106 members of the House want to toss out veterans votes!

UPDATE

HOW MANY VETERANS IN THESE STATES?

Georgia 616,527

Michigan 520,129

Wisconsin, 315,574

Pennsylvania 710,375

QUESTIONS FOR VETERANS

You risked your lives to defend this country and now these 106 members of congress's are trying to take away your votes!

Are they calling their own election illigetimate too?

How does this make you feel?

What are you going to do about it?

106 who say your votes should not matter!

Buzzfeed

All 50 states have officially certified the results of the 2020 presidential election as of this week, reaffirming what has been known for over a month now: Joe Biden will be the next president of the United States.

And yet, on Thursday, 106 Republican members of Congress signed an amicus brief asking the Supreme Court to allow the state of Texas to file a lawsuit that seeks to invalidate the election results in the states of Georgia, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania, all of which President Donald Trump lost.

Rep. Bradley Byrne of Alabama’s 1st Congressional District

Rep. Mo Brooks of Alabama’s 5th Congressional District

Rep. Gary Palmer of Alabama’s 6th Congressional District

Rep. Andy Biggs of Arizona’s 5th Congressional District

Rep. Debbie Lesko of Arizona’s 8th Congressional District

Rep. Rick Crawford of Arkansas’s 1st Congressional District

Rep. Bruce Westerman of Arkansas’s 4th Congressional District

Rep. Doug LaMalfa of California’s 1st Congressional District

Rep. Tom McClintock of California’s 4th Congressional District

Rep. Ken Calvert of California’s 42nd Congressional District

Rep. Ken Buck of Colorado’s 4th Congressional District

Rep. Doug Lamborn of Colorado’s 5th Congressional District

Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida’s 1st Congressional District

Rep. Neal P. Dunn of Florida’s 2nd Congressional District

Rep. Ted S. Yoho of Florida’s 3rd Congressional District

Rep. John Rutherford of Florida’s 4th Congressional District

Rep. Michael Waltz of Florida’s 6th Congressional District

Rep. Daniel Webster of Florida’s 11th Congressional District

Rep. Gus Bilirakis of Florida’s 12th Congressional District

Rep. Ross Spano of Florida’s 15th Congressional District

Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart of Florida’s 25th Congressional District

Rep. Earl L. “Buddy” Carter of Georgia’s 1st Congressional District

Rep. Drew Ferguson of Georgia’s 3rd Congressional District

Rep. Austin Scott of Georgia’s 8th Congressional District

Rep. Rick W. Allen of Georgia’s 12th Congressional District

Rep. Russ Fulcher of Idaho’s 1st Congressional District

Rep. Mike Simpson of Idaho’s 2nd Congressional District

Rep. Mike Bost of Illinois’s 12th Congressional District

Rep. Darin LaHood of Illinois’s 18th Congressional District

Rep. Jim Banks of Indiana’s 3rd Congressional District

Rep. James R. Baird of Indiana’s 4th Congressional District

Rep. Trey Hollingsworth of Indiana’s 9th Congressional District

Rep. Steve King of Iowa’s 4th Congressional District

Rep. Roger Marshall of Kansas’s 1st Congressional District

Rep. Ron Estes of Kansas’s 4th Congressional District

Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana’s 1st Congressional District

Rep. Clay Higgins of Louisiana’s 3rd Congressional District

Rep. Mike Johnson of Louisiana’s 4th Congressional District

Rep. Ralph Abraham of Louisiana’s 5th Congressional District

Rep. Andy Harris of Maryland’s 1st Congressional District

Rep. Jack Bergman of Michigan’s 1st Congressional District

Rep. Bill Huizenga of Michigan’s 2nd Congressional District

Rep. John Moolenaar of Michigan’s 4th Congressional District

Rep. Tim Walberg of Michigan’s 7th Congressional District

Rep. Tom Emmer of Minnesota’s 6th Congressional District

Rep. Trent Kelly of Mississippi’s 1st Congressional District

Rep. Michael Guest of Mississippi’s 3rd Congressional District

Rep. Ann Wagner of Missouri’s 2nd Congressional District

Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer of Missouri’s 3rd Congressional District

#50 - Rep. Vicky Hartzler of Missouri’s 4th Congressional District

Rep. Sam Graves of Missouri’s 6th Congressional District

Rep. Jason Smith of Missouri’s 8th Congressional District

Rep. Greg Gianforte of Montana’s at-large congressional district

Rep. Adrian Smith of Nebraska’s 3rd Congressional District

Rep. Lee Zeldin of New York’s 1st Congressional District

Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York’s 21st Congressional District

Rep. Gregory Murphy of North Carolina’s 3rd Congressional District

Rep. Virginia Foxx of North Carolina’s 5th Congressional District

Rep. Dan Bishop of North Carolina’s 9th Congressional District

Rep. David Rouzer of North Carolina’s 7th Congressional District

Rep. Richard Hudson of North Carolina’s 8th Congressional District

Rep. Ted Budd of North Carolina’s 13th Congressional District

Rep. Jeff Fortenberry of Nebraska’s 1st Congressional District

Rep. Brad Wenstrup of Ohio’s 2nd Congressional District

Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio’s 4th Congressional District

