Ed Shultz you're smarter than this

Listening to Ed Shultz is driving me crazy right now because this man is very smart but he sounds so simple over the election and rage against President Obama because he wants to work like a President should, remembering he was elected to be the President of everyone in this country and not just the people who voted for him.

Ed seems to have not understood that when Bush was President, he could be a bully for one simple reason. He had the backing of every Republican in office and that trickled down to the Republican voters, supporting Bush no matter what he did or did not do. They lost their jobs, saw the stock market crash, but above all, watched as veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan came home to a VA that was not ready to take care of any of them or the older veterans still waiting for what we owed them. John McCain got a lot of support from them even if it was blind support because veterans just assumed he cared about them instead of voting against them. How did this happen? They stand together no matter what. The Democrats do not do that. Aside from having to acknowledge that Obama is no coward, or he wouldn't have run for office in the first place, you have to admit that he does not have the bully attitude and probably never will.

The problem with this election was not his fault, but as Al Sharpton said yesterday on Sultz's radio show, it was up to the Democrats in congress to come out swinging and they didn't.

When the GOP blocked bills stopping them from even being put to a vote, they didn't do what the GOP did before, taking to the cable news cameras whining about wanting "an up or down vote" and saying how unfair the Democrats were while threatening to go "nuclear" on them. No, instead the Democrats took the high road and let them get away with blocking every bill the House managed to get passed when they showed up in the Senate's hands.

When the GOP governors decided to not use the stimulus money, they not only allowed their own people to suffer in their state, they had ammo to use against Obama and the Democrats because the people saw all the money in the stimulus but not much change in their state. In other words, the Democrats got blamed even though it was the GOP looking to let the President fail. Had the Democrats come out swinging and letting the voters know they were suffering because the governors let their power grab matter more than the state of their lives, things would have been much different, not just with the election but with the American people having a better life.

It happened here in Florida. Most of the money wasn't spent but we're still out of jobs. Not many people here knew that even though the Orlando Sentinel reported on this saying they didn't know how to spend that much money. Well this happened in a lot of other states and what happened was, the GOP won. That was all that mattered to them but the voters didn't know it.

When the ads against Kosmos and Grayson and Sink showed up, Sink was blamed for what the stock market did and people believed it was her fault. For Grayson and Kosmos, they were blamed for cutting Medicare, even though it was all about cuts to waste, fraud and abuse, no one lost benefits, the elderly down here believed the ad and they all lost.

Where were the Democrats in office during all of this as things like this happened across the country? Where were they when the GOP were always on cable news saying whatever they wanted to and getting away with it? Silent.

My thing is and always will be veterans and there has been so much accomplished under the Democrats that I was filled with hope but if you talk to the average Republican voter, they had no clue how much was done just as they had no clue how much was wrong before.

The problem is not what the Democrats did or tried to do, it was the fact they were not standing up to talkers. They were nailed on health insurance reform, but instead of pointing out that many people would be able to see a doctor without going broke, college kids could stay on their parents plan and insurance companies couldn't cut off sick people, they avoided talking about it.

The GOP have it in their plans for the future to hand over the VA and Social Security to private companies along with getting rid of Medicare. It's something they are not ashamed to talk about. They should be but the Democrats are not calling them out on this. They are not calling them out on saying they will cut the deficit when they did noting but add to it when they had absolute power. They let them say they will create jobs but won't call them out on the fact that under them we were losing hundreds of thousands of jobs a month.

The other issue is, when people want to play nice with others, they tend to think they should just let the truth find a way to overcome lies. The Founding Fathers decided to fight for what was right and went to war. Lincoln decided to fight for what was right and went to war instead of giving up on his view that "all men are created equal" and should live that way in this country. Doing what is right needs to matter enough to fight for it, to defend it and to expose the lies in order to get there. The Democrats have to make some kind of united fight and be proud of what they have accomplished for the sake of the people in this country. They acted as if they were ashamed instead. If Shultz wants to blame Obama for wanting to be a President while the rest of the Democrats ran away from what he said he wanted to do, was elected to do and tried to do, then the Democrats deserved to lose. The problem is, what we're heading into because of this election is something the voters didn't deserve but I guess we just weren't worth fighting for when it came to telling us what was really going on by being on every single cable news show the way the Republicans did.

I guess I don't need to explain why I became a registered Independent again.  Tired of power mattering more than us, which the GOP said proudly they're number one job was defeating Obama and the Democrats let them just get away with it.

The GOP know how to fight for themselves but it would be nice if the Democrats learned how to fight for the rest of us.  When our elected get to say what they want, when they want and no one calls them on it, we as a nation fail.  The media won't do it either so we are stuck for the next two years to suffer even more, listen to 24-7 political talk on cable news for the next two years heading into the election all over again.  So who is working for us instead of working for our votes? Any clues?

