Cleaning up Republican lies about Bush being best for the military

[Maddy McCall]

I just emailed this out to EVERYONE in my email address book, along with a "reply all" to the most blatant Bush supporters, who continue to assert that Bush and the Republicans are better for the military than Kerry and Democrats will be. This comes straight from the DNC website, the only changes of which is that all the related information has been compiled into one page, so that you can copy and paste and email it as one document:



"Our veterans gave America some of the best years of their lives, and stood ready to give life itself. For all that, America's 25 million veterans have the deep respect of their fellow citizens and the enduring gratitude of a nation they so nobly served."
President Bush Remarks at Veterans Day Breakfast, 11/11/01

President Bush likes to talk about the tremendous sacrifice offered by American veterans to defend the country. But words are all he's offered them in return. Bush's record has been one of disrespect towards the nation's military, cutting health care expenditures for veterans and other benefits for members of the military and their families.

Bush Cuts Funds for Veterans' Health Care
The veterans' health care system is in critical condition. With some veterans having to wait months to see a doctor, Bush has proposed closing VA hospitals. Bush is cutting benefits for veterans and increasing their health care costs.

Read more below.

Service Members and Their Families Face Devastating Cuts
The Pentagon tried to cut the pay of troops putting in Iraq and Afghanistan. The administration cut funds for educating their children. While our men and women in uniform put their lives in danger, their families try to get by with no help from President Bush.

Read more below.

Bush Mistreats Iraq Troops
Bush has tried to manipulate the truth about Iraq, refusing to allow the media to see images of dead troops returning home and attending no funerals of those who have given their lives. Morale is down and wounded soldiers are living in substandard conditions.

Read more below.

****Bush Cuts Funds for Veterans' Health Care****

Bush VA Spending Fails To Grow With Health Care Costs
Despite Bush's claims, "the annual percentage increase it requested for veterans' health care is 5.4 percent -- hardly a windfall considering that the consumer price index for medical care was 13 percent during fiscal year 2002. VA officials have testified that it would take a 13 to 14 percent hike in the VA's health care budget just to maintain the status quo."

Veterans Forced To Wait Months For Initial Visits to VA Doctors
At least 230,000 veterans are being forced to wait over six months for their initial visit to a doctor at the VA medical facilities. In some parts of the country veterans are waiting nearly two years for those visits. Bush's VA Secretary Anthony Principi has acknowledged the danger in these delays, stating "I'm concerned causing quality to be degraded."

The "Independent Budget," an analysis of the VA budget provided by veterans groups, has said "The Department of Veterans Affairs health care system is in critical condition." Meanwhile, the Bush administration opposed a Senate addition to the Iraq supplemental bill that would have added $1.3 billion to veterans' health care. http://www.pva.org/independentbudget/pdf/IB_04excsum.pdf; OMB Director Joshua Bolton to Rep. David Obey (D-WI), 10/21/03>

Bush Administration Is Closing Seven Veterans Hospitals
In early August 2003, the Bush administration announced it was closing hospitals in its efforts to "restructure" the Department of Veterans Affairs. The administration is closing hospitals in:

Canandaigua, N.Y.
Pittsburgh
Lexington, Ky.
Brecksville, Ohio
Gulfport, Miss.
Livermore, Calif.
Waco, Tex.

Joy Ilem, assistant national legislative director for Disabled American Veterans, "questioned the need for closures and other cutbacks. 'Everyone is aware of the difficulty VA has meeting demand,' Ilem said. 'When we have hundreds of thousands of veterans on waiting lists (for medical appointments), we don't want to see facilities closed due to fiscal problems.'" There are currently 163 VA hospitals in the US.

In mid-August, as Bush vacationed in Texas, a thousand veterans and supporters rallied in Waco, Texas to protest the closing of that VA hospital. The protestors met at the Waco School District football stadium parking lot "for a rally before driving the 22 miles to Crawford," where Bush was vacationing. "Veterans of Foreign Wars State Commander Ron Hornsby told the stadium crowd that the VA commissioner looking at closing hospitals could harm veterans all across the country, not just in Waco. 'We can never repay the veterans -- we hear those words a lot,' Hornsby said. 'At times like this, those words become very hollow, very meaningless.'" More than 1,500 vets joined a similar October rally to protest a VA closing in New York.

