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New GI Bill Equals New Attack

By VVAW

On November 11, as veterans across the country readied for another round of "traditional" veterans day celebrations, or demonstrations in opposition to these so-called "memorials" to vets, Congress, working clearly in the interest of the rich who run this country made public another serious blow to the GI Bill.

Under the guise of a "new and improved" system of benefits, people who enlist in the military after December 31 of this year will no longer receive the "GI Bill" as we know it. In its place there will be a new "contribution" program that will deny veterans thousands of dollars received under the previous Vietnam-era Bill and that will place new restrictions upon the users, making it impossible for many to receive any type of decent education at all.

The new program, effective December 31, says that those who join after that date gain their benefits by contributing from $50 to $75 a month to VA, up to a limit of $2,700 over their military time. The government will match the contributed with $2 for each $1 contributed. A person on the plan may quit the program at the end of any 12 month period. Those who quit get their money back "but in most cases lose their right to government benefits." The plan is a five year experiment founded by the VA. Afterwards, recommendations for continuations will be made, subject to congressional approval, with spending under the Defense Department.

VVAW's position on this GI Bill cutoff and alternate plan is that it is an out and out ripoff and the most severe attack on the GI Bill to date. The factors with which we determine this are clear.

Vets will be screwed out of thousands of dollars under this plan. Single veterans are currently receiving $292 a month, which reads out to $14,140 if all 45 months of the current GI Bill are utilized. If future vets contribute %50 a month as GIs they will receive only $5400 overall, $8,740 less then current vets! If they contribute $75 a month, $6,040 less! The current cost of a decent education and cost of living far exceed what vets are getting now. The very idea that even the maximum ($6,040) will be any help towards that schooling is an outrageous attack on veterans. For these vets, payments will be cut by over 50%.

The program is voluntary. Consequently many GIs may not feel that it is important to contribute at the time and then discover later, upon discharge, that they have nothing left to them. Today, a higher percentage of vets than ever before are using the GI Bill just to survive. Many never intended to use these benefits at all, then were faced with high unemployment after they served the rich in the military - used once and then thrown away, like empty bottles. If the future vets choose not to participate while in the military, they'll have no future alternatives.

If a person drops out of school under this new program, he or she, regardless of their circumstances, will get their original money back and be kicked off the program. This is contrasted to the present program where an individual can change their program twice and drop out temporarily twice and resume their benefits at a later date. If a person is discharged, that person only gets the contribution plan for those months served.

The manner that money is going to be handled by the VA and Defense Department is questionable too. It is extremely likely that as the program unfolds, GIs in the military will be paying for the education of other vets who are in school at the time. A similar situation today is Social Security, where we who are working today are paying for our grandparents social security. The money seems to have disappeared, having been re-invested in floating big corporations and banks, to save their ass and skin ours. This plan will be no exception. With benefits of current vets being slashed to nothing, its ridiculous to believe that vets in the future will get better. The economic crisis that the rich in this country are plunging into and trying to drag us along with them isn't going to improve. Like the old saying goes, "They're stealing from Peter to pay Paul." But Peter ain't going to see the money again, and neither is Paul. It doesn't profit the rich to pay vets benefits. As soon as they can sweep us behind the door, slowly with new attacks like this, the better for them.

The military has jumped into this new program with both feet, advertising it as the greatest thing to come down the pike, in order to suck more and more young people into the military, young people working for $1.25 an hour (if they have a job at all). They ruling class needs plenty of fresh meat for the war that's coming and they hope to sell this bogus program to working class kids across the country, young people who are really interested in making a better life for themselves.

At the same time the national leadership of organizations like the VFW, DAV, and American Legion pushed this program hard in Congress under the cover of "more money for our vets" or :these vets aren't combat vets so they don't need as much as we do." What a bunch of bull---! These people are the direct representatives of vets to the US ruling class, front men who do what they're told and purposely try to divide all vets from each other.

One example of this is the current issue of the Legion, national magazine of the American Legion, which spent almost the entire issue glorifying past wars or beating drums for the next. The new benefits plan which they actively fought for isn't even mentioned. Instead, the only mention of GI Bill benefits are two short articles (p. 27) attacking Vietnam-era vets called "Current GI Bill Already Has Cost More Than Two Previous Bills" and "Some Veterans Eligible for Extra Benefits Under GI Bill," an article which clues us in on some great jobs at the VA for $2.50 an hour! They have the damn nerve of suggesting that vets cut off the GI Bill use this to pay their way through school. We say they know where they can take this crap and shove it!

VVAW stands firm on this and any other attacks. We're not going to take! We are a fighting veterans organization, that means we fight for WW I, WW II, and Korean vets, and future vets too! It makes no difference whether its WW II vets being ripped off and having to live like animals or future vets, used in another war and then cast aside like we were. The rich want to treat us like trash and then use our "good" name on holidays. Like this past Vets Day when they cut 3.7 million vets off the Bill. We will not stand by and let the rich bleed us, first in war and now here at home. Join us in the fight to "Extend and Expand the GI BILL."

NO CUTS, NO WAY,
THE G.I. BILL IS HERE TO STAY!