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Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Topeka Capital-Journal Praises New GI Bill

An excellent editorial in the pages of the Topeka Capital-Journal today lauding the new GI Bill, which has seen full support from Congresswoman Nancy Boyda:

We think this bill, however, is one worth championing and one that should be signed into law when it reaches President Bush.

The legislation would increase education benefits available to military veterans to bring them in line with the actual cost of a college education.

[...]

A spokeswoman for Rep. Nancy Boyda, R-Kan., said that under the bill passed recently, the tuition amount available to veterans would be based on that charged by each state's most expensive state university.

The current benefit is sufficient to cover tuition cost at The University of Kansas, but wouldn't cover other fees, books, housing and living expenses. The University of Kansas has requested an 8.7 percent increase that would raise tuition for incoming freshmen this fall to $3,471 a semester.

During a visit to Topeka, Boyda and a former Marine sergeant now attending KU noted many veterans take on jobs or large loans to pay the remainder of the cost of their education.

Granted, many students who haven't served in the armed forces also work and take out loans to finance their educations. We're not trying to make light of their predicament, one that also should be addressed by universities and federal and state governments, but we think the time is right to live up to the original intent of the GI Bill for those risking life and limb at their government's behest.

We agree wholeheartedly that this is the very least we can provide to our men and women who have served us overseas- and the funding mechanism- an income tax surcharge of one-half of 1% on individuals with incomes of more than $500,000 and couples with incomes of more that $1 million- is a small price to pay to do what's right for our veterans.

And to the lying liars who say the bill will hurt small businesses, we have this from the Center on Budget & Policy Priorities:

Critics of the House-passed bill maintain that their concern is its impact on “mom and pop” small business operations, which they describe as the engines of economic growth and job creation. These critics should be reassured by the fact that the overwhelming majority of such enterprises will never generate enough profits to make them subject to the surcharge.
and
Moreover, even the 1.2 percent figure likely overstates the impact of the surcharge on small business owner-operators.

[...]

Many of these individuals, however, play no role in managing the business and are simply passive investors who contribute some capital to the enterprise and, in exchange, receive a share of the profits. Their ranks include President Bush and Vice-President Cheney, as well as many other wealthy investors who are not actual small business operators — and whom the public generally does not think of as “small business owners.”
In a time of war, when thousands of our young men and women are sacrificing for us, the least we can do as a nation is to provide them with opportunities when they return home. This bill, thankfully, does that.

(For even more, visit Left Brain Kansas)

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

i'm sorry, but every american should be thankful for the job our vets have done and should be willing to pay to send them to school after. it makes me sick anyone voted against this bill because it raised taxes on millionaires.

and it makes me sick john mccain opposed it, and it makes me sicker he didn't even show up to vote for it.

Anonymous said...

But admit it .... no matter how you slice it .... it is a tax increase on some small business owners and call it that.

Anonymous said...

If every American is so thankful then why aren't they running out into the streets and asking to have the opportunity to pay for this benefits for our veterans.

Instead the left wants these few to cover the cost of what should be the responsibility of all.

If Boyda believes in it so heavily she should be asking everyone to make a sacrifice and pay for the benefits of those who have sacrificed for all of us.

Anonymous said...

first off- it isn't a tax increase on small business owners...unless those small business owners are millionaires. if they're millionaire, then, yes, it's a tax increase on them.

i'm really fine with that.

second- the group that has benefited from Bush's tax cuts have been wealthy americans- his cuts ignored the lower and middle class. wealthy americans can afford to give back to pay for our veternan's education.

(why is it conservatives only want collective burdens when we're talking about increasing taxes on the rich?)

Anonymous said...

What BS ..... not matter who it is on it is a tax increase.

More BS the Bush tax cuts didn't benefit middle class and lower income ..... More lower income don't pay federal taxes than ever before because they increased the amount you could make before having to file.

Also, if they didn't benefits the middle class then why are Democrats voting to continue them and saying they are keeping the middle class tax cuts like additional deduction per child, elimination of marriage penalty........

Is Boyda and other Democrats blowing smoke on this claim????

Anonymous said...

you're right, i should have been more exact- the VAST MAJORITY of the tax assistance handed down by the Bush administration was targeted to the upper crust. You're absolutely right.

the tax increase proposed to pay for the education benefits of our men and women coming back from iraq won't affect but a tiny handful of business owners in Kansas and across the nation. i'd guess, though i do not know, that nearly every "mom and pop" business in the 2nd district would be unaffected.

it's a tax increase on millionaires, not on small businesses.

Anonymous said...

lol..just like republicans...give them a chart and they'll say "that's not what that chart says, it says something that is the exact opposite!"

silly republicans

Anonymous said...

Yeah .... and if there is a tax increase Democrats will love it.

Anonymous said...

This is not just for those returning from Iraq. This legislation provides a full ride education to those doing 3 years of service whether their service is in Iraq or they serve all 3 years at an airbase in Wichita.

Anonymous said...

good! they deserve that for giving something that significant up for this country.

and it is just like modern day republicans to be all support of the troops...until it's time to give back to them.

and this democrat doesn't have any problem taxing millionaires.

Anonymous said...

yeah .... and when Democrats run out of millionaires on their tax ideas..... everyone else is next

Tax and spend Democrats

Anonymous said...

lol...republicans- the party of abandoning veterans

Anonymous said...

conservatives are a stupid lot...but i'm sure in their perfect work private donations would cover all road construction and we'd have slaves to tote our water for us from the well.

it's disgusting to play politics with our veterans, and they're worth increasing everyone's taxes for...the democrats (and a huge number of republicans, too) decided the ones who can afford it get to...and that's how it should be.

Anonymous said...

Yep ..... Democrats will always tax heavily those who are most successful ..... shame on them.

Well they will tax them to a point they move their companies out of the country.

Anonymous said...

this isn't a question about taxation, this is a question about doing what's right for a veterans.

it comes down to it that republicans aren't willing to ask anyone to sacrifice to support our troops..they're just content to allow their sacrifice go unrewarded.

that isn't supporting our troops, that's hiding behind flimsy rhetoric, and it's shameful.

Anonymous said...

Well it is nice to say that now but history will show you the the Clinton Administration and Democrats made major cuts the US military as well as the CIA.

I don't recall their major pushes to improve conditions for our military or our veterans during the time when they had the White House and Congress.

So come off your high horse ..... there is a reason most military personnel vote Republican.

This blog is not affiliated in any way with the Kansas Democratic Party, the Democratic National Committee, Congresswoman Nancy Boyda, the Office of Congresswoman Nancy Boyda, or the campaign to re-elected Congresswoman Nancy Boyda. All commentary herein not directly attributed must be considered the opinion of the authors of this blog and not of any other individual, including Congresswoman Nancy Boyda.