Why does the GOP hate veterans?

Because they aren't rich corporations?

Homeless veterans could lose 10,000 housing vouchers

By Rob Hotakainen | McClatchy Newspapers

WASHINGTON — Top Senate Democrats raised loud objections Thursday to a plan by Republicans in the House of Representatives that they said would eliminate 10,000 housing vouchers for homeless veterans this year, an effort to save $75 million from the 2011 federal budget.

"I believe it's immoral," said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada, urging House Republicans to abandon the plan.

Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee Chairman Patty Murray, D-Wash., called the proposal "astounding" and said no federal budget should shortchange the most vulnerable Americans. She wants to eliminate homelessness among U.S. veterans.

"We owe it to our veterans to provide them with the resources and support they need to put a roof over their heads," Murray said. "And this is just one more example of the Republicans' reckless budget that puts politics and ideology over families, communities and even those who have served and sacrificed for our nation."

Republicans defended the plan by noting that thousands of vouchers have gone unclaimed this year.

"The fact of the matter is there will not be a veteran, a homeless vet, that will not get a voucher," Rep. Tom Latham, R-Iowa, said during a debate on the House floor. "The fact of the matter is there are 30,000 vouchers available today. Only 19,000 of those have been used. There are 11,000 vouchers waiting."

But Rep. Norm Dicks of Washington state, the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, cited a recent federal report that said that more than 76,000 veterans were homeless on any given night in the United States and that veterans were 50 percent more likely to be homeless.

"Yet the majority's bill turns its back on our homeless vets, leaving them literally out in the cold," Dicks said.

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Veterans Still Being Denied Benefits - Pentagon Labeling Troops With "Personality Disorder" to Avoid Responsibility

Caught a crazy story about the treatment of veterans over the weekend. My first thought was- "is this still going on?". I recall first hearing about this under the Bush Administration when it was running rampant. But apparently veterans are still dealing with this problem. In a recent public radio interview, Investigative journalist Joshua Kors talks about the impossible situation veterans have been faced with when they try to get their benefits.

Eric Shinseki (Head of VA) and Robert Gates were supposed to correct this. Some improvements have been made, but there are so many applications for benefits, the system may be overwhelmed. According to NPR and the VA, the number of outstanding benefits claims is somewhere in the neighborhood of 500,000. Unbelievable.

This is part of the cost of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq - a cost that often isn't included in the actual war cost calculations. The final cost could be mind boggling when you factor in the funding needed for long-term treatment.


Related

Hear an entire NPR series called "The New Veteran".

The Honorable War Hero McCain Doesn't Support A New GI Bill

This is by my fellow Blogger, Jack Turner, over at Jack and Jill Politics.
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Support the troops.
Support the troops.
Support the troops.

How many times has legitimate debate about our foreign policy been obscured by calls to "support the troops?" Too many to count.

And yet, when you examine the records of those pro-war people who hide behind the troops, you find that they don't know the first thing about what that support means. It means equipment, training, adequate troop levels, health care, safety from sexual assault, reasonable enlistment standards and financial compensation.

It also means not deploying the troops off to illegally invade and occupy a foreign land, but I'm not even gonna get into that.

John McCain is one of these people who says we should support the troops.

John McCain (as if he could ever let us forget) was a prisoner of war.

Based on his experience in Vietnam, he's considered an expert on military matters. He thinks "honor" is the highest calling, and he thinks a lot of his own sense of that virtue.

But this honorable, troop-supporting, military expert and P.O.W. veteran has been reluctant to support a new GI Bill. And more people need to be calling him on it.

Watch this video put together by Brave New Films, WesPac (Wesley Clark) and VoteVets, then sign the petition. Also read this Op Ed in the LA Times.

The Story of Carmelo Rodriguez

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Despite more and more of these stories coming to light in recent years (Walter Reed, Ft. Carson, etc.) the U.S. continues to cut corners when it comes to the care of its own soldiers. These kinds of stories seem to keep coming up.

I wish my Father was still around so that I could pick his brain. He was proud of the U.S. military...but he was also aware of the politics involved (both inside of the military, and from Washington DC). I just wonder if he would still feel the same after all of these stories.

Iraq Veterans Respond to Rush Limbaugh

Veterans of the Iraq War have responded to Rush Limbaughs recent attack on their bravery and integrity when he referred to troops with doubts about Iraq as "phony soldiers".

See Video Below

Meet The All American Hinkle Family - Hear How Army Is Still Failing Injured Soldiers

Hear a two part NPR report about a Veterans experiences with recovery and his dealings with the U.S. Army since being injured in Iraq.

Part 1

Part 2

Related Website

Wounded Iraq War Veterans Tell Their Story

Two Disabled Iraq War Veterans tell their stories.

Hear Discussion

Fort Carson Soldiers Revisited

A new NPR report shows that Fort Carson Soldiers are still not getting all of the mental health treatment that they need.