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Courtesy of Ashley Metcalf
Ashley Metcalf, who served in Iraq then enrolled in college, is leading a push to compel the VA to pay back wages owed to dozens of student veterans like himself.
Student veterans hired by the Department of Veterans Affairs to help fellow ex-service members transition into college have routinely waited four to six weeks — and, in one case, four months — for unpaid wages, prompting eviction worries and mounting debt, according to a survey of program members obtained by NBC News.
Ashley Metcalf, who served in Iraq and Afghanistan — and the student veteran who organized the survey of other VA "work-study" employees at 18 campuses — said he’s been living on credit cards since June and was forced to obtain an emergency loan because the VA has failed to compensate him for about 100 hours he's logged in the VA program.
“How can this happen? If I was working for McDonald’s and they said they’re not going to pay me for 10 weeks, I’d have a lawsuit,” said Metcalf, an Air Force veteran now enrolled at the University of Colorado Denver.
“We’re not asking for a raise or for extra benefits. We’re just asking the VA to do what it said it would do: pay us on time,” Metcalf said. “Coming back home, trying to figure out mentally how to transition into college life and then not getting paid? It’s way too much of a stress for people who are possibly already on edge.”
According to the VA website, the “work-study allowance” is available through the post-9/11 GI Bill. Student veterans employed by the program earn the minimum wage from the VA for devoting hours to specified, on-campus jobs such as “providing assistance to veteran students with general inquiries about veteran benefits,” the site says, adding: "VA will pay you each time you complete 50 hours of service."
A voicemail left Monday by NBC News with the VA media relations office prompted an emailed response Wednesday from a VA spokesperson: "VA will review any issues with the work-study to ensure payments are delivered in a timely manner. To allow more timely payments to work-study students, our regional processing offices recommend that employers submit time records to the work-study coordinator once 50 work hours have been accrued. In some cases, time records are submitted after a student has accrued 100 or more hours."
But Metcalf’s survey found VA work-study employees at five campuses who reported waiting one month to two months for payments — and a student in North Dakota who was not compensated for four months. (Among the 18 schools represented in the survey were Texas A&M, Florida State and the University of Kentucky). Survey participants also revealed that a number of student veterans have quit their work-study jobs due to the chronic payment delays, hamstringing veteran-services departments at some campuses.
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“I usually have 100 hours logged before I get paid for 50. For any other job I would find this to be a reason to quit,” one student veteran replied to the survey. “It is mind boggling to think that I work 50 hours, submit my form and have to wait almost a month to get paid for it. I'm married with a kid on the way. Please just pay me already!!!” wrote another.
A second dominant survey theme: rising anger over the VA's lack communications — and its failure to provide basic answers as to why faxed time sheets take weeks or months to process and pay. Many survey respondents described numerous unreturned voice mails and unanswered e-mails from VA officials. "God answers my prayers faster than the VA answers my phone calls," complained one student veteran.
Tomorrow, Neal Boyd would have marked his one-year anniversary with the VA work-study program. Instead, he resigned the post one month ago. An Iraq War veteran, Boyd was named to the Danville Area Community College Board of Trustees in April as the panel's student representative. (The school, in Danville, Ill, has about 120 students enrolled via military benefits). On Aug. 1, Boyd applied with the VA to renew his work-study contract for the fall semester. He then invested about 70 hours in his assigned job — helping veterans find employment.
Two months later, Boyd has not received a reply from the VA about his contract renewal — or any money. In September, his college learned of the problem and hired Boyd, adding him to the school's payroll and allowing him to retain his job while letting him simultaneously step away from the VA's work-study program.
"I’d be in the same boat (as the other unpaid student veterans) if I didn’t have such a great school," Boyd said. "When I would call the VA (for an answer), I wouldn’t get anybody, just a recording saying they were busy processing time sheets. At this point, I'm no longer interested in the VA work-study contract."
While the GI Bill covers veterans' tuition fees, many other living expenses remain. That's where the work-study money is supposed to help students like Ashley Metcalf stay financially safe while attending a full load of college classes and devoting 20 hours a week to guiding other enrolled veterans from the battlefield to the classroom.
"People are relying on this money. This is ridiculous," Metcalf said of the results gathered by his survey. "I knew that somebody had to step up and do something."
For a personal view of the financial strain caused by the payment delays, Metcalf opened his personal books. In addition to his full tuition coverage, he receives $1,464 in monthly GI benefits. From that check, he pays $600 for rent. The remaining $864 must cover a month's worth of groceries, household items, clothing, school supplies, bills, gas for his car, and parking fees in downtown Denver where his college is located. While the GI Bill also allots $500 for college books, that doesn't cover the true cost each semester — just one of Metcalf's fall classes required $300 in book purchases.
Courtesy of Ashley Metcalf
Ashley Metcalf served in the Air Force for 12 years, spending time in Iraq. He's being forced to return to service in January because the VA has been months late in compensating him for college work the agency hired Metcalf to perform.
"I’m running short every month (due to unpaid wages; he's supposed to receive $600 every 30 days). I know the VA has numerous veterans issues that are being handled now — mental health and people being homeless. But I have to pay rent. We had another guy (in the work-study program) who almost got evicted," Metcalf said.
At the University of Colorado Denver, about 900 student veterans are enrolled — 13 of those are employed by VA's work-study program, aiding fellow veterans in tracking their GI benefits and merging into college life, Metcalf said. Amid the VA compensation snags, the bursar's office at UCD created emergency loans — $1,500 per semester — for student veterans, he added.
"I had to take one of those loans because I don't know when I'm going to get paid," said Metcalf, who also serves as president of the UCD student veteran organization. "I just can't wait any longer for the money."
And with the draw down in Afghanistan causing more service members to leave the military and enroll directly in college — in part due to the weak job market — Metcalf expects the work-study payment holdups to worsen. That means, he predicts, additional students will quit their work-study posts in college veteran-services departments, which will, in turn, reduce on-campus help for former troops who are trying to carve out success in college.
Metcalf, who spent six years on active duty in the Air Force and another six as reservist, also has reached a career crossroads.
"I'm going back into the (Air Force) Reserves in January," he said. "I can’t afford to not work. And even though it’s a requirement that I be a full-time student to stay on the GI Bill, I can’t afford to live like this."
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Leave a Comment:
I am a vet and in the process of eviction because of my monthly housing allowance has stopped.
I hear ya. I took classes over the summer and have not yet received my housing allowance. Maybe they all went on vacation?
What you are seeing is a repeat of the same debacle haunted Veterans trying to attend classes during the Vietnam era. many became discouraged that the school program was only a benefit to the fly-by-night operators - they would extend credit (at exorbitant rates) to the students until benefits ran out. Leaving the student in debit without a degree or credential and owing all of his grants to these "operators". In the aftermath - Congress found that the program was subject abuse, due to he soldiers inability to finish his program. Nothing was ever mentioned - at least not in a meaningful way- of the inability of the student to reliably receive his payments on any dependable schedule, contribution being the root, the basic problem.
