Posted on 02/16/2011 10:59:30 AM PST by saganite
The U.S. military should not be spending money on sponsoring NASCAR teams, Rep. Betty McCollum, D-Minn., said in a budget bill she sponsored.
McCollum's chief of staff, Bill Harper, told The Virginia-Pilot newspaper in Norfolk his boss sponsored the budgetary amendment to address the plight of a growing number of veterans and their families.
"There's an amendment on the floor to eliminate all funding for homeless veterans," he said. "On one hand, we're eliminating assistance to men and women who served our country ... and on the other hand, we're paying for race cars."
(Excerpt) Read more at upi.com ...
Without the ads (many running now showing parent of young person coming to terms with the youth’s desire to enlist and serve), the military would be subject to whatever the MSM chooses to use to characterize it. I think advertising is vital both to promote the honor of joining the military, and to promote patriotism and appreciation for the troops.
The first recruiting was done in local pubs and taverns, one pint at a time. Tun’s Tavern in Philadelphia has always been considered the birthplace of the U.S. Marines first recruiting drive. It has always taken some degree of advertising and advertising sponsorship to recruit for the military. Whether or not NASCAR sponsorship is appropriate might be a matter for discussion but the recruiting advertising is essential.
How about banning ads for the Post Office (those stupid priority mail commercials) ... especially it’s sponsorship of professional cycling!
Well, put it there and fire it forward at 200 mph.
That'll liven up the race!
I did. Wound up being a linguist, though. Not quite certain how I let myself be talked into that one, considering I loved mechanics and mechanical things, and hated sitting in class. I can't remember how long the jet engine mechanic school was, but it certainly wasn't 18 months like the linguist courses. I was already at the MEPS for in-processing and getting my ticket to Lackland.
I may have even made a career out of it had I stayed with my first choice. I would have had nearly 24 years in by now.
You might want to re-think that assertion. You are seriously of the mind that funding for military recruiting should be nixed? I seriously doubt you are.
I assure you if this is an online peer to peer game they know. If they don't then G_d help us all.
-PJ
The military ads budges must be saved for the san franceeeesco market.
What does she think the jet flyovers do? those are mega recruiting.
Does she want to stop the honor guard jet flyovers at arlington too?
The military is voluntary.. if you dont’ market you don’t get recruits. Like it or not that’s reality.
We could always return to conscription and stop all military advertising tomorrow.
The country is broke, there are no jobs and they can get as many kids as they want now. Cut cut cut and keep cutting.
the all time government waste was the advertisement for the one dollar coin. EPIC FAIL in marketing and use.
That’s a generally conservative patriotic audience and I’m sure the services benefit from the publicity.
I agree 100%
Over the years I have noticed that there are very few avid NASCAR fans here on FR.
The average age of a NASCAR fan is much younger than those who post here on FR
OK, Betty lets be fair now. How about telling Michelle Obama to back off the Let's Move program. You can also knock off the Obesity Garden out back of the house too. We know you don't even eat those veggies. Her and Zero can also cut out the date nights and the big parties they have at the White House. Enough with Smoky Robinson and Wegu Beef. For crying out loud. Don't you know we're broke.
While you are at it, take out all the Congressional dining facilities, they can start brown bagging or order out from some fast food place like everybody else. These dining establishments operate in the black. Cut out all Congressional limousine service. Use buses and taxis like the masses. There are probably thousand more cuts you can think of Betty, let's get going.
While we’re at it, let’s get rid of the Blue Angels and the Thunderbirds since they do nothing but fly around looking pretty. And might as well get rid of all the military recruitment centers since they only serve to “advertize” and don’t provide any defense capabilities.
Gee, with an all volunteer military what do we need advertizing or enticement for?
No, lets keep the Blue Angels and Thunderbirds....and keep the recruiting centers
It costs 15 to 20 million per year to sponsor a NASCAR Sprint Cup car....and just for a smaller sticker on a car runs a few million.
NASCAR TV ratings and support has dropped in recent years, so there is not the “bang for the buck” as before.
NASCAR sponsorship is not as effective anymore
I assume that there are people in the military whose job it is to determine “best bang for buck” when it comes to recruiting. And I’ll take their analysis over some military hating demwit any day.
I hope you were being sarcastic on that one. That allowance is the only way military families can make it. Even with it up till E-6 they are at or below poverty level. A person being stationed in Germany four years or even Alaska four years and family staying back in Maine means the wife and kids will see each other once a year. Military wife's and kids already make significant sacrifice for nation by the usually very limited time they do have with the enlisted parent especially those assigned to ships.
Doing away with it and even with a draft it will still result in very serious shortages of E-4 and above enlisted. Not many would stick around without a very substancial bonus for retention {far above their living allowance per enlistment} and I don't blame them.
Our service members deserve to have a family life. BTW recruitment advertisement has indeed been a long standing expense.
One other point to add. The military now obligates enlisted up to eight years service even on first enlistment. Keeping a military family together near command or a base is good for morale and is for the good of the service as well. It also has the family close to needed support facilities during deployments. Enlisted is the backbone of the military. It's best & CHEAPER to take care of them than retrain & replace another one after leaving on completion of first enlistment.
In 1982 there were no jobs. Not even Mickey D's in my state. Every day that I go now out I see Now Hiring signs at various businesses. An 18 year old can flip burgers and still make more per year than likely an E-3 in the military.
In late 1982 the Reagan military was mostly full. When you did four years active and if you got out you came home and had a two year call up obligation with no reserve drills required. The USA was not at war and deployments were usually one time per enlistment or a total of 12-16 months per enlistment. I did a 15 years total overseas under Carter in my four year enlistment. Those were in three deployments. Two were six month and one was for three month. BUT times were different today in many ways. A recruit today may see up too 5 one year tours to Iraq or Afghanistan in his now eight year obligation. These are deployments into hostile nations. The reserves and National Guard isn't much better really. They are now likely to be called up as well. Such has been the state of the United States Military since Poppy Bush.
Here's the problem. Back when the military reductions began under Poppy the End Troop Strengths were lowered. Clinton and congress lowered them more up to what was set in 1996. They have stayed at that level every since that time. Congress sets those numbers. End Troop Strength is the maximum number of active duty and reservist allowed to serve at any time. That means the so called help from the so called adults never arrived even after 9/11.
If I had a son and he asked my advice about enlisting I would say please don't not under the current conditions. Even though my enlistment was great for me things inside the military have changed for the worse. The military is by no means the best place to be today even in this economy. If advertising wasn't being done the recruitment goals would likely not be met. Not many persons want to fight for a POTUS and Congress like the ones we've had since 1989 who lack the will to win and punish you if you hit the enemy back. My guess is many Veteran Parents are discouraging enlistments as well if they do the research on the current obligations. Many persons are not aware of the 8 year obligation.
Correction: I did a 15 “MONTHS” total deployments time overseas under Carter in my four year enlistment. Plus some additional at sea time which is not quite the same thing as a deployment. Those were in and out a week or two at a time for training.
Yes, I am serious. We are on the precipice of bankruptcy. We cannot afford advertisements for the military if we have to continuously borrow money to do it. And please don't mix recruiting (which is what soldiers do) with advertising (spending money on media time).
Flame away but I have had it with the fed gov bankrupting me for what they can do without.
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