February 20th, 2008
As the war drags on in Iraq and Afghanistan, the men and women of our armed forces, both regular and reserve, are making extraordinary sacrifices to ensure our freedom and safety. We can support them - and help the economy - by supporting the passage of a new G.I. Bill, modeled after the World War II version.
That G.I. Bill created a major influx into the middle class and helped fuel the post-war economic recovery by putting higher education within the reach of millions for whom it was otherwise out of reach. Estimates I have seen say that every dollar spent on that G.I. Bill yielded a seven-fold return,
Most importantly, this generation of warriors deserves it. From the beginning of the current conflict, they (and their families) have borne the burden and all too often paid the ultimate price for their service to our country. The rest of us have been encouraged to “live our lives and keep the economy rolling.”
We should all support a new G.I. Bill because it is good for the country and good for our economic future. But most of all, support it because these men and women, who have given so much, deserve nothing less!
Found here.
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February 19th, 2008
Michael Ledeen calls for expanded educational benefits:
Why has no candidate or national leader called for dramatic improvement in the educational benefits of the G.I. Bill? All our commissioned officers have college degrees (bet you didn’t know that), but the non-coms need scholarships, and the officers should get the same for graduate and professional school. I’m sure David will agree. And the candidates should, too. If we really “support our troops,” this is a fine way to do well for our society by doing good for our heroes.
That reminds me of this wacky incident from Bush’s State of the Union address:
President Bush drew great applause during his State of the Union address last month when he called on Congress to allow U.S. troops to transfer their unused education benefits to family members. “Our military families serve our nation, they inspire our nation, and tonight our nation honors them,” he said.
A week later, however, when Bush submitted his $3.1 trillion federal budget to Congress, he included no funding for such an initiative, which government analysts calculate could cost $1 billion to $2 billion annually.
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February 18th, 2008
President Bush says he wants education benefits to be transferable, but the idea doesn’t appear in his budget.
President Bush drew great applause during his State of the Union address last month when he called on Congress to allow U.S. troops to transfer their unused education benefits to family members. “Our military families serve our nation, they inspire our nation, and tonight our nation honors them,” he said.
A week later, however, when Bush submitted his $3.1 trillion federal budget to Congress, he included no funding for such an initiative, which government analysts calculate could cost $1 billion to $2 billion annually.
Bush’s proposal was added to the speech late in the process, administration officials said, after the president decided that he wanted to announce a program that would favor military families. That left little time to vet the idea, develop formal cost estimates or gauge how many people might take advantage of such a program. Some administration officials said the proposal surprised them, and they voiced concerns about how to fund it.
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February 15th, 2008
Senators Jim Webb (D-VA), Chuck Hagel (R-NE) and Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) Wednesday joined representatives of the nation’s leading veterans’ organizations to advocate comprehensive educational benefits for post-9/11 veterans in the fiscal year 2009 budget.
The groups unveiled their Independent Budget to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs advocating a “21st Century GI Bill,” similar to the Webb-Hagel bill (S.22) that enjoys widespread support in Congress.
This is the first time in 22 years of presenting an Independent Budget to Congress that the participating veterans’ organizations have advocated a new, comprehensive GI Bill, as opposed to a mere enhancement. The Independent Budget has carried great weight in years past in terms of instructing the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs budget priorities.
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February 14th, 2008
Current funding levels don’t always cover college tuition.
In Iraq and Afghanistan they’ve battled insurgents and built schools. But when it comes to enrolling in school themselves, many of today’s veterans are facing an unexpected fight - the fight to stay afloat amid mounting college costs.
It’s time for a revamped GI Bill, say veterans’ organizations and scores of US legislators. Like their World War II counterparts, the men and women making sacrifices in the “war on terror” should be rewarded with benefits that cover the full cost of education, they say. As a bonus to society, they tout the prospect of long-term economic gains and a steadier stream of good recruits.