Often, the student would finally succeed in getting his payments and back payments finally restarted ... only to find that payments would be stopped based on an earlier complaint being injected into the system ... causing an investigation and stop of all payments - until that was cleared up, again.
You would think, they had cleared up the mess and streamlined the process after 30 years of investigation on how NOT to do it this time.
Many vets then, as they are doing now - just tossed he whole program in the trash bin, re-enlisted and gave up the dream of attending, graduating from college. At least while in the service, if they were lucky - they had a "day job" as a soldier, food and shelter on a reliable basis ... and attended schools at the local community college or Online studies. The problem is, as active military - the classes are subservient to the mission. Transfers to"hot" duty stations often meant you never could count on completing any course. Which could mean redoing the same class requirements 2 or 3 times... before moving forward.
We see where many Vietnam era veterans are just now completing their delayed degrees in class with warriors of the desert storm era.
Well, just be sure to vote Republican in November, that way you can stop worrying about your benefits.
Most likely, all veterans benefits will simply end. No more need to concern yourself with those benefits.
You really should just take responsibility for yourself.
What a lousy attitude....These men and women, many of whom saw action defending our country, some of them permantly disabled, are returning home to a depressed surplus of labor economy, NO JOBS. They are trying to better themselves with an education, an education that was promised to them when they enlisted by the VA. THEY ARE TAKING RESPONSIBILTY FOR THEMSELVES and you should be ashamed.
Don't get me wrong with what I am saying ( I have a few years on you ).
The program was set up to help vets who left the service and go on to college. Here is the kicker !! Internally it was set up to fail or discourage those vets who took advantage of the program. You guys and gals are playing against a stacked deck. It is the same game if you try to collect veterans benefits for disabilities . Stall foot drag anything they can do to discourage you from pursuing that which you are entitled to. When it comes to collecting benefits from the VA that is the name of the game.
My suggestion to you is this. Call and write your congressmen. Tell them what is going on and GIVE them YOUR PERMISSION ( must be in writing and signed by you as congress changed the privacy laws ) to look into this matter for you . Also try to get the VFW , American Legion , the VVa and any other vets organization that you can to look into this for you. You must fight fire with fire . Don't be afrait to bring smoke on their sorry ass#@. That is the only way you will get what is owed to you.
By the way I am a been there , done that guy. I know this works because I have had to do it this way myself.
bob
dirp, shut up..jackass
Forgot the most important thing.
Send all letters return re-seat requested. That way you have conformation that they received it.
bob
WHUCK
Go back to your room and play with your tinker-toys or what ever else you find in your hand.
The Veterans Administration is hellishly underfunded. Deliberate underfunding started with the Reagan administration who saw Vietnam-era draftees as "losers" and "cowards" not deserving of "government handouts." Max Cleland once famously said that the VA killed and injured as many vets as any NKA division. Underfunding the VA was one of the Reagan administration's ways of "cooking the books" and making his tax cuts for the wealthy seem more practical than it actually was and of "finding" funding for the idiotic Star Wars (SDI) program. Under GHW Bush, a somewhere more pragmatic approach was taken and an allowance was made for casualties. But under the younger Bush, two wars were fought with the assumption that casulties would be less than the First Gulf War. This was a way of keeping from having to actually fund the Second Iraq War and the Afghanistan War. And it wasn't a small amount of underfunding. The total underfunding by W's administration is estimated to eventually be over a trillion dollars --- far more than the entire VA budget.
I was a Vietnam vet and had to constantly fight to get my tuition assistance which was always months and months late. Even though combat-wounded, I could never get treatment from the VA because there were too many people ahead of me awaiting treatment. I was lucky, I was only suffering from some deafness. But others were seriously needing help that never came. I remember a Life magazine photo of a vet sitting abandoned in a wheelchair in a shower just weeks after a vet was scaled to death by eaxactly the same sort of abandonment.
After all, vets are just more of Romney's 47%, sucking up entitlements and draining the wealthy of their just and righteous money. Vets are obviously people with no sense of responsibility for their own actions and are just lazy shiftless Democrats living off the public teat.
Politicians are all too willing to send our country's finest into harm's way. But when they are harmed, they suddenly become "throwaway soldiers" and a political embarrassment. The VA is over a trillion short of being able to keep the promises of politicians. And I do not see anything changing. Young men and women going into the military need to be made aware, before they take the oath, that they will NOT be able to count on the VA because their mission is worthy, but their funding is nearly non-existent compared to the need.
Chris: Untrue: Unfortunately, some of the funding the Republicans back then pushed through, took years to get to some of the local VA facilities. When was medically retired, the funds from the Reagan Administration didn't reach my local VA until 90, which allowed them to upgrade equipment and add a new wing to the facility. Sometimes certain funds that are voted on, takes years to get through to the agency(or department it was slated for). Believe me.
I know what this guy means, I had to increase my work hours, and stop going to one of my classes ("College Success Skills") just to make my bills..... I would have been better off with the MGIB at this point.
your reading dirp wrong, he is saying the republicans will cut these programs
The Obama Administration cares soooooo........ much for our vets. At least that's what they always say. And they are lying as usual.
The moron's administration can't do anything right.
Yeah, go ahead and put Obama back in office.
Where is the outrage from Fox News or the REPUBLICANS OHH THATS RIGHT THEY ONLY CAE ABOUT US AS LONG AS WE FIGHT THEIR WARS AND THEY GET REACH AT THE EXPENSE OF SOMEBODY ELSE HARD WORK, PLEASE REPUBLICANS ONLY CARE ABOUT THEIR BIG CONTRACTORS KBR ETC, ANYBODY THAT HAS OR HAS BEEN SERVING THE COUNTRY SINCE SEP 11 know this, I quit voting republican when Macain ddint sign for the new GI Bill because it was too generous, THERE WOULD BE NO USA without our Great military, only 1% of the nation makes the ultimate sacrifice and serve their nation, REPUBLICANS JUST LAST WEEK VOTED DOWN A MEASURE TO HELP VERTERANS FIND JOBS SO PG8 get your facts first before expressing lies , this is not FOX NEWS AUGMENTED REALITY, THIS IS REAL.
Sadly 2012GOUSA the Republicans ARE up in arms about it... Sorry you missed it through your partisan glasses.
This is nothing new. I have been in the VA system since 1993 and its been the same old song and dance. They blame it on the school, the school blames the VA..
Problem is too many veterans because of the damn wars. The VA needs a massive overhaul. They don't have enough qualified people working for them who understand the system. There is way too much paperwork burden on the Vets. The mostly have 1 regional office, like here in Phoenix and it's accessible for a majority of Vets.
Don't blame Obama for the problems morons, this is a LONG time brewing. Its been a mess for decades. They need to hire vets to work for the vets to make sure the vets are taken care of. The GOP sent them to war, they should be compensated justly and timely.