By the way, when the Democrats took control of Congress in 2007 after beating so many Republicans, did the GOP turn around and understand elections have consequences? No, they just started to hold up bills and the ones they couldn't hold up, they voted against simply because they had one agenda and that was winning again. When Obama was elected and the American people spoke with their votes, did the Republicans listen? Did they act as if they cared about the results of the election at all? No they didn't. They are right when they say the American people feel they are not being listened to, but they took out their anger on the wrong people because no one was telling them anything they needed to know. They were too busy puffing up Sarah Palin and making her a star.

Three tour Vietnam vet went from $125k a year to living on the streets

From $125,000 a Year to Homeless
by Mark Horvath November 03, 2010
read his story here or watch the video
http://homelessness.change.org/blog/view/from_125000_a_year_to_homeless

Veteran’s Reflections: Following in Her Family’s Footsteps to Serve

Veteran’s Reflections: Following in Her Family’s Footsteps to Serve
By Ian Graham

Veteran’s Reflections is a collection of stories of men and women who served their country in World War II, the Korean War, Vietnam War, Desert Shield and Desert Storm and present-day conflicts. They will be posted throughout November in honor of Veteran’s Day.

Marie Peckham is a small woman. While it wouldn’t technically be inaccurate to assume she wears military-themed pins and jewelry because her husband served in the military, it would be an underestimation of Peckham’s devotion to her country. Because even though she stands somewhere between four and five-feet tall, she herself was a U.S. Marine staff sergeant, following in her father and brothers’ footsteps.

“It was only natural I became a Marine, and thank God I did,” she said.

It was as a result of her service and subsequent involvement in the U.S. Marine Corps League that Peckham met her husband, a fellow Marine who survived five major campaigns in the Pacific and went into Nagasaki mere weeks after it had been bombed.

read more here
Following in Her Family Footsteps to Serve


Honoring Women for Veterans Day and everyday.

Authorities link shooting at Coast Guard center to 4 others

Authorities link shooting at Coast Guard center to 4 others

By Maria Glod and Josh White
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Cleaners at the Marine Corps museum near Quantico noticed spots on windows they thought were bird droppings one recent Sunday. They turned out to be bullet holes.

Since that discovery, the same weapon has been used four more times to fire at U.S. military facilities in Northern Virginia.

The gunman has taken aim only at night or early in the morning, when the buildings would be vacant or sparsely populated, and authorities said they don't think he or she is out to hurt anyone. The shooter might be trying to send a message, officials said, but they don't know what the message is. As they search for the person, the questions remain: Who and why?

"Sometimes it is just for the thrill," said James Alan Fox, a criminologist at Northeastern University in Boston. "Sometimes it's for the sake of power and control. Or maybe he just wants to wreak havoc on the military."

read more here
Authorities link shooting at Coast Guard center to 4 others

Thank you Congressman Filner and Congresswoman Pelosi for what you did for veterans

There are a lot of people really happy this morning. I can see the people wanting to not pay taxes anymore happy but when I think about the people who will suffer because of this, it makes me heartsick. I only pray the Republicans who voted for the reversal of the leadership in the House will pay attention to what their politicans are doing and not doing for our veterans. You have to hold them accountable!

For now I want to thank Congressman Filner and Congresswoman Pelosi for what their leadership did for the sake of our veterans.

110th "Liberal" House did these for veterans under Congressman Filner and Congresswoman Pelosi. But some voters still wanted to hate the "Dems" in congress no matter what they did that was right, just, long overdue and taking care of the veterans they claim to love.

December 2008
12/17/2008 Filner Discusses Veterans Issues on Dr. Phil Show

12/8/2008 Filner Pleased With Obama Pick of General Shinseki to Run Troubled VA
November 2008
11/20/2008 Filner Re-elected Chair of House Vets Committee

11/19/2008 Filner to VA: Confidence in VA Completely Shattered by Recent Document Shredding

11/18/2008 Herseth Sandlin Continues to Monitor Progress of New G.I. Bill
October 2008
10/14/2008 Filner Victorious in Fight for Expansion of Veterans’ Health Care and Benefits

10/14/2008 Congressman Filner’s Bill Extends Purple Heart to All Deceased Prisoners of War!

10/1/2008 Filner Applauds Enactment of Veterans’ Spending Bill
September 2008
9/24/2008 Filner Leads House in Passage of Comprehensive Bills to Help Veterans Prevent Foreclosure, Access the Health Care They Need and Receive Earned Disability Benefits in a Timely Fashion

9/19/2008 Veterans Benefit Administration in Need of Improved Training, Performance Management and Accountability

9/18/2008 Chairman Filner Introduces Legislation to End Delays and Stop Budget Shortfalls for Veterans Health Care Funding

9/18/2008 House Passes Legislation to Honor Nation’s Veterans

9/16/2008 House Veterans’ Subcommittee Raises Concerns about VA Approach to Implementing New G.I. Bill Benefits

9/16/2008 House Veterans’ Affairs Health Subcommittee Assesses Suicide Prevention Efforts at the VA

9/15/2008 The Veterans’ Affairs Committees of the House and Senate Hold a Joint Hearing for The American Legion to Present Legislative Priorities

9/11/2008 House Passes Bill to Improve VA Home Loan Program and Sends COLA Bill to President’s Desk
July 2008
7/31/2008 House Passes Comprehensive Legislative Package to Improve Veterans Care and Augment Needed Services

7/25/2008 REPRESENTATIVES BRADY AND FILNER CRITICAL OF VA LIMITATIONS ON VOTER REGISTRATION

7/24/2008 Important Veterans Provisions Included in Comprehensive Housing Bill

7/23/2008 Congress Must Act to Restore Earned Benefits to All Vietnam Veterans – Including “Blue Water” Vets!

