Is Bush Using the Lower Classes As Cannon Fodder?

As I sit down to write, The Bush administration is planning to ask for at least $1 billion more this year to pay for its troop increase in Iraq. According to Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England, The administration wants the money to pay for 4,000 support personnel needed to back up the 21,500 additional combat troops being sent to Iraq.

When Bush and his staff say "Support the troops," their words ring hollow when one considers how our troops are being treated. The lack of body and vehicle armor that has led to such movements as Bake Sales for Body Armor is one heart wrenching scandal. Wives selling baked goods to bring their husbands home in one piece is not the image one associates with a super power.

The Walter Reed Scandal is just the tip of the ice berg for the poor treatment for veterans. If this is news to anyone, then there are people who haven't been paying attention. Plaster falling out of the ceilings, mold, brown water coming out of the sinks are conditions that are not unique to the Walter Reed facility. Fort Campbell, in Kentucky, is another current slum of a hospital. Manuel Mendoza, who lost both legs to a bomb blast, said he waited a month at Walter Reed for his wheelchair to be fixed. The repairmen don't work every day, so supposedly scheduling conflicts kept them from fixing his chair. His story is not an unusual one.

According the the United States Army, one of the most important benefits you can receive as a Soldier is money to further your education or pay off existing student loans. Since this is a dangerous job you would think potential students might rather just apply for financial aid. Since Bush needs a lot of soldiers right now, it's in his best interest to choke off the supply of financial aid. Only then will the Army (or the Reserves) look more attractive to potential recruitees.

This year, Congress cut Pell Grant funding from $13.6 billion to $12.7 billion. As a result, the average Pell Grant award fell from $2,474 to $2,354. These cuts occurred despite the fact that college costs have increased 35 percent over the last four years.

The average Pell Grant recipient has a family income of less than $20,000. With college tuitions rising dramatically, low-income high school graduates are increasingly likely to forego a college education. Last year, the federal Advisory Committee on Student Financial Aid assistance estimated that as many as 170,000 college-eligible high school graduates will not go on to college because of cost issues.

A college education is essential at a time when poverty is growing and the median household income has fallen for the last five years. A McClatchy Newspaper analysis found that the number of severely poor Americans grew by 26 percent from 2000 to 2005 (the most recent figures available). Worker productivity has increased dramatically since the recession of 2001, but wages and job growth have lagged behind.

With a rough economy and the under-reporting of unemployment (once your unemployment insurance runs out, you're no longer a statistic) what job options do young people have? Should they take the dead end job with no benefits and hope for a miracle? Will those in urban areas get sucked into gang activity? Or will they go enlist, hoping to get the college education instead of becoming cannon fodder?

12 Most Dangerous States for Young Auto Passengers

The following states do not have provisions requiring the use of booster seats (or other appropriate restraint devices) for young children who cannot not be adequately protected with adult seat belt systems:

Alaska
Utah
Arizona
South Dakota
Minnesota
Texas
Michigan
Ohio
Kentucky
Mississippi
Florida
Massachusetts


www.nhtsa.dot.gov

Here is some child restraint law information, by state. I was saddened to see that most of the links at www.boosterseat.gov were dead links. Let's hope they update that website sometime in the near future.

This seems to be the best government link I could find, from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Booster seats are used in the back seats, by children about age 4 to at least age 8, unless 4’9” tall.

Safety belts are not designed for children. Beginning at around age 4, many children are too large for toddler seats but too small for adult safety belts. A booster seat raises your child up so that the safety belt fits right – and can better protect your child. The shoulder belt should cross the child’s chest and rest snugly on the shoulder, and the lap belt should rest low across the pelvis or hip area – never across the stomach area. (NHTSA)

For more information parents can visit the NHTSA link or call 1-888-327-4236. Some communities offer free classes on how to properly install car seats and some programs even give a free seat after the class. Consumer Reports have some comparative reports on a limited number of models by safety and convenience features. One important tip is to never buy a second hand car or booster seat. Car seats that have been in a crash are not effective. Also older models may have been recalled. Recalls on car seats are a frequent occurrence, so it is best to buy a new seat and register it so that you can be informed if there are any problems.