With one debate down and only 28 days to go until the election, it's time the candidates get serious about veterans issues. Last week, President Obama and Governor Romney squared off, but when it came to our newest veterans, the silence was deafening. If care and support for the 20 million vets in America is not a domestic policy issue, what is?
We're hoping Thursday's vice presidential debate goes a bit differently.
2.4 million of those veterans are now transitioning home from Iraq and Afghanistan, and they deserve smart policy and true dedication -- especially in the face of high unemployment. Last week, the BLS released the September jobs report, and once again, the unemployment rate for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans is above the national average. While the national employment rate was 7.8 percent, our nation's newest veterans face a tougher job market with unemployment at 9.7 percent. According to the BLS, 202,000 new veterans were unemployed in the month of September.
Monthly unemployment numbers tend to fluctuate because of the small BLS sample size, and nowhere is this more clear than when examining the post-9/11 female veteran unemployment rate. While new female vets faced a whopping 19.9 percent unemployment rate in September, in July the rate was 5.9 percent -- more than 2 points lower than the July national average. These fluctuations demonstrate the challenge of having a very small sample tell the employment story of 2.4 million post-9/11 veterans.
When it comes to veterans, we need more than "thank you for your service." Candidates must pledge to address the systemic issues that create barriers to entering the civilian workforce. With the first debate question focusing on job creation, from the gate both candidates missed an opportunity to show veterans that they would fight the battle against consistently high unemployment.
Employment resources, like TAP, should be available to vets throughout their careers, not just at separation. For Guard and Reservists who straddle the civil-military workforces, we must work to protect their civilian jobs by working to strengthen and extend USERRA. The nation has invested billions of dollars training service members, but their valuable skills fall on the deaf ears of civilian hiring managers who haven't served. Despite their years of military experience in specific jobs -- such as medics -- they lack certifications or licenses that are required to work in their local communities.
No veteran should come home to an unemployment check. Candidates need to do more, and all Americans need to demand answers on how they plan to support new veterans and their families -- on jobs and other critical issues. Last week, IAVA released a guide to help Americans cast smart votes to support vets -- with issue summaries and checklists on the five most critical challenges facing the New Greatest Generation. You can use the guide to ask candidates at all levels tough questions -- let them know what our community is looking for at the ballot box on November 6th.
Cross posted on IAVA.org.
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Brad Hill: Obama's Presidential Failure
Paul Rieckhoff: The Daily Show Highlights the Daily Struggle for Unemployed Vets
How many mentions of Lybia since the debate: ZERO
How many mentions of National Debt since debate: ZERO
A six-month investigation, done by several reporters, found the information difficult to obtain, the results brutal. Soldiers like a 53-year-old Army lieutenant colonel survived combat only to die after they were supposedly home safe. Among the findings:
"More than 1 in 3 died from a drug overdose, a fatal combination of drugs or suicide. The median age at death was 28.
Nearly 1 in 5 died in a motor vehicle crash.
Among those with a primary diagnosis of PTSD, 80% died of overdose, suicide or single-vehicle crashes. Only two of the 46 Texas veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts with a PTSD diagnosis died of natural causes.
The 345 Texas veterans identified by the VA as having died since coming home is equal to nearly two-thirds of the state's casualties in Iraq and Afghanistan. The total number of deaths could be higher because the tally only includes veterans who have sought VA benefits."
This is only a small bit of what's happening with today's veterans, and it doesn't just happen in Texas. Some solutions include a San Diego program called Reboot. It seeks to train troops who are still on active duty how to re-adjust to civilian life.
Things didn't work out so well.
I'm done with these wars over oil and religion.
October 9, 2012
Mrs. Michelle Obama, First Lady
THE WHITE HOUSE
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
Dear Mrs. Obama,
I am writing on behalf of fellow veterans to voice our concern and outrage over an insidious action by the U.S. Government that has created starvation, sickness and financial ruin. Too many American citizens who fought our enemies are eating out of restaurant garbage cans, cannot afford to pay for medicine and facing bankruptcy.
Briefly, I refer to the practice of Uncle Sam silently deducting college loan payments from Senior Citizens’ Social Security payments. Granted it’s only 15%, but this extra money is sorely needed in today’s depressed economy. Further chagrin is their loss of the yearly 3% “bounty” to offset the rising cost of living. Yes, I will pause while we laugh sardonically at this latter indignity.
Finally, Mrs. Obama, we hope you will intercede and ask your husband to make that one phone call to stop the injustice of tampering with Social Security payments. It is not just unfair. It is reprehensible. And I speak for thousands, when we meet in convention this summer.
Thank you for your consideration. I’m sure you see the ramifications of losing the 2012 election when the general public objects to depriving individuals of their full Social Security benefits. There has been no greater pain for not only veterans, but also baby boomers and retirees.
Sincerely yours,
BS:ej Bruce Spencer
The high per barrel prices, IN NO WAY REFLECTIVE OF ACTUALLY SUPPLY AND DEMAND, streamed torrents of $5/gal, untaxed equity from ALL AMERICANS, to non-citizens. The extraxced equity drove food and c.oliving even higher, while fuel drove it higher in production. Debt driving racketeering at its highest, most treasonous level, ever. Ut IS FUNDED BY FED pirated/lending and bond buying of over $40,000,000,000,000 with our money.
Debt IS the only product of Fed funding, tax favoring, and deregulating gangsters. Second oldest crime in the world. Only enabled by govt. committing the oldest crime.
LOLOLOLOLOLOL
After the first Iraq war the governemnt paid many to get out early and also would not allow them to re-enlist thus depriving them of a full career and thier retirement benefits.
I know, my husband was one of them.