7/18/2008 Agent Orange Equity Act Press Conference, Wednesday, July 23

7/16/2008 House Veterans Committee Approves Comprehensive Legislative Package to Improve Veterans Care and Augment Needed Services

7/15/2008 Understanding the Journey of War Veterans:

7/15/2008 VA Details New Suicide Awareness Campaign at House Veterans Oversight Hearing

7/10/2008 Subcommittee Approves Legislation to Increase Access for Mental Health Care for Veterans’ Families
7/10/2008 Improvement Needed for Rehab Program at VA

7/9/2008 First – DO NO HARM!!
June 2008
6/30/2008 New G.I. Bill for Nation’s Veterans Becomes Law

6/26/2008 House of Representatives Votes to Name VA Facilities after Heroic Veterans

6/26/2008 Subcommittee Approves Legislation to Help Veterans Readjust After Military Deployments

6/26/2008 Health Subcommittee Reviews Legislation to Provide Mental Health Treatment for Family Members of Veterans

6/24/2008 Beyond the Yellow Ribbon: When the National Guard and Reserves Come Home

6/23/2008 Subcommittee Reviews Bills to Improve Quality of Life for Returning Veterans

6/17/2008 Filner to the VA: Suspend drug study IMMEDIATELY! IT MAY CAUSE SUICIDE!

6/12/2008 Veterans’ Subcommittee Reviews Legislation to Bolster Disability Benefits for Veterans

6/11/2008 House of Representatives Passes Veterans Legislation

6/11/2008 House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Approves Legislation to Establish Epilepsy Centers of Excellence

6/11/2008 Improving Care for America’s Wounded Warriors

6/5/2008 Health Subcommittee Reviews Legislation to Bolster Health Care for Veterans
May 2008
5/23/2008 Filner Releases Statement on VA Blue Ribbon Commissions

5/22/2008 Veterans in Need of Clear and Simple Outreach to Access VA Benefits & Services

5/22/2008 House Veterans’ Affairs Health Subcommittee Hearing: Need for Health Care Providers at VA Continues

5/21/2008 House of Representatives Passes Veterans Legislation

5/8/2008 Chairman Filner Statement on Veterans Provisions in Housing Legislation

5/6/2008 The Truth About Veterans’ Suicides

5/1/2008 Chairman Filner Statement on the G.I. Bill
April 2008
4/16/2008 Economic Opportunity Subcommittee Reviews Legislation to Improve Transition for Returning Service Members and Veterans

4/10/2008 House Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee Reviews Historic Legislation to Reform the VA Benefits Claims Processing System

4/9/2008 Our Homeless Heroes: A Moral Disgrace for Our Nation

4/3/2008 House and Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committees Hold Joint Hearing
4/2/2008 House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Holds Oversight Hearing to Address Vision Needs of Veterans with TBI

4/1/2008 House Veterans’ Affairs Health Subcommittee Hearing: More Research Needed on Effective and Comprehensive PTSD Treatment
March 2008
3/13/2008 Chairman Filner Lauds Passage of Budget

3/13/2008 House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Holds Oversight Hearing to Examine Care of Seriously Wounded Veterans

3/13/2008 The U.S. Paralympic Military Program: A Dynamic Rehabilitative Therapy for Our Injured Heroes

3/11/2008 House Veterans’ Affairs Health Subcommittee Examines Treatment of Substance Use Disorders and Associated Mental Health Conditions at the VA

3/6/2008 House and Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committees Hold Joint Hearing

3/4/2008 House and Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committees Hold Joint Hearing

3/4/2008 House and Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committees Hold Joint Hearing
February 2008
2/28/2008 House Veterans’ Affairs Health Subcommittee Explores Expanding Mental Health Services for Families of Veterans

2/28/2008 Will Our Veterans Survive the Housing Crisis?

