I work at a VA and the policy that came down a year ago- is 2 years of free care for OEF/OIF vets- not enough, I know, but hopefully, that will change. We also provide inpatient, outpatient, and residential programs for PTSD. We have reach out programs for homeless vets. We need more money, but are hiring more mental health people now.

Here in San Antonio we are preparing to break ground on an addition to our local VA hospital for all PTSD patients. As a 100% disabled vet I get all my medical treatment from the VA, as does my wife.(who never served in the military, but who has lots of medical problems) Our local VA clinic and hospital do an excellent job within their budget constraints. I am hopeful that is will be difficult to impossible for gwb to veto the VA bill, but if he does, the number of vets communicating with their representatives should make it impossible for congress to not override any veto. Since Vietnam people have been claiming that a large portion of the homeless are veterans. I have 2 objections to this. 1-how did the census come up with that number(26%)(did they go around and ask each homeless person if he was a vet?) and 2-did anyone bother to check the records to find out if those who claimed to be vets actually were vets. There are some real vets who actually do check out the stories of people who claim to be vets. I read an article about them last year in one of my Veterans magazines. According to that article, of all they people who have claimed either to be just a vet trying to get benefits, or those who claim hero medals, less than 10% of those were actually veterans. The rest have been found to be frauds, people who just wanted to get money, or fame, for nothing. That is why I believe that the actual number of homeless veterans is much lower than the 26% given. Here in SA the DAV has an outreach program-I volunteer my services as a driver-we go to the homeless and try to find vets who have fallen thru the cracks. After 2 years of doing this, we have found only 10 who actually proved to be veterans. Sa is the 7th largest city in the US, plus is doesn’t get really cold, so there are several hundred homeless here. That we have only found 10 over the last 2 years-we had almost 250 people who claimed to be veterans, one who was about 30 actually claimed to be a Vietnam vet, many claimed to be vets from both Gulf War I & II, but again, they did not check out. We have also found a large number of people working in minimum wage jobs, who claimed to be vets(usually they claim to be SEAL’s or Marine Force Recon or Army Rangers or Special Forces, they never claim to have just been in supply or a truck driver, its always a glamor job, never a support job.) So, if you meet someone who claims to have been a hero, take it with a grain of salt. In my experience, the real hero’s don’t want to talk about what happened to them, or what they did. Those who boast are usually the chicken hawks, the keyboard commandos, or the yello elephants.

Rather than bailing out Wall Street, I think the borrowers should have their loans renegotiated so they can keep their homes. Countrywide is starting to do this at any rate.

Mary @ 48 -

Thank you so much for your very thoughtful and helpful answer!

Yeah, this was the first I’ve heard of Khadr. I’m so disgusted I’m speechless for now :/

tw3k @ 44

peony @ 38

Hey, I like this guy! thanks.

tw3k, you’re welcome. I forgot to mention, Bernie also talks about alternative energy, wind and solar, that these new industries are exploding in the EU…we’re still talking about coal. :-( I don’t give a s### about us being the #1 military, but I am sad that the US is lagging on being in the vanguard of new technological innovation, i.e., stem cell research, alternative energy, and of course, human rights.

Yes, I like his thoughts on alternative energies making good points about wind, solar and the role of lobbies in the current legislation. Kinda funny, over on dKos, with the “clean coal” ad at the top of the page.

Need more and better people like Sanders.

Thank you so much for your very thoughtful and helpful answer!

We have a homeless program in St Petersburg, FL called The Refuge. It’s a movement started by Rev Bruce Wright and he’s been in a constant battle with the city because the downtown merchants want the homeless gone. Bad for business, they say. The local anti-war folks, St Pete for Peace and Food Not Bombs, are big supporters of Bruce and his efforts. It’s simply a battle between the people and the government. Like Gandhi said, “First they laugh at you, then they ignore you, then they fight you, then you win.” We’re at the “fight you” stage now. Hope springs eternal.

If you don’t have a homeless shelter to support in your area, start one.

On this 89th anniversary of Armistice Day, allow me to welcome all our vets home. And to those who didn’t make it home, Rest In Peace. We are struggling to ensure that your numbers are not increased by the whims of greedy white men.

I’m not going to insult any vet by saying “Thank you for your service” because that has become a meaningless buzz phrase used by the chickenhawks among us. I’ve had them say it to me while looking me in the eyes and I could feel the knife going into my back at the same time.

“I will believe that violence will overcome violence when you can convince me that darkness will overcome darkness.” M K Gandhi

Peace, brothers and sisters.

peony @ 38

Hey, I like this guy! thanks.

tw3k, you’re welcome. I forgot to mention, Bernie also talks about alternative energy, wind and solar, that these new industries are exploding in the EU…we’re still talking about coal. :-( I don’t give a s### about us being the #1 military, but I am sad that the US is lagging on being in the vanguard of new technological innovation, i.e., stem cell research, alternative energy, and of course, human rights.

Great! And that will make…no fucking difference on any important issue as we have witnessed from the gutless Dem congressional “leaders” in the past year.