I am so tired of seeing articles like this. There is NO excuse for treating our veterans like this. The VA is a national embarassment without the balls to stand up for the very people they are supposed to protect. The last time we heard about the VA was the deplorable conditions at Walter Reed - a place that was supposed to be the best in the nation - reduced to a nightmare.
Why is this happening? Please stop using the underfunded excuse. Reality is the head of the VA is supposed to obtain sufficient funding from the Joint Chiefs of Staff. I have never heard of Congress turning down the photo op to spend money to help our veterans. So, either the head of the VA is not doing his job (sort of like how irritated they all were when the problems at Walter Reed were made public) or he's a Republican and thinks these guys should fend for themselves. Well, it was the Republicans that started these wars; seems to me they need to care for the wounded and live up to the promises made to the guys they sent into those wars.
Sorry Vets, the federal government is too busy allocating tax dollars for student aid for illegals, welfare handouts, foreign aid, and porkulus projects. Truly despicable.
Another instance of snafu style incompetence, less than 48 hours after stories of years' long waits for vet benefits. Incomprehensible.
WHAT is the most effective, direct route for non-military to communicate their outrage & complaints ?
Somebody who really knows, please advise.
So many of you on here need to shut you're mouths. You're not even Vets. I want to know why the Republicans have voted against 4 bills for veterans? 29 years in my Marine Corps and all I see is a bunch a @!$%# birds that won't do anything for the citizens of our country but are willing to do anything for their rich corporate friends.
This is not about educational benefits but work-study pay. These are different! You get ed benefits for attending and passing classes, you get work-study money for working at some job thru VA. When I went to school in early 90s, I did my work-study at American Lake VA Medical Center, with the first one in the records room and the second at the PTSD InPatient Program. Money was slow, but everyone knew it was going to be so it was no big deal. Do not confuse the 2 because you will get bad information.
@Why?-3122622
Because the libtards tried to sneak in legislation/porkulus spending in those bills which had absolutely nothing to do with the vets. You'd think even the moonbats would have the decency not to play politics when it comes to helping the troops, but nope. Their left wing agenda takes precidence. What a bunch of low life scum.
Hmm both times I tried using my benefits, mind you this wasn't even a work study this was the straight up benefits I earned, it took 3+ months and getting a congressman involved before I saw a dime. It is not the schools fault it's the VA sitting there hoping you will drop out so they can claim failure to progress and cancel the rest of your GI Bill benefits. They purposely make it difficult to stay in school. I ended up dropping out both times because my GI Bill benefits started to late and I had no choice but to find a full time job to keep from mounting debt. As it is I'm already looking at bankruptcy from all of this.
syd contact the American Legion or VFW for assistance.
To clarify that... if you contact the American Legion or V.F.W., contact NATIONAL--and any A.L. or V.F.W. offices that are located in the V.A. hospitals themselves. Check out the National website and the National organizations' phone numbers rather than calling the Post in your neighborhood.
Do NOT waste your time calling your local A.L. or V.F.W. Posts, because most are little more than bar/restaurants with regular meetings for members... they would only refer you to the V.A. facilities and National numbers, anyway.
I work at an American Legion and we're mostly a rental facility for TV shows, movies and special events (our building is an historical landmark), yet have veterans calling us for medical and benefit information that we simply cannot help them with. We are not connected to "the system." All we can do is refer them (and our own members) to the National and the V.A. phone numbers that we have on hand--we have absolutely nothing to do with the submission process. To that extent, we're just a member's only club, basically.
Visit the National website. Go to a V.A. hospital. Find help that way. Joining an A.L. or V.F.W. club is involving yourself in membership-related activities such as community service and Post benefits (be it free dinners or free/reduced-priced tickets to an event); it does not offer you help in the field of job placement or benefits.
Actually Stand off, that is only partially correct. Post that have a trained Service Officer, who took the Service Officer school in Indianapolis can do quite a bit, as they work directly as a advocate for veterans at the VA regional office. I'll agree that the majority of service officers in The American Legion are simply elected on the post level, so the best place to seek help is a larger post. Or at the Department (state) level, then if need be they can refer to National. The reason for this is local service officers are better advocates on the VA regional level, they know who to see, and probably know them well.
The American Legion offers this service free of charge to any veteran, you don't have to join to get this, though we would be delighted for any eligible veteran to join our ranks, it isn't necessary, as we sanctify our comradeship by our devotion to mutual helpfulness!
For God and Country
Thank you! Contacting the AL case officer was how I got my claim processed. The also helped me and my buds with conselling and safe housing referrals.
Hey, everybody, the buck stops you know where on this crappy treatment of veterans. It stops with the POTUS. It's his "watch" and he can't even make things happen for this small program? Absolutely incredible and UNACCEPTABLE. Obama needs to join the unemployed and get his eviction notice on Nov. 6th!
I got $175 a month for tuition, books, room and board, basically everything to go to school after Vietnam Nam. The VA said it was a "living expense". The VA has a long history of not providing for vets. Nothing new here.
Bull crap.!!!
Its congress who holds the purse strings. And its congress who dropped the soap - Congress, gleefully - asking our returning soldiers to repeatedly "bend over" and pick it up. Most of them are - Not ready to play that game -more than once ....
Hi Bagman - I was waiting for you to blame Obama ~ you never disappoint! Beowolf has the right info - Congress and the Pentagon are the culprits.
Beoweolf
Bull crap.!!!
The obama admin. is blocking the troops from voting, they are screwing the vets out of their benefits (congess has approved the $$ obama is not paying), obama's allies in Afghan are murdering soldiers almost daily and nothing is being done, the Ambassador's murder could have been prevented and was covered up, and he is going to use tax dollars to hush contractors for the military cuts. This traitor has an agenda and if you do not see it you are an idiot. If you do see it and support him you also are a traitor.
President Obama has done more for our troops than you'll ever know. Without putting up a 30 ft. tall "Mission Accomplished" banner ... he current President (and his wife) have done more to support the troops quietly, than has been covered in sensationalized media. They, the media are quicker to cover 3 idiots with misspelled "I hate Obama" sign, than to cover the increased aid soldiers families have gotten - to prevent foreclosures of soldiers homes, while they were fighting for this country in "ungrateful" war zones in the middle east.
Without congress doing their job - approving expenditures - there is only so much the President can do. Pretty sure that once he election puts him in charge, the President will be more agressive in holding Congress to the fire. You can't compromise with a brick. All it wants to do is sit still and block progress.
I bet the Senate, Congress, President, his administration and cabinet get their checks on time! This is shameful. If the fed employees weren't getting their checks heads would roll!
@totherepublic,
I wonder what "republic" you are talking about since not a single word of your rant is the truth. People who do not tell the truth are generally called liars.
Beowulf -
You are wrong there. While Obama claims to be for the veterans, everything he has done has made things worse for all veterans. Open your eyes and watch what is happening because you can bet that if Obama opens his mouth another lie is coming out.
20 year Veteran here. This is NOTHING new. Happens every few years. Mostly now because of the influx of 40,000+ injured Vets into the system, plus those who retire or whatnot. Plus the backlog of Vietnam Vets, Gulf War, etc.