2/27/2008 House Veterans’ Affairs Health Subcommittee Holds Hearing on VA Construction for 2009

2/26/2008 VA Disability Rating System in Need of Comprehensive and Immediate Repair

2/14/2008 House of Representatives Offers National Salute to Hospitalized Veterans

2/14/2008 “VA’s Claims Processing System is in Need of 21st Century Reform”

2/13/2008 House Veterans’ Affairs Economic Opportunity Subcommittee Reviews Expiring Programs at the VA

2/13/2008 Bush Budget 2009: Misplaced Priorities for America’s Veterans

2/7/2008 Bush Budget 2009: Failing to Respond to the Needs of Our Veterans

2/6/2008 Veterans Group Recognizes Filner as “Legislator of the Year”

2/5/2008 No New Taxes for America’s Veterans!
January 2008
1/29/2008 Veteran Laments VA Claims Process: “We Are Not Alone”

1/29/2008 VA Inspector General: Marion VA Was In Disarray

1/28/2008 New Law Improves VA Health Care for America’s Returning Service Members and Veterans

1/17/2008 House Veterans’ Affairs Economic Opportunity Subcommittee Reviews Legislation to Update the Montgomery G.I. Bill
December 2007
12/19/2007 House of Representatives Passes Legislation to Modernize the VA Medical Center in Atlanta
12/19/2007 Filner Introduces Legislative Package to Help Veterans Survive the Subprime Mortgage Crisis

12/12/2007 Stopping Veteran Suicides: VA Not Reaching the Veterans that Need the Help

12/12/2007 House Veterans’ Affairs Holds Joint Subcommittee Hearing to Examine VA Outpatient Waiting Times

12/11/2007 House of Representatives Passes Veterans Legislation

12/6/2007 Chairman Filner Names Kimberly Ross Staff Director of DAMA Subcommitte

12/6/2007 House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Hosts Presidential Management Fellow

12/5/2007 Congressman Filner Introduces Bill to Provide Paralympics Programs to Disabled Veterans
November 2007
11/16/2007 Our Nation’s Veterans: Stopping Suicides and Ending Homelessness!

11/7/2007 House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Passes the Fair Benefits for Guard and Reserve Act

11/6/2007 House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Bob Filner (D-CA) released the following statement on the Marion Veterans Affairs Medical Center:

11/5/2007 House of Representatives Passes Legislation Honoring America’s Veterans in Preparation for Veterans Day

11/1/2007 House Veterans’ Affairs Health Subcommittee Holds Hearing on the VA Construction Process
October 2007
10/31/2007 House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Hosts Army Congressional Associate

10/30/2007 Filner Statement on Nomination of James B. Peake

10/25/2007 House Veterans’ Affairs Economic Opportunity Subcommittee Holds Hearing on the Department of Labor VETS Program

10/24/2007 House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee Holds Hearing on the Sharing of Electronic Medical Records between DoD and VA

10/23/2007 House of Representatives Passes Veterans Legislation

10/18/2007 House Veterans’ Affairs Economic Opportunity Subcommittee Holds Hearing on the Montgomery G.I. Bill

10/17/2007 Filner praises Dole/Shalala recommendations – but urges a more radical shake-up of the bureaucracy!

10/17/2007 House Veterans Affairs’ Committee Hearing Examines the Long-Term Costs of the Current Conflicts

10/16/2007 House Veterans’ Affairs Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee Hearing Examines Benefits Disparities within the Veterans Benefits Administration

10/10/2007 House Veterans Affairs’ Committee Reviews Findings of the Veterans’ Disability Benefits Commission

10/4/2007 House Veterans’ Affairs Health Subcommittee Holds Hearing on VA Research Programs

10/3/2007 House Veterans Affairs’ Committee Hearing Examines Funding the VA of the Future
September 2007
9/27/2007 House Veterans’ Affairs Health Subcommittee Holds Hearing on Improving Services for Homeless Veterans
9/26/2007 House VA Committee Continues Oversight of VA Information Technology Security

9/25/2007 House Veterans’ Affairs Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee Holds Hearing on VA’s Polytrauma Centers

9/25/2007 House Veterans’ Affairs Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs Holds Hearing on VA Appeals Process

9/20/2007 The American Legion Presents Legislative Agenda to Joint Hearing of House and Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committees

9/20/2007 House Veterans’ Affairs Economic Opportunity Subcommittee Holds Hearing on Jobs for Returning Veterans

9/19/2007 Shalala and Dole Provide Details on Commission Recommendations to House VA Committee

9/18/2007 VA Secretary Jim Nicholson to Report on Current Issues – and to Say “Goodbye”!

9/6/2007 House Veterans’ Affairs Economic Opportunity Subcommittee Holds Hearing on Jobs for Returning Veterans


July 2007
7/30/2007 House of Representatives Passes Belated Thank You to the Merchant Mariners of World War II Act of 2007

7/30/2007 House of Representatives Passes Legislation to Address the Immediate Needs of Returning Veterans and Expand Benefits for WWII Merchant Mariners

7/25/2007 “Personality Disorder”: A Deliberate Misdiagnosis To Avoid Veterans’ Health Care Costs!