Bush Proposed Doubling Costs Of Prescription Drugs For Veterans
This year Bush proposed increasing prescription drugs costs for veterans. The Bush plan would have included a new $250 enrollment fee and a co pay increase from $7 to $15 for veterans earning over $24,000. On July 21, the House Appropriations Committee agreed to a Democratic amendment to reject the Bush fee increases and recoup the $264 million in costs by reducing administrative funding for the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Bush Decided To Cut Benefits For Middle-Income Veterans
On January 16, 2003, the Bush Administration announced it would cut access to health care benefits for 160,000 middle-income veterans due to budget constraints. John Pettyjohn, an Oklahoma veteran who served in Vietnam, said of the cuts, "On one hand, we're sending our sons and daughters out to war and possibly to die, yet on the other hand we're punishing a certain class of veterans who've made money in their lives. The government made a promise to us. What they're doing now is wrong."



****Service Members and Their Families Face Devastating Cuts****

Pentagon Planned To Cut Pay Of Troops Serving In Iraq And Afghanistan
On April 2, 2003, the U.S. Senate unanimously voted to increase pay for soldiers in "imminent danger" areas by 50 percent. Pay for families of active-duty troops was increased 150 percent. The increase was the first to imminent-danger pay since the first Gulf War, and the first to families since 1997. The increases were temporary, and set to expire at the end of the current fiscal year on September 30. Bush's Defense Department effectively decided "to cut the pay of its 148,000 U.S. troops in Iraq, who are already contending with guerrilla-style attacks, homesickness and 120-degree-plus heat" by opposing renewal of the pay raises.

After criticism from Democrats, the Pentagon announced that current salaries for troops in Iraq and Afghanistan would not be cut, but such efforts may come at the expense of troops serving elsewhere.

Army Times Called The Pay Cuts "Maddening"
The Army Times, an independent paper distributed to Army personnel, criticized Bush, saying "The bottom line: If the Bush administration felt in April that conditions in Iraq and Afghanistan warranted increases in danger pay and family separation allowances, it cannot plausibly argue that the higher rates are not still warranted today." The Times said the Bush administration "undermined" support for the troops, and called the pay cuts "maddening." The Atlanta Journal-Constitution called the Pentagon's plan "heartless" and "simply unacceptable."

Bush Budget Cut Millions From Education Funds For Military Children
Bush's 2004 budget cut $200 million from Impact Aid, a program that helps military children receive a quality education. The military portion of Impact Aid would fall in Bush's budget from $635 to $435 million. Bush tried to cut $3 million from Impact Aid in 2003 as well.

Bush's Tax Cut For The Wealthy Excluded Military Families
Bush's 2004 tax cut failed to extend a child tax credit to 200,000 low-income military families. Soldiers whose "with taxable incomes below $26,625 are ineligible for the increase in the maximum child tax credit from $600 to $1,000 that was part of a tax bill signed into law in May." Among those whose families are left out of the Bush tax cut are soldiers serving in combat zones.

Some Children Of Soldiers In Iraq Rely On Charity
The charity group "Feed the Children" organized food drives for children whose parents were fighting in Iraq. Between December 2002 and April 2003, the group "delivered 600,000 pounds of food and other necessities to more than 6,200 military families at 12 bases." In April, people "lined up for a half-hour near Fort Bragg to get free boxes of supplies and food, from cereal and spaghetti sauce to baby food and potato chips.

Among the needy were some of the 1,200 families living near the Army post and Pope Air Force Base whose breadwinners are off fighting in Iraq." Even in peacetime, many militaries families rely on such efforts, and qualify for food stamps. "Feed the Children is best known for providing food and medical assistance in developing countries. It began aiding families of deployed military during the first Gulf War."