Rep. Robert E. Latta of Ohio’s 5th Congressional District

Rep. Bill Johnson of Ohio’s 6th Congressional District

Rep. Bob Gibbs of Ohio’s 7th Congressional District

Rep. Kevin Hern of Oklahoma’s 1st Congressional District

Rep. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma’s 2nd Congressional District

Rep. Dan Meuser of Pennsylvania’s 9th Congressional District

Rep. Scott Perry of Pennsylvania’s 10th Congressional District

Rep. Fred Keller of Pennsylvania’s 12th Congressional District

Rep. John Joyce of Pennsylvania’s 13th Congressional District

Rep. Guy Reschenthaler of Pennsylvania’s 14th Congressional District

Rep. Glenn Thompson of Pennsylvania’s 15th Congressional District

Rep. Mike Kelly of Pennsylvania’s 16th Congressional District

Rep. Tim Burchett of Tennessee’s 2nd Congressional District

Rep. Chuck Fleischmann of Tennessee's 3rd Congressional District

Rep. John Rose of Tennessee’s 6th Congressional District

Rep. Mark Green of Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District

Rep. David Kustoff of Tennessee’s 8th Congressional District

Rep. Louie Gohmert of Texas’s 1st Congressional District

Rep. Dan Crenshaw of Texas’s 2nd Congressional District

Rep. Lance Gooden of Texas’s 5th Congressional District

Rep. Ron Wright of Texas’s 6th Congressional District

Rep. Kevin Brady of Texas’s 8th Congressional District

Rep. Mike Conaway of Texas’s 11th Congressional District

Rep. Randy Weber of Texas’s 14th Congressional District

Rep. Bill Flores of Texas’s 17th Congressional District

Rep. Kenny Marchant of Texas’s 24th Congressional District

Rep. Roger Williams of Texas’s 25th Congressional District

Rep. Michael C. Burgess of Texas’s 26th Congressional District

Rep. Michael Cloud of Texas’s 27th Congressional District

Rep. Joe Wilson of South Carolina’s 2nd Congressional District

Rep. Jeff Duncan of South Carolina’s 3rd Congressional District

Rep. William Timmons of South Carolina’s 4th Congressional District

Rep. Ralph Norman of South Carolina’s 5th Congressional District

Rep. Tom Rice of South Carolina’s 7th Congressional District

#100 - Rep. Rob Wittman of Virginia’s 1st Congressional District

Rep. Ben Cline of Virginia’s 6th Congressional District

Rep. Dan Newhouse of Washington’s 4th Congressional District

Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Washington’s 5th Congressional District

Rep. Alex X. Mooney of West Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District

Rep. Carol D. Miller of West Virginia’s 3rd Congressional District

#106 - Rep. Tom Tiffany of Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District

Voices unite to fight mental health crisis

Mental health crisis: We must speak with one powerful voice in 2020

The Hill
BY FORMER REP. PATRICK KENNEDY (D-R.I.), OPINION CONTRIBUTOR
01/13/20

The systemic change we need to address our nation’s mental health crisis truly will not happen unless families, advocates, providers, and policymakers unite in support of a roadmap for change — and demand action from elected leaders.

For many, the start of a new year represents a clean slate — a chance to take stock of what truly matters in life and course correct in search of a better path.

Human resiliency is a powerful thing. Mental health and addiction professionals often say it’s why they do what they do. People can recover from their challenges and go on to lead productive, meaningful lives.

But resiliency alone is not enough for the one in six Californians who have a mental health condition or the 2.7 million Californians who meet the criteria for a substance use disorder. Access to quality, evidence-based care, and community support are equally as important.

However, as Californians know all too well, such care and support are not always easy to come by, often leading to tragic outcomes. Overdose deaths from opioids and methamphetamines continue to devastate families across the state. Suicide is now the second leading cause of death for Californians age 18-34.

Jails and prisons serve as de facto “treatment centers” for some, and homelessness has hit epidemic proportions, primarily due to a combination of untreated mental health and substance use disorders and California’s affordable housing crisis.

Many who seek care using private health insurance face enormous roadblocks. A recent report by the actuarial firm Milliman found huge out-of-network utilization disparities between mental health/addiction and medical/surgical care for inpatient facilities, outpatient facilities, and office visits.

This means insured individuals are paying more out-of-pocket for mental health/addiction care than they are for medical care — mostly because health plans continue to reimburse mental health/addiction providers far less than their primary care/specialist counterparts, causing those providers to stop accepting insurance altogether.
read it here

Take the time to add your voice to this fight! I did! Go to Mental Health For US

What are veterans really worth to the candidates?

Next President needs to prove what veterans are worth

Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
July 9, 2019

Veterans, if your Mom told you that you were special...Mom knows best. You actually are! Surprised? You shouldn't be. The budget of the federal government prove it.

The two of the biggest departments this nation has are the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs. 

The DOD budget was $1.3 Trillion.  The VA budget request for 2020 is $220.2 billion. Yet when it comes to size of both departments, you get the idea that you are even more special. Current military members are less than 1% of the population. Less than 10% of our citizens are veterans, and less than half of you use the VA.