7/18/2007 House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Holds Symposium on Traumatic Brain Injury

7/17/2007 House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Passes Five Bills

7/17/2007 House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Passes Belated Thank You to the Merchant Mariners of World War II Act of 2007
June 2007
6/25/2007 House of Representatives Votes to Name Four VA Facilities after Medal of Honor Recipients

6/20/2007 House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Holds Hearing on Health Care Equity for All Veterans

6/18/2007 Chairman Filner Names David M. Tucker Chief Counsel for the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs

6/15/2007 House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Applauds House Passage of Veterans Spending Bill
May 2007
5/23/2007 House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Holds VA Disability Claims Roundtable

5/23/2007 House Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Filner Pleased at House Passage of Bills Honoring America’s Veterans

5/22/2007 Congress Passes Resolution to Recognize the Service of United States Merchant Marine Veterans on National Maritime Day

5/17/2007 House Passes Budget Resolution

5/16/2007 House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Holds Symposium on PTSD

5/3/2007 VA Officials that Miscalculated the Needs of our Veterans Awarded Significant Bonuses
April 2007
4/19/2007 Progress for America’s Veterans


April 2007
4/16/2007 House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Holds Hearing on Past-due “Thank You” to Members of the United States Merchant Marines
March 2007
3/30/2007 VA Treatment Centers Lack Access to Troop Medical Records

3/29/2007 Budget Resolution Passes House

3/28/2007 Wounded Warrior Assistance Act Passes House

3/27/2007 Veterans Groups Join Democrats in Support of Budget Resolution

3/23/2007 Chairman Filner Supports Proposed Budget Increase for Veterans

3/22/2007 House Passes Three Bills to Improve Veterans’ Benefits

3/16/2007 Skelton-Hunter-Snyder-Mchugh-Filner Introduce the Wounded Warrior Assistance Act of 2007

3/15/2007 House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Reports Three Bills

3/6/2007 House and Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committees Hold Joint Hearing

3/2/2007 Filner Statement on Walter Reed Army Medical Center
February 2007
2/27/2007 House and Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committees Hold Joint Hearing

2/15/2007 House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Holds Hearing on Equity for Filipino Veterans

2/13/2007 House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Holds Stakeholders Summit to Identify Legislative Priorities


111th Congress under the same leadership

1/22/2010 Improvements Ahead for Post 9/11-G.I. Bill Claims System

1/21/2010 House Veterans' Affairs Committee Meets with VSO Leaders

12/16/2009 Clear Need for Procurement Reform at VA:

12/7/2009 Herseth Sandlin Leads Discussion on Educational Options for Veterans

12/7/2009 House Committee Examines How Federal Dollars Get to Local Veterans for Health Care

12/7/2009 More than 200 Members of Congress Agree: Agent Orange Veterans Deserve Compensation for Their Sacrifice!!

11/4/2009 House of Representatives Votes to Enhance Veteran Protections: A Congressional “Thank You” for Veterans Day

10/28/2009 House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Advances Bills to Enhance Veteran Protections

10/23/2009 Landmark Legislative Victory for Veterans!

10/22/2009 Chairman Filner Supports Veteran Athletes and Military Paralympic Program

10/22/2009 Landmark Legislative Victory for America’s Veterans!!

10/21/2009 Emergency Stipends Successfully Reach Veteran Students

10/16/2009 Secretary Shinseki Provides Update on the State of the VA to Congressional Panel

10/14/2009 Chairman Bob Filner Releases Statement on Agent Orange Decision

10/14/2009 Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee Advances Bills to Enhance Veteran Protections

10/14/2009 Hall Leads Discussion on Proposed Regulation Change Regarding PTSD Determinations for Veterans

10/8/2009 House Passes Historic Bill to Secure Timely Funding for Veterans’ Health Care

10/2/2009 VA Provides Encouraging Progress Report on Going Green

9/29/2009 Congressional Panel Spotlights Waste, Inappropriate Use of VA Resources

9/25/2009 Most – Not All – Veterans Getting Prescription Drugs They Need

9/25/2009 Congressional Panel Calls on VA to Do More to Honor Sacrifice of America’s Veterans

9/17/2009 House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Holds Roundtable on Veterans’ Treatment Courts

9/15/2009 Filner Applauds VA Decision to Restart National Vietnam Veterans Longitudinal Study

9/14/2009 The American Legion Presents Legislative Agenda to Joint Hearing of House and Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committees

9/14/2009 Herseth Sandlin Urges Stronger Management Oversight of VA Projects


September 2009
9/25/2009 Congressional Panel Calls on VA to Do More to Honor Sacrifice of America’s Veterans

9/17/2009 House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Holds Roundtable on Veterans’ Treatment Courts

9/15/2009 Filner Applauds VA Decision to Restart National Vietnam Veterans Longitudinal Study

9/14/2009 The American Legion Presents Legislative Agenda to Joint Hearing of House and Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committees

9/14/2009 Herseth Sandlin Urges Stronger Management Oversight of VA Projects
August 2009
8/5/2009 Filner Bill Allows Elderly Veterans to Use Their Earned Medicare Dollars for VA Health Care

8/5/2009 California Veterans to Get Full GI Bill Benefit: Agreement between State of California and VA Will Result in Dramatic Increase in Benefits for Yellow Ribbon Program
July 2009
7/31/2009 VA’s Limited Scope of Research Prevents Gulf War Vets From Getting the Benefit of the Doubt

