You and I volunteered, Tim - I joined because I wanted to serve my country. An educational benefit was a bennie that the recruiters didn't even have to bring up in my case.
You and I also both know that there are those who join just for the educational benefit without thought of the contents of the oath that we both took. While Iraq has had a lot of effect on the demographics of those who choose to serve, there are still those who will join for just that reason. Those are the people that I worry about looking at this as more government money. > Last time I checked people on welfare don't routinely put their lives on > the line AS ORDERED. You are correct and my choice of wording had the intended effect - welfare is something that has a negative concept, at least to most. I see the "over the top" spending at that same level. > I would say cut it from the pork, providing for the national defense is > one of the few powers actually allocated to the federal government by > the constitution. > > This is no welfare program, it's just what our grandfathers received > after there service. > > The G.I. Bill is set up no so basically only single soldiers can ever > use it. You have to pay out of pocket before starting school and then > receive a small monthly stipend that pays back your course costs over > time. The vast majority of people never use theirs because the program > is so hosed up. I know how screwed up it is - I used it. I had to work 35-40 hours per week as well as taking 15-18 semester hours, including summer semesters with 9 hours. Listen, I'm not saying that the system is not screwed up - God knows there's more bureaucracy involved than ever needed to be - what I'm saying is that the changes that the Dems wanted to push go WAY TOO FAR. They want to ensure that as many people as possible are dependent on government as possible for as long as possible. That's why I chose the words welfare incentive. BTW, if you want to know the history of it, take a peek here: http://www.gibill.va.gov/GI_Bill_Info/history.htm Hatton ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Adobe® ColdFusion® 8 software 8 is the most important and dramatic release to date Get the Free Trial http://ad.doubleclick.net/clk;192386516;25150098;k Archive: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/CF-Community/message.cfm/messageid:260710 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/CF-Community/subscribe.cfm Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=11502.10531.5