Pentagon Objected To Extending Full Benefits To Part Time Reservists
A bipartisan Senate push to extend benefits to part time reservists has met stiff resistance by the Bush Administration. In July 2003, "Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld sent a letter to House and Senate leaders stating the Bush Administration's opposition to" legislation that would extend full benefits to part-time military reservists.

A Pentagon memo dated July 26, 2003 revealed that the Bush Administration would veto any Defense appropriation request that included the benefits. The legislation is strongly supported by the National Guard Association, the Adjutants General Association, and Enlisted Association of the National Guard. http://www.ngaus.org/newsroom/Sec%20523%20Letter.pdf>


****Bush Mistreats Iraq Troops****

Bush Banned Public Images Of Dead Troops Returning Home
The Washington Post reported that "In March, on the eve of the Iraq war, a directive arrived from the Pentagon at U.S. military bases. 'There will be no arrival ceremonies for, or media coverage of, deceased military personnel returning to or departing from Ramstein airbase or Dover base, to include interim stops,' the Defense Department said, referring to the major ports for the returning remains....The Pentagon has previously acknowledged the effect on public opinion of the grim tableau of caskets being carried from transport planes to hangars or hearses. In 1999, the then-chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Army Gen. Henry H. Shelton, said a decision to use military force is based in part on whether it will pass 'the Dover test,' as the public reacts to fatalities."

Bush Has Yet To Attend Soldiers' Funerals
The Washington Post noted that a "White House spokesman said Bush has not attended any memorials or funerals for soldiers killed in action during his presidency as his predecessors had done, although he has met with families of fallen soldiers and has marked the loss of soldiers in Memorial Day and Sept. 11, 2001, remembrances."

Army Investigating Complaints Of Poor Treatment For Iraq Veterans
UPI learned that "hundreds of sick and wounded U.S. soldiers including many who served in the Iraq war are languishing in hot cement barracks here while they wait -- sometimes for months -- to see doctors. The National Guard and Army Reserve soldiers' living conditions are so substandard, and the medical care so poor, that many of them believe the Army is trying push them out with reduced benefits for their ailments.

One document shown to UPI states that no more doctor appointments are available from Oct. 14 through Nov. 11 -- Veterans Day.... One month after President Bush greeted soldiers at Fort Stewart...as heroes on their return from Iraq, approximately 600 sick or injured members of the Army Reserves and National Guard are warehoused in rows of spare, steamy and dark cement barracks in a sandy field, waiting for doctors to treat their wounds or illnesses."

After the initial UPI reports surfaced, the Army announced it was rushing doctors and funds to Fort Stewart to alleviate the situation.

Stars And Stripes Survey Documented Low Troops Morale
The Pentagon-funded soldier newspaper Stars and Stripes found troops serving in Iraq are suffering low morale and possess an unwillingness to re-enlist. "The survey...also recorded about a third of the respondents complaining that their mission lacks clear definition and characterizing the war in Iraq as of little or no value. Fully 40 percent said the jobs they were doing had little or nothing to do with their training.

The findings, drawn from 1,935 questionnaires presented to U.S. service members throughout Iraq, conflict with statements by military commanders and Bush administration officials that portray the deployed troops as high-spirited and generally well-prepared.

[demwing]

1. Thanks for the ammo!

kick it!

[ThatPoetGuy]

2. kick

kick

[Name removed]

3. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Maddy McCall]

5. Yeah, most Republicans I know would LOVE for Lieberman to be...

the Democratic candidate. :eyes:

We Democrats are in it to win this time, and win we shall.

(As far as best candidates--looks like Republicans would do better running McCain than Bush right now...at least then we Dems would feel like there would be some kind of contest.) :-)

[fishface]

6. This is just so much freepper bullshit.

Clinton didn't 'rape' the military..this sounds like the same crap we've been hearing for years like he never gave the military a raise..pure rightwing bullshit.

http://prop1.org/2000/97pentag.htm


Pentagon's Sweet Slice of the Budget Deal
The budget agreement negotiated last week by President Clinton and Congress calls for higher defense spending than *either* the Pentagon or Republicans had requested.


