American businesses are carving out more room for veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan − finally driving the overall unemployment rate for that group into single digits in September. But joblessness for the U.S. women home from war continued to climb, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday.
The portion of post-9/11 veterans seeking work fell to 9.7 percent last month, compared to 10.1 percent in August and 11.7 percent in September 2011, according to BLS figures.
However, nearly one out of five women who served in the military at home or abroad during the two wars is now without a job, the new BLS statistics show. As the U.S. troop drawdown continues in Afghanistan, the unemployment rate for post-9/11 female vets surged to 19.9 percent in September, compared to 14.7 percent a year earlier and 12.1 percent in August.
"More women were deployed than ever before but an awful lot of them are single moms who face the challenge of coming home," said John E. Pickens III, executive director of VeteransPlus, a nonprofit that has offered financial counseling to more than 150,000 current and former service members.
"Someone has been taking care of their kids, and now they want to refocus their lives on being mom. Often, though, the kind of employment that may be available to them is not sufficient to help them meet that dream of both working and being that stable mom," added Pickens, a combat medic with the U.S. Army Special Forces and the 82nd Airborne Division in the early 1970s.
And while many companies trumpet their patriotic side by plucking male combat veterans and plunking them into corporate roles, women who served with some of those same guys often are not viewed by employers with the same level of admiration, Pickens has been told my some of his female clients. In short: Women who logged time in the war zones don't earn the same level of prestige - or employability - are do U.S. males who recently were in the line of fire.
"They are misunderstood and challenged in a number of ways," Pickens said. "Typically, folks look at male veterans returning as warriors who we need to honor, and say we need to do what we can for these warriors. Women, unfortunately, don’t carry home that same mantel as a warrior. But they certainly have served beside the men and, in many cases, have done a lot of things that put themselves as risk."
Women comprise about 15 percent of the U.S. military, said Genevieve Chase, founder of American Women Veterans, a foundation that works to improve the lives of women veterans and their families. She served in Afghanistan in 2006 and remains in the U.S. Army Reserves. She earned a Purple Heart for injuries sustained in a blast in Helmand Province when a car-packed with explosives smashed into the truck in which she was riding. She describes herself as "currently unemployed" - and has been, she said, for almost all of 2012, living off of what's left of her savings.
"A huge part of it is we come home and we don't wear the warrior archetype on our sleeves," Chase said. "We do come home and the American public doesn't understand what we do overseas; they don't quite know how to receive us, don't know how to relate to us. Even some of our brothers, even some of the men who we served with, don't quite know how to relate to us."
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Still, some U.S. companies, including Citi and Ryder, have shifted hiring priorities and are hiring more former service members, helping to trim the jobless rate among post-9/11 veterans, Pickens said. Ryder has put ex-military folks into driving and technical positions. Citi is helping move people from the battlefield to Wall Street.
"Certainly, I think some companies, big and small, are realizing these men and women make excellent employees because of their commitment to duty, because of all the traits instilled in them in the military," Pickens said. "And the more that easily recognizable companies like Ryder, like Citi are seen hiring veterans, the more other smaller businesses and organizations will say, 'My goodness. Look at this. Maybe I should I check this out?'"
But the mission to re-employ more ex-service members is far from complete, contends a leading veterans group whose chief executive officer said he remains "deeply concerned" about the lack of attention paid to the issue by America's political leaders - particularly its presidential candidates.
During Wednesday night's debate, for example, President Barack Obama and Republican nominee Mitt Romney both failed to adequately address pressing veterans issues - including the fact that post-9/11 veterans remain strapped with an unemployment rate that's higher than the rest of the U.S. workforce, said Paul Rieckhoff, CEO and founder of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, a nonprofit group with more than 200,000 members.
“Veteran joblessness was not mentioned once," said Rieckhoff, an Iraq veteran who called the latest unemployment statistics "appalling," noting that roughly 250,000 post-9/11 veterans are now out of work.
