[Gimpy]

But, what the hell? Here goes anyway.

Because our government is unable possibly do everything that all of its citizens request, it is confronted with difficult choices.

It must choose to do what is best with the resources we have. This involves involves moral and practical considerations.

Caring for those who have made extraordinary personal sacrifices for our Nation and its citizens to protect us from enemies determined to deprive us of our freedoms and prosperity outranks other goals of government, no question, even though other goals may have merit and be needed themselves.

Veterans? programs must remain a national priority.

As indisputable as this principle is, not all in government appreciate the nature of our indebtedness to disabled veterans and our corresponding overriding obligation to care for them first before pursuing other goals.

Seeking to ignore that obligation and default on that debt without being held accountable, many politicians have devised some crafty ways to disguise or misrepresent the real nature and consequences of their actions that it may often be difficult for their constituents to know what is genuine and what is false.

Fortunately, our enhanced ability to communicate through modern technology enables us to fulfill our obligation to tell the real story of what is happening.

Just like this web site forum. Thanks David & Bern!

Top three veterans issues:

1) Eliminate the political issue of the adequacy of the budget for veterans? health care programs by making the funding for all medical care & treatment, "mandatory funding" rather than a "discretionary funding" as it is now . This would forever take the "politics" out of Veterans heath care!

(Sorry my dear friend Packo....."PRIVITISING" VA health care is NOT the answer! All the experts in all the fields of medicine have gone on record,'''private & public", that this would be a DISASTER!)

As long as the Congress and the Executive branch have the "power" to use Veterans as "pawns" in the political process with their ability to determine the "amount" of their choosing for funding these programs, which have shortchanged veterans in the past, they will probably continue to do so until funding levels are mandated by law.

2) The Congress must authorize and pass a bill, and the President MUST sign it, with provisions for full concurrent receipt of military retired pay and disability compensation.

Their last effort to "phase in" this measure over the next ten years is no more than a political maneuver to appease the veterans community. Many of the eligible veterans that would benefit from this measure will be DEAD and GONE in ten years!


3) Force the Congress to accept the "Independent Budget" projections as established by the four Congressionally Chartered Military Service Orrganizations (the DAV, VFW, Paralyzed Veterans of America, and AMVETS) when the "discretionary" funding elements of the budget process are being prepared: ie; disability compensation & claims processing, dependent compensation (DIC), education, pension, housing and employment benefits.

We all need to effectively confront ALL politicians with the plain truth. When they tell us, with all the other pressing government obligations and the decreases in revenues from massive tax reductions, our Nation cannot afford to honor its debt to disabled veterans, we must hit with the plain truth that no smokescreen can obscure?that veterans are a top priority, that veterans? programs are a continuing cost of national defense, that this countrys' citizens will not accept excuses for reneging on our obligation to disabled veterans.


########