The agreement gives a $3 billion increase in defense budget authority and $7 billion in outlays for next year over Clinton's request, and a $3 billion increase in outlays over the Republicans' budget resolution of last year.


Over five years, the agreement assumes an additional $3 billion in budget authority and $7 billion in outlays over Clinton's request, and $17 billion in budget authority and $5 billion in outlays over the Republican FY 1997 budget.


In almost every category, budget negotiations "compromised" on a defense figure higher than either the President's or the Republicans budget numbers.

A Consistent Pattern

Even with the end of the Cold War, President Clinton and the Republican Congress have been regularly increasing Pentagon spending:
In December 1993, the President added $11.4 billion to the military budget over five years to cover pay raises.
In December 1994, President Clinton added $25 billion over six years to the Pentagon budget to fund readiness increases, military pay raises pay raises and quality of life improvements.
In 1996, the Pentagon was permitted $30.5 billion in new purchasing power over six years -- courtesy of lower-than-expected inflation rates.
Shortly before this year's budget submission, the Administration added $7 billion to the Pentagon's five-year budget and allowed the Pentagon to keep $4 billion in inflation savings. The 1998 bonus alone for the Pentagon was $2.8 billion, including $2.6 billion in new funding.
Congress has been one-upping the President by adding even more money. It added $17.4 billion to the military budget the last two years, including $7.0 billion in fiscal year 1996 and $10.4 billion in fiscal year 1997.



Status of the Budget Deal


The House Budget Committee adopted the budget resolution last Friday, May 16. The Senate Budget Committee is to expected to report out the resolution on Monday, May 19. The full House and Senate are expected to consider the budget deal as soon as tomorrow, Tuesday, May 20.


While the budget deal is expected to easily pass, public and Congressional attention should be focused on the Pentagon spending figures.

The Numbers DEFENSE SPENDING, Budget Authority (billion of dollars)
BUDGET Fiscal Year Clinton Republicans AGREEMENT FY 1997 263.1 FY 1998 266.0 269.0 269.0 FY 1999 269.8 271.5 271.5 FY 2000 275.5 274.0 275.4 FY 2001 282.0 276.7 281.8 FY 2002 289.8 279.5 289.6 FY 98-02 1,383.1 1,370.6 1,387.3
DEFENSE SPENDING, Outlays (billion of dollars)
BUDGET Fiscal Year Clinton Republicans AGREEMENT FY 1997 268.0 FY 1998 260.1 263.8 266.8 FY 1999 262.1 267.0 266.5 FY 2000 267.7 270.7 269.0 FY 2001 268.6 269.7 270.7 FY 2002 273.9 269.6 273.1 FY 98-02 1,332.4 1,340.8 1,346.1

Sources: Office of Management and Budget, FY 1998 Budget. House Budget Committee, "The Balanced Budget Agreement of 1997, Summary of Major Assumptions," May 16, 1997, p.6.
| David Culp | E-mail: [e-mail] | | Plutonium Challenge | Tel. [phone] | | Washington, D.C. | Fax [phone] |


http://www.pentagon.mil/news/Oct2000/n10312000_200010311.html

Clinton Signs Authorization Act, Pay, TRICARE AffectedBy Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Oct. 31, 2000 -- A 3.7 percent military pay raise, TRICARE changes, military modernization and lifetime medical benefits are just some of the aspects of the Floyd D. Spence National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2001 that President Clinton signed into law Oct. 30.

The act gives DoD permission to spend an authorized overall budget of $309.9 billion. The fiscal 2001 appropriations act signed in August actually provided the money. AFRTS Radio Report: "DoD says 'people' are big winners in 2001 Defense Act"

The authorization act set total military fiscal 2001 end strength at 1,382,242. The Army's end strength is 480,000; the Navy's, 372,642; Air Force's, 357,000; and the Marines', 172,600. The Selected Reserve end strength is 874,664 with the Army National Guard's at 350,526, the Army Reserve's 205,300 and the Naval Reserve's at 88,900. The Marine Corps Reserve will have 39,558 members, the Air National Guard is set at 108,022; the Air Force Reserve at 74,358; and the Coast Guard Reserve, 8,000.