"It's something most Americans don't realize until we are reminded. And this (lack of candidate attention) is in such contrast to the last two presidential elections, when Iraq and Afghanistan and the troops were such a centerpiece," he said.
"Because the war (in Iraq) has ended doesn't mean the people who served there have just gone away — I mean 2.4 million of them were in Iraq and Afghanistan, and tens of thousands are still over there. There are long-term social, financial and human costs to being at war for 10 years. The candidates have a moral obligation to focus on those folks. The war may be over for the civilian population. But for us, in many ways, it's still going on."
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Interesting how the spin goes. panetta, just recently made comments about a 1940's era army with 240,000 soldiers. We got 1.2 million now, who after the pointless war in afghanistan quits, which i hope is sooner than 2014, it is already being made. Harder to reenlist, and enlist. the calipers are out for the fatman program and the QMP and QSP boards will start, removing "underperformers" ie, anyone with an article 15, etc. When the peacetime paperwork army starts lots will get out on their own. Too much BS. And the army will end up losing a lot of good soldiers.
Then with the base closures, which conveniently seem to be all overseas, Well for one, Fort Knox is not overseas. then with the lack of servicemen there will be a drawdown in government workers on the installations.
We already have a problem with 23 million outa work. Wait until we have 950,000 more servicemen/women lookin for jobs. And dont forget to add in the govt contract cuts. gonna be a whole lot of extra everything, rifles etc. NO need to buy more.
It has already started. Should be bad by 2015. yes the gravy train has run off the tracks and nobody seems to notice.
OH, Yeah, Army Times get a copy if you can find one. And china has a 2 million man army and a new aircraft carrier. Yeah, keep buying their crap in walmart. Course good luck if you try to find something made in the US. The joke used to be the only thing made in the US was beer and prostitutes. Course a belgian company bought budweiser.
women who have severed in the US armed forces are veterans . as for jobs there is plenty work out there for everyone cilivians and veterans alike here are just a few jobs that need alot of workers. in the fields, meat processing companies, the hotel, motel and restaurants industries i know these aren't high paying jobs but its work i mean if you want a job, that is. and that way americans can take back the jobs from all those illegal aliens. driving them right of the country. and all you racist out there will be so happy you'll give each other a hand job and head. God Bless America!
That maybe in your area, but in my area there were only 6 Job openings announced in last Thursdays newspaper. Additionally the two Job Placement Companies that were here have closed down. Why did I pick Thursday's newspaper, because it had 21 pages of Home Foreclosures published in it..
Eddie's neighbor was Ted Kaczynski, you know, the unabomber in the back woods.
The key measurement device being used here is not giving an accurate and true picture of the real situation of the Veterans..The phrase "Post 9/11" should give you a HUGE CLUE as to what the deception is here...
In the last year Obama has ordered thousands of veterans to be put out of work. I have met a number of them, young, with a wife and children to support and suddenly told they are not being allowed to re-enlist. Then they go back to school to find out Obama has cut their VA School benefits by 40%....
Smartly, or deceptively, the Obama Administration is putting them out by spreading it across the Country instead of just at one or two bases so the real picture is not being seen by the public...SO this entire story is pure 100% caca el toro and should be taken with a grain of sand.......
Eddie, President Obama couldn't have done what you say he did. It would take an act of congress.
OBAMA/BIDEN 2012 when you are tired of the republican lies.
Romney 1040
Ryan, keep lyin.
Eddie, can you please specify the vehicle he used to cut VA school benefits by 40% and the date he did it?
Crickets crickets from Mr. Eddie.
Would it have hurt the headline artist to have said Women Veterans instead of "Ex-military Women"?