Right now there are 2 Republicans and 24 Democrats who want to become the next President. It seems that everyone is talking about what is either strong or wrong, but no one is talking about what matters to your lives. We are just hearing the same old crap on what they will do for you, but no apologies on what they already did to you.

Let's get honest and shove politics out of the way because as we already know, it is both parties messing up. Congress has had since 1946 to get it right for your sake...and they all failed.

For the 26 some odd...and changing, they want to become the next Commander-in-Chief but all of them should be "chef" considering the strange brew they have been cooking up for veterans while calling it good medicine.

Members of Congress have been telling the American people how bad our healthcare system is...and it is bad. These same folks are telling veterans sending them into this mess is "good for them" and they should be grateful. As to "what" they should be grateful for...no one has an answer.

This is easy, or it should be. Disabled veterans became disabled serving this county. They were promised that their wounds would be treated and they would not have to worry about surviving after they pre-paid for their healthcare with their service.

Now, you'd think that would come with a square deal and it would be delivered. You'd also have to imagine that the folks leading this country are grateful enough to make sure our veterans and current military members were actually honored. Then again, if you do, then you haven't been paying attention to the facts.

The percentage of veterans living in this country is lower than in 1999 when the VA said that 20 veterans a day were committing suicide. They released the the first report in 2012. Back then, the general public had no idea but veterans knew all about it. (In 2000, my husband's nephew was one of them.)

Seven years after the first report, everyone is talking about veterans killing themselves but no one is talking about how it has gotten worse for them to stay alive.

Sure we have the usual problems that have been going on for as long as I've been alive (a very long time) but it got worse with the wrong people advising Trump. 

Fact, he wanted to cut the "unemployable" percentage from senior veterans disability checks because they were too old to work anyway. While the largest percentage of veterans in this country are over the age of 50...they are also the majority of the known veterans committing suicide. Did anyone think about what hearing this did to them?

I can tell you there was a major freak out when veterans thought the one thing they could depend on was that "permanent and total" actually meant that.

Then we have what is going on with the military. Their suicides have gone up too. According to the DOD, suicides hit the largest number in ten years! The other fact is that it has averaged about 500 a year since 2012.

Military families are subjected to not only living on contaminated bases, 126 at last count by the DOD. Military housing has also been harming them because someone thought it was a good thing for them to be handed over to for profit businesses.

Yes, even more horror for those who had been prepared to face the enemy...but did not think they would have to face all this.

When you hear all the people running for the office make them actually answer questions without running away from what they've already done to you! Stop letting them get away with treating you as if you are just like everyone else they can just make a speech to and then get your vote.

MAKE THEM EARN IT!

Is the Electoral College Useless?

A friend of mine said that if they abolish the Electoral College, no Republican would ever be elected President again. 

That got me thinking. First, I doubted it was a fact using simple math and the fact votes are counted individually and equally, meaning the total "popular vote" should be the will of the American people. 

The next thought was if the claim made were true, then it would mean it was more a problem of the Republicans running for office than anything else.

I decided to take a look back.

In 1964 LBJ's election map is fascinating.

In 1968 Richard Nixon won the Popular vote as well as the Electoral votes.


Richard Nixon's map is even more impressive for his second term. In 1972 he won both.

But the end was totally different.

Furthermore, the presidential term of 1973–1977 is notable for being the only one in American history in which both the original President and Vice President fail to complete the term. Vice President Spiro Agnew, who resigned less than a year after the election over allegations that he had accepted bribes as Governor of Maryland, was replaced by Gerald Ford under the terms of the 25th Amendment, while Nixon would resign due to the Watergate Scandal in August 1974. 

In 1976 Jimmy Carter won the Popular vote and the Electoral votes.

In 1980 Ronald Reagan received 50.7% of the Popular vote. He also received 489 Electoral votes. President Carter lost both, so there were no issues. The same thing happened in 1984.

In 1988, George H. W. Bush won both as well.

In 1992, Bill Clinton won both. He did it again in 1996.

In 2000 George W Bush won the Electoral vote but lost the Popular vote. In 2004, Bush won both.

In 2008 Barack Obama won 365 Electoral votes and almost 10 million more votes than John McCain. He did it again in 2012.

This is what happened between Trump and Clinton. Donald Trump received 304 Electoral votes to Clinton at 227. The upset running across this nation is what the actual votes were.

Popular vote	Trump 62,980,160	Clinton 65,845,063
Percentage	45.9%	48.0%

As you just saw, when someone says something that does not make sense to you, look up the facts and discover the truth, because the way things have been going lately, we can't believe some of the news reports either.

Trumps Picks Army Secretary with Ties to Florida, and 101st

Army veteran Vincent Viola, billionaire owner of the Florida Panthers, named Trump’s Army secretary
Washington Post
Dan Lamothe
December 19, 2016

President-elect Donald Trump has nominated as his Army secretary Vincent Viola, an Army veteran who became a billionaire after founding an electronic trading firm and went on to buy the Florida Panthers hockey team.

Businessman Vincent Viola enters Trump Tower in Manhattan on Dec. 16.

(Andrew Kelly/Reuters)

Viola is a 1977 graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., and funded the creation of its highly regarded Combating Terrorism Center after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. A former infantry officer and Ranger School graduate, he has pressed for innovation in cyber warfare, saying at a conference five years ago that the Army of the future will be built on a “gestalt of geekdom.”

