I am doing less as a VSO than I had for a number of years.  Most of my outreach was with Vietnam vets, a group that has, for the most part, either "gone" or made their peace, for good or bad, with the VA.

Your local political issue is a complex one.  I tend to defend democrats only because of the extreme abuses of our political system at the hands of the republicans.  Email me at gpduf@aol.com and I will give you my number.

I feel obligated to punish the Bush admistration with broad strokes, not only for veteran funding issues and the "second signature" program that brought on so many suicides with disabled vets but also, on a personal basis because of abuses by Justice.

I sit on the boards of one oil company, one bank and one defense contracting firm that works with Thales, Raython, Lockheed, Pratt Whitney, etc.

Thus, I am waist deep in DC bullshit every day, all day long.

If anything, my political connections are 90% republican.  I drive some of them totally crazy.  I like that

I am prettymuch aware that in many localities the democratic machine can be a vicious one.  All organizations have that potential.  However, after years as a lobbyist, I have learned to hate more republicans and simply shake my head at the stupidity of democrats.

Mostly, they all make me want to throw up.

You have raised my curiosity and awareness level considerably.  I now want to know more about the Brentwood group, their relationship with Waxman and where the stink is really coming from.

I really want to know why Arnie is keeping his nose out of this.  Who are the players in Brentwood?

I can do this.  If you can detail, in an email, the Waxman game, I can take a shot at him in DC. 

I am supposed to be at a dinner with the Clintons and meeting with Obama staff weenies over unrelated issues.  I may have something to trade and leaning on people, if it involves a veteran issue, is always fun, though seldom as successful as we want.

On a more micro scale, our local, Michigan and Ohio VA facilities, have used up so much of their funding that most Cardio facilities are giving up services, services like actually reading the EKG’s they take.

Patients in many areas have no idea that they are actually receiving no real treatment though they come in for tests.

There are even people at the VA that care and can still do nothing.  This problem is much more endemic than you would imagine.

Anyway….

thanks for you response.

g

The fence issue is a good one, I admit. I see veterans facilities spending millions on idiotic things but unable to deliver basic medical services.

A trip to Europe to visit our boondoggle Air Force retiree terminals which cost tens of millions, the golf courses of to Irak to see the paid for but unfinished projects, all under Republican leadership and costing many times more, make this analysis one sided.

We seem to be forgetting that the GOP lobbied to underfund the VA, leading to the resignation of Director Nicholls.

However, though I may disagree with some of what is said, the more names, facts and accusations that are out there, the more demands the better.

Perhaps we could get the names of everyone involved in the Brentwood lobbying.

Petitions are useful but only the Democrats have organized veterans in that area, especially with http://www.votevet.com [www.votevet.com].

After an election, some organizations tend to go on ‘hold’

Since California has a Republican governor with the ear of the president, what has he done on this issue?

What has President Bush done?

He was in office and in total control when the issue began. I don’t see the director of the VA or Bush being mentioned, although they are totally responsible for the issue.

Perhaps we could get Bush a “the buck stops here” sign for his desk, 8 years late.

g (duff)