Comments on: McCain Won’t Back The New GI Bill http://donklephant.com/2008/04/21/mccain-wont-back-the-new-gi-bill/ Big Teeth. Huge Ass. Surprisingly Reasonable. Sun, 23 Nov 2008 11:01:58 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: John Villamor http://donklephant.com/2008/04/21/mccain-wont-back-the-new-gi-bill/#comment-396805 John Villamor Tue, 22 Apr 2008 21:37:38 +0000 http://donklephant.com/?p=5304#comment-396805 This has tipped my vote from the right to the left. I will not vote for John McCain because he does not support this bill. Nor does "we have something better approach" work for me because there is nothing that he has unveiled. This is a primary platform issue for me. I am sorry Senator McCain but I cannot as a veteran vote for someone who does not support those who have served their country outside of the service. The least John McCain could have said would be to say that there are some ways to improve Webb's bill or that he is working with Webb to improve the bill as it currently sits. Heck tie, tuition amounts and stipend amounts from GIBILL to time in service or other step up service extension stipulations. I would have stayed in the service 10 years more had I known I could get all of my tuition, all my fees, dormitory, stipend and even possibly my graduate level education covered by GIBILL. As it stands now, people are trying to get education covered by Voc Rehab. Bottom line education is the engine by which the WWII veterans propelled this nation to its greatness and now we will do nothing and produce nothing from veterans who are not going to be able to receive a valuable education only because they can only afford to goto a community college or Vo-Tech type school. The veterans coming back will now be a liability for us as a society to support as opposed to productive and contributing if not growth base source from which we grow this country again. How shortsighted are we as a country that we did not learn the lessons of WWI and value of our zenith as a superpower after WWII. I weep. This has tipped my vote from the right to the left. I will not vote for John McCain because he does not support this bill. Nor does “we have something better approach” work for me because there is nothing that he has unveiled. This is a primary platform issue for me. I am sorry Senator McCain but I cannot as a veteran vote for someone who does not support those who have served their country outside of the service. The least John McCain could have said would be to say that there are some ways to improve Webb’s bill or that he is working with Webb to improve the bill as it currently sits. Heck tie, tuition amounts and stipend amounts from GIBILL to time in service or other step up service extension stipulations. I would have stayed in the service 10 years more had I known I could get all of my tuition, all my fees, dormitory, stipend and even possibly my graduate level education covered by GIBILL. As it stands now, people are trying to get education covered by Voc Rehab. Bottom line education is the engine by which the WWII veterans propelled this nation to its greatness and now we will do nothing and produce nothing from veterans who are not going to be able to receive a valuable education only because they can only afford to goto a community college or Vo-Tech type school. The veterans coming back will now be a liability for us as a society to support as opposed to productive and contributing if not growth base source from which we grow this country again. How shortsighted are we as a country that we did not learn the lessons of WWI and value of our zenith as a superpower after WWII. I weep.

]]> By: TerenceC http://donklephant.com/2008/04/21/mccain-wont-back-the-new-gi-bill/#comment-396778 TerenceC Tue, 22 Apr 2008 12:00:06 +0000 http://donklephant.com/?p=5304#comment-396778 The possibility also exists that the DOD only wants benefits that will increase "indentured servitude" to the military. So things like very easy credit at the BX/PX and easy car credit work perfectly with that mindset. An inclusive educational benefits plan means people will have incentive to walk away from the military and become civilians again. Currently the military has college courses and degree programs on Post. The cost is typically at 80-90% off regular cost per credit hour and the books are covered with things like Pell Grants - and room and board are already paid for. So a degree can realistically cost nothing if the person remains on active duty and gets their degree at night - but most people don't have the time for it unfortunately. Soldiers, airmen, seamen and marines stay in the services, go to night school, get their degrees if they can - but they don't get out. I'm sure that's what McCain is looking for - that type of arrangement fits with McCainism's from the past. The possibility also exists that the DOD only wants benefits that will increase “indentured servitude” to the military. So things like very easy credit at the BX/PX and easy car credit work perfectly with that mindset. An inclusive educational benefits plan means people will have incentive to walk away from the military and become civilians again.

Currently the military has college courses and degree programs on Post. The cost is typically at 80-90% off regular cost per credit hour and the books are covered with things like Pell Grants - and room and board are already paid for. So a degree can realistically cost nothing if the person remains on active duty and gets their degree at night - but most people don’t have the time for it unfortunately. Soldiers, airmen, seamen and marines stay in the services, go to night school, get their degrees if they can - but they don’t get out. I’m sure that’s what McCain is looking for - that type of arrangement fits with McCainism’s from the past.

]]> By: Avinash_Tyagi http://donklephant.com/2008/04/21/mccain-wont-back-the-new-gi-bill/#comment-396766 Avinash_Tyagi Tue, 22 Apr 2008 06:05:38 +0000 http://donklephant.com/?p=5304#comment-396766 He's pandering to partisans on the right who don't like that he seems cozy with the dems He’s pandering to partisans on the right who don’t like that he seems cozy with the dems

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