It's the money, Mr. Rumsfeld - Boston Globe

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http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/letters/articles/2004/12/11/its_the_money_mr_rumsfeld/

OPPINION

December 11, 2004

SECRETARY OF Defense Donald Rumfeld's answer to a soldier's question concerning Humvee armor was completely disingenuous. As reported in "US stance on armor disputed" (Page A1, Dec. 10), the company contracted to armor-up Humvees is waiting for the Pentagon to authorize the increase in production. So it's not about living with "the Army you have," as Rumsfeld said, it's about money.

I am all for being good stewards of the taxpayers' money in a fiscally constrained budget environment, but not at the expense of our soldiers' lives. The reason given by the Pentagon for the delay is that it is debating how many more Humvees need to be armored. Let me help with that answer: all of them. All Humvees should be armored just as all soldiers should have body armor.

In a country with no peer competitor in the world, are you telling me that priorities cannot be shifted? Surely, there is money in those services that can be reallocated.

The future face of conflicts in the war on terror are land battles such as in Afghanistan and Iraq. Let's stop service parochialism and put our money to its best use.

And if money is an issue, I would gladly give up my pittance of a tax break if the government guaranteed me it would go to our soldiers' safety. Anyone else care to join me?

WILLIAM A. FITZGERALD