Hold on here....that jobs bill that WOULD have helped Veterans was shot down...and here we are a month later Ra Ra Ra....veterans are getting jobs? BULL@!$%#! Two years ago Congress tried really hard to appear concerned about the rapidly growing numbers of homeless veterans sleeping on the streets, I'm supposed to believe your pollster talked to and counted these veterans....once again B.S. I'm a sixty year old disabled veteran...been out of work since I was fifty seven....and NOBODY thinks I'll ever get another job...partly due to health issue's and mostly due to these economic hard times...NOT to mention my age! NOBODY polled me! I've spent hours talking to former congressman and Veteran affairs congressperson Tom Perriello about mine and other unemployed veterans...and homeless ones. He has personally contacted me...tried to help...showed support.(I should mention that the Republican who replaced him had a Secretary call me...said they were ever so concerned...and then totally ignore me and MY efforts ever since! I think this whole article is just a load of crap...damage control...so to speak because of the political fallout for the LACK of passing that jobs bill...don't let THEM B.S. YOU!
Wasn't that bill a bipartisan effort? Then blocked by the GOP?
YES!
so...republicans are to blame ?
Republicans? Where?
Haven't seen one of those in years.
I'd have to say so Beck er ah Keck...since they were the ones to block it eh! Hurt Veterans ...block this bill...don't worry about those veterans...or doing our job....block that bill...hurt Obama....its all about making him look bad...Just say NO! Yeah Keck.... those Republicans!
I'm sorry Doby, thanks for being a Veteran. What conflict where you in may I ask? There's been so many I'm losing count. I'm guessing Desert Storm.
I could ask also.... WHAT OTHER REASON DID THEY HAVE TO HURT VETS AND BLOCK THAT BILL? They have said NO to everthing proposed even bipartisan...it has been a constant effort to hurt Obama...it's not about doing our job...or whats best for the country....or whats best for VETERANS...its about OUR party...and hurting Obama!
The jobs report that came out yesterday, was questioned by Jack Welch, former General Electric CEO and a staunch Republican. On Chris Matthews show he talked about but backed away from it being tampered with to help Obama! I could point out that this article cheer-leading veterans getting jobs...would be damge control for that unpassed JOBs bill and be of benefit to BOTH party's!
Really? Tampered with how, I wonder. Did he specify or just back pedal?
He had tweeted that he thought it was tampering ...five minutes after it came out yesterday morning...saying those guys from Chicago were capable of anything....but refused to commit last night on Hardball or show any proof! He would NOT however take his tweet or statement back....although Chris asked! Should note that MSNBC was formerly owned by G.E and to the best of MY knowledge still co-owned by G.E.! In a manner of speaking Jack was once Chris's boss!
Wow, typical shenanigans, drop an accusation without presenting evidence.
Mathews must have really come on strong in his usual manner. LOL
Yes...as a matter of fact he did....and his former boss at one point...said "enough now Chris,"(in a Mitt Romney style...as Romney spoke to Jim Leher)! Welch like Romney attempting to establish both who the boss and big guy are! Known elsewhere as ...talking down...to someone!
Agreed. Romney seems pretty clueless to me. There is a chance he will get elected. If that happens we will be in the Middle East for years to come.
I'm a Vietnam Veteran by the way LJ and thanks!
Wow, props to you man. You were very young then. I'm 53, a Veteran U.S.A.F. (the skaters lol) during the Reagan Administration.
They don't let gals see much action so I got off easy for the most part.
The father of the sisters Anne and Nancy of Heart, he was a Colonel. He said Vietnam was a "a dirty little war". And I remember how you guys were treated when you came back. Heart breaking.
(I wore that metal POW bracelet in my early highs school years. Ack still brings tears to my eyes.)
Everyone who ever....set aside his or her pursuit of success and wore a uniform is a hero...there are NO skaters....they all survived boot-camp...trained hard...left that"COMFORT ZONE" friends and family and answered what used to be called the call to DUTY! They are all heroes...they all took orders...they all could have been ordered into combat...many served in no less dangerous jobs that were necessary to the mission of protecting this country...I'm Proud of every SINGLE ONE of them...and I'M proud of you L.J. I stand (and it ain't easy and it hurts) ...but with tears in my eyes I stand and salute you L.J. THANK YOU for your service...be proud that when DUTY called you were a part of the 2%....who left Family...friends...safety and comfort....we all could have chased fortune continued our careers...gotten ahead....but we put country first...DUTY first...others fame and fortune first...and went forth and served! Once again I salute you and them L.J. Stand proud brother!