There is TOO much paperwork, and too much burden on the vets to work with the VA.. Major System overhaul is needed. The VA needs to work hand and hand with the branches of military. And when someone is given ANY sort of disability percentage from the 5 Branches they should automatically be enrolled into the VA system with the same percentage BEFORE they are completely discharged from their branch.
The Military branches and VA need to work hand and hand to ensure Vets are given the chance to succeed. The Military should forward a persons Medical and other related files to the nearest VA center the Vet plans to move to. The Vet should also be given a digital copy of ALL medical/personnel files before being discharged.
It's thanks to Bush I and Bush II that this country's veterans are in the situation that they are in!
The Veterans system was NEVER designed to tackle the current influx and demands of veterans that it is forced to handle.
We have been in an OPEN PERIOD OF WAR since 1990! That's TWENTY-TWO YEARS of accumulating veterans from our armed forces! That's an estimated TWENTY TWO MILLION SEVEN HUNDRED THOUSAND VETERANS!
We're amassing more veterans' needs than all the previous generations put together. That is a Bush problem, created by the father and perpetuated by the son. Whine and cry and blame Obama all you want, but he got handed a flaming bag of poo where these wars are concerned. The unnecessary wars in the Middle East, which were never a direct threat to our national security, should have never been waged.
(And by the way, I am a veteran.)
@ Tammy.. Everything he has done? LMAO.. Name something.. Anything? President Obama can't create jobs. He can't do anything unless Congress sends him something to sign. Do you not get that the President of the United States is basically a figure head like the Queen of England? Like Any President of any other nation. The President CAN NOT create any law, he can only sign a law into being. He can't craft any bills, he can suggest to the Dems or Repubs whoever is in the WH what they would like in a bill. The President has NO authority to do much, unless Congress opposite of Progress gives it to him. The President has actually increased funding for the Veterans administration. Like the Veterans Skills Jobs Act of July 2012.. So yeah President Obama has done NOTHING for the Vets.. But anyways, troll Tammy, good luck!
Vets for Obama/Biden in 2012.. At least THEY honored the Military at the DNC, Mittens, nary a word about the military at the RNC.. Republicant National Clownshow! ,.. Shame Shame..
@ totherepubelic.. Blocking the Troops from voting? YOU LIE.. He supports the rights of EVERY voter. He actually stood WITH the military in Ohio and against the GOP and said IF the Military can get extra days to vote, why can't the general public. SO the GOP said the Military is MORE precious of a vote than the general public. BUT the court ruled that EVERY Ohioan should be given the same time, SO EVERY voter will now get the same time and that is 3 extra early days of voting. NOT taken away from anyone, given back by a sensible court. So here is the Ohio Supreme Court Decision in a nutshell "The Obama campaign lawsuit seeks to expand the voting period for all voters, not to deprive military voters of that opportunity. The judge sided with the Obama camp, calling the early voting restrictions "arbitrary."
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/31/ohio-obama-early-voting-lawsuit_n_1821882.html Full story. READ it and choke totherepubelick!
Let's see...
August 2, 1990 to January 1993: G. H. W. Bush covers ~2.58 years of the war period. Moved to protect a friendly nation (also an economically important US trading interest) that was invaded and requested our assistance. Stopped without going into Iraq and removing Saddam, thereby enabling over a decade of sanctions and UN monitoring violations...
January 1993 to January 2001: Clinton covers 8 years of the war period. He didn't call a stop to the war period, so guess he "perpetuated" it too?
January 2001 to January 2009: G. W. Bush covers 8 year of the war period. Iraq problem continues. Most devastating attack on US soil since Pearl Harbor occurs on 9/11/2001, launches invasion of Afghanistan after Taliban refuse to hand over bin Laden and expel al-Qaeda. Invades Iraq in 2003 with bi-partisan approval of Congress after (false) intelligence surfaces concerning attempts to secure yellow-cake. Both invasions justified by circumstances at the time. Invasion of Iraq and removal of Saddam was actually long-overdue based on violations of peace treaty and UN sanctions (UN refused to take action other than talk, until after 9/11).
January 2009 to present: Obama covers ~3.67 years of the war period. Yes, we were already at war when he took office. But by your thinking, he could have simply brought the troops home immediately (the wars weren't necessary according to you, right?), but he didn't. So did he "perpetuate" the war period too? Of course, since he arbitrarily announced an end date to bring the troops back from AFG (against all military expert advice), the situation has only gotten worse, not better (more troops killed there than before he took office).
The Bush presidencies account for less than half of the current war period, so how much blame for "perpetuating the problem" do you assign to the two other presidents who actually account for most of the war period yet didn't end it? Just curious.
You don't just "turn on" and "turn off" a war--four years in Clinton's administration wasn't enough to turn it off, nor was four years in Obama's administration. It takes the U.S. military several years of preparation for a full-on attack (even though battle plans for attacking every country on this planet are in the intelligence vault, when and if we need them), and withdrawing is even more of an effort. Look at Vietnam--we knew that was a mistake as far back as the late '60s, but still didn't get the hell out of there until '75.
But Bush started this process, and it was not one that could be turned off in the next administration. Clinton did not "perpetuate" it nearly as much as he was held victim to that initial, wrong decision and by the conservatives that wanted us to stay there and make our presence known. So when Bush II came along, did he make any real effort to pull us out of the Middle East? No, he had us jump in to Afghanistan on top of Iraq.
The Presidents themselves are not the problem--save for when it came to making that initial "Let's get in there and show them who's boss" decision, as both Bush presidents did. Other branches of government that want the warmongering to continue are the problem.
So your whining about who did what and when has no bearing as far as "perpetuating the problem." It's a MACHINE. It's the WAR MACHINE. Kick it in to gear and it's damned difficult to stop. Obama is not at fault for the fact that it's still going on. He can't even get a JOBS bill past the Republican party, who no sooner blocked the bill than they went back to complaining about "where are the jobs"?
If you care to look, President Obama has done more for the Veteran than any President since A. Lincoln.
http://www.va.gov/
Contrast that to what the Republican's have not done. In fact, Sen, McCain has never voted in favor for the VET...
Sounds to me like your not a Vet. So it is easy for you to take the high ground. After all, We Vets protected your right to voice your Option....
This is a good cause that Mr. President Obama could easily remedy with an executive order.
He goes around the congress at a whim and this needs to be taken care of.
He is too busy campaigning. He has a priority that comes before the Veterans and the United States.
I already spelled it out for you once, but since you've messed it up again: Clinton was in office for EIGHT years, not four...back to the drawing board for your arguments.
Also, you're overlooking quite a few military entanglements and long-term deployment commitments for the UN that Clinton got us into. Those cost money too, since that seems to be your chief complaint. Back to the drawing board!
As for the "Jobs Bill" the House has passed numerous jobs-related bills, but they have languished and died in the Senate due to Democrat obstruction at the direction of Harry Reid. So again, back to the drawing board!
