Forbes Magazine: on Homeland Security
Bernie Sanders:
Cut defense by $18B to pay for 55% of all college tuition
If the federal government were to invest $18 billion a year, with a dollar-for-dollar match from state governments, we would slash college tuition in the United States by more than half. Many of my colleagues in Washington would look at that number--
$18 billion a year--and tell you that we can't afford to make that kind of investment in our nation's young people. To put it simply, they are wrong. In the budget proposal President Obama released two weeks ago, he requested $561 billion for the
Department of Defense--$38 billion over budget caps that are currently in place. If we were to reduce the President's proposed increase in military spending by less than half, and instead invest that money in educational
opportunities for today's college students, we could cut tuition by 55%. So I challenge all of you. ask yourselves, where should our priorities lie?
Source: Forbes Magazine on 2016 hopefuls: 2015 speech at U. Iowa
Apr 30, 2015
Eric Holder:
Snowden did us all a favor by leaking documents
Former Attorney General Eric Holder has made an extraordinary concession: that Edward Snowden did us all a favor by leaking classified surveillance documents: "We can certainly argue about the way in which Snowden did what he did, but I think that he
actually performed a public service by raising the debate that we engaged in and by the changes that we made," Holder said.Now, Holder did not do a 180 on Snowden. He said that the massive leak of NSA documents had compromised US security for a time.
And he said that Snowden should return to the United States and face charges. Then he could argue that the public service he performed should mitigate his legal transgressions.
Legally speaking, this position isn't any different from where everybody--
including Snowden himself--has been for a while. They differ, of course, on the details. The Justice Department (and entire intelligence community) would like to see Snowden serve a long sentence under harsh conditions.
Source: Forbes Magazine, "Little Black Book of Billionaire Secrets"
May 30, 2016
Lindsey Graham:
Make homeschooled graduates eligible for military service
Graham said at the Republican Liberty Caucus of South Carolina in September 2013, "When you look at the outcomes of homeschooling, it will just blow you away. So here, you can take this one to the bank, you've got no better friend than
Lindsey Graham for homeschooling as an option. I was the one who convinced the Department of Defense to allow homeschooled graduates to be eligible for military service. Why would you want to drive these patriotic kids away?"
Source: Forbes Magazine "2016 Candidates Want You to Know" series
Jun 2, 2015
Steve Forbes:
Maintain production of F-22 fighters
Congress has canceled production of the proposed new F-22 fighter aircraft. The aircraft is light-years ahead of the current F-15 and F-16 in stealth capabilities, avionics and weapons systems. Critics carp that the plane is unneeded in a post-Cold War
world and that we should, instead, only upgrade the F-15 and F-16. But foreign fighter planes are coming along that will match our current crop of fighters. Moreover, foreign countries are developing more sophisticated antiaircraft missiles.
Source: Fact and Comment, Forbes Magazine
Nov 15, 1999
Steve Forbes:
Problem is procurement process, not defense spending
As for the cost of the F-22, the same criticisms were made years ago when the F-15 and the F-18 were being developed. The problem of cost overruns lies not so much in the F-22 itself as in the entire government procurement and
development process, an area that badly needs reform. But it would be shortsighted to shoot down the F-22 because of governmental operational deficiencies. Change the process, but don't sacrifice this new fighter.
Source: Fact and Comment, Forbes Magazine
Nov 15, 1999
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