End strength is down 3,190 from fiscal 2000 for the active force and up by 4,366 for the Selected Reserve. AFRTS TV Report: "'People' are big winners in 2001 Defense Act" can be viewed at 28.8 Kbps or 56 Kbps.

Service members did particularly well in quality of life expenditures. In addition to the 3.7 percent across-the- board pay raise that goes into effect Jan. 1, 2001, service members in pay grades E-5 to E-7 will receive a targeted, one-time monthly raise of $32 to $59 starting July 1, 2001.

Congress has added funds to the Basic Allowance for Housing to reduce out-of-pocket expenses service members must pay if they live off base. Currently, service members living off base pay an average of 19 percent of their housing costs out-of-pocket. The money will bring that average to 15 percent in fiscal 2001. The legislation authorizes the defense secretary to raise BAH rates to eliminate out-of- pocket expenses by fiscal 2005.

The act extends the military housing privatization program. The program allows commercial firms to build and run military family housing areas.

Another pay action calls for active and reserve military personnel to be able to use the Thrift Savings Plan. The plan, long a part of the Federal Employees Retirement System, would allow military personnel to invest a percentage of their pre-tax pay toward retirement. Taxes on participants' investments and earnings are deferred while in the plan. Details remain to be worked out, but the act calls for the system to be up and running 360 days after the president signs the legislation.

The budget changes the TRICARE military medical system in several ways. For active duty personnel, TRICARE Prime Remote now covers family members as well as active duty personnel. The act also eliminates co-payments for active duty family members enrolled in TRICARE Prime. It also allows travel reimbursements to those who must go more than 100 miles to see a TRICARE health-care provider.

The biggest TRICARE change, however, covers Medicare- eligible retirees. The act restructures TRICARE to allow Medicare-eligible military retirees and their family members to continue their coverage beginning in fiscal 2002. Under the plan, Medicare-eligible beneficiaries would pay no co-pays, deductibles or TRICARE enrollment fees or premiums. Retirees can receive care under Medicare; also, any medical expense not covered by Medicare will be paid by TRICARE.

The act also expands the mail-order pharmacy service to cover all beneficiaries, including Medicare-eligible retirees.

The act authorizes $63.2 billion in procurement. The account, also called modernization, hits the $60 billion number Defense Secretary William S. Cohen called for in 1997.

Big ticket items in procurement include $4 billion for a Nimitz-class carrier, $2.7 billion for three Arleigh Burke- class destroyers, $1.2 billion for a Virginia-class attack submarine and $1.5 billion for two San Antonio-class amphibious ships. The act also funds 16 MV-22 Osprey tilt- rotor aircraft, 12 C-17 strategic airlift jets and 10 F-22 Raptor stealth aircraft.

The act funds Army transformation efforts to the tune of $1.3 billion in fiscal 2001. These efforts will result in a more mobile and more lethal force able to cover the range of operations the Army may face in the future. The act calls on the Army secretary to report to the Senate and House armed services committees with a "road map" charting the progress of the Army through 2012. The act authorizes the Army to procure medium-weight armored vehicles to test them against the transformation concept.

The act provides $2.1 billion for the National Missile Defense program and $2.7 billion for Theater Missile Defense. TMD breaks down to $550 million for the Theater High-Altitude Missile Defense program, $462.7 million for the Navy Theater-Wide program, $274.2 million for the Navy Area Defense program, and $365.5 million to procure additional Patriot-3 missiles.

The Joint Strike Fighter is the next generation ground attack aircraft. The mammoth program will provide single- engine attack aircraft to the Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps. Congress is concerned the services are rushing the program. The total authorization for JSF in fiscal 2001 is $688.6 million. In the act, Congress called on the defense secretary to report on the criteria before the JSF enters the engineering, manufacturing and development phase of the procurement. DoD cannot enter this phase until the defense secretary certifies the key technologies in the craft are "sufficiently mature."