Viola was raised in Brooklyn, N.Y., by Italian immigrants, and served in the 101st Airborne Division after the Vietnam War ended. His father and several uncles served in combat in World War II, and he grew up believing that serving in the military was a deeply honorable profession, he recalled in an interview for the West Point Center for Oral History.
read more here

Florida Veteran's Home Set on Fire

Veteran's home set on fire, vandalized, investigators find anti-Trump graffiti racial slurs on walls
Home ransacked, children's beds set on fire
ABC News
Michael Paluska
Nov 29, 2016

PLANT CITY, Fla. - The State Fire Marshall is investigating a suspicious fire at a Plant City home that started early Tuesday morning.

Naval veteran Matthew Smith said he got the call just after 3 a.m. from his neighbor that fire trucks were across the street.

“Your heart kind of just sinks in your chest,” Smith said. “Definitely blessed to have not been here. It was pretty bad.”

Smith said the family was staying with their grandparents when he got the call. His 8-year-old daughter’s bed was set on fire along with his 18-month-old son’s crib. Every single room in the remainder of the home also suffered fire damage.

“The place was ransacked. Clothes from my room, all the way to the back, just made it everywhere.

Papers, important documents thrown everywhere, just torn up. The Christmas tree set up yesterday was knocked down and had been lit on fire. Every piece of furniture was pretty much burned through.”

read more here

Election is Over But Will We Hold Them Accountable?

What Do Veterans Hope For?
Combat PTSD Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
November 25, 2016

In 2008, when most of the bad reports of how our veterans were being failed by members of Congress came out, it was stunning. That is, stunning for some folks. The rest of us had been living with all the problems for decades. 

To this day, there is absolutely no excuse for any disabled veteran to be unaware of all of this. Civilians, sure they have an excuse, considering they have better things to do than think about veterans, especially when they are too busy complaining about how "offended" they are over tiny little things. No time to care about the men and women risking their lives to make sure they keep those rights of free speech and the right to protest.

The thing is, with all the social media capabilities the younger veterans have in the palm of their hands, they seem more interested in what is happening to them right now than what has been happening all along.

Veterans are mostly Republican, according to reports, yet they are fast becoming more Independent than Democratic.

The stunner came when Military Times delivered poll results with this message to the would-be next Commander-in-Chief

In a new survey of American military personnel, Donald Trump emerged as active-duty service members' preference to become the next U.S. president, topping Hillary Clinton by more than a 2-to-1 margin. However, in the latest Military Times election survey, more than one in five troops said they’d rather not vote in November if they have to choose between just those two candidates.

Most of us figured out a long time ago, that it really doesn't matter much which party controls what because historically, both have been bad for veterans. This is something I wrote back in 2008 when there was another Presidential election with politicians yet again, making promises they didn't keep. Oh, no, this isn't just a slam against those seeking the highest office, but against all politicians we elected, then neglected to hold them accountable.

With all the hearings by the House and the Senate, why is there so little being done to correct these problems while the veterans are suffering? Good motives and plans do not put food on their table or a roof over their heads. Building new hospitals does not take care of the veterans facing wanting to end their lives today or having to deal with having their wound go untreated. Can't they understand that these veterans need help yesterday? They still need to work on the future but they have to take care of today first!

Not much has changed. Back then John McCain was talking about how bad the VA was and the need to privatize it instead of demanding the Congress be held accountable for fixing it. After all, since they have had since 1946, you'd think everything would be running perfectly because veterans like him deserved nothing less. Ya, right!

We need to relieve the burden on the VA from routine health care,” McCain told the National Forum on Disability Issues last month. “If you have a routine health care need, take it wherever you want, whatever doctor or health care provider and get the treatment you need, while we at the VA focus our attention, our care, our love, on these grievous wounds of war.”

The Republican senator argues that giving veterans a VA card that they can use at private doctors would shorten the long wait times many veterans face in seeing government doctors, who are nearly universally viewed as among the best in the world.

McCain and veterans groups aren’t always on the same page and he was yet again pushing for it. Guess it didn't matter that only about 20% of our veterans go to the VA, as it is, while the majority are in fact seeing private healthcare providers.

While about 40 percent of veterans get some health care from the VA, only about 20 percent of all veterans rely totally on the VA, according to a 2015 government survey of health and health care use.

Let that sink in for a minute.  Only 20%, yet every session of Congress, and every President elected, has promised to do the right thing for our veterans. We noticed. For the younger veterans, it is time you got caught up to what we've been living with for decades. This veteran was waiting 17 years.

POST FALLS, Idaho - It was a shocking scene outside a large church in Post Falls Sunday as hundreds of worshipers were gathered at Real Life Ministries, when a Gulf War veteran took his own life right outside the church doors. 59-year-old Dale Belieu had suffered from debilitating illness for years and spoke out against the lack of help from the Veteran's Administration.

Here are a few more reports to get you more informed on how things got so bad for your generation.

VBA's pending compensation and claims backlog stood at 816,211 as of January 2008, up 188,781 since 2004, said Kerry Baker, associate legislative director of the Disabled Veterans of America, during a Wednesday hearing of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense.

