Service to their country

As a veteran, I take exception to those who question the patriotism of those who seek the truth to a war on false pretenses. We are glad Saddam is gone, but we should have been told the truth.

A greater concern is what is happening in Congress. The Army Times noted that Republicans defeated proposals to increase benefits from $6,000 to $12,000 to families of soldiers who die on active duty, and rolled back increases in monthly imminent-danger pay from $225 to $150 and family-separation allowances from $250 to $100 for troops in combat zones.

Republicans refused to consider military tax relief to aid military homeowners, reservists’ deductions for travel to training, and parents deployed to combat zones, among others. Republicans passed raises for “higher ranks” at 4.1 percent, but capped raises for the lower ranks at 2 percent.

The GOP passed a Bush $1.5 billion cut in the military construction. They opposed a proposal by the senior Democrat on the Appropriations Committee to restore $1 billion of those cuts by trimming recent tax cuts for 200,000 Americans who earn more than $1 million per year to $83,500, vs. $88,300, per year, which was defeated mostly on party lines. This doesn’t even address Bush’s $15 billion in cuts to current veterans’ benefits, due to shortness of funds and revenue reduction.

Veteran groups remind us to support our troops. I hope our representatives in Washington, rather than support President Bush’s routing of “evil-doers,” will support those who serve now and those who have served in past.

Charles P. Pray

Millinocket