Finally...the President is the Commander-in-Chief. He can order a halt to operations and an immediate withdrawal at any time, and the military has to comply. Your argument that he "can't" do it is false. If you instead want to get into the political and economic considerations, then that's another story. So...back to the drawing board!
BS...!!!
You can not pull 100,000+ soldiers, equipment, weapons, infrastructure and all the agreements made to support a mission out of combat ... immediately!
and thats only half the problem... all the companies, weapons manufacturers, civilian employees here in the states that support, build, rebuild and do the research and improvements on everything from boots to bayonets. What - just close the factory and send them home? If you think the recession is bad now.... think about what would happen to our financial and human capital? That would be a fatal shock to the system no matter who announced it.
As some folks have tried to explain, switching the country over to a war economy is child's play compared to switching it back to a consumer economy. Unemplyment would tank any gains in the economy - if all the soldiers, young men wanting to start families, get jobs - all hit the job market in one big blip. When they sent all the troops home after WWI - they ended up marching on DC to get their benefits .... The president ultimately had to turn the troops on the vet soldiers... many died, - killed by other soliders.
If you really want to see a Conservative Squel like a Pig. Close down a few Big military bases down South!!!! Those Bases, munitions factories and economies tied to bases, Bragg, Paris Island, Sam Huston, Hood, Sill, Altus AB are the only industry in some states...
Every few years or so - in the effort to cut expenses, Some Military bean counters try to close some of the excess military bases. The result is like digging in a fire ant hill... all the congress republicans come out - madder and meaner than a Grizzly Moma bear missing a cub.
The Republicans do not want the budget balanced ... they just want our, your, my tax money to go where they can get their hands on it = they want it to go to their home state.
Bonus Army; March on Washington DC - 1932.
Herbert Hoover (republican)
notable facts during his administration: Great depression, Firing on United states veterans.
Almost nothing that occurred in Hoover's final year in the White House went well for him. The worst event from a political standpoint was the march of the Bonus Army in 1932. About fifteen thousand World War I veterans descended on Washington, D.C., in May to demand early payment of a soldiers' bonus not scheduled for distribution until 1945. The veterans, peaceable protesters except for a tiny minority, settled in abandoned buildings and in tents on the Anacostia Flats. They marched in front of the Capitol and the White House, and when the Senate voted against the bonus in June by 62 to 18, most of the veterans went home at federal expense, but about ten thousand stayed.
When the Senate voted as it did, following the advice of liberals such as Senator Norris of Nebraska and Congressman Fiorello La Guardia and Governor Franklin Roosevelt of New York, many members of Congress avoided confronting the veterans by escaping through subterranean chambers of the Capitol. Until late July, Hoover did nothing except to provide some sanitary facilities, clothing, cots, tents, and food. On 28 July some veterans were evicted from a small downtown area of government buildings. The buildings had been scheduled for demolition to make way for public works projects providing jobs for the unemployed. When a riot ensued in which a veteran died, the District of Columbia commissioners asked for help from the United States Army. General Douglas MacArthur readily obliged.
Read more: Bonus army march on washington - Herbert Hoover - war http://www.presidentprofiles.com/Grant-Eisenhower/Herbert-Hoover-Bonus-army-march-on-washington.html#ixzz28Foteh98
http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/bonusarmy.htm
http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/bonusarmy.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonus_Army
Actually, it is just that simple. The rest of your post deals with the aftermath of that decision in a rather disingenuous way, but that doesn't alter the truth of what I said. Addressing the issues that arise from making the decision to order a halt to operations and an immediate withdrawal is a separate matter from making the decision. The president can order a halt to operations and immediate withdrawal at any time--for any reason, including winning the battle/war and achieving the desired political goals. Warfare is simply politics by other means.
...
This is a carryover from the Bush administration.
Obama / Biden in 2012.
...
Ahhhh Bushs' fault again, how could I have forgotten?
As a Republican ... How could you have "not" known?
Unless - like most of the country - you stopped listening to them once Rush Limbaugh became their Official mouth-piece and Glen Beck their favorite back door flatulent provider.
nothing new -- you do know that the blame bush AND the race card are outdated don't you? Didn't you get any new talking points in almost 4 yrs? Your ignorance is positively glowing!
If you believe it's a Bush Administration leftover, I have a mushroom farm I can sell you. You would fit right in. You are in the dark and believe the manure this administration has been feeding you. Read some of my posts further down.....maybe you'll understand.
Da Gunny
@makesense. WAR WAR WAR.. Enough said? 45,000 Americans wounded based on lies about WMDs at the hand of Israel. over 4500+ Americans dead in Iraq alone. Enough said.
YES Bush's fault for dragging America into war with Iraq that didn't need to be. Iraq was NEVER a threat to America. Just that bastard child Israel. Iraq had a missile that could maybe travel 125-150 miles only. Hmm unless America is suddenly that close to the Middle-East then we aren't too worried. Plus we have 5115 Nukes, who'd be dumb enough to strike us? Surely not Bin Laden on 9-11.. Maybe the Mossad in Israel. But then again..
Vote GOP in 2012 and get more of the same. War with Iran, then China and Russia.. Can we afford that war? NO!! Mittens is maniacal and dangerous.
@ Gunny.. You're a GOP troll and military grunt who was brainwashed and RAHOWA is probably a good thing for the military to be doing. I served with the USMC as a Medic HM3, wore the uni too. , and its sad to hear you talk junk.
Travelintothefog. You are either ignorant or a liar, which is it? Search PMSNBC for yellowcake unranium and Iraq and you will return an article that was buried by this site and the lamestream media that in July 2008 we brought out, under the cover of covert operations through Canada, tons of uranium. I know because I helped track it for years when I was working in the defense industry. Why do you think no politicians even mention it anymore. Either educate yourself, or if you like lying, stay off the websites because you sound so stupid.
Pre-1973: From a working-class family, I could not afford college; no 2-S classification for me. As a 1-A, I enlisted to avoid Vietnam. Plus, during my 4-years, I managed to take a few classes on my $78/ month (Airman Basic Pay), which increased to about $220/ month as an E-4 over 3 yrs of service. Discharged honorably, I received the GI Bill, which resulted in a BA Degree from a major US university in 1972. No marriage, no house, no car, no trendy clothes. I did receive VA benefits such as medical care for non-service connected issues (annual physical, blood work, etc with a small co-pay). Carter doled out some money and I got a job. With this, I went back to school (grants, student loans were now the method used to attend graduate school). Finally had a couple of bucks and married a low-maintenance girl - no kids because we couldn't afford them - it's called birth control and NOT sperm and egg donating.
So, not sure how all this works now. I am assuming that there are ENTITLEMENTS for the volunteer military. Have tutored several men and women who want to enlist but cannot pass the test.
Good Luck! Perhaps the draft offered a better way-of-life, low rank and all.