7/31/2009 VA Stumbles in Providing Vocational Rehab to Veterans

7/30/2009 Paralympians Inspire Others to Be Better and Do More

7/30/2009 VA’s Limited Scope of Research Prevents Gulf War Vets From Getting the Benefit of the Doubt

7/27/2009 House Passes Bill to Provide Unprecedented Support to Veteran Caregivers

7/23/2009 Critical Warning Signs Missed at Philly VA Weak Oversight Efforts Fail to Protect Veterans

7/21/2009 State Approving Agencies See Expanded Role Under Post-9/11 G.I. Bill

7/21/2009 Hearing Spotlights Immediate Needs of Nation’s Women Veterans

7/15/2009 Veterans’ Affairs Committee Passes Bill to Provide Training and Support for Veteran Caregivers

7/14/2009 Deadline Looms for VA-DOD Interagency Office on Military Electronic Health Records

7/13/2009 House Votes to Strengthen Work Study Program for Returning Veterans

7/10/2009 House Passes Advance Appropriations for Veterans Health Care in Veterans Funding Bill

7/10/2009 House Approves Filner Amendment to Support Paralympic Program for Injured Vets
June 2009
6/26/2009 VA Set for Start of Post-9/11 GI Bill on August 1

6/25/2009 House Subcommittee Reviews Legislation to Provide Greater Support to Veterans and Survivors

6/24/2009 House Passes Historic Bill to Secure Timely Funding for Veterans’ Health Care

6/24/2009 House Votes to Improve Care for Women Veterans

6/23/2009 House Subcommittee Reviews Claims Process for Veterans
6/19/2009 VA Addresses Failures of Contaminated Equipment Use

6/19/2009 House Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Health Reviews Legislation

6/12/2009 CARES Process Lacks Transparency, Performance Measures

6/10/2009 Veterans’ Affairs Committee Passes Historic Bill to Secure Timely Funding for Veterans’ Health Care

6/8/2009 House Affirms Commitment to Nation’s Veterans, Men and Women in Uniform

6/8/2009 More Support for Caregivers of Veterans Needed

6/3/2009 Too Many Unmet Needs for America’s Veterans: Losing Veterans to our Streets
May 2009
5/21/2009 House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Holds Roundtable to Address Issues Confronting Women Veterans

5/20/2009 VA Unresponsive to Questions, Needs of Gulf War Veterans

5/20/2009 As VA Reaches Out to Veterans, Health Care Access Issues Magnify

5/19/2009 House Passes Bills to Honor America’s Veterans: A Congressional Thank You for Memorial Day

5/14/2009 House Subcommittee Reviews Appellate Process for Veterans

5/14/2009 House Subcommittee Reviews Appellate Process for Veterans

5/14/2009 Federal Contractors Not Taking Necessary Steps to Employ Veterans, Say Veterans Groups

5/13/2009 Private Sector Groups Present Cutting Edge Technology and Treatment Options for Veterans at Hearing

5/12/2009 House Votes to Thank WWII Service of Merchant Mariners

5/8/2009 Congress Must Act to Restore Earned Benefits to All Vietnam Veterans – Including “Blue Water” Vets!

5/6/2009 Veterans’ Affairs Committee Advances Legislation
April 2009
4/30/2009 Chairman Hall Holds Hearing to Discuss the COMBAT PTSD Act, H.R. 952

4/30/2009 Filner Applauds Passage of Budget Resolution that Increases Veterans’ Funding

4/30/2009 Care Coordination for Seriously Injured Veterans Improving

4/30/2009 Filner Holds Hearing on Advance Appropriations for Veterans’ Health Care

4/6/2009 Chairman Filner Names Martin L. Herbert Majority Staff Director of Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee

4/2/2009 Filner Applauds Passage of House Budget Resolution that Increases Veterans’ Funding
March 2009
3/30/2009 House Subcommittee Reviews Combat PTSD
3/30/2009 House Advances Important Veterans Bills

3/25/2009 Veterans’ Affairs Committee Advances Legislation

3/23/2009 Filner Reintroduces Bill to Help Vietnam Veterans Suffering from Parkinson’s Disease

3/19/2009 Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittees Advance Legislation to Improve Care and Benefits for Veterans

3/19/2009 Health Subcommittee Reviews New and Existing Health Care Programs for Rural Veterans

3/18/2009 VFW Presents Legislative Goals at Joint Hearing of House and Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committees

3/17/2009 Veterans Groups Present Legislative Goals at Joint Hearing of House and Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committees

3/17/2009 Billing Our Heroes: It’s DOA!

3/17/2009 DOD and VA Let Veterans with Eye Injuries Down

3/13/2009 Filner Releases Views on VA Budget Request

3/10/2009 Obama Budget 2010: Responding to the Needs of Our Veterans

3/6/2009 Veterans Groups Present Legislative Goals at Joint Hearing of House and Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committees

3/3/2009 Health Subcommittee Reviews Legislation

3/3/2009 House Subcommittees Probe Mishandling of Veterans Disability Claims
February 2009
2/26/2009 DAV Presents Legislative Agenda at Joint Hearing of House and Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committees

2/26/2009 Filner Honored for Protecting Veterans’ Education Benefits

2/26/2009 Obama Budget 2010: Responding to the Needs of Our Veterans

2/26/2009 New G.I. Bill On Track for August

2/14/2009 Finally, Equity for Filipino WWII Veterans!!