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) will treat about 333,000 sick and injured veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars in 2009, according to VA statistics released last week. That number is a 14 percent increase over this year's casualty total. Yet, despite the Bush administration's promises to prioritize the VA even as other domestic departments' funds are cut, its annual budget request for next year places more financial burdens than ever on many returning soldiers.

Now what are you going to do about it? Will you hold the folks you just sent into office accountable or, will you once again, find it regrettable you didn't pay attention all along?

Shocked Coffee Shop Customers Rushed to Help Vietnam Veteran After He Set Himself on Fire

Vietnam veteran sets himself on fire as a political protest
WEWS
By Bob Jones
Nov 21, 2016

AKRON, Ohio (WEWS) -- Surveillance video from Angel Falls Coffee shows the Vietnam veteran-- dressed in a Marine Corps uniform--- including a hat-- trying to get into a political conversation with customers.

The owner of the coffee shop said the vet wanted to know who organized recent protests against Donald Trump.

"He seemed to be pro-rally, against Trump and he talked to my customers about how people needed to protest more about Trump," said Jim King.

When no one engaged in the conversation, the veteran left the shop, handed his cell phone to a stranger and told him to record a video. What happened next was horrifying.

"He walks over to his car and grabs a gas can and proceeds to douse himself with gasoline and then light himself on fire," said Lt. Rick Edwards of the Akron Police Department.

The stunned witness did not get a video. Others threw coats on the veteran and put out the fire with an extinguisher.

King said, "He was curled in a fetal position perfectly still except for some hand movement and he was completely coated in ash."
read more here

Real Death, Fake Headline on Homeless Veteran Being Beaten

Online story of homeless man killed by Philly anti-Trump protesters is fake
Philly.com
Julie Shaw
Staff Writer
Updated: NOVEMBER 15, 2016

In April 2015, Robert Barnes, 51, was attacked at the Sunoco gas station at 5338 N. Fifth St. An article posted Saturday by the Christian Times Newspaper website wrongly claimed that the video of Barnes' beating showed a homeless veteran being beaten to death by anti-Trump protesters. Barnes was not a veteran and was not beaten by anti-Trump protesters.

A fake article published Saturday on the Christian Times Newspaper website claims that a video showing the brutal beating of a homeless man at a gas station in the Olney section of Philadelphia last year was actually a homeless veteran being beaten to death by anti-Trump protesters.

Barnes was attacked outside the Sunoco gas station on 5th Street near Somerville Avenue at about 6:40 p.m. April 7, 2015, allegedly by three women and three juveniles. The assault landed him in a coma.

Barnes, 51, died seven months later, on Nov. 25, at Abington Hospital-Jefferson Health.
read more here

Is This The Best We Can Do For Veterans?

Is This Really The Best We Can Do?
Combat PTSD Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
November 5, 2016

I absolutely refuse to believe this great country of ours is not already great, as much as I refuse to believe this is the best we can do.

There are two people running to become President of this country. Half the country will be happy and the other half won't be. The losers, however, will continue to be the men and women in the military as well as our veterans.

Neither candidate for Commander-in-Chief has spent time talking about Afghanistan, which oddly enough, has happened before. You'd think it would matter considering sending troops there was in response to this nation being invaded by terrorists...but why talk about any of that?

Most of us have been scratching our heads wondering how these two candidates became the best this nation can do. Wow! Then again, most of us have been wondering if this is the best this nation can do on a lot of things.

Everyone is talking about veterans, especially with Veterans Day coming next weekend. They'll either be talking about them with ceremonies, parades or other veterans events, while others will be complaining about traffic because there is a parade for them. I suppose it has more to do with what is important to them and if they are more important than anyone else, then, enough said on that. 

Some say that veterans should be able to go to private doctors, but the truth is, a lot of them already are. As a matter of fact, most of them are. The Times Tribune reported on Halloween that only about 20 percent of our veterans get all of their care from the VA, but the most shocking number is with over 21 million veterans in the country, the VA has not been able to properly take care of the veterans they have. 

This is more of a problem created by Congress than the VA, simply because Congress, has had jurisdiction over how they are taking care of veterans since 1946. They like to forget that part, especially when they want their jobs back to push for privatizing the VA and sending veterans into the mess the rest of us face.

There seems to be a lot of talking based on what is claimed, instead of what is true. Are we so lazy we are willing to settle for something because someone said "believe me" or "trust me" when they offer nothing to back up what they say? We're used to politicians doing that, but reporters managed somehow to fact check them. So why aren't reporters fact checking what has been going on for over a decade when the topic is about veterans killing themselves?

Some pretend they have the solution, but evidence has shown they do not even know the basics. The evidence keeps smacking them right in the head, but they're to busy filling their heads with nonsense, false claims are flowing out of their mouths like a bad case of Tourettes. They may have good reasons to want to help, but they lack the knowledge to actually do it. 

PTSD and suicides tied to military service are not new, but after over a decade of everything being done to help these men and women, it has actually gotten worse. Yep, worse, not better, no matter how much money Congress has been spending or how much in donations folks have been taking in to "raise awareness" about the "problem."

