Excuses for opposing new GI Bill don’t hold up

Randall Buie, Henderson

Monday, June 2, 2008 | 2:06 a.m.

The rejection of the proposed modification to the GI Bill by the current administration and by Sen. John McCain is appalling. In short, the GI Bill offers a pay raise for active military personnel and gives them the opportunity to get a college education after they finish their service to the country.

The administration says it’s too expensive. Yet a recent audit shows that more than $8 billion has been squandered on fraudulent contracts in Iraq. And there seems to be plenty of money for tax breaks for the rich and for corporations.

McCain says the incentive of a paid education would hurt retention of soldiers. So he’s trying to trap them into additional military service by limiting their opportunities in the outside world? And retention is not the problem right now. Recruitment goals are constantly missed, forcing the military to raise the maximum age and lower recruitment standards, even accepting people with criminal records. And the Congressional Budget Office says that retention loss would cost only $30 million a year. In a $2 trillion budget, $30 million is just a few dollars for every million spent.

The next time you hear the Republicans and McCain parrot their party’s talking point about supporting the troops, ask yourself what their definition of support really is.