2/14/2009 Filner Pledges to Fight for Budgets Worthy of Our Veterans

2/13/2009 Filner and Akaka Reintroduce Legislation to Secure Timely Funding for Veterans’ Health Care through Advance Appropriations

2/13/2009 Filner Introduces Bill to Ensure Parity for Veterans Taking On-Line Courses

2/11/2009 Congressional Leaders, Veterans Orgs and Former VA Official to Hold Press Conference Supporting Advanced Funding of Veteran's Health Care

2/9/2009 Filner Reintroduces Belated Thank You to the Merchant Mariners of World War II Act

2/5/2009 “Shinseki Off to Great Start,” says Filner
2/2/2009 Keeping the Promise: A Veterans Agenda for the 111th Congress

2/2/2009 Filner Urges More Veterans Spending in Stimulus Package
January 2009
1/22/2009 House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Adopts Oversight Plan for the 111th Congress and Officially Names Members

1/21/2009 FILNER APPLAUDS CONFIRMATION OF VA SECRETARY SHINSEKI

1/15/2009 FILNER APPALLED BY LACK OF ACCOUNTABILITY, LEADERSHIP AT VA

House Veterans Work

It is terrible that we're going to head backwards because no one on the news bothered to tell veterans and their families how much was done for them and who did it. I talk to Republican voters all the time and none of them had a clue. Too bad the media never told them what was going on and who was lying about what.

VA first time patients is 10,000 a month!

VCS Advocacy in Action -

Last week VCS presented a shocking new statistic to students and faculty at Boston University's .

Pike Conference

According to VA documents obtained exclusively by Veterans for Common Sense under the Freedom of Information Act, VA has treated one million new veteran patients who deployed to the Gulf War - the period of war that began August 2, 1990 and continues through the present in Iraq and Afghanistan.

297,000 deployed Gulf War veteran patients, 1990 - 1991
108,000 deployed Gulf War veteran patients, 1992 - 2002
594,000 deployed Iraq and Afghanistan war veteran patients, 2001 - present

The number of new, first-time patients from these two wars treated by VA rises 10,000 per month. Only VCS seeks this critical information and provides it free to our members.

Sen. Bond: Troops with combat stress discharged, not treated

This just goes to show that some Republicans in office do care about the troops and our veterans.



Sen. Bond: Troops with combat stress discharged, not treated


By David Goldstein | McClatchy Newspapers
WASHINGTON — The military has been discharging troops who are suffering from combat stress, instead of providing treatment, according to Missouri Sen. Christopher "Kit" Bond and several veterans advocates.

That would mean that many who could be afflicted with mental health conditions, including post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury, have left the service without official medical diagnoses and no chance for medical benefits.

"If somebody comes back with battle-related stress and invisible injuries, we owe them a tremendous amount," said Bond, a Republican. "We need to determine what their problem is, not kick them out and let them fend for themselves."

The disputed discharges are for "adjustment disorders," which can occur when a person has trouble handling a stressful event. In the military, service members who've seen combat or undergone other types of stress might be discharged as a result of sleepwalking, airsickness or severe nightmares.

The procedure bypasses the lengthier medical discharge process, but critics say that many troops are discharged erroneously and lose out on medical benefits.
Sen Christopher "Kit" Bond

link from Veterans For Common Sense

Don't let veterans be betrayed again

For the last 4 years there has been so much hope in this country for veterans because of Congressman Filner's leadership in the House Veterans Affairs Committee. He's a Democrat so they controlled the committees for the last 4 years. Reading what has been wrong with the way we treat veterans was no longer just a matter of what was wrong but what they were doing about it. The Dems in the House wrote some outstanding bills and most of them were brought to a passing vote in the Senate but even more were blocked by GOP filibusters. (You've read about them on this blog for a long time.) Veterans were no longer treated like second class citizens far below funding for defense contractors. They were not considered to be seeking "welfare" from the VA instead of what was owed to them. All in all, there were many years of neglect committed against them the Democrats tried to make right. They managed to do that with the GI Bill (the GOP were against) along with just about everything else concerning the men and women in the military and veterans.

The hope of finally getting it right for them is now gone. We're about to head right back into the hands of a GOP House wanting to cut the budget off their backs. Kiss all the advances that could have happened because you won't see them for a very long time now.

The GOP blocked the COLA (Cost of Living) last year and they did it again this year, but maybe the list of wrongs committed by them will matter enough for the Republicans in this country to force them to do the right thing for the sake of our veterans. This is unlikely considering the people we just elected were part of the problem to begin with, but were elected anyway. The people in this country do still have power to make them do the right thing for our veterans and we need to make sure the media reports on it instead of ignoring it. Veterans Day will be bitter sweet in this nation this year and by all accounts, for the next two years at least.

