There has been a lot of discussion since Athens about foreign swimmers training in the United States. Most of them attend U.S. Universities, receive athletic scholarships, and compete at NCAA's. Some notable examples include Duje Draganja (Cal), Fred Bousquet and Kirsty Coventry (Auburn), Markus Rogan (Stanford), and the South African sprinters (Arizona). Some train in the U.S., but don't compete for a university (Inge de Bruijn). All of these athletes benefit from U.S. coaching, from training with U.S. swimmers, and in some cases, from financial support provided by U.S. entities (athletic scholarships). They all turn around and then win medals for other countries.
A couple questions: 1) What do you think about this arrangement generally? 2) Is it of benefit or detriment to U.S. swimming to have these foreign athletes training and competing here? 3) Should we be giving athletic scholarships, which are a scarce resource in swimming, to foreign athletes who will represent their own countries internationally instead of U.S.-born swimmers who will represent us internationally?
I'm sure there are other issues, but these come directly to mind.
You want an example of gov't reform that actually didn't cost more, improved efficiencies and even the left crowd liked - WELFORM REFORM.
Since paying taxes is not voluntary, I'm not sure why you consider me selfish. Would the fact that folks contribute to other causes besides our gov't be ok with you or is it only acceptable to pay more taxes to prove your worth? What about people who tithe to their churches or volunteer their time? That acceptable?
You want an example of gov't reform that actually didn't cost more, improved efficiencies and even the left crowd liked - WELFORM REFORM.
Since paying taxes is not voluntary, I'm not sure why you consider me selfish. Would the fact that folks contribute to other causes besides our gov't be ok with you or is it only acceptable to pay more taxes to prove your worth? What about people who tithe to their churches or volunteer their time? That acceptable?