The Worse Of Times/The Worse Of Times

[HARDCORE]

No, this is not a redundancy of the first part of a line from a Charles Dickens's novel! In this story, there is no ?BEST OF TIMES!?

With combat pay being hacked, the waiting time to be seen at VAMCs expanded, new (old) foes looming just upon the horizon, and bases still being targeted for closure left and right, the individual states and the federal government have initiated a lottery/blackmail/pay-off system that is pitting the financial offerings of one state against another!

According to a national news service: "BASE CLOSING THREATS HAVE LOBBYISTS IN A BIDDING WAR!? At a time when we need more military facilities, the word is out that bases around the nation have their necks trapped in the guillotine of - ?What?s It Worth To You To Stay Operational??

All across the nation, or so it is written, ?State & Local Governments? are locking horns by committing huge sums of cash from already strapped $$ budgets to romance the military into not abandoning their turf!! Hell, even ?Cash Poor California? is getting in on the bidding wars! And even here in San Diego County, the panic is already being felt! As a matter of fact, both the City and County governments, it was reported, have anteed-up $30,000 each just to pay a consulting firm to assist in the campaign! And for the record, some experts have questioned whether this expenditure would be fruitful, considering the reported failure of past lobbying effort$ along these lines! ?And hey, from what I am reading, this problem is nationwide!!?

Apparently, the events of the late thirties and that time just before the Korean Conflict, when military personnel was in short supply (relatively speaking), has taught us little! The BATAAN Death March of World War II, and the Tiger Death March of the Korean War, have registered no lasting impressions upon the mentalities of those who now occupy the catbird seats!??

?When will we even learn - when will we ever learn?!?

VERITAS