Talk about fast. At 12 noon, the White House website flipped over from President Bush to President Obama. Of particular concern to me and all of the veterans with VoteVets.org was what the agenda was for veterans. On that, just one second after 12 noon, the new White House scored an A+.
Just before the inauguration, VoteVets.org polled the over 45,000 veterans and veteran families in its over 100,000 person email base for suggestions on what the new administration should tackle at the VA. Today, the White House website makes clear that the message was loud and clear.
The full memo VoteVets.org sent to the transition on our findings can be found here. The White House page on veterans can be found here. Notice similarities?
VoteVets.org Memo - Lack of easy access should be met with more VA hospitals and clinics and/or ability to get care elsewhere.White House Page- Expand Vet Centers
VoteVets.org Memo - Prescriptions are often too expensive for many vets to afford; and Emergency services need to be covered.
White House Page - Fully fund the VA so it has all the resources it needs to serve the veterans who need it, when they need it.
VoteVets.org Memo - Advocates are needed.
White House Page - Hire additional claims workers, and improve training and accountability so that VA benefit decisions are rated fairly and consistently.
VoteVets.org Memo - Streamline and make the disability process easier to understand.
White House Page - Fix the Benefits Bureaucracy
How refreshing to have an administration that hears veterans, listens to veterans, and plans to fight for veterans!
We'll see what happens the rest of the week with an Executive Order closing Guantanamo, banning torture practices, and setting a new course in Iraq. But, if the new White House page on veterans is any indication, we finally have a President who is listening to us.
Crossposted at VetVoice.com
The neocons could follow in the footsteps of their past revered leader and enlist and then vanish. Some of us were not given the opportunity of enlisting. We were ORDERED to appear for a physical and report when the military called us. Even though I was drafted and served four years in the military, I find myself outside the doors of the Veterans Clinic, begging like a dog that took a dump on their carpets.
OK tobergill. Time to show what you neocons are made up of. Now man up to the bar and get down to your local military recruiter and show us what you are made of.
Hope you make it back in one piece.
Fine. Then you would not then have a problem paying the military a rate equal to what is paid to Blackwater guards right? It's a fair comparison to determine what the pay would be for a private job of similar work.
According to Washington Post 2007 article:
"An unmarried sergeant given Iraq pay and relief from U.S. taxes makes about $85 a day, given time in service. A married sergeant with children makes about double that, $170 a day.
Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, overseeing more than 160,000 U.S. troops, makes roughly $180,000 a year, or about $493 a day."
According to Blackwater job listings "Daily in country pay rate starts at $550.00."
So Blackwater starts pay at a rate higher than Gen. Petraeus makes, an amount 6 times higher than their military comparision.
So, when you agree to start paying military personnel the equivalent pay as private military personnel, instead of a pathetic fraction, then you can whine about the other benefits they get. I'm sure the military vets would be happy to buy their own health care if they were paid $200k a year or more, instead of $40k. Oh, and don't forget... any injuries while "on duty" would qualify as "injured while on the job" and must be covered by the company (government), just as if you were hurt at work.
Now, stop whining and try REALLY HARD to remember that many commands have two parts: the Preparatory Command and the Command of Execution.
A METAPHOR: President Obama (aka; The CinC) issued the Preparatory Command, via the aforementioned website. General Eric K. Shinseki will now EXECUTE.
You, I and many like us chose to risk our Life & Liberty so that the civilians can engage in the pursuit of happiness. So, if YOU don't need Hope, that's fine with me. However, Hope is far from "meaningless." perhaps the civilians and our other Brothers in Arms do.
Remember, Despair precedes Hope; if we're lucky.
WAIT... Not for long.
WATCH... Pay close attention.
BELIEVE. Real results (...he's got Four (count'em) – 4 Stars...).
Go Army!
I also salute you, a brother-in-arms, but remember one thing. Gen. Shinseki may be a very good general, as a matter of fact I think so too. But that does not necessarily make a good fit anywhere else. I'm pulling for him, but don't have too much faith in General Officers' ability to really manage something.
Marines normally don't have to have much hope, because we're sure!
Semper fi
President Obama has, in one second, done what his processor REFUSED to do. Thank you and your organization for recognizing that it will take all of us participating and pulling in one direction to realize our common goals.
It won't be easy, but we can do it.
Keep up the good work!
Go Army!
good feelings for future VA /President relationship.
He, President Obama, is making all the right moves. Of course all a president has to do is the
opposite moves of the previous oval office occupant, Mr.Bush, but nonetheless, President Obama
has a Good conscience to work from!!
In fact, the medical care I have received, and the administrative system supporting it, have been much better than I was used to in the civilian health care market. Improvements can be made of course, and I feel that Gan Shinseki is an excellent choice for VA director.
I believe that great changes will be made in the VA programs and especially in regard to low-income vets like myself who became disabled after we got older.
So this story says there is a White House web site that indicates what it wants to do for vets. That might not sound like much but it's more than the vets got in eight years of the last guy. And if they don't follow through we will be there calling them on it. But let's not give him too much crap until he actually deserves it.
Didn't your mama tell you that if you can't say something nice ..................?
Semper fi
We already know they can post to a website, but they've already proven they're VERY good at web marketing. I recommend we mitigate the exuberance until we see what VA actually does with regard to education and repairing the benefits disaster the 'Bushies' left behind, and in the mean time, [politely] hold their feet to the fire.
Semper fi
Naming a Vet and and not some lawyering partisan tool to the VA is a good start.
He means what he says
USMC
Semper fi
Semper fi