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News-Sentinel.com Your Town. Your Voice.
Opening Arguments

This'll perk 'em up

I'll be darned:

Veterans seeking treatment at VA medical facilities would be reimbursed for gas mileage at the same rate as federal employees under a bill sponsored by U.S. Reps. Mark Souder and Brad Ellsworth.

The Veterans Travel Equity Act, to be introduced Tuesday, would also eliminate all income and pension eligibility requirements and service-connected disability rating requirements to qualify for the mileage reimbursement.

"This bill is a matter of fairness," Souder, R-Ind., said Monday. "Federal bureaucrats shouldn't receive a greater mileage reimbursement rate than the men and women in uniform who have served our nation so bravely. Especially at a time of record-high gas prices, our veterans deserve more from us."

Souder's critics will undoubtedly say, "Well if we had all the medical facilities we needed here, then veterans wouldn't need to worry about mileage reimbursements." I didn't even know vets were reimbursed for their medically required mileage, but I think it's a good idea in general to give all of us the same perks our bureaucrats give themselves.

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