Republicans take more than 60 House seats, CNN projects
By Mariano Castillo, CNN
November 3, 2010 5:34 a.m. EDT

STORY HIGHLIGHTS
NEW: The GOP picks up more than 60 seats, CNN projects
Republicans gain a majority in the House
About 100 of 435 House seats were competitive
Pelosi urges "common ground"
Watch CNN live on TV, online and on your iPhone tonight from 7 p.m. ET to get all the news and results from the hotly contested 2010 midterm elections. And share your election experiences with CNN iReport.
(CNN) -- There is a new speaker in town.
Rep. John Boehner, R-Ohio, will be the new Speaker of the House, replacing Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-California, as the GOP rolled in Tuesday's midterm elections, gaining a majority for the first time in four years.
The Republican Party will pick up more than 60 seats in the legislature, a statistical analysis of exit polls by CNN projects. That's a comfortable margin over the 39 seats needed to wrest control from the Democrats.
read more here

Republicans take more than 60 House seats

Pundits Wrong on Slashing Military Benefits

Turning the VA over to private companies is wrong on so many levels but you would first have to be able to think beyond a few words that sound good.

Here's an example of what can happen with doing something like what the GOP proudly say they want to do.


Hospitals That Have Closed In New York City

Look at the long list of hospitals in New York alone. Then think back to the reports out of your own state when hospitals had to close. Turn the VA over to private hands and that is exactly what could happen to them and then, then where would they go? As it is there are not enough VA hospitals and clinics to take care of all of them. Many have to travel to different states just to get the treatment they need.

Here in central Florida, we have the VA clinic in Winter Park, a hospital in Tampa and a few small clinics but the Lake Nona hospital is finally coming in two years. All these years it's been a battle to be able to get to the VA doctors and as it is, they are cutting back appointments for mental health care older veterans who use the VA like a lifeline. Why? Not enough doctors to go around and take care of all the PTSD cases.

The Lake Nona Hospital ground breaking ceremony was two years ago right before the election. Why? Political gain and that's just about it. Drive by the massive building now being built off of 417 and you'll have to scratch your head for a long time to understand two years ago, they all stood in front of a crowd, spread of food, made speeches knowing full well it would take 4 years to be finished from that point on.

$656 million dollar hosptial will do what if the GOP turn it over to private companies? There are more hospitals and clinics built on tax payer dime, just as tax-payers pay for the care of our veterans who took care of us in the first place. It is a debt we owe to them and not the other way around but if you listen to some talk about how it would be a good thing for the goverment to get out of the business of taking care of veterans, they better start off by saying the govermnet should get out of the defense business first, then security and then maybe, stop making more veterans needing the services of the VA.

If you look at the VA and what is not working, some want to limit their thoughts to what is right in front of them. Instead of doing what it takes to master what the VA got right so far and fixing what is still wrong,they want to just cut it all but never once explain what happens after that.

Seems to me that it will be too late to explain anything to our veterans when we have broken the primary promise to care for those who took care of us first.

When it is said the GOP support the military, they never say that they are talking about contractors and not the men and women we send. Here's one more thing you have to read.

Pundits Wrong on Slashing Military Benefits
November 1, 2010 posted by Michael Leon


On Monday, CNBC interviewed two defense analysts asking “What if?” the military trimmed its health care budget during these lean economic times. -

From the American Veteran:

What followed was a misleading dialogue over how the military currently cares for those in uniform and what our military men and women rely upon once they leave the service.

Mackenzie Eaglen of the Heritage Foundation never served in the military and Todd Harrison of CSBA Budget Studies served a brief stint in the Air Force Reserve. Both pundits have made a career of analyzing military decision-making and military budget processes, often generating sound discussion on where the military should invest its resources. Unfortunately, both have recently set their sights on slashing benefits for the brave men and women tasked with fighting our nation’s wars.

read more here
Pundits Wrong on Slashing Military Benefits

Vietnam veteran Kevin Burns thankful for life-changing help

Vietnam veteran Kevin Burns survived conflicts at home and abroad, thankful for 'life-changing' help
Denis Hamill

Tuesday, November 2nd 2010, 4:00 AM



Next week, on Veterans Day, I'll think about my pal Kevin Burns.

Kevin's whole life has been a battle. From the tough streets of Brooklyn, to the jungles of Vietnam, to postwar homelessness in Oakland, to a running battle with Hepatitis C and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and finally to amazing success in the real estate wars of California, Kevin has fought every day.

He also lost a sister at Cantor Fitzgerald on 9/11.

A skinny, street-smart character with a lazy right eye, Kevin was my class clown partner at Holy Family School in Park Slope.

Somehow, we graduated, and Kevin went to Grady High and I went to John Jay High, and we grooved together through the '60s.

Then I went to CUNY, and in 1969, Kevin got drafted. He failed the eye test.

"The right eye was rated 20-200," he says. "Legally blind."

But it was 1969, and Kevin had a heartbeat, and the Selective Service would've taken him if he had one leg.



Read more:
Vietnam veteran Kevin Burns