Worse? Yes. In 1999, the Department of Veterans Affairs discovered there were 20 veterans a day committing suicide. They came out with that same number in their latest research report.

There are less veterans now than in 1999, so yes, it is worse. The majority of the veterans committing suicide are over the age of 50, yet, according to social media, Iraq and Afghanistan are the only ones worthy of attention.

So, when do we stop settling for folks running around the country, expecting our money, without offering anything in return? When do we actually demand proof of what they claim?

How is raising "awareness" doing anyone any good? Good question, but add to that, how did they expect a different outcome, when they didn't even take the time to figure out that efforts raising awareness worked in the 70's, 80's and 90's, when no one was jumping onto Facebook? Back then veterans were suffering in silence because no one was talking about them until they started to talk about it. The worst thing is, no one is facing the harsh reality of what war does to those sent, other than those who went in our place.

Other nations lack in taking care of their veterans but those other nations are looking to us for leadership on how to do it. It has been that way since the 70's, when all the great research began on PTSD. So far, we've shown that what works is easily replaced by what is picked up on social media as the best research is allowed to gather dust on the library shelf. (A library is a place where actual books are held and lent out so that people can share knowledge)

We are better than this! Our veterans deserve the best we can give them including the truth. Change that to "nothing but the truth" and that has to include the facts instead of empty words said during an campaign speech. It must include more than a propaganda push to support what has already proven to have failed like "raising awareness" when no one seems to telling them they can heal or remind them of why they are worth helping. 

In a few days, thankfully, this two year ordeal will end with someone being elected and the other rejected. When do we reject the notion that this is the best we can do for veterans, the number one issue everyone in this country should never put over politics?

Push On for Marine Gen. James Mattis To Run For POTUS

Donors want Marine Gen. James Mattis to run for president against Trump, Clinton
Marine Corps Times
Jeff Schogol
April 8, 2016

Gen. James Mattis, former head of U.S. Central Command, speaks to the crew of USS George H.W. Bush during an all hands call. (Photo: Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Billy Ho/Navy)

No matter how many times retired Marine Gen. James Mattis says he is not running for president, people still hope the legendary former commander jumps into the race.

Most recently, a group of wealthy conservatives is looking to have Mattis run as a third-party candidate if Donald Trump secures the Republican Party’s nomination, according to The Daily Beast. Their hope is that no candidate wins enough electoral votes, forcing the House of Representatives to select the next president.

“Trump is a fascist lunatic and Hillary [Clinton] has one foot in a jail cell,” John Noonan, a former aide to Jeb Bush who is now advocating for Mattis to run, told The Daily Beast. “That means the lunatic can win. I’d be first in line to plead with the general to come save America.”
read more here

President Obama needs to keep his promise on Social Security

President Obama,
With all due respect, you were elected the first time to keep your promises but in 2011, you caved in on what John Boehner and his people wanted even though the American people were not supporting what he claimed. For the last two years, they have obstructed bill after bill in the House and Senate. The majority of the American people once again voted for you last month after you said you cared about them but once again you are caving into John Boehner. He was re-elected to his seat in the House unopposed representing the 8th district yet you won the state of Ohio with 2,697,260 votes. Boehner won't even respect the voice of the people of his own state so why expect him to respect the voice of other Americans?

You promised to raise taxes on anything over $250,000 a year but now you are willing cave in on that promise offering John Boehner a deal? You are putting Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid at risk for cuts to appease him? For what? You haven't even taken your second term oath yet you seem to expect Boehner will change and work with you?

Maybe it is time you were reminded on one simple fact. The members of the House and Senate are only elected by people in their districts. You were elected by the majority of the voters across the nation with a total of 62,611,250 votes including red states where you lost the state but did receive votes.

Alabama 793,620
Alaska 102,138
Arizona 930,669
Arkansas 389,699
Georgia 1,761,761
Idaho 212,560
Indiana 1,140,425
Kansas 427,918
Kentucky 679,340
Louisiana 808,496
Mississippi 538,260
Missouri 1,215,031
Montana 200,489
Nebraska 289,154
North Carolina 2,178,388
North Dakota 124,490
Oklahoma 442,647
South Carolina 845,756
South Dakota 144,988
Tennessee 953,043
Texas 3,294,440
Utah 229,463
West Virginia 3,294,440
Wyoming 68,780


In the words of Ronald Reagan "Social Security has nothing to do with the deficit." So maybe someone should remind Boehner of that simple fact too!

Texas made over $25 billion last year from Fort Hood

First, think about how many times you've heard multiple states petition Obama to secede from Union with Texans leading the way. You may have also heard the claim from a bunch of politicians saying the government does not create jobs. Well, here's the truth on those claims. Should Texas actually go it alone, then they would lose Fort Hood along with other bases and their money. They would also lose jobs.

While it may sound good to some, they don't want anyone to think about what the truth is. They would also have to buy the buildings on the military bases and then fund their own defense.

Study: Fort Hood boosts Texas economy
Post's impact topped $25 billion last year
KXAN.com
Published : Thursday, 06 Dec 2012

AUSTIN (KXAN) - Fort Hood, long billed as the largest Army post in the Free Word, is also a large economic driver for the state of Texas.