I'm a standin :).
Thanks
My sincere apology...stand proud sister...stand proud ALL! Yes I do remember Heart and Anne and Nancy Wilson...to this day still favorites of mine...I dropped out of college in 72...was mostly majoring in Foozball anyway...growing my hair and what have ya...had a brother who had always been an ROTC guy in high school who had signed up and was already in Nam! I was tired of the whole anti War Vietnam protest thing...went down and volunteered...requested brother duty...but didn't get it! I was lucky too and certainly NOT Rambo!
As a forewarning, this post may upset people more than the normal crowd.
When I think of the word coddled, I can think of no better example than that of women in the military. Every step of their way, someone kisses their butt. Countless careers have been affected by special interests and/or social engineering experiments in the military...be it the expansion to minorities, sexual preference, or the role(s) women play. You will never get the truth by looking at evaluations...as that is PC garbage at it's finest. What about all outstanding military personnel that were treated like pure dogsh!t, specifically related to special interest PC garbage? Do you have any idea how much money the government spent on training them? Boot Camp estimates alone are around $75,000 per person, whether or not they make it. Go to MOS, or A school...you can add another <$200,000> and sometimes more, depending on the school. Then comes the one on one training in the feild, or on the ship...though not officially added, if an audit were performed...that's probably another <$150,000> per person...just to make sure that person doesn't end up killing someone else due to incompetence. All and all, that's more than $500,000 spent on training per person by the time the average person reaches the two years mark.
Now break that down. How many people's careers were shortened or ended because of these types of happy horse sh!t?
It can safely be said that each "special interest" personnel in the military will cost the military <$50,000,000> each, in lost training cost alone...if allowed to complete a standard 20 year enlistment.
This doesn't include all the other ways the military kisses a females butt. Having a child while in the military is such a precious event.
I know I am being a abrasive. However, I wonder if someone has ever done a simple cost analysis to determine whether or not it is worth it to keep gays, women, certain minorities (you know who you are, I am talking about the one who raise the race card more than the union jack...no place for you in my military) and other undesirables and special interest cases.
Then these women finally leave the military. They find out just how good they had it. The reason you cannot find employment has little to do with your gender. YOU are a liability companies can ill afford in this poor economy...simply because you are used to an unrealistic form of "federally entitled" power. Now, you have it almost as bad as disabled folks.
LOL sounds to me like you might have been on the wrong end of Tail Hook.
I was a B52 Mechanic and a damn good one. I built on that training as a civilian and am now an Aerospace Engineer and can take care of myself on my own.
You seem to be grouping and stereotyping people to bolster your argument that some folks are not good enough. Seriously you said this:
However, I wonder if someone has ever done a simple cost analysis to determine whether or not it is worth it to keep gays, women, certain minorities (you know who you are, I am talking about the one who raise the race card more than the union jack...no place for you in my military) and other undesirables and special interest cases.
How is the weather up there?
I didn't say all were bad. I said the ones that ARE...cost the military way too much.
You said "gays ,women and certain minorities" that sounds like a pretty general statement to me. You didn't same "some".
Don't back pedal, stand up for your diatribe, you wrote it.
Griping about entitlement and expenditures....wasted money on military personnel or Veterans? How s about those Congresspeople get salaries for life(yeah even the ones who vote No and do nothing) Dick Cheney with five deferments got his medical at Bethesda and for free! So do may other Congresspeople. How about those millions we GAVE to Pakistan while they harbored Bin Laden? Yeah Edi...this country wastes a lot of money on stupid things....(and I for one would rather it be the military)....Got a source for those figures? Jack Welch might dispute them...not sure I believe them either....Once again wasting money is what Congress does best...glad to see some gets to the military...did you even have a point?
