Back to normal in Massachusetts
One day after complimenting a Massachusetts politician (Mayor Menino) for doing right by an Iraq war veteran, it’s back to normal today. In a state with a $1 billion surplus, lawmakers couldn’t find $8 million to help veterans pay for college. That is .008% of the surplus. Democrats hold 139 out of 160 seats in the Mass. House and 34 of 40 seats in the Senate.
Boston Herald
$tingy thanks for Iraq duty: Funds for tuition waivers MIA
By Dave Wedge and Laura Crimaldi/ Exclusive
Lawmakers have slammed the classroom door shut on Massachusetts soldiers home from Iraq and seeking to go to state college, failing to cough up $8 million needed for crucial tuition waivers.
Army and Air National Guard soldiers expecting to be rewarded for their war duty under Gov. Mitt Romneyâ??s â??Welcome Homeâ?ť bill found the welcome mat ripped out last week by the Legislature as it ended its formal session without approving money for the waivers.
â??One of the main reasons I joined the Army was to get money to go to college,â?ť said David Cowing, 23, of Rockland, an Iraq war veteran who is taking out at least $3,500 in loans to cover tuition for his first year at UMass-Boston because his benefits wonâ??t kick in in time to pay the first bills.
â??I went and fought in Iraq. I shouldnâ??t have to worry about tuition. I should be able to go wherever I want.â?ť
Lashing out at the â??wrong prioritiesâ?ť of lawmakers, Lt. Gov. Kerry Healey said, â??The Legislature has made the appalling decision to vote on things like tuition breaks for illegal immigrants, but they couldnâ??t take the time to take a vote to help our Massachusetts war heroes . . . I find it deeply disturbing.â?ť
National Guard officials say the bureaucratic red tape has left some soldiers scrambling to meet tuition costs.
To read the full article, click here.
August 9th, 2006 at 1:37 pm
John Kerry’s “Flip-Flop” agenda is back and now running the state government. What’s good for the goose is not good for the ganter!!
“Massachusetts: redefining inconvienenceS.
August 10th, 2006 at 1:06 pm
You’d think people would know better than to post something from the Herald without doing a quick factcheck.
http://www2.townonline.com/swampscott/localRegional/view.bg?articleid=552289
“[C]alendar restrictions brought an end to regularly scheduled formal sessions, and tiny explosions spelled the end for many initiatives across a yawning range of topics.”
Because of the restrictions, there were many topics they didn’t have time to get to, including “a capital bond bill, for hundreds of millions in construction projects… strengthening punishments for sexual abusers of kids, changes to teen driving laws, a plan…to bring gender equity to annuity plans” and more.
The Welcome Home bill, regardless, has already gone through. There are simply ‘improvements’ that Romney has suggested that the legistlature hasn’t looked at yet but might be able to in an upcoming informal session.
Come on. It’s the Herald. You HAVE to fact check it.