Unique common oddities

Unique common oddities


Sarah Palin is not the brightest woman in the country, not the richest and certainly not the prettiest although when it comes to politicians, she may be the most attractive. The problem is, being attractive does not qualify someone for being in charge of anything. The media created the fascination. She was not nominated for the presidency but we don’t hear much about John McCain. The media hang on every Tweet she posts and they cover every appearance she makes. Yet John McCain, the actual nominee for the presidency, followed into the slow decent into the media abyss along with John Kerry and Al Gore, the spotlight on Palin has yet to dim. It is not driven by attention from us commoners but driven by the media.

Politicians and political ads fill the days as we attempt to watch TV. Their ads stuffed in our emails. CNN, MSNBC and Fox have dropped in-depth reporting on topics they used to make sure we knew about. It wouldn’t be so bad if the reporters knew their topic well enough to actually ask the questions the rest of us want answers for, but they don’t. We want to know, need to know, what the candidates plan on doing should they be elected. People deserve to know who really wants to cut Social Security, Medicare, Veterans Healthcare and the Department of Education when they talk about cutting spending. When they talk about worrying about the deficit and passing on the bill to our kids, we are worrying about surviving today and the current state of our lives knowing full well that if we fail today, the future will inherit all of this trouble.

Money flows into the campaigns allowing them to buy airtime. The media provide them with free advertising and that attention causes people to donate more. It’s big money for the media outlet and each year it costs more and more to run. Each year, there is more and more political ads being bought feeding the chain of attention. These people running for office are just as common as the rest of us but while we go to work on regular jobs taking care of one particular business, their business is the state they live in. It has never really been a matter of how well they do their jobs nut more about what kind of coverage they get from the media. The media decides what we learn and whom we learn about. It is one of the biggest reasons I no longer watch CNN, MSNBC or Fox.



When was the last time you actually heard anything about Iraq or Afghanistan? Our troops are deployed into two combat operations but we don’t seem to hear much about either one. We certainly don’t hear about the suicides, attempted suicides, the medicated state of soldiers suffering because they were sent over and over again into combat any more than we hear about the homeless veterans created by combat. Unless you are interested and invested enough to search for reports, you have no clue what any of them are going through. The media decided that reporting on them was just not sexy enough.

Here’s a thought. Considering the billions of dollars Iraq and Afghanistan caused us to spend along with the billions predicted to care for the combat wounded in the Veteran’s Healthcare system, wouldn’t it be great if the media figured out that there are more veterans of combat than politicians running for office? There is more money being dedicated to taking care of them than going into the political campaigns they find worthy of coverage. While they want to talk about the deficit, how about reporting on the fact neither war was in the budget or funded up until this year. It was all supplemental request for additional funding but none of the reporters have thought this is an important fact to mention. It is a certainty the politicians silently accepting all of this will find it in their best interest to remain silent on this fact.

Here in Florida with much of the population on Social Security, the ads try to cause the to fear cutbacks by the wrong people. It is true that money was cut from Medicare but it was not cut from benefits. It was cut from the waste, fraud and abuse hurting our seniors. The politicians the ads support actually have it in their plan to privatize Social Security. This fact is not mentioned by the ads or by the media. They also claim to care about our veterans but also in their plan is turning veterans’ healthcare over to private companies. We have over 400,000 veterans and the new VA hospital in Lake Nona is due to open in 2012. Do Florida politicians plan on turning that over to private companies too?

This nation sent them into combat. They served this one nation. This nation owes them the care they were promised. The VA is a government run program some politicians call a “welfare program” totally disregarding the facts behind the need for it. While there are problems in the VA you read about here everyday, some want to end it instead of fixing the problems. We deserve the truth on who is behind this just as much as we deserve to know who is really fighting for veterans but they are a minor topic for the media.

Getting back to the media darling Palin, the media did a lousy job covering that campaign when they did not report on McCain’s deplorable votes on veterans issues. It is disgraceful how he votes against them all the time while all these years he’s run as being one of them. The media just allowed the myth to go on much as they decided all along who they would turn into a common oddity to advertise as unique.

The next time you hear someone complain about the money being spent remember this.

VA Tops $1B Mark in Recovery Act Distributions

Upgrades Include Energy Projects, Medical Facility Upgrades,

Cemetery Improvements



WASHINGTON (Oct. 15, 2010)- The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has
distributed more than $1 billion in funds made available through the
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, agency officials have
announced. Recovery Act funding is being used to modernize and replace
existing VA medical facilities, make improvements at national cemeteries
and award grants to states for Veterans homes.

"America's Veterans are getting more modern, efficient and greener
facilities that are better suited to provide them the comprehensive care
and service they have earned," VA Secretary Eric K. Shinseki said.
"These upgrades are possible through Recovery Act funds that are not
only revitalizing VA's extensive infrastructure, but also moving needed
money into the economy," he said.

The funding is part of President Obama's economic recovery plan to
improve services to America's Veterans. VA committed its total Recovery
Act funds of $1.8 billion by July.

To help Veterans access their care, Recovery Act projects at VA medical
facilities are adding or improving more than 26,000 parking spaces. VA
is also upgrading nearly 14,000 inpatient bed spaces and 16 pharmacy
renovation projects will help Veterans get medicines quicker and more
efficiently. More than 14,400 clinical improvement projects, some with
multiple exam rooms, are being undertaken.

Physical improvements to VA medical facilities include investments in
energy efficiency projects; almost $400 million overall is targeted for
energy projects and some $90 million for renewable energy studies and
projects.

VA is installing solar photovoltaic systems at facilities in
Albuquerque, N.M.; Tucson, Ariz.; Dublin, Ga.; Calverton, N.Y.; and San
Joaquin and Riverside, Calif.

The department is erecting a wind turbine in Bourne, Mass., and
constructing a geothermal system at its medical center in St. Cloud,
Minn. Additionally, VA is building renewably fueled co-generation
systems at five medical facilities: Togus, Maine; White River Junction,
Vt.; Chillicothe, Ohio; Loma Linda, Calif.; and Canandaigua, N.Y. It is
also installing metering systems at all VA-owned facilities to monitor
energy utilities, including electricity, water, chilled water, steam and
natural gas consumption.

VA is investing $197 million in energy and water infrastructure
improvements. Its facilities across the country are upgrading
properties and structures to reduce energy consumption and water usage
and better manage related costs.

Throughout VA's system of 131 national cemeteries, 392 improvement
projects are underway using $50 million in Recovery Act funding. VA is
restoring and preserving 47 historic monuments and memorials, becoming
more energy efficient by investing in renewable energy sources (solar
and wind), implementing nine energy conservation projects, and improving
access and visitor safety with 44 road, paving and grounds improvement
projects.

Funds are also being used to raise, realign and clean approximately
200,000 headstones and markers, repair sunken graves, and renovate turf
at 24 VA national cemeteries.

VA Recovery Act grants totaling $150 million are also assisting states
to construct, improve, or acquire nursing home, domiciliary or adult day
health care facilities.

Let someone tell you they are not worth it.