I wasn't going to reply I agree women have it easy in the Army as far as treatment as far as getting killed by your own guys, even the best make mistakes my Lt almost shot me my nco's had nd's I had an nd during a night mission combat arms is tough and as for the money most of what we do can be done on the cheap and you know it if it weren't for greedy companies that look at the military as get rich quick I mean come on 100s of thousands of dollars for cheap food ammo and tents that s!@t shouldn't cost but a few thousand but I have to know were you a soldier in the 90s or 2000s?
However, I wonder if someone has ever done a simple cost analysis to determine whether or not it is worth it to keep gays, women, certain minorities (you know who you are, I am talking about the one who raise the race card more than the union jack...no place for you in my military) and other undesirables and special interest cases.
Do you remember your history lessons? Remember indentured servants? Remember slaves? Remember how employees who fought for unions disappeared? Know about "Right to Work?" Of course not! If you had, you would know that every corporation, company, agency, and government entity does cost analysis on cheap labor continuously!! Exploitation occurs only after cost analysis!!
The Obama White House is anti-women having a reputation for sexual harassment. Bill Clinton, of course, is anti-women unless he gets his pleasure. Democrats take advantage of women. People elected Obama and he has delivered: increased poverty, no employment, promises to destroy employers (businesses) with taxes, and an appearance on The View where he called himself Eye Candy. Obama and Clinton are the World Examples of Sexual Bias and Sexual Harassment. Why is the mainstream news media hiding Obama's behavior? Are journalists sexists perverts? Probably.
Come on!
Where is the proof?
Go back to the Tea Cup and drown yourself.
Yes indeed Editori, that is a nice looking ivory tower.
In the old days, women in such a situation would often join the burlesque show.
That was when burlesque had some class. Strip clubs now, not so much.
@ LJ_51 - Exactly - The modern alternative is the antithesis of classiness.
Putting politics aside, however, it is shameful that any person who has served this country with distinction, has to be one of the long term unemployed. There are certain positions in the government that some hold, due to their father or grandfather serving in WWII, or some other conflict...but they have never served. This connection to wartime service, even though not their own, weighed heavily in their own hiring or promotion. There is nothing wrong with that. However, it becomes a little unnerving when that same person will turn around and hire or promote an unqualified and/or uncertified individual (their daughter, son, friend, cousin, or nephew, etc.) who also has never served... over someone who is not only qualified and/or certified but someone who has served honorably and with distinction. Look around, there are plenty of examples to be found...The VA is just one example.
The problem is with ethics. Before you start wondering why you aren't employed, maybe you should start wondering how many THOUSANDS of long term unemployed veterans there already are in your state...before you came along. Are you really going to bite into the excuses they give about why they hire their preference over a veteran (criminal record, no college degree, etc....what if they are incorrect all around?) or do the excuses only apply to you? The problem is with ethics.
The problem I have what this thing is I don't believe being veteran makes you special. I fought a war for personal reasons, because I wanted to. My war ended OIF so I left recently. I don't look for special treatment but when I put Army as my last employer suddenly I'm not qualified, what do theywant me do not mention my employment history? These damn employers need to stop looking at war vets as hard luck cases and start looking at us the same way they look at civilians and everyone needs to stop bad mouthing the military, if your not there to fight the war than your a waste of space.
As veteran Of Iraq I will tell you that the hardest part of going to work in a civilian jobs is the lack of respect and trust that I had in the Military. After being responsible for lives and millions of dollars worth of equipment in the Army it is difficult to work for someone that wont trust you with the key to the office supply cabinet.
Rearraign your priorities, Craig. Forget the key and the trust you desire. The country is plagued with corrupt employees. Owners and employers have to safeguard the company so are in that mode. Do the job, adapt to their rules and you may get a secure position. Don't join the "human rights" activists who complain, demand more and steal from the hand that feeds them in the name of righteous indignation. It was called job ethic in the past and paid off in the long run. I'm an old-timer who kept on the job. The trouble makers were relieved of their job and were dispised by employees and employers. Trouble makers. Respect yourself and earn security. I'm also a vet.