@Michael Boyd,
I had forgotten around the $78 a month. I was lucky. Because of Civil Air Patrol service and ROTC I started out in the big time as a $98 a month A3C. I was in for over 10 years and served in Vietnam as well. Got most of my BS taking part-time classes on my own dime. Finished up when I got out and had to fight the VA tooth and nail for the payments. Luckily I could play the anti-military sentiment of the times to my advantage and tell the university that is was "us" against "them."
The VA was already saturated when I left the military, so I was never really eligible for any of the promised benefits except the pittance for school.
I have plenty of good memories from the military and still encourage young men and women to give it a shot when they are considering what to do with their lives. The huge benefit of the military was not the discipline, but that the military taught self-discipline --- something that helps you the rest of your life regardless of what you choose to do.
Really guys?? This is a issue that really should be a bipartisan approach to boost the skill of the AMERICAN work force. This can really change things here in America for the good. But of coarse the two sides of politics comes out rather then a non sense approach to fixing a problem. It is said that the congressmen and congress women should take a strong look at the men and women of the armed forces, when looking for a example of patriotism and unity. I can see that this is a mistake because some of us seem to want to put political B.S. ahead of the issues. Each service member, who can't hold his or her lips when in opposition to the current administration, should resign from the military because you have not learned discipline enough to remain where you are today. I am not republican or Democrat I am American....period. To those who are in turmoil financially stay strong. Never Give up. By the way I am a veteran and i just got done my second nonconsecutive enlistment. Don't go backwards in your life look forward and stay focused.
This is no Bush/Obama issue. Every Vet should have had a copy of their medical record and a list of veteran advocates, the one that helped me the most was my county VA rep. that I discovered on my own . There should never be a military action without funding for the VA welded to it. Every administration has waited to play catch up after the fact. Every time there is a conflict the current administration at that time fails to account for casualties. They wait for the VA to get as screwed up as a soup sandwich before there is an attemped to support veterans.
My experience with the VA payments for my graduate program has been nothing but positive. My money is coming in quickly, on schedule and without problem so far!! Knock on Wood!! Hopefully I will be able to avoid the VA phone system in the future as experience has taught me when I had a previous question and sat on hold for most of an hour without success. I am keeping my fingers crossed that I don't experience any of the difficulties I have read about as I don't want to deal with their overwhelmed phone system again anytime soon. I want to be able to avoid the phone system and waiting queue at all costs if possible.
Yet the VA can go to Disney World and get Goofy spending $6 million? I fail to see how we are not going over the fiscal cliff now, rather than 1 Jan 2013. Oh wait, maybe the Fed Gov is adhering to the End of the World as we know it 12/21/2012. These Veterans deserve everything they earned and worked for providing those Vet/student services.
My husband hasn't gotten his GI Bill for over 2 months. To avoid getting an eviction notice, he had to take out all of his student loans. He did this to ensure that we have some money....ANY MONEY to pay for rent and bills while we are in this uncertain time period, because we don't know if or when we will start getting the GI Bill.
This is the same thing that happened during Nam. It is very sad. I for one am frustrated with the whole system. You go and serve and when you come home, this is how you are treated. There has to be a better way. I've seen this in every war and "action" we have ever been in. It's nothing new, but it really needs to change. People who serve should be treated right.
This situation is rampant around the country. My son, a three-tour combat veteran in the sandbox with multiple wounds/injuries. And, while some may accuse me of politics, the VA is just part of a triad of breaches of contract and faith between our wounded warriors and the Obama Administration.
My son and seven other members of his combat team, were all prematurely medically discharged from the Corps, while still undergoing medical treatment while on medical hold. In fact, my son was supposed to undergo another surgery for an injury received entering a booby-trapped building.
When commissar Obama ordered DoD to cut back 800 billion dollars in their budget, the DoD began cutting personnel costs first. So, the lower ranking troops began receiving early medical discharges/retirements and were cast off to VA to cover. While public affairs specialists in the military started doing features on ranking amputees being retained in service, the lower ranking troops on medical hold were being discharged before the Department of Defense could ensure the wounded warriors were treated and/or rehabbed, before releasing them from medical hold or returned to full duty.
Unfortunately, either purposely or out of negligence, the Obama's administration did not petition the legislature to appropriate additional funds to cover the huge influx of wounded warriors into the VA system.
So, the first leg of the triad of our veterans problems stem from huge amounts of personnel cuts by DoD, because of Obama cutbacks.
As with the case of my son, the VA Regional Office in Jacksonville, FL, rated him at 70%(and he's still waiting for surgery and continuing healthcare) and the Navy awarded him 10%. After waiting months waiting for his disability pay, a VA office in Rhode Island, sent him a letter stating he only rated 30% disability, literally reducing his entitlement by 65%.
Now, the third leg of the triad of problems deals with the GI Bill and VocRehab programs. The VA is supposed to provide guidance for a college-employee to specialize in Veterans Services(and in my day) the fed provided an allowance to supplement this VA-trained college-employee to handle veterans services. Nonetheless, the VA has consistently failed to train or inform these veterans services personnel of changes in administrative procedures or GI Bill changes, until the VA denies a veteran's paperwork for the next semester.
And, while our veterans are required to carry full course loads, to get full allowances and tuition, the VA changed the rules again, on their programs, and because of a three week break between the end of summer courses and the fall semester, the VA refused to pay thousands of veterans their August allowances, even though these veterans had to start enrolling in fall classes during August.
Not only did the veterans lose their allowances for a month, but many schools would not allow the veterans to enroll in classes until a new set of forms and paperwork was re-submitted because the VA claimed that these veterans had to comply with a new set of criteria to include verifying their class schedule. Unless the school allows the vet to register without the VA confirmation of eligibility, vets get caught in the middle.
And, finally, it's not the current young generation of vets who are suffering through VA incompetence or understaffing, the ripple effect is being felt among the older generation of vets who are being shuffled around and having additional benefits or ratings consistently denied.
So, our veterans--new and old--are suffering because:
Obama's forced cuts in the DoD budgets has forced out thousands of wounded warriors into the system before complete medical care is done.
The VA has not received compensatory funds to cope with the huge influx of our young warriors being forced into the system--either medically or administratively
And, a lack of clear cut policy within the VA and lack of communication and training for college veterans' services personnel.
It is a travesty of huge proportions that our young warriors are literally being abused by the system that is supposed to help them medically, academically and financially. It's a system that every veteran has literally paid for in payroll deductions and taxes. Yet, it will get worse, now that Obama has ordered DoD, to cut another half trillion from it's budget, with no compensatory appropriations for the VA. In times of economic cuts, DoD always has to cut from the bottom and that includes personnel discharges.
This constitutes a breach of faith and according to lawyers certified to handle military affairs cases, a total breach of contract. It is clear money that should be allocated for the VA, GI Bill, and medical costs within the military are being diverted or being misused by the administration that borrows from peter, to pay paul.
Perhaps we need another Veterans March on Washington, like the one that occured after WWI.
Semper Fi to all veterans and service personnel. God Bless and Help America. Da Gunny
Defend Freedom. Defeat Obama!
