Yesterday I posted how Paul Krugman ended up finally talking about the budget that runs this country being done a year ahead of time. Yes, I was and still am furious about this hitting the press the day after I raised it on Linkedin, mind you in the exact order I presented it. The budget followed by TARP. I was taking a look at the budgets from President Bush and President Obama when it came to taking care of our veterans, when I was reminded of the fact these budgets are done a year ahead. Noticing that for all the posts going back and forth on Linkedin failed to mention this fact, I posted about it. I thought it was important to remind people that this is in fact Obama's first budget we're living with. In all of this, it also shows how far we've come in such a short time of his presidency simply because he cared to lead the way.
We have a long way to go to make up for years of whining from some "conservative" congress members suddenly thinking about spending when in fact, up until this year, the price tag for Iraq and Afghanistan were not included in the budget, thus easily hidden from the public. Obama put this spending into his budget, where it should have been all along. Now these same "conservatives" are whining about spending?
They complain about extending unemployment, but they never stop to think about the people needing help just to survive. They certainly don't think of the veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan being included in the ranks of the unemployed. Just as with homeless veterans, they were forgotten about until 2007 after the watchdogs of the people took control over the committees. Yes, spending has gone up but it is not just it has gone up we need to notice. It is why spending has gone up that should matter to all of us.
These are not tax cuts for the wealthy, so the "conservative" congress members complain at the same time they want unfunded tax cuts for the wealthy to continue unfunded. They did not demand accountability or limit any spending for Iraq and Afghanistan but now they are in the budget, well, they don't put any of this in the big picture at the same time they are whining about not wanting the defense budget cut, but these same people said that they didn't want to increase the pay for the troops. Amazing what is avoided.
Today on the Today Show, Matt Laur was talking to Newt Gingrich about the deficit. Apparently Laur is unaware of the real workings of this country and fell into the rant from the "conservative" talkers ignoring what happened when and why.
from April 10, 2009
He said war spending will be included in the regular budget starting in 2010, which would end the Bush administration's practice of paying for the wars with supplemental spending bills that increase federal debt.
http://mediamatters.org/research/200904100002
In the last 10 years, the defense budget has almost doubled to $549 billion, and in real terms baseline defense spending “is now higher than at the height of the Reagan buildup, and total defense spending now exceeds what we spent any time since World War II.” As Ryan has said, “you know the current Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates, he’s going a pretty good job of identifying obsolete weapons systems that are costing tens of billions of dollars that aren’t needed.” Now if only he could get Congress to go along.
http://thinkprogress.org/2010/07/08/isakson-palin-defens/
Feb. 2010
Obama's budget deficits to rise from wars, recession
Among his new proposals: $100 billion in tax cuts and credits for small businesses and spending on infrastructure to create jobs and increase wages.
Even with the added boost, the White House forecasts slow progress from the current unemployment rate of 10 percent. Christina Romer, the chair of the Council of Economic Advisers, forecasts that the jobless rate would drop to 9.8 percent this year, 8.9 percent in 2011 and 7.9 percent in 2012.
The president also proposed other spending increases for the next fiscal year, including:
$48 billion for veterans' medical care, an 8 percent increase.
$53 billion for homeland security, a nearly 4 percent increase, including money for 1,000 advanced imaging technology machines for airport passengers, new explosives detection equipment for baggage and more federal marshals aboard international flights.
$310 million to close the prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, including $273 million to buy a state prison at Thomson, Ill., for those detainees who won't be released or transferred to other countries.
Obama also urged Congress to take steps that he said would shave $1.2 trillion off the deficit over the next 10 years:
Freezing overall spending for three years for some federal departments and programs outside of national security, Medicare and Social Security.
Slapping a fee on big banks.
Ending subsidies for oil, gas and coal production.
Cutting or eliminating 120 programs.
Read more: Obama Deficits To Rise
The facts are online and all you have to do is look up the budget and what year it really started. Things are bad right now but allowing claims to just become truth is wrong. As you listen to the talkers on TV and radio, have some curiosity and look into what the truth really is because if you don't, this will be the government you may deserve for ignoring the truth, but it is not the government the veterans or the troops deserve when they are the ones willing to fight and die for it, while you can't be bothered to find out who is telling the truth.
Veterans Of Iraq, Afghanistan Wars Becoming Homeless
Miri Marshall-Weekend Anchor/Weathercaster/News Reporter
Posted: 8:55 pm MDT July 19, 2010
Updated: 9:39 pm MDT July 19, 2010
EL PASO, Texas -- He was only 22-years-old and looking for a better life. James Schauer thought the Army was the answer.
“I figured it would be a good opportunity to actually get something done,” Schauer said.
After he joined the military based in Illinois in 2002, he served in Operation Iraqi Freedom. But when he left the military in 2006, he had no idea that he would go from hero to homeless.
“The first thing that went through my mind was basic necessities. I’m going to need shelter. I’m going to need to eat. I’m going to need to drink,” he told KFOX.
read more here
http://www.kfoxtv.com/news/24318063/detail.html
I know you care or you wouldn't be in this blog so please, demand some honesty from all our elected and from the media even more. This isn't about being a member of one party or another, it's about being a member of this same country and wanting what is best for our future. We can't get there from here as long as truth is ignored. The next time you hear any political figure talk about the deficit and how they don't want to spend money, take a look at what they do want to spend money on and then think about the veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan coming home ending up without jobs and becoming homeless.
Fox Chapel Veteran Fights For PTSD Treatment
PITTSBURGH
KDKA
Veterans from wars extending back to Vietnam have complained of post-traumatic stress and complained as well that they haven't been able to get treatment.
It appears that the Veterans Administration is listening to stories like that of Matt Drudnok who went to war shortly after graduating from Fox Chapel High School six years ago.
"You think about the events that happened and you just run them through your head over and over and over again," he said.
After two tours of duty in Iraq, Drudnok is back in Pittsburgh, but even though he's left the war, the war hasn't left him.
Back in 2007, Drudnok was in the thick of it in Fallujah, Ramadi and Tikrit. His mission was to unearth and disarm improvised explosive devices when his vehicle was struck by a rocket-propelled grenade.
"I came to over the steering wheel slumped over and there was still dust settling and there were still people getting away," he said.
read the rest of this here
http://kdka.com/local/Veterans.Administration.PTSD.2.1813588.html
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