When I read foolish articles as this one , my blood pressure goes up. Unemployment is over 20%,most jobs were shipped overseas to China and India and we are holding short end of the stick. Romney and Obama are just whistling dixie and they will not create jobs for anyone to notice . It is unlikely to change for a long time ,because we have servants of the oligarchs in office instead of leadership. The press serve the Government's propaganda and that is why we are in endless wars that brought us to bankrupcy. We are in a worse situation than Greece, but our "investigative journalists" must be sleeping on the job of protecting our "Democracy" and bring TRUTH to our people. Disgusting situation. Thank God ,I made it to retirement. I feel badly for our youth.
Too bad we can't say it ain't so Joe!
You are right. When companies moved their factories overseas because of the cheap labor, the US became a nation of consumers, not producers. America has been in trouble for a very long time. Now we are finally feeling the brunt of greedy policies that benefit only 1% of our population. Neither Romney nor Obama are in any position to make real changes. The "people" have to insist on them.
If you believe these employment numbers then I have some land in the Everglades I'd like to sell you. This guy came from Chicago people. He learned how to fudge these kind of numbers right after he finished teething. For 4 years, unemployment has been more than 8%. Now, all of a sudden, with all other indicators showing the opposite, 2 months before the election, the numbers dip below???? YEA, RIGHT OBAMMA! Now, back to that land I was talking about..........
The reason that there is unemployment is because there are more Americans in the U.S. than there are jobs.
If the GOP would stop blocking job creation attempts by Obama then the unemployment issue would cease.
Other reasons why there is unemployment is because of politics.
The GOP has created a process that involves firing an employee for any reason, which could be because of their Face Book use and other associated away-from-work things that an employee may do that does not fit in with how the company wants their employees to believe.
Such employees are harassed until they give into the pressure or are fired for standing their ground against the political assault which always involves some religious right wing nut job trying to force the employee to believe their message.
This happened at Koch Knight where I was working as a temporary employee as well as another place where I was a temporary employee. The regular employees of whom think that they are more intelligent than a temporary worker and for some reason seem to think that they have more rights than a temporary employee would constantly harass me based upon their gathering information about me and my online use trying to make me angry based on the constant harassment of what I did until I either gave it up and fought back against them.
In either scenario the result is either giving up what you do an believe in or possibly goto to jail for fighting with them and putting them in their place.
Regular Employees do not understand the position of the temporary employee.
The temporary employee is brought in to pick up the slack that the regular employee has created by purposely standing around and talking instead of working and fullfilling the orders. Once the slack of work has been picked up then the temporary employee's contract is ended until the regular employees slack off enough to cause another overflow in work.
The best situation for a temporary worker is that the company has received a very large order and needs extra help to get the order on time.
....but then again if regular employees had any intelligence and had any type of business management skills they would understand the purpose of the temporary employee.
But then again both companies that I have worked for employed some of the most immature and non-professional full time employees imaginable.
I mean really what does it say about a company where the supervisor drives around on a tow motor honking the horn at people, pointing at them and laughing for reason at all.
Then were the employees who would constantly insinuate that other employees were homosexuals or had homosexual tendacies.
I could go on and on.
America wonders why countries fold up and move to China where such childish and immature acts in the business place is not tolerated.
Grow up.
Those who have risked life and limb for their country. Deserve all that their country, can give !
Immigrants are getting US jobs while returning vets are not getting US jobs. Focus on THAT DREAM.
Mister President?
"We do come home and the American public doesn't understand what we do overseas; they don't quite know how to receive us, don't know how to relate to us. Even some of our brothers, even some of the men who we served with, don't quite know how to relate to us."
Ms. Chase,
Thank you for your honorable service. You and the other women who served in the military deserve ALL of the advantages and resources that your male counterparts can access. All roles the women play are crucial to the smooth and efficient operation of the whole. That's all we as American citizens should be concerned with. So stop making excuses for the ignorant, sexist, and discriminatory masses!!