Once again - Right complaint... wrong target.
Congress approves the budge and funds expenses. You know and I know and all the country knows ... congress has been very vocal about NOT approving anything the President proposes. they even attempted to hold extending working budget, nearly forcing the downgrade of USA Treasury bonds. the 1st time in history when the USA came close to being downgraded from triple AAA.
Beowulf:
You should know by now, the President has abused his executive order privileges, while more than 33 appropriations bills have been stonewalled by Harry Ried in the Senate. If Obama orders SecDef to make cuts, the SecDef serves at the President's pleasure, just like every other member of his cabinet or appointees. It's been no secret how the only thing that's been passed through both houses is a continuing resolution to keep the government running.
We went through the same thing under Jimmy Carter, when the military couldn't even afford to replace screens in WWII era barracks, in order to maintain the logistics for National Defense. And, the military had to rely on "early outs" to stay within budget cuts. The military was and is losing experienced middle leadership and lower ranks, because of Obama's and Carter's rape of the military.....and now, because we are engaged in combat operations, these young warriors are being screwed.
I worked in DC for four years and part of my duties included legislative liaison and White House support. It does not require legislative approval for the president to order budget cuts, whereas increases in budget appropriations require legislative approval. The president is abusing certain, unpublicized powers, to effect these cutbacks. And, if you believe anything else, I feel sorry for your misinformation.
Even some of my ranking active duty contacts in DC are saying what I am saying here.
Sorry, I respect what you are trying to say, but you've been fed some typical misinformation.
And, if you don't believe me, contact your congressman or senator and just ask him/her. "Does it take both houses to approve a presidential executive order for cutbacks in DoD and certain other agencies. Clinton ordered a cutback in intelligence agencies' personnel without congressional approval. His justification was that ElectIntel was cheaper and more effective.
While I am no fan of Obama, this is not Obama-bashing , per se. It is a statement of fact and the short-sightedness of an administration that has been leaving it's veterans out to dry with none of the safety nets our veterans have paid for from their paychecks and dedication to duty.
Semper Fi, Da Gunny
Gunny
Please read my post 1.5 and 1.7. That may help your son and his buddies. True it is an up hill fight but a fight worth fighting. Give my best to your son and his buddies. They have another NAM Vet in their corner.
bob
Gunny, Well Said !!!
P.S. My son and his wounded/injured combat team members have had to apply for funds from charities like the SemperFi Fund and Wounded Warriors just to keep from being evicted, buy groceries and things like gas to get to and from school and even medical appointments. Taxpayers have paid for our veterans to be taken care of, yet, charities have had to compensate where this country has left these young wounded warriors destitute.
Yet, Commissar Obama doesn't miss a chance to pose with military personnel for photo ops. How hypocritical is that. Ask them to fight for U.S. (or just serve) then cut them lose to a VA in shambles that denies--or makes it harder--for them to get the care and support they Rate.o
And, for all you peacenik, liberals out there, even wounded or injured police officers get treated better than most of our young veterans have been treated, even though, military personnel pay taxes and contribute to their GI Bill College program. I might add that even with combat pay, the average troop gets paid only 14 to 25% less than their civilian counterparts. And, in the lower ranks, unmarried troops have 28% deducted from their pay and most troops from private to sergeant make less than minimum wage, despite the fact that military personnel are required by contract to serve 24/7, 365 days a yeared
Federal Holidays, seldom. I have walked a post on more than one Christmas Eve and New Years Eve. Our troops overseas, might get a holiday dinner.....if they are not out in the field.
Then there are some of you who think military personnel are the misfits of society or too ignorant to get a real job. The criteria for a young man or woman getting in the service is higher than most civilian employers.....academically, morally and physically. There are 19 years-olds operating technology that hasn't reached the civilian sector, yet. And, the average troop has a higher standard of values and know how, than anyone on the outside, just entering the job market.
The average infantryman(if there is such a thing) handles technology that would confound some members of the Geek Squad. And even in my day, we handled and maintained technology that ADT would still love to get it's hands on.
So, any of you liberals out there who believe service personnel are ignorant misfits or federal freeloaders, think again. Go back to your mushroom farms.
Semper Fi, Da Gunny
Why keep blaming Bush? Rumsfeld and Republicans?
Well I'm not quite sure ... maybe there is some history here, bad blood, loss of faith?
So, Beoweolf, you found one article that speaks badly to Rumsfeld knowledge of the war, and that allows you to blame Bush for THIS problem?
That article doesn't even mention the VA.
Beoweolf, face the facts your emperor Obamacus has no clothes. Are progressives so in love with him that they follow him blindly.
No doubt - if you were led to the dual self-serve Fountain of Youth and Fountain of Knowledge - you would grow old and remain ignorant, waiting for someone to fill your glass.
Its not that I couldn't fill your glass, its just that I chose not to. Its no just that you refuse to seek alternative points of view, its that you insult the collective intelligence of the majority who voted for the President. You had just as much of a chance to convince voters to accept Palin and McCain, the majority of voters just couldn't see how that would stop the spiralling debt our country was sliding into under the policies being offered by your candidate.
And the same thing is happending again. Don't like the choices -then vote.
Beowolf ...what? Tough deciphering what your are rambling on about but it seems that Obama can bring you the Fountain of Knowledge and Youth? Is that it? It only cost us $6 Trillion in debt, high unemployment, failing foreign policy, reduced capabilities to defend ourselves against enemies, an invasion of illegals that now have more rights that many citizens, a horrible health care scenario. So the collective intelligence voted for Obama and now he's granting wishes of Knowledge and Youth. Well, watch that collective intelligence vote his azz out of office in November.
After vietnam the VA did right by me and I was able to complete college and don't recall any problems with the GI bill the checks came monthly and Im grateful for the assistance.
Same here, Mike. I am a Viet Nam era vet and took advantage of the GI Bill to finish college. The promised checks came regularly via a manual system in those days. I took advantage of the work-study money and also got money for tutors.
I did not depend soley on the VA benefits but also got a job nights to pay living expenses. My wife also worked. Guess I missed the allowance for books the article mentioned.
Guess the VA is short-handed these days with so many vets in the system. I believe it is up to congress to take care of honorably discharged veterans.
This is no different than any of the other government support systems. When the things get tough and politician's need to show that they are "cutting the fat, cutting their budgets" the first thing they do is get rid of a majority of their employees. What happens is when the government has money then they have a lot of people working and things get done. When budgets get cut, unemployment goes up, vets return, health care costs rise, and people need the government support, there are no employees to process the paperwork and so nothing gets done. Then when people drop off the rolls, politicans say"look we got rid of fraud and cut out the fat' "oh what a good boy am I". The bean counters cheer and the rest of us get screwed. It is happening in every government department right now.
Crime seems to be the only jobs available that pay well.
Especially for bankers!
Comments please .....
Got my stipend, BAH and classes paid for within two weeks of registering. Just got my last BAH into my account on Friday. Did a quickstart while I was still in, got rated and paid (with back pay) about 6 months after my EAOS. It's not hard if you're diligent, research, and ask questions. Either that or go see the DAV, they are excellent advocates.
