I'm sure you've all heard by now.
http://connect2utah.com/news/top-stories/stories/vid_323.shtml?wap=0
Senator Says Utah Military Get Enough Freebies
(KUTV) SALT LAKE CITY – Controversial comments from a Utah senator who says members of the Utah National Guard get too many things for free.
Senate Majority Leader Scott Jenkins went on a rant at the Capitol – speaking out against a bill that would give a property tax break to troops who are deployed.
The senator called 2News reporter Cristina Flores tonight and said he's always been supportive of military members and he's not attacking them. He says he's concerned about tax policy.
Senate Majority Leader Scott Jenkins is opposed to Senate Joint Resolution 8. The bill proposes a constitutional amendment that would allow for Utah military members who are deployed out of state for 200 days to be exempt from paying property taxes during their deployment.
Senator Luz Robles sponsored the bill.
“These people who serve us as and uh, fight for our freedoms – we give them all kinds of breaks, we pay for their clothing, we allow them to shop at the PX. And now, Senator Robles, you want me to pay for their taxes on their primary residence? And I'm just saying ‘enough’!" Jenkins said.
Retired Major General Peter Cooke says Jenkins is uninformed, his comments insensitive. Cooke says veterans nowadays come back home from long deployments to find financial hardships
“They have families and they commit to us and the most generous way,” Cooke said. “I just hope he has the ability to visit with some of these families and see what they have gone through.”
Jenkins served for 7 years in the National Guard, and says he admits military life was different back then, but now soldiers a number of benefits.
“I think when he served they were weekend warriors, they are no longer weekend warriors,” Cooke explained.
Cooke says as the country's defense budget is trimmed, and as conflict escalates around the world, we will demand more of men and women in uniform.
“If they serve, we should do everything when they come back to have a job and take that burden off their families and themselves because guess what? We are going to need them again, and again and again,” he said.
Senate Majority Leader Scott Jenkins went on a rant at the Capitol – speaking out against a bill that would give a property tax break to troops who are deployed.
The senator called 2News reporter Cristina Flores tonight and said he's always been supportive of military members and he's not attacking them. He says he's concerned about tax policy.
Senate Majority Leader Scott Jenkins is opposed to Senate Joint Resolution 8. The bill proposes a constitutional amendment that would allow for Utah military members who are deployed out of state for 200 days to be exempt from paying property taxes during their deployment.
Senator Luz Robles sponsored the bill.
“These people who serve us as and uh, fight for our freedoms – we give them all kinds of breaks, we pay for their clothing, we allow them to shop at the PX. And now, Senator Robles, you want me to pay for their taxes on their primary residence? And I'm just saying ‘enough’!" Jenkins said.
Retired Major General Peter Cooke says Jenkins is uninformed, his comments insensitive. Cooke says veterans nowadays come back home from long deployments to find financial hardships
“They have families and they commit to us and the most generous way,” Cooke said. “I just hope he has the ability to visit with some of these families and see what they have gone through.”
Jenkins served for 7 years in the National Guard, and says he admits military life was different back then, but now soldiers a number of benefits.
“I think when he served they were weekend warriors, they are no longer weekend warriors,” Cooke explained.
Cooke says as the country's defense budget is trimmed, and as conflict escalates around the world, we will demand more of men and women in uniform.
“If they serve, we should do everything when they come back to have a job and take that burden off their families and themselves because guess what? We are going to need them again, and again and again,” he said.
If you saw the news coverage, he was visibly upset! It really pissed him off to think of helping our military with one more so called freebie.
I just love how he says We ALLOW (them) to shop at that PX. Hello! What else is the PX for? And we pay for their clothing? No! They get a clothing allowance of maybe $200 which does not cover much. These are not freebies! They are benefits and they are well earned. If you ask me, they deserve more benefits. There's a good amount of military families on welfare. Our military should be highly respected, not spit on. I think at one point he even called them "these people" of all things. My husband says he probably gets plenty of "freebies" himself. What would he think if we took those away from him?
The LEAST we can do is give them this tax break while they are deployed.
The LEAST we can do is give them this tax break while they are deployed.
