What Politicians Think of Veterans’ Issues
September 13, 2009 by John Allen · 4 Comments
by VETERANS UNITED FOR TRUTH, Inc.
Before you read the following, pleased remember that this is not a partisan complaint. Politicians on both sides of the aisle use veterans’ issues as political footballs, using them to gain favor for themselves or to deny favor to their opponents. Nonetheless, this one deserves a response from those of us who decry the use of veterans issues for political purposes.
The veteran never seems to be the subject of the action – it is always some other item on someone’s political agenda that causes or impedes action on veterans’ issues.
The governor should hear from us that his veto power should not be used on veterans’ issues in order to just prove a point about who is the toughest guy on the block.
He could have signed this one, in spite of the defiant mood between the parties, and shown that his fight with the legislature could be overlooked when it came to an opportunity to honor veterans. California has lost 550 of the thousands who have served in the current conflicts, yet almost no veterans’ bills seem to get past his desk.
Schwarzenegger accepts veto dare
Kevin Yamamura – Sep. 9, 2009
In the latest round of Capitol brinksmanship, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed a bill honoring Vietnam veterans and threatened to kill 72 other proposals on his desk because he said lawmakers have ignored his priority issues. The Senate withdrew all of its 43 bills from the Republican governor’s desk for temporary safekeeping. But in an act of defiance, the Assembly left on his desk a bill that would designate March 30 as "Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day."
"I dare the governor to veto this bill," said Assembly Majority Leader Alberto Torrico, D-Newark, before the close of Tuesday’s session.
Shortly afterward, Schwarzenegger accepted the dare and vetoed Assembly Bill 264.
"Our state is facing significant challenges, including the need for comprehensive changes in our policies on water, energy, and corrections and the need to take meaningful steps to stimulate the economy and rein in the rising levels of unemployment," Schwarzenegger wrote in his veto message. "This bill does nothing to address any of these issues. I look forward to considering this measure when these other major issues are addressed."
Assemblyman Paul Cook, R-Yucca Valley, a Vietnam veteran who co-authored AB 264 and wears a Marine Corps pin on his lapel, said he was "dismayed and angry."
"This is something that is long overdue and it’s something I feel very, very strongly about," Cook said. "And (a veto) just shows no respect for all those veterans."
More at: http://www.sacbee.com/capitolandcalifornia/story/2168683.html
It is certainly true that Viet Nam veterans have gotten the shaft across the board on many levels relative to recognition, veteran’s benefits, medical care that is adquate, etc. I do not argue that.
I also disagree with the governor’s approach to the financial meltdown in California state government when he uses a veteran’s bill to halt everything and throw sand in the gear box bringing the ship of state to a "dead in the water" status. He is worried about spending money he does not have and he uses a veteran’s bill to make that point.
But there is something we need to look at here. It is something deeper, more chronic, more basic than a governor using a veteran’s bill to bring legislation to a halt. We need to understand that even on the state or municipal level or township or burrough or ward/precinct level, we have no real voice in these matters. To state this simply, no one fears us.
Why is that?
I am not sure. Certainly on a national level veterans have some considerable input through the funny hat veterans’ organizations that claim to represent us and our needs. Sometimes they actually do represent us and our needs. Sometimes.
But once we get down to the state, county, burough, ward/precinct or township level claiming veterans rights or pushing forward veterans status is pretty much like being the only paratrooper at the Navy Ball. When you tell everyone what your background is they are apt to say, "Huh? Did you get lost? Let me show you the way out!" To state this simply, we pretty much do not matter at that level. And that is our fault.
Why did we let this happen? Where are the state level funny hat veterans organizations that are supposed to monitor and resist this sort of indifference to our needs? Where are the local funny hat veterans’ lodges and clubs and posts that are supposed to meet this arrogance and indifference head on? Is everybody too busy having a Schlitz and watching the local ball club win/lose another game down at the local post bar? Where are the funny hat organizations and grass roots veterans actions on this level of government?
I am sorry. I don’t want start anything here. But this is a direct result of posts and lodges and clubs being nothing more than bars where veterans make up some of the crowd and locals make up the bulk of the business. This is why we have no power at the state level. We have not earned it. We have not worked for it.
We are too busy drinking to "our old shipmates" or "the Old Corps" or remembering our friends from forty years ago when it was all "death from above" or "anchors aweigh" or even, God forbid, "Semper Paratus". Yeah, you know what? People have a tendency to get what they deserve. In the end, life has a tendency to even itself out.
The Governor of California used a veterans’ bill to bring government spending to a halt precisely because it would bring national attention to the plight of California finances.
And we can do nothing to stop this because we have spent generations drinking and dart boarding and shuffleboarding and "sports barring" our rights as veterans away.
We have done this to ourselves.
Have another drink. And then tell another story about "when I was in the Service we……."
CWO3 Tom Barnes, USCG (Ret.)
Any state that will elect that idiot to go along with Boxer, Fienstien and Pelosi deserve everything they get.
We can do something, it is time for another revolution.
Of course, the legislature set up the deal by withdrawing all the other bills, so I’d say they should come in for their fair share of the shame here. They KNEW this would happen, so the legislature is just as guilty of using veterans as political footballs. So how come they didn’t use a bill on park benches in the capitol smoking area or something? Because they knew a veteran’s issue would get more traction.