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MILITARY OFFICER
NOVEMBER 2016 $4.75 THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF MOAA | ONE POWERFUL VOICE®
WWW.MOAA.ORG CORPS HARD
Under Commandant Gen. Robert B. Neller, the Marine Corps must add equipment and expand capabilities with fewer people and less money 48
HONORING VETERAN’S DAY 56 “
retired … and serving senior officers when they hear political and policy comments from those officers.
The average citizen does not … make a distinction between
—Col. Kathleen A. Mahoney- Norris, USAFR (Ret)
” Electoral Representation
“Making It Count” (November 2016) … painted a very negative view of [the] usefulness and purpose [of the Elec- toral College]. First off , our Found- ing Fathers were rightfully fearful of electing the president by popular vote. As a federal republic, they wanted to ensure that all states had a voice in the election — hence the Electoral Col- lege, which mirrors the representation that each state has in Congress. The idea that it was based on the
distance and time to communicate is just not true. The idea was to give proportional representation to all the states (large or small) for the presidential elections. The Founding Fathers were never supporters of a “popular vote.” The Electoral College is just as relevant and necessary today as it was over 200 years ago. If one would like to see California, Texas, New York, and Florida choose all our presidents in the future, then get rid of the Electoral College — it would cer- tainly make it easier and cheaper for the candidates! If you think 46 states should have no say in the election of a president, then by all means, eliminate the Electoral College. The Electoral College stands ... as part of the great system of “checks and balances” (such as the three branches of government) that our Founding Fa- thers established. Our constitution is set up so the 50 states elect the presi- dent — not by a limited mob-popular vote by four states! We are not a popu- lar democracy, but a federal republic of 50 states, and it is why we have ex- isted and survived for 240 years. —Lt. Col. R.J. Bordenave, USAF (Ret) Life Member, Southern Illinois Little Egypt Chapter via email
10 MILITARY OFFICER JANUARY 2017 Semper Paratus
Fortunately for the Coast Guard, MOAA knows it exists (the Novem- ber [2016] edition, page 22, says there are fi ve armed services). Meanwhile, Marine Corps Commandant [Gen. Robert B. Neller], in his long inter- view with you, mentions only Ma- rines, soldiers, sailors, and airmen. Not to worry, Marines. Despite
the snub, Coasties will still be there when you need them. —Brig. Gen. Star Carey, USA (Ret) Life Member
Canyon Lake, Texas Social (In)security
I just read with interest … [“How Secure is Social Security,” Wash- ington Scene, November 2016]. On page 34, the fi rst option to raise revenue states: “raising the maxi- mum annual earnings subject to payroll taxed (currently $118,500 a year).” FYI, this is not an “op- tion,” but will in fact happen [this year] — the maximum annual earn- ings subject to payroll taxes will rise to $127,200, an increase of 7.34 percent. See
ssa.gov/oact/cola/cbb .html and
bit.ly/2heaTvl. —Capt. Sean Caples, USA (Ret) via email
Where’s the Beach?
In the “Pages of History” piece on page 79 of the November [2016] issue, in which you describe the return of Army Air Forces radar specialist Bennie Howard Jr.’s dog tags some 70-plus years later, you state that “he lost his dog tags on a beach near Florence, Italy.” It re- ally depends on how you defi ne “near.” The last time I checked, Florence was in the center of the
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