It’s not clear yet whether those arguments will pull more dollars out of a tightly cinched federal purse. But the issue resonates as part of a wider conversation in American society about the need to increase access to higher education. Because low-income recruits make up much of today’s military, a more robust GI Bill “would do a measurable amount … to expand equality of opportunity in a period of American history when equality of opportunity is contracting,” says Theda Skocpol, a government and sociology professor at Harvard. “It’s a lot more important than … whether you’re going to force wealthy universities to [spend] a higher proportion of their endowments,” she says, because it affects average people.
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February 13th, 2008
Certain veterans who travel to VA medical facilities are getting their first travel mileage reimbursement increase in 30 years. The new rates went into effect Feb. 1.
The rates increase from 11 cents per mile to 28.5 cents per mile, said an Oregon Department of Veterans Affairs press release. A maximum deductible is set at $46.62, $15.54 for round trip, and $7.77 for one-way visits. Deductible amounts can be waived upon approval of financial hardship to the veteran. Deductible increases were packaged as part of the 2008 appropriations act.
“The earned benefit will make an immediate difference in the lives of many Oregon veterans. Veterans who travel many miles to a VA medical facilities will have more money in their pocket at the end of the day” said Oregon VA Director Jim Willis.
Veterans wounded or disabled in service are able to claim this benefit when traveling in relation to a Compensation and Pension Examination. Free VA health care is available to returning combat veterans. For assistance with VA Benefits for veterans, survivors and dependents, those interested should contact the Coos County veterans service officer by calling 396-2121, ext. 362.
Found here.
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February 12th, 2008
Oregon Veterans can now get home loans below 5 percent. The Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs offers qualified veterans loans with fixed rate of 4.875 percent and an origination fee of 1.5 percent. A rate of 4.99 percent is available with an origination fee of 1 percent.
The current maximum loan amount for veterans using the ORVETS home loan program is $417,000. Federal rules prohibit the agency from refinancing most existing mortgages.
The ORVET home loan program is separate from the federal VA home loan guaranty program. Even if a veteran has purchased a home using the federal program, he or she may still be eligible for an ORVET home loan. Veterans must apply before they reach the 30th anniversary of their military discharge date.
For more information about ORVET home loans, call 1-888-673-8387 or (503) 373-2070.
Found here.
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February 11th, 2008
Question: When a veteran sells his property, who will assume the existing Department of Veterans Affairs loan? Is the veteran released automatically from personal liability for repayment of the loan?
Answer: No. If the loan closed after March 1, 1988, the lender or VA must be notified and requested to approve the assumer and grant the veteran release from liability. If the loan was closed prior to March 1, 1988, the loan may be assumed without approval from VA or the lender. However, the veteran is strongly encouraged to request a release of liability from VA to avoid owing a debt to the government if the loan assumer (or a subsequent assumer) fails to pay the loan. For more information on VA home loans, contact the VA at (800) 827-1000, or check out the VA Web site at www.homeloans.va.gov.
Found here.
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February 8th, 2008
By Bob Otto
About halfway through my Marine Corps enlistment I thought, man did I make a big mistake. All that marching, inspections, short haircuts, shining boots, cleaning my M-16 rifle, and living in a crowded barracks didn’t appeal to me much. But my four-year hitch went by quickly.
Now, almost 40 years later, if you ask me: “Bob, did you make a mistake enlisting in the Marine Corps?”
“Absolutely not,” I’d answer. In those 40 years since I enlisted, I got far more from Uncle Sam than he ever got from me.
My college education? Paid for through the G.I. Bill.
My first home? Purchased through the G.I. home loan program.
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February 7th, 2008
February 1, 2008 marks a historic day for San Diego native, Captain Larry W. Lasky, a Navy SEAL and thirty-two year military veteran. CAPT Lasky’s retirement ceremony is being held aboard the USS Midway museum and will be attended by a host of luminaries, including Congressman Bob Filner, Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.
February 1 marks another special event for Lasky; the launch of First American Military, a San Diego-based nonprofit organization he co-founded with fellow veteran David Simpson. First American Military (FAM) teaches sound financial principles to active and former military members, and provides charitable grants to assist them in becoming successful homeowners. FAM’s charitable grants fund up to five percent of the home’s purchase price, providing instant equity and lower monthly payments to the military or veteran buyer.
(more…)
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