Facebook
Fark
Digg
Reddit
Stumble
Thursday, Sept. 27, 2012 | 2 a.m.
Another view?
View more of the Las Vegas Sun's opinion section:
• Editorials - the Sun's viewpoint.
• Columnists - local and syndicated writers.
• Letters to the editor - readers' views.
Have your own opinion? Write a letter to the editor.
The Republicans objected to the veterans jobs bill of $1 billion over five years because it would violate the Budget Control Act by adding a new program that would increase the deficit.
Surely, Congress could find many programs in the budget where $200 million a year could be reduced to offset any deficit. How about foreign aid, where billions are sent to countries, friendly and not, with no strings attached and no accounting?
When I go to the polls to vote this year, I will view every “R” on the ballot as “reject.”
In reply to J.B. Hall; I am certainly not an advocate of foreign aid to hostile countries.
However, I am of the opinion that America should supply defense weaponry to countries such as Israel, South Korea, Libya, and quite possibly a few other countries who are struggling to attain / maintain democracy and freedom.
But, just as freedom comes with heavy costs to America, not only in terms of human life, but as well, financial costs, our military aid / weapons packages to foreign countries should be sold to them at premium and highly profitable prices. If not paid cash for, by these countries, there should be interest tacked on to their terms of financing.
I have absolutely no problem assisting our truest allies in helping to protect them. However, it is an insult to the American people to take their tax monies paid to the government, and give it away to foreign lands to support their political / government ideologies.
It always stifles me how our politicians are so profit minded here at home with their fellow-Americans, but so willing to give the world welfare. Freedom is never free. That is the first aspect our allies must understand wholeheartedly.
Let me suggest to the letter writer that you view the "R" instead as Reform. That's what we need and want. Not the same old same old. Sometimes tough choices are needed to get reform. And sadly only one party is offering it.
CarmineD
The republican never objected to the veteran benefits
That has no bearing on the billion in wasted foreign aid.
- While taking billions of dollars frenemy Hamid Karzai is kicking Obama out of Afghanistan to allow the Taliban leader Mullah Mohammed Omar to return in triumph. Green on blue killings are up to 51 this year.
- While taking billions of dollars frenemy Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has kicked Obama out of Iraq, without a status of force agreement, so he can allow Iran to fly weapons into the Assad Syria.
- While taking billions of dollars frenemy President Mohamed Morsi is preventing any security protection of Coptic Christians and the American Embassy in Egypt. The Egyptian general prosecutor has issued arrest warrants for 8 Hollywood movie maker who would be subject to death.
- While taking billions of dollars frenemy Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf of Pakistan is harboring al Qaeda and Taliban leaders attacking Americans. And shuts down supply lines to our troops.
- While frenemy Obama will not draw a red line with our friend Israel on Iran's nuclear weapon.
One way to make a huge start in terms of cutting the deficit is to cut the defense budget by 20%.
We spent almost 7 times as much as China spends & if you add up the total amount spent on defense by China, Russia, France & the UK, we still spend twice as much...
Eisenhower had it right, We should have listened to him when he warned us about the growing size & influence of the military industrial complex.
It's now a case of the "tail wagging the dog."
Ike. as a military man, knew what he was talking about.
Of course, the GOP is very much against cutting even a single penny from the bloated defense budget...
That's how they keep winning re-election in many of the congressional districts.......districts where military bases exist & where military equipment is manufactured......
It's called jobs, jobs, & more jobs, brought to you by the GOP....the same party that talks about fiscal conservatism....
Agree with the letter, Mr./Mrs. Hall. As a retired U.S. Navy Veteran, this latest stunt reveals the Tea/Republican Party, in its entirety, for who they are.
You didn't point it out in your letter, but that entire piece of legislation was PAID for. The money for it was accounted for. But, of course, it don't fit into a Tea/Republican Party warped agenda to sink a ship to drown the captain (President Obama), so they make up a hokey excuse. One that don't make sense.
The last President started a war under false pretenses, purely for his stingy political purposes. We were nothing but cannon fodder for creepy civilians like Rumsfeld, Cheney, Rove, and Bush Jr.
They wanted us to go to a foreign land, spill our blood if needed. Some did.
And then when we come back to the United States, they could care less if we had health care/treatment and aren't interested if we make a living and get a job.
The Tea/Republican Party is down on record now they could care less about the military when they aren't out there being political tools for them.
I will NEVER vote for another Tea/Republican Party politician for the rest of my life. They can all go to hell. And I hope this upcoming election a lot of other Americans feel the same and relegate them to wander around aimlessly out of power at least for a few generations or so.
When you have an entire political party that is only interested in money, power, money, power, moh money, and moh power all the time, then it finally gets revealed they could care less about people. The Tea/Republican Party treats people as pawns in some kind of game. And the only time they pay attention to you is if you are rich and give money to them.
I am going to relish voting all of them hypocrites out.
Obama/Biden 2012! AND a Democratic Party majority in both the House and the Senate!
To Heck with Heller, and to Heller with Heck!
How about trimming a few of the dozens of bases and posts we have throughout the world? Hundreds of thousands of troops as permanent party in Germany, Guam, Japan, Korea. WHEN will we get out of Korea? WWII has been over 60-some years yet we must defend Europe? Let's strategically eliminate half these places and save the hundreds of billions we sent over each year.
Besides the trimming comments which make sense the letter writer should realize there are many programs available to Vets and the bill had overlapping programs. Why not use what we have in the place now, or modify as needed, not bring in new spending bills. It had many wasteful things in it. Money is hard to come by and needs to be spent wisely.
Obama took a trillion dollars out of defense spending and we got our ambassador killed
And they want mor blood from our troops
Future said:
"Obama took a trillion dollars out of defense spending and we got our ambassador killed"
??????????????