Make no mistake though there is never enough that we can do to help our wounded, but Obama's report card on the Veteran is nothing short of REMARKABLE...........
9/11 GiBill...full Ride...books...and Rent...UNHEARD of... even when Republicans in the Senate and John McCain thought it was too Good for the Troops....extension of Educat Benefits for Vets 35 to 60.......Vet Job Corp which passed 369 to 0 in the house but ONE Republican in the Senate blocked it last month, but its coming just delayed because of this IDIOT, who cowardly refused to name hisself. Conditions added for as presumptives for Gulf War and Vietnam Vets something 50 years over due.....over 8 presidents skipped right on over the Vietnam Vets....Obama made it right....Unfortunately that is what has been a major reason the New troops coming home are having longer claim processing times........The Vietnam vets deserve it after all these years.......Upgraded Voc Rehab to be more tailored to the warriors needs........Revised TAP to allow Claims processing for Vets 6 months before leaving active duty...many get there claim as soon as they take off the uniform...following a mandatory 30 day wait from ACTIVE status.....Troops to work ACT lowering the overall unemployment rate of Vets compared to the national average....Not including the withdrawal of TROOP from the War zone AHEAD of schedule...Even .When REPUBLICANS insisted that they stay longer.
I could go on and on about THE FINE PRINT this Policy driven President has made to help veterans when they leave active Duty.
His Grade on the veteran....nothing short of A-
He could do a little more....but make not mistake.....he and the First Lady with troops to Work has come mighty close to an A+..........That 9/11 GI Bill and the Presumptive for Gulf War and Vietnam alone is worthy of an Outstanding
Of Course ROMNEY is going to build up the MILITARY to the tune of 2 Trillion ON WHAT...NOBODY knows. My guess is, so he can start a fight in China...North Korea....or .and wake up the Cold WAR. with PUTIN.....even though the next war will be Fought behind a COMPUTER........what an OUT of touch INDIVIDUAL
Obama/Biden 2012
Everybody thinks they know the facts of our US problems! Blame Obama for everything! From gas prices to unemployment, crashing markets, illegal immigrants getting free everything, high tax, low tax, no jobs, wtf people. One guy on a high horse controls it all? You all can't control your own actions and emotions over simply voting. The deficit will continue to climb, gas will always go up because it isn't plentiful, jobs will come and go because banks are the ones who fund projects, along with everything else, your house, your car, your account, etc... even they can't get their numbers right. Immigrants have been getting free hand outs since government became government. Now you all wanna bitch about that in rough times. Taxes will always be there & not everyone will pay their fair share. The rich are the ones who know how to get around them.
Veterans do deserve better for ensuring our basic rights & our freedom to do whatever we want. They made that choice to sign up to protect America. They also had the freedom to choose any field of study while serving just in case they come back to the real world. Who is at fault? The veterans who came back into society the same way they came into the military? Or the Government who refuses to help them? This is what happens when our Government wages trillion dollar wars with a credit card. Guess who pays the bill? I'm just saying?. I don't know myself?! I''m just an average American citizen with a wife & kids struggling to pay bills, debts, and gas. Haha.
UNION IRONWORKERS for OBAMA 2012!
Are you FREAKING SERIOUS!!!???!!! Doesn't anybody PROOF-READ this crap? Here is what the title of the article says "Only MEN are VETERANS. The women have all been KICKED OUT OF THE MILITARY!" Which I assure you is news to my DAUGHTER ... who DEPLOYS to AFGHANISTAN in APRIL. News to me too ... since I am a DISABLED FEMALE VETERAN! You know ... I thought we had had this fight 23 years ago (I was denied an application for the American Legion because the MALE bartender told me "everyone KNOWS only MEN are veterans .... here is an application for the auxilliary .... do you have a VETERAN in your family who served in wartime?"