In another bit of bad-timing and an example of how the Bush Administration really sees the military, the President has announced a "plan" reducing the amount of Federal money given to local school systems that military dependents attend if they live of base.
First, a bit about me, so you get my point of view: I was an Air Force dependent pretty much until I graduated from college at the now-infamous University of South Florida. Most of that time we lived off-base in rented houses and the like, just like most dependents. However, a few times we lived on base, and I went to school off-base...like when we lived in Hawaii. the schools get a significant portion of their budgets from the $7,500 per student the Feds send them. Students that live off base are compensated for a little differently -- the schools only get $700 hundred per student, based on the idea that the parents of those students pay property taxes to support the schools.
Yeah, right.
The President wants to cut all Federal aid for the off-base students, which cuts a whopping $125 million from the budget. So, let's see, that's two new F-15 fighters, 4 F-16s, 3 M-1 Abrams tanks, or the education of every military dependent who lives off-base. Somwhow, I think the education is a better investment.
Even the premise this idea is based on is flawed. Property taxes are only paid by people who buy their homes, and while a fair number of military families do this, low wages, constant moves, and other issues can keep this from happening, which means that the schools get little or no taxes to help off-set the cost of education the dependents of our soldiers, sailors, and marines.
It's only fair that the government ensure that these kids get a good education as a form of recompense for the drawbacks of a military lifestyle, and it's only fair that the local communities not have their resources starined to accomplish it.
This is another example of how the President and his ilk see our men and women in uniform: cannon-fodder and tools. He has cut military retirement benefits, sent mounds of money to contractors for projects that don't work, and not delievered on the pay increases he promised, and now he's going after the education of the military's kids.
Mr. President, it's time to do the right thing, and raise the amount of funding availably for all of these programs, not cynically cut it, while you send the parents off to your war for oil and revenge.
Posted by Chris at February 21, 2003 09:53 AM