I don't do this often, but I would like to give kudos the United States Senate today for this passing legislation slated to help the far too many American veterans who are unemployed in America today.
The legislation in question, which was part of President Obama's proposed Jobs bill, passing by a 94-1 vote gives tax credits to companies/employers who hire unemployed and/or disabled American veterans (1). The legislation is meant to stem the employment crisis that far too many veterans of the Afghanistan and Iraq wars have to deal with everyday. According to a recent government report, the unemployment among veterans of the Afghan/Iraqi wars is 11.5% for the year 2010 compared to 9.4% for the nation as a whole. Even worse, some 25% of so-called "Gulf War II-era" veterans have a service-related disability which further hurts their chances at finding employment after serving their country (2).
So again, I congratulate the Senate for this rare moment of bipartisanship and common sense that will no doubt benefit countless American veterans who have served their nation proudly and deserve only the best from their nation in return...And all a day before Veterans Day no less!
I also want to wish all veterans a happy (and slightly early) Veterans Day, I plan to post a dedicated post to that subject tomorrow. And of course, I wish all Marines out there a Happy Marine Corps Birthday.
Sources:
1. http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1111/68095.html
2. http://www.bls.gov/news.release/vet.nr0.htm
Scotty09, I wish to say greetings and thank you for writing your blog. I too wish to congratulate the United States Senate for acting in a manner altogether reasonable in this era often marked by its lack of reason. I thank God for our veterans.
ReplyDeleteThe unreasonable nature of our age tends to extend to the notion we are to choose between two political parties as forms representative of the entirety of our nation. We are to either choose Republican, with its attendant issues and false boxes with which one is obliged to pound each of our round pegs, or Democrat, with its false cylinders with which one is equally, or alternately, obliged to pound our square pegs.
I grow weary...People I meet are often surprised that I may harbor certain traditionally conservative/liberal values. Shock of all shocks, I actually think. A truly novel concept when one stoops to reason that it is in the simple action of reasoning that one is freed from dogma and those nasty, ill-fitting team shirts one must wear when we're part of the "our club" club. You know the shirts I'm talking about, with the really irritating tag?..always scratching the back of your neck...
;)
Anyway...
This election year, those of us with Whiggish leanings must impress subtly upon the natures and consciences of those near us that there just may be another way of looking at the world (other than Republican or Democrat). God bless Henry Clay and God bless all of us.
-Ecclesias
(ne quid nimis, folks, ne quid nimis)