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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsNew bill: loose airport change to build military R&R in airports
I would much rather see unclaimed change go to help military personnel on their way home from the battlefield, Miller said, according to a press release on his website. The lost change should be put to good use, and I know that the thousands of coins will have a positive impact on millions of our nations warriors."
But Miller and his supporters have had difficulties implementing their proposal. The Congressional Budget Office estimated an earlier version of the bill would have cost $1 million to put into action, according to Bloomberg Businessweek. The current version will cost less, however, because it doesn't deal with any money the TSA collected in past years, the outlet notes.
H.R. 1095 now heads to the U.S. Senate.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/07/tsa-loose-change_n_4404634.html
I don't know about you, but I'd rather the loose change go to hungry families, not build rooms that soldiers will use for a few hours on their way home.
greymattermom
(5,751 posts)It would be great PR to give military folks in uniform free admission to the airline clubs. Problem solved at large airports where folks could end up stuck for a few hours.
earthside
(6,960 posts)The annual military budget is nominally about $600 billion (much more if other 'national security' agencies are factored-in).
Now, there is plenty of money in there to provide all kinds of services to military personnel, flying or not.
Members of the military don't need lost loose change to build them nicer airport lounges.
These Repuglicans in Congress (and many Democrats, too), need to get real about the military -- there is huge waste -- HUGE.
The U.S. military is the biggest transfer of wealth program in history: from the average taxpayer to the active military upper crust; the professional 'retired' career military; and 'defense' contractors.
Initech
(99,909 posts)They always cry about excessive government spending but when the time comes to put their money where their mouths are, they always find another $700 billion to feed the war machine. Fuck them.
MineralMan
(146,189 posts)airports do a great service. I remember one occasion when they were of enormous help to me, personally. I was returning from a posting in Turkey while serving in the USAF in the late 1960s. The flight from Istanbul to JFK airport was delayed, and my connection to my home in California was missed. I was traveling on orders, had little money on me, and had the flu, with a fever of 101. I'd been on a plane for over 12 hours, and had just five more hours to fly to get to my parents home, where I had a short leave. It was about 3AM when we arrived at JFK. Many people had missed connections, not just me.
Missing my connection was the last straw. The airline could not get me on another flight for several hours. I found the Military Aid desk in the airport and explained my situation. They escorted me to a room that had a bed, where I slept for a couple of hours. The woman at the desk arranged for an earlier flight for me on a different airline that accepted the ticket from the other airline. Shortly, I was on a plane headed for LAX, sitting in a first class seat.
That is what these military aid people are about - helping people in uniform in whatever way they can. They're very valuable services to those who are serving.