That's the finding of a study released Thursday by state Comptroller Susan Combs, which concludes that the military installation 100 miles north of Austin pumped $25.3 billion into the Texas last year.

“Fort Hood’s importance to Texas goes beyond the significant role it plays in our nation’s security,” Combs said. “Fort Hood is an economic engine that helps growth in Texas.:

She said that projects on and around the post help bring investment and jobs to Central Texas.

According to the analysis, nearly 70,000 jobs were directly attributed to Fort Hood operations in 2011, up from about 67,000 jobs in four years before. Employees at Fort Hood consist of active duty military, federal civilian workers, contract personnel and Killeen Independent School District workers.
read more here

Thankful for greedy bosses proving it

Thankful for greedy bosses proving it
by Chaplain Kathie
Wounded Times Blog
November 23, 2012


When you think about what is going on today with some bosses, you may think it is all new, but it is history being repeated. While we may spend money at some of these businesses, the thought of how the employees were treated never really entered into our minds. We'd see the friendly server taking our order at Denny's. After the meal, we'd leave a tip knowing they made most of their pay from tips during the day. Cheap bosses in the food industry is a given but when you stop and think that they are being blamed because this election couldn't be bought, it makes me want to avoid all of places I go to until they make things right again.

The Men Who Built America "John D. Rockefeller, Cornelius Vanderbilt, Andrew Carnegie, Henry Ford and J.P. Morgan rose from obscurity and in the process built modern America." But if you watched this series there is one outstanding businessman who decided to make sure his workers were not only treated well but were able to make enough money to be able to buy the product they were building.

The man was Henry Ford and the workers not only built the cars, they bought them! The rest of the men took great ideas someone else had, spent their money taking advantage of the brilliance of others, then instead of being grateful, they treated their workers as if they didn't matter at all.

8 bosses who screwed their employees after Obama’s reelection
Papa John's John Schnatter isn't the only "job creator" putting his workers' salaries in jeopardy
BY LAUREN KELLEY
ALTERNET
NOV 20, 2012

Most of us have had a terrible boss or two in our day, but right now thousands of Americans find themselves with a very special kind of bad boss: one who uses Obama’s election as an excuse to threaten to cut their hours, roll back their benefits, slash their wages or fire them outright. Much of this worker abuse centers on the new law that businesses with 50 or more employees must offer workers healthcare options by 2014. Jon Stewart noticed this recent post-election “trend” and issued a strong judgment:

Denny’s/Dairy Queen franchise threatens “Obamacare surcharge,” reduced employees hours.

Red Lobster and Olive Garden parent company may rely on more part-time workers.

Papa John’s CEO plans to slash workers’ hours so he doesn’t have to cover them.

Applebee’s New York CEO says he’ll ax jobs because of Obamacare.

Small business owner in Georgia says he fired workers who voted for Obama

Las Vegas businessman says he laid off 22 employees after election night.

Builder of “Queen of Versailles” mansion told employees that Obama re-election “threatens their jobs.”

Coal company lays off 160 workers because of Obama’s “war on coal.”

The other thing the business giants had in common with some of today's owners is they thought they could just buy a President. They managed to do that twice. They made sure that William McKinley got the office chair. He repaid them by allowing them to do whatever they wanted. When McKinley ran for re-election Teddy Roosevelt was speaking out against what they were doing so the men with the money made sure they just made him Vice President. When McKinley was assassinated, Roosevelt took the chair and changed the way the "men who built America" did business.

History is being repeated all over again except the richest people in this country were not able to buy the oval office. They could only afford to buy the control of the Congress. Actually that's where their money was well spent because the House controls the money and the rules.

Getting back to the tyrants of today, this really exposes them for what they really are. They didn't care enough about their employees to pay them a living wage or care enough that their own employees couldn't afford to go to the doctor to be healthy? This also shows the rest of us that if they do not care about their own employees, why would they care about their customers in the same income range?

There are a lot of great employers out there taking care of their workers much like Henry Ford did and it matters. It matters to the customers they want to have when they are good to their own workers. To Americans in Ford's days, they knew people mattered more than making money. In return, they happily made him more money and I bet he was able to sleep at night.

Today we are reminded again from the program that in the end, these greedy men ended up trying to change how they did business and they gave a lot of their fortunes to charity after the rules changed and they were on their way down. Too bad they didn't think of that when they were getting more and more money on their way up.

We see great bosses across the country and many of them are hiring veterans. Seeing what some greedy bosses do, it should make all of us more grateful the good bosses are still out there and deserve our business.

Man apparently committed suicide because Obama won

Florida man who warned he wouldn't 'be around' if Barack Obama was reelected kills himself after the election
Tanning salon owner Henry Hamilton died of an apparent self-inflicted drug overdose two days after the election, and wrote 'F--- Obama!' in his will.
BY MEENA HART DUERSON
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2012

A Florida man who warned that he might harm himself if Barack Obama won the presidency was found dead two days after the election of an apparent self-inflicted drug overdose. Henry Hamilton, 64, was discovered dead in his home on Nov. 8 alongside two empty bottles of prescription drugs and a living will on which he'd written "Do not revive! F--- Obama!"