Other procurement actions include:


$244.2 million for Joint Direct Attack Munitions. These precision-guided weapons proved their worth over Yugoslavia and are the focus of NATO's Defense Capabilities Initiative.

$109.2 million for Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicles, the "UAV of the future." The act also provides $32.1 million to upgrade the current Predator UAV.

$149.8 million for two F-15E Eagle all-weather air-to- surface aircraft.

$46 million for a 16th E-8C Joint Surveillance and Target Attack Radar System aircraft.

$614 million for the Army Comanche helicopter engineering, manufacturing and development program phases. There are two prototypes. Initial operating capability is set for fiscal 2006.

$206 million for 18 Black Hawk helicopters for the Army National Guard -- 16 regular and two air ambulances.

$39.9 billion for fiscal 2001 research and development, including $85 million for the Air Force Airborne Laser program, $24.4 million for chemical and biological protection R&D, $30 million for high-energy laser research, $274 million for R&D for the Navy's 21st century aircraft carrier, and $539.8 million for R&D of the Navy's future Zumwalt-class destroyers.

$109.7 billion in operations and maintenance funds.

[Maddy McCall]

8. Thanks for all of this great info, Fish!

I will bookmark this thread for the abundance of info here, which I will reference the next time I receive an email from a "conservative" friend who blames Clinton for the "gutting" of the military.

:toast:

[fishface]

4. Here's some "dual use" ammo...

Ya know that $87 billion for the war Bush and Chainbag are always using to say Kerry wouldn't 'support' the troops in Iraq?

President Stupid threatened to veto it because of some veterans funding he objected to.

Raw Data: White House Veto Threat

Tuesday, October 21, 2003



The following letter was sent to Congressional lawmakers by the White House to convey the Bush administration's views on the Iraq spending package being debated:

The Honorable C. W. Bill Young
Chairman
Committee on Appropriations
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, D.C. 20515


Dear Mr. Chairman:

This letter provides the Administration's views on H.R. 3289 and S. 1689, the FY 2004 Emergency Supplemental for Iraq and Afghanistan Security and Reconstruction Bills, as passed by the House and by the Senate. The Administration applauds the House and Senate for passing the President's supplemental funding request to support our mission and our troops deployed for the War on Terrorism in Afghanistan, Iraq, and elsewhere.

The President's request reflects the urgent and essential requirements to secure Iraq's transition to self-government and to help create the conditions for economic growth and investment, which are critical to winning the war on terror. The supplemental request will also continue our efforts to help build an Afghanistan that is prosperous, democratic, and at peace.

The vast majority of the President's request goes to American troops fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan so they have the equipment, pay, and other resources they need to perform their mission. The Iraqi Relief and Reconstruction Fund, less than one-quarter of the total size of the request, supports Iraqi efforts to provide for their own security, establish basic living standards, and create an environment for significant private investment. By working to establish Iraqi and Afghan nations that are free, prosperous, and at peace with their neighbors, we eliminate a key base of operations for terrorists and enhance the security of America and her citizens.

Given the critical need, the Administration strongly opposes the Senate provision that would convert a portion of this assistance to a loan mechanism. If this provision is not removed, the President's senior advisors would recommend that he veto the bill. Including a loan mechanism slows efforts to stabilize the region and to relieve pressure on our troops, raises questions about our commitment to building a democratic and self-governing Iraq, and impairs our ability to encourage other nations to provide badly needed assistance without saddling Iraq with additional debt. The sooner freedom and democracy take root in Iraq and Afghanistan, the sooner these countries will cease to be havens for terror groups and the safer America and the world will be.

Both the House and the Senate versions of the bill contain provisions that are not directly related to on-going military operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere or relief and reconstruction activities. *******The Administration strongly opposes these provisions, including Senate provisions that would allocate an additional $1.3 billion for VA medical care and the provision that would expand benefits under the TRICARE program.******

The Administration is also concerned that both the House and Senate versions of the bill underfund the President's request for Iraq Relief and Reconstruction by $1.7 billion and $1.9 billion, respectively. The Administration encourages the conferees to ensure funding is provided for high-priority items such as local governance and municipalities, maximum security prisons, the American Iraqi Enterprise Fund, and a Basrah pediatric hospital.

