Stimulus bill to reward Filipino vets

This is the kind of non-stimulatory stuff in the so called stimulus bill. $15,000 checks to Filipino veterans. I'm not saying they are not worthy of recognition, but were we not there to save them from Japanese invasion? Over the next few weeks we will see more waste like this in the mammoth almost $trillion spending bill that no congressman or senator had the time to read. It is shameful that the President rushed the congress to pass the bill and then waited four days to sign it. What was the big rush?-Lou

Stimulus bill to reward Filipino vets

President Obama's signature today on the stimulus bill will grant Filipino World War II veterans long-awaited recognition and compensation for their service alongside U.S. forces against the Japanese.

The measure calls for a one-time lump sum payment of $15,000 for Filipino veterans who are U.S. citizens, and $9,000 for non-citizens. It sets aside $198 million for the veterans. And, in what many Filipino-American organizations say is more important, it recognizes the role they played defending the U.S. flag in the war.

"The recognition is the most important," said Jose Red, an 84-year-old veteran who lives in Jersey City. "We've been working for the recognition for a long, long time. We did this for democracy, for freedom.

Sen. Daniel Inouye, a Hawaii Democrat who was the main force behind inclusion of the bid, conceded on the Senate floor that the Filipino compensation measure "doesn't create jobs." But he added, "The honor of the United States — that's what's involved."

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http://www.northjersey.com/news/immigration/Stimulus_bill_to_reward_Filipino_vets.html