done with the Hazlewood Act, which is to provide free tuition to any sate Veteran at any State school. This benefit extends to graduate programs as well.
Comment 4/21/2008