Shinseki's done a good job, and if you want to blame Obama, well I don't see him filibustering veterans jobs bills, I see a crappy GOP house that has seen fit to screw the entire country to try to make the President look bad.
Thalassocrat: Congress has actually moved a lot of bills, but Harry Reid has been delaying and refusing to schedule votes. The only vote that Harry Reid has chopped on, within months(that has to do with budgets) has been the continuing resolution to keep the government running and our legislators paid................! S/F, Da Gunny
Must be nice! I've been out 14 (almost 15) months, the VA has had all of my paperwork and records since June...think I've seen a dime? Nope. E-benifits still says they are waiting for my medical records and proof that I have all of the conditions I'm claiming. Silly me, I thought my medical records were proof!
Anyone surprised?
And they will all vote for Obama as his administration has nothing to do with it!
For those of you that haven't had problems, God Bless you. But, I can tell you for a fact, the screw-ups in the VA system and underfunding is rampant. I would hypothesize you live along the mid-atlantic corridor or in the NorthEast. There's political as well as economical reasons things seem to go better there.
Good Luck and Semper Fi, Da Gunny
Dear Friends:
Yes I too have been victimized by government checks! Fault lies sometimes at the local level. Sometimes at the Congressional level that includes both Democrat and Republican Members and Independents. Congress votes for the funds to VA and other programs. It is complicated and I knowing this have not done any better than you in getting things to work. One deprogram or hostile or prejudice employee or two and you can be victimized. Congress the same way! Each party wants and members though paid a salary do not always agree or vote to keep the funds going in a quick timely manner. This is part of the present mind set and is not going to be different until we speak out. Both parties vote that are in Congress. Both Houses before it ever gets to the President. It is not the actions presenting a budget either. These are dated and expire. New figures and evaluations must be made and then the arguments and or debates if any and then getting the Lame Ducks to vote!
Do vote and know that if you vote Mormonism which is what Romney is running his campaign on, into Congress we will see more problems than you can shake a stick at and more prejudices. Just look at the responses of Anna Romney and the Republican Parties comments. They think we all are prejudice! Check it out! What was the word Anna Used? Yep! They are! Against your faith! But you have Rights!
So use that Right and Vote! Each and Every one of you! Democratic. Obama and Biden.
Oh my choice for Folsom Area Dan Lungren. Others I know! Know what they are for!
Obama and Biden. Love you Joe! Remember the Choir singing When Kennedy was shot? I could hardly sing the words! Our class had just watched on TV their trip through down town Dallas and the OH My God's with tears and shock and passion rang out! German class for me! Then we all assembled in the planned gathering in the gym. I sang from my heart and could not stop the tears and the numbness of that day! We had just seen Kennedy shot and taken to the hospital.
Today and on the Debates Day Sing your Song!, Obama and Biden. Make it pure to the heart of America and with Passion. Voters ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country! Vote! God Bless You! Amen.
God Bless America! Wave those Red, White and Blue Flags! Proud to be an American!
Dear Friends:
Which country has spent more on Medicare than any other in the world? Medicaid? Veterans Benefits?
Vote! Obama and Biden
So we spend more on Medicare than any other country and Obama and Biden want to spend more correct? What about the estimated 90 billion in fraud each year spent on Medicare. How about we spend some money on oversight, then once the fraud is reduced we can you spend more on Medicare and after all if we cut the fraud we have a 30% gain on investment immediately. Typical Liberal stance, vote for someone that will give me something, big gigantic programs with horrible oversight and rampant fraud. The marks of a caring president. Oh and Welfare / food stamp fraud is estimated at 40% now...
And if Obama is re-elected, be prepared for Obamacare to be just as broken. Hope you can wait that six weeks to four months for that bypass surgery.
Clearly, you have no idea what you are talking about. However, here is your chance to show your wisdom. Please locate and post the reference for your claims. To date, children and young people under the age of 26 have benefited from the Affordable Care Act. I just received a check from my Insurance Company because they did not pay out 80% of my premium dollars for healthcare services I received this year. I have already received a notice from that same Insurance Company, announcing that my premiums will be lower in 2013. I am a Republican, and I support the Affordable Care Act. While you are performing your research, checkout the Ryan Voucher Plan for Medicare Patients. Ask your mom and dad if they can afford $6,000 each for Medicare Coverage if Romney and Ryan get elected.
Terry, you do realize that the majority of the regulations relating to ObamaCare won't go into affect until after the election.
All the good stuff now (to get Obama reelected) and all the painful stuff after.
milidad - You are 100% correct. Not to mention the massive taxes that will go into effect against small businesses in 2013 (after the election) that will cut jobs even more.
Terry , if you are too ignorant to understand whats happening without someone spelling it out for you and giving references, you're already a lost cause. Go ahead and vote for BO, but prepare to live with the consequences.
Vote Obama out in 34 days.
Dear Shar:
Which country has a president willing to spend our grandchildren's money on food-stamp recipient's I-Phones and his wife's vacations?
Vote! Romney and Ryan
Why is it NBC News failed to mention that in past week or two, GOP members in Senate shot-down a Bill for Veterans?
Randall Nevelle,
Yes, the veteran's job bill. Unfortunately, the US government (like most households) can't keep spending money on everything it wants. No matter how badly it wants to. If the Democrats want to spend more money on one thing (Veteran's jobs) then that money must come from somewhere else. This is how a budget is actually supposed to work.
Randall, the veterans jobs bill wasn't worth the paper upon which it was written. You can't wave a magic wand and magically create jobs with the passage of a new law.
What we're talking about here, is keeping up with the commitments we already made to these guys & gals. We're talking about pay and benefits to which they are already entitled. That has nothing to do with any jobs bill that was voted down.
The responsibility for maintaining the efficiency of any federal agency, such as the Veterans Administration, rests with the President of The United States..
It's about time that Obama's supporters, such as you, demand that he fess up and OWN UP to things like this, in stead of trying to blame everyone else in site when something like this happens.
These are our wonderful men and woman who answered the call when our country was in peril after 9/11, and they desereve better treatment than this!
THIS IS AN OUTRAGE!
Obama needs to fix this immediately!
Actually, we did not have the trillions we spent sending our young men and women into two wars, but we spent the money anyway. Now we have the opportunity to address the issue firsthand. I propose that every member of the House and Senate refuse to take a salary until they all solve the problem of caring for our veterans. Maybe we need a Million Veteran March on Washington. Have you ever wondered why "Old Men send Young Men to War?" Go research the Military Industrial Complex, and see you is benefiting from the billions pouring into the pockets of those who preach war as the answer to global stability.
Terry you are right that we didn't have that money. However, both Democrats and Republicans going back to Clinton believed Saddam had nuclear weapons, and we were attacked by terrorists out of Afghanistan. Knowing what we knew then, we did the right thing. Knowing what we know now, of course, that's a different story.