Comment on AN43-Proposed Rule-Salau, Edwin

Please do not allow this rule to pass because I believe it will cause more negative effects rather than positive outcomes. First, one should be familiar with the unique details associated with a world-class athlete's lifestyle. Elite athletes with an eye on the "gold medal" (disabled or otherwise), all choose a sacrificial lifestyle dedicated to that specific goal to win Olympic/Paralympic gold. If one focuses upon paralympics, one sees not only athletes who train intensely, but those athletes sacrifice life's creature comforts/luxury to win. Disabled veterans have guaranteed income and guaranteed medical care which is in direct contrast to their civilian counterparts, in most cases. Rather than pay more money to veterans, I suggest veterans be held to the starndards their income allows, pushing them harder to acheive their mission. I believe veterans who receive more money to compete will typically find more reasons to ignore their real priorities in life like raising their families, paying their bills, and being generally good citizens. This proposed rule seems to be borne of well-wishing benevolent people who think money is preventing the veterans from competing instead of understanding the veterans are not economically deterred, but rather, they are living the life they have, according to the priorities they have set ahead of themselves. Instead of funding more trips/events for veterans, urge veterans to seek mentors to hone their life's priorities to achieve more for themselves and their families. If elite athletes emerge after mentorship (not funding), then sponsors will provided for further training and competition. If this is an inaccurate assumption, then how have disabled civilians achieved so much within paralympics? Where was their taxpayer sponsorship? It is true that disabled veterans on medal-winning podiums make better magazing covers; however, many more veterans are struggling in life because they lack the support network to cousel them.