http://www.smirkingchimp.com/thread/888
Sep 22 2006
Republican Congress Allows Mafia-Like Abuse of Heroic Troops and
Military Families
by Brent Budowsky
Independent audits have shown that up to 19% of active duty troops are
paid so poorly, and face such financial hardship, that they are forced
by necesssity to seek emergency loans from predatory lenders at
horrendous interest rates.
Previous audits have shown that rates charged for these "payday loans"
regularly rise as high a 300% to 400%.
Recent reports now accuse some lenders of grotesquely ripping off
heroes who serve and their families with rates as high a 791%.
This is one more example of why military families of America and those
they love in service would receive far more fairness, respect and
support from Democrats in Congress.
This latest outrage follows a long list of areas of neglect.
The Republican Congress did not provide adequate body armor, helmets
and bandage to troops under fire.
They do not provide adequate support for military and veterans health
care programs.
There are even attempts to cut back on support for emergency brain
trauma injuries for wounded troops.
Military pay scales are too low, troop rotations create major problems
because of inadequate levels of troop strength and those who serve in
the Army, Marine Corps and Reserves have been victimized by
involuntary service that borders on a backdoor draft.
A Democratic Congress would work hard and diligently to put an end to
these wrong and unfair practices that harm our troops, disrupt their
families, and endanger our national security.
This practice of tolerating abusive interest rate gouging of hard
pressed active duty troops and miltary famlies must end right now.
There has been pressure on the Republican Congress to set a cap on
these interest rates, yet, so far, Republicans in Congress have been
more interested in going to fundraisers, taking long recesses, using
public institutions for politically partisan electioneering, and going
on fancy trips to faraway places, than doing the business of standing
up for troops and their families.
We should write letters to every newspaper in America pushing for news
coverage, editorial support and direct criticism of a Republican
Congress that permits those who heroically serve our country, and the
families that love them, to be treated worse than Mafia loan sharks
treat their victims.
It is sickening, disgusting, nauseating and grotesquely unpatriotic
for Americans who bravely serve our country, and for American mlitary
families who make enormous sacrifices with the highest patriotism, to
be forced to pay interest rates for emergency loans that are 300%,
400%, even close to 800%.
We should demand the Republican Congress act immediately and not take
election year recess until they do.
We should call for those who let this shameful abuse continue be
defeated by voters in their reelection campaigns.
We should insist that Republicans in Congress who have let this
continue return to taxpayers their pay raises for the last three
years.
If if they fail to support the troops and families, if they allow
American heroes to be treated worse than Mafia victimes with abuses
such as this, they certainly do not deserve generous pay raises from
taxpayers, who support the heroism of our troops, and respect the
sacrifice of their families, and not the derelictions of our
politicians who let these abuses continue.
_________________________________________________
The Republicans are gonna be selling new ribbon magnets for the backs
of cars, reading "Screw Our Troops"
Harry
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