The Administration is also concerned that the House does not provide the $858 million requested for the Coalition Provisional Authority's Operating Expenses to the U.S. Army, Operation and Maintenance account as requested. The existing structure ensures that CPA can complete its mission efficiently.

The Administration is also concerned that both versions of the bill contain numerous burdensome and duplicative reporting requirements. The Administration appreciates Congress' concern with transparency and will work with Congress to ensure that the final bill establishes an appropriate reporting and accountability regime.

To avoid any conflict with the President's constitutional authorities, we believe section 304 of the Senate version of the bill should be amended to eliminate the requirement for 90 days advance notice to Congress for changes in command responsibility or permanent assignment of forces and should instead require notice as promptly as practicable. We also believe the last mtwo provisos under the heading "Iraq Relief and Reconstruction Fund," which relate to the content of a new constitution for Iraq, should be made clearly advisory.

The Administration urges the conferees to expeditiously send the President a bill that he can sign into law that provides needed funds for our military and urgent Iraq and Afghanistan reconstruction efforts.

Sincerely,
Joshua B. Bolten
Director


Identical Letter Sent to The Honorable C. W. Bill Young, The Honorable David R. Obey, The Honorable Ted Stevens, and The Honorable Robert C. Byrd

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,100777,00.html

[Maddy McCall]

9. Thanks again.

Going into my warchest to fight Republican propaganda-lies.

:toast:

[buycitgo]

13. GREAT catch!

"The Administration strongly opposes these provisions, including Senate provisions that would allocate an additional $1.3 billion for VA medical care and the provision that would expand benefits under the TRICARE program"

where the FUCK is the Kerry campaign on this??

get this letter to them, will you?

you KNOW how pugs would couch this:

"The Administration strongly opposes these provisions ..... that would allocate an additional $1.3 billion for VA medical care and the provision that would expand benefits under the TRICARE program."

if that had been Kerry, they'd have made MUCH out of his opposition to the provisions

[radfringe]

7. Many Reservists Return to Joblessness

Many Reservists Return to Joblessness
http://aolsvc.news.aol.com/news/article.adp?id=20040815162709990001
By LARRY MARGASAK, AP

WASHINGTON (Aug. 15) - Increasing numbers of National Guard and Reserve troops who have returned from war in Iraq and Afghanistan are encountering new battles with their civilian employers at home. Jobs were eliminated, benefits reduced and promotions forgotten.

Since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, the Labor Department reports receiving greater numbers of complaints under a 1994 law designed to give Guard and Reserve troops their old jobs back, or provide them with equivalent positions. Benefits and raises must be protected, as if the serviceman or servicewoman had never left.

Some soldiers, however, are finding the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act can't protect them.

---snip---

The Labor Department said complaint numbers would have been worse had the government not made an aggressive effort to explain the law to employers.

"Any increase in the number of complaints is a concern to us,'' said Fred Juarbe Jr., assistant secretary of labor for veterans employment and training. "At the same time, we're pleased by the fact that the increase in complaints is not at the level that would have been expected.''

Labor Secretary Elaine Chao said the department is drafting rules to spell out the law's protections for service personnel. "We've got to do everything we can to protect their re-employment rights,'' she said.

The department was receiving about 900 formal complaints a year before Sept. 11, 2001. The statistical picture since then, based on fiscal years ending Sept. 30:

1,218 cases opened in 2002.

1,327 cases in 2003.

1,200 cases from Oct. 1, 2003 through July 31. If projected over 12 months, the figure would be 1,440, the department said.

The department upheld or settled soldiers' complaints in one-third of last year's cases, while another third were found to have no merit. The remaining cases are inactive or closed, often because the government lost contact with the soldier or the soldier returned to active duty.

---snip---

While some troops fault former employers for firing them as they served their country, most complaints involved alleged denial of benefits, promotions and raises, said officials from the Labor Department and a Pentagon organization