South Carolina Senator Jim Demint cast the lone vote earlier this week against a tax credit bill for employers who hire U.S. troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, who are discharged from military duty, and other veterans. Demint’s excuse? The bill was “inherently unfair" and it would result in few people being hired.
Oh, yeah, and it was just a Democratic trick.
That raises a couple of questions in my mind.
That raises a couple of questions in my mind.
One is, what's unfair about lending someone who has spent three or four or more years defending her or his country a hand in integrating back into civilian life?
Is that any more unfair than less than 1 percent of the U.S. population serving in the military and an even smaller percentage of that serving in Iraq and/or Afghanistan? Is it any more unfair than the unemployment rate of military veterans topping more than 12 percent compared to the overall national rate of 9 percent.
Does Demint also think the G.I. Bill is unfair?
Another question is about giving employers a tax credit for hiring vets. Gifting businesses tax credits is the very backbone of Republican lawmakers’, particularly state governors and legislatures such as in Wisconsin, job-creation plans. So, why is a tax credit to help employ those who risked life and limb, who endured years of family separation and who were out of the U.S. job market for one, two, three or more tours of duty in combat and hazardous situations any worse than providing tax credits to help employ anyone else?
Perhaps Demint’s idea of supporting the troops applies only while they are on active duty and once out, the only thanks those troops deserve is a swift kick to the curb.
Thank goodness Demint is the only senator who thought so, at least this time. That's a conservative "value" this country neither needs nor appreciates.
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