Veterans: WRONG Direction for Funding {once again}

<------- Remember these? They were a big joke and joy for a group still calling themselves republicans and happened as the Country were sending Military Troops into war once again, wars that still continue, and never a real apology for their joke. I'll bet some of them still have some handy to be used and laughed about when their need arises to do so as they wave the flag and condemn others who don't agree with them. Oh and while they seem to get joy about Soldiers being wounded in our wars and awarded the "Purple Heart" these were pointed directly at a brother In-Country Vietnam Navy Veteran, my tour there, as a Navy GunnersMate 3rd, was my last year of my four '70-'71.

Or how about the many forms of these -------> Till they quickly blew off the SUV's and other vehicles never to be replaced, only ones you'll see now are the very rare bumper stickers that only weather will remove after they fade out to much effort needed to remove by the owners.

Or who can forget these --------><--------, that any who wore suits, especially representatives hired by the people, if they didn't wear were called unpatriotic, unsupportive of our soldiers and veterans, even enemy sympathisers and much more, why the FOX couldn't stop supposedly reporting on these traders of the U.S. and {non}Americans.

In the previous election did anyone hear any mention by the so called great movement of royally pissed off americans, corporate sponsored and corporate media hyped, still, TEA Party and their many talking heads as to any Demands for Finally 'Sacrificing' as Soldiers are still sent into two conflicts, their families waiting for their return, and those who survive come back as Veterans of their Military Service to the Country. I didn't, all I heard once again were 'tax cuts' which every time I've heard these last some forty years, as a Veterans Advocate and Activist, says the Country doesn't want to pony up for the results of it's Wars and our brother and sister veterans will continue facing an underfunded Veterans Administration and be in constant catch up mode which in the long run constantly costs more to give what is owed and promised. One of the results of that around the country, contributing to as well is the collapsed economy from failed economic and business practices the past thirty years, has been the cutting back or shutting down of local Veterans offices that help the millions of Veterans coop with the system and the paperwork etc. needed to get that promised help as it took the past four years to finally start not only catching up with what wasn't done but bring the VA into the 21st century.

With the directly below article keep in mind this is decades long, under funding of the Veterans Administration, and in the recent times and two wars the 108th and 109th Congresses sought cuts or did relatively nothing, not only for veterans but even military care and more, as they rubber stamped everything else related to these two long running destruction and occupations of others, their Wars of Choice, costs off the books and on borrowed monies. Afghanistan stopped being about anything related to 9/11 with the first drum beat pointed at Iraq!

Feb. 17, 2011 -- On Monday, February 14, House Republicans introduced a Continuing Resolution (H.R. 1) to fund the federal government for the last seven months of the fiscal year while cutting $61 billion in current year spending. The bill proposes to cut $2.6 billion in funding provided to care for America's veterans. Leaders of VA's largest union, the American Federation of Government Employees, stated that the reductions threaten the health care and benefits delivery services provided by VA employees.

"This Nation is engaged in military operations and conflicts across the globe," said AFGE Secretary Treasurer J. David Cox. " The strength of our fighting force and the safety of our Nation depend on our ability to care for America's veterans. Proposals to decrease spending for veterans during a time of war are dangerous, short-sighted, and just plain wrong."

And as pointed out above, in short because there'smuch more, it's pointed out with this:

This is not the first time that a Republican-led House of Representatives has irresponsibly cut funding for America's veterans. From 2003 to 2006, VA health care funding did not increase, co-pay increases were proposed, and investment in much-needed research to provide the best care for veterans suffering from unknown injuries languished. Since 2007, the Democratic Congress increased health care funding to begin to address the uphill battle of providing appropriate care and access to all generations of veterans. These resources allowed VA to better immediately address needs of returning veterans, expand access, increase support for veteran caregivers, address the urgent mental health care needs of veterans, expand veteran homelessness prevention and care, and invest in research for maladies attributed to military service. {continued}

Now when the 110th Congress came in they had an awful lot to catch up on as to Veterans and Military Personal and their families, I posted about some of that here at my site and elsewhere. That carried over to the 111th Congress, not only as to catching up but finally Congressional investigations and many hearings in both Houses of Congress. They not only started to finally try and help the veterans and families of the current conflicts and military service but also took on decades long ignored problems of us older veterans.

With the present Administration also came a change in leadership at the Veterans Administration. With that change, and the support of this Administration and Congress, came one of the few appointee's to run the agency that isn't doing so in any political terms, there have been a couple over the decades but much of what they wanted to bring about was blocked by the congresses of those times, with I might add the Countries support. A leader who is pro-ative and not re-active to the veterans needs and concerns. He in turn brought in a like minded group to help him administer the agency and in these past two years plus have accomplished the needed issues of now and the long needed of the past decades, with still much more to do to bring the agency into a smoother running operation and beyond the already technology of the 21st century. And this new leader, retired General Shinseki, was releaved of duty by the previous administration and their supportive congress and citizen supporters.

The Veterans Administration, over the past couple of years, was greatly helped in reaching some much needed goals with extra funding, the Country didn't even realize they finally were actually 'sacrificing' a tiny bit, with the funds of the Recovery Act in trying to stem the collapsing economy, these needed investments and projects will have long term effects on the communities, around the Country, that they can be found as well as much needed help for the veterans in and around these communities and their families. Here's just one report from the VA on just those recovery funds from 2010.

Yesterday the VA released another short report on just those needed investments from the Recovery Act.

18 February 2011 - On the second anniversary of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced that Recovery Act funds are playing a major role this year in advancing much-needed infrastructure and other construction nationwide to benefit our Nation’s Veterans.

“This will be a banner year for VA in serving more Veterans more efficiently in more places,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. “We are pleased to be able to improve buildings and expand the capacity of VA’s health care network and national cemeteries to serve Veterans.” {continued}

They are even going Green, upgrading older facilities and adding those to the newer projects which will save money, i.e. tax monies oh teabagger friends, which can be used for better care and needs of these new brothers and sisters as well as us old vets.

The 'tepublicans' are back in the House, expect more false arguments about tax cutting, their supporters parrot as they fear demanding more for their labors of their stagnated or falling wages and bennefits and now are joining their corporate sponsors in trying to bust all the unions of the hard working American people, which will bring about cuts in more then just the Veterans Administration budgets, again, and the growth of talk of 'privatizing', that still coming after the collapsed economy, the deadly and destructive oil drilling explosion in the Gulf, all the recalls covering many products and on and on, to continue.

This is not related to above but is related to what happened as to these two wars and those serving and the beneficiaries of those killed in them, Time Is Running Out, and with the new congress I really don't forsee another extention so pass this on:

Feb. 18, 2011 – People whose military service was involuntarily extended or whose retirement was suspended between Sept. 11, 2001, and Sept. 30, 2009, have until March 4 to file for retroactive payments of $500 for each month of their extended service under the “Stop Loss” policy.

The deadline ends the second extension for eligible people to apply to receive the retroactive pay.

“This is a timely payment for services already rendered,” said Lernes "Bear" Hebert, the Defense Department’s director of officer and enlisted personnel management. “It’s a no-strings-attached program -- one where they fill out a simple form and attach a few documents [to show] their service.” {continued}

If you know someone or think someone that deserves this hasn't filed for please ask them, asking don't hurt, not only for the soldiers stopped lossed but the beneficiaries of the fallen stop lossed soldiers!