Well, John Soltz, a vet, at http://www.votevets.org/ has notified me that 16,000 Americans sent letters to their Senators rejecting their "GI Bill." Why? This legislation would:
1) create a flat education benefit, which does not account for the higher cost of state college tuitions where many of our veterans live. Soltz highlights that, "This would mean veterans in states where the cost of education is higher than the benefit would have to go into debt to get an education, or uproot themselves and their families to move to a place where the benefit would cover college."
2) essentially creates second-class veterans. This bill only benefits those military persons who have served 12 years. Anyone who has served less than that cannot transfer their education benefits to their children. Soltz tranlates for us, "This says to a veteran who serves for two years and loses both of his legs in combat that his service isn't as valuable as someone who has served for longer."
3) leaves out entirely those National Guard and Reserve personnel who have served their country in active combat right along-side their active duty brothers and sisters. Soltz says, "Under the McCain bill, over 160,000 members of the Guard and Reserves who have done more than one tour in Iraq or Afghanistan would get no credit towards an education for their additional sacrifice."
Enter Chuck Hagel (R-Nebraska) and Jim Webb (D-Virginia) who have responded to this injustice, in a bi-partisan effort to introduce the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act. Vets have written hundreds of op-ed's in support of this legislation and 30,000 Americans signed a petition that was hand delivered to the Senate this week. Nearly every Veterans organization supports this bill, as well as 57 Senators from the left and right. It is well known that McCain was asked to co-sponsor this bill, but declined to do so, opting for his offensive family-unfriendly version. So, what's so great about this bill?
1) The Webb-Hagel Bill raises each vetran allottment based on the highest tution in that state, allowing vets to come to their homes and keep their families in tact, rather than having to move away to go where cheap tutions would be costly, both in moving costs and much neede social supports.
2) There is no requirement for number of years served. You only have to be a vet.
3) This bill also ensures the coverage of those National Guardsmen and Reservists who served.
Can you think of a better way to support our troops? Don’t just sport a sticker or a lapel pin, contact your Senators (http://www.visi.com/juan/congress) and tell them to support the highest benefit for our troops--S. 22!
Want to do more?
CLICK HERE TO SEND A LETTER TO THE EDITOR ON THE GI BILLLet's show the neo-cons what it really means to "Support Our Troops!"
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