His partner Michael Cossey told the Key West police that Hamilton was "very upset about the election results," The Miami Herald reported.

Hamilton had reportedly warned Cossey that, "if Barack gets reelected, I'm not going to be around."

While Hamilton's official cause of death is still pending an autopsy result, a police spokeswoman told the paper that "There's absolutely no evidence of foul play."
read more here

Blurring Election Lines Causes Charges Against Charities

Billy Graham Group, Catholic Bishops Come Under Scrutiny For Blurring Election Lines
Reuters
Posted: 11/12/2012

* Tax status saved churches $145 billion over 10 years
* Complaints filed to U.S. Internal Revenue Service
* IRS received complaints in 2008 election also
By Mary Wisniewski

CHICAGO, Nov 12 (Reuters) - Political watchdog and secularist groups are asking the U.S. government to investigate whether Catholic bishops and a Christian evangelical group headed by preacher Billy Graham should lose tax breaks for telling followers how to vote in this year's election.

Under constitutional protections of free speech and separation of church and state, churches are free to speak on any issue. But they risk losing tax breaks worth $145 billion in the past decade if they violate Internal Revenue Service rules by promoting or opposing any particular candidate. Other non-profits also have special tax status.

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, a political watchdog group, in its complaint to the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, cited reports of individual bishops "abusing their positions to advocate against the election of President Barack Obama."

The group's executive director, Melanie Sloan, said some bishops went too far by saying a vote for Democrats would mean going to hell. "I don't think the Catholic bishops should be intimidating parishioners to advocate for any particular candidate," said Sloan.
read more here

Multiple states petition Obama to secede from Union

2012 Election Results
President Obama
332 Electoral Votes
62,303,495 Popular Votes

Mitt Romney
206
Electoral Votes
58,930,322 Popular Votes

but that was last week and this is this week?

Multiple states petition Obama to secede from Union, start own governments
(Video)
SECESSION PETITIONS
NOVEMBER 12, 2012
BY: CHARISSE VAN HORN

On November 12, 2012, Policy Mic reported that 18 states have filed petitions with the White House to withdraw from the Union and create their own governments. The petitions followed President Obama’s tight race that left many Republicans and Independents surprised and in shock. As fear mounts as to what four more years under Obama’s leadership spreads amongst many citizens nationwide, many have turned to signing their state’s official petition on the White House website. While many debate the results the petitions will have in the end, they do signify that a portion of the nation remains divided after the nation has faced the costliest presidential election in U.S. history.

States that have Filed Petitions to Secede from Union

As of Monday morning, the 18 states that have requested secession from the Union include Georgia, New York, South Carolina, Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas, Alabama, Florida, North Carolina, Kentucky, Mississippi, Colorado, Montana, New Jersey, Indiana, North Dakota, Oregon and Missouri.
read more here

Really strange when you think President Obama won some of these states.

What would Texas do without all the military bases there? Military bases belong to the federal government and not to Texas. Sure you can debate the National Guards, but again, do they own all the equipment or does the government? North Carolina? Gee there are military bases there too that belong to the federal government. Colorado? Yep. bases there too. Oh, hell, here's some on the list.

Georgia AIR FORCE BASES
Moody AFB Valdosta, Georgia
Robins AFB Houston, Georgia

ARMY BASES
Camp Frank D. Merrill Dahlonega, Georgia
Fort Benning Columbus, Georgia
Fort Gillem Forest Park, Georgia
Fort Gordon Augusta, Georgia
Fort McPherson East Point, Georgia
Fort Stewart Liberty, Georgia
Hunter Army Airfield Savannah, Georgia

MARINE CORPS BASES
MCLB Albany Albany, Georgia

NAVY BASES
Kings Bay Submarine BaseKings Bay, Georgia
NAS Atlanta Marietta, Georgia

New York
Major Installations

Army
Fort Drum
Watervlient Arsenal
West Point
Fort Hamilton

Air Force
Stewart AGS
Hancock Field AGS
Coast Guard
ANT Long Island
ANT New York
Sector New York
Sector Long Island Sound
Sector Field Office Moriches
Station Jones Beach
Station New York
Personnel Totals

Army 17,219
Navy & Marine Corps 2,636
Air Force 677
Coast Guard 1,218
Active Duty Military 20,532
Reserve and National Guard 50,665
Total Personnel 71,197

That should give you an idea but this here are the links to more of the above states.
South Carolina military bases
Arkansas military bases
Louisiana military bases
Texas military bases
Alabama military bases

Florida military bases Almost forgot. What about all the wounded veterans these states have now? VA hospitals? Social Security? Medicare? Medicaid?

Wait! Florida is on the list too. That means Florida would have to pay back the federal government for the huge new VA hospital it is building at Lake Nona. Without veterans here and no hospital plus I doubt the state could afford to pay for the other VA facilities here, I would just have to move back to Massachusetts. No bases would also mean less military families here, so again, no real reason to stay here. There would be no snowbirds coming down here for the winters, so there goes the extra income from them. Sure there are always the theme parks but if Florida has turned away military bases, it will no longer be considered a military friendly state.

Somehow I bet the other states with petitions never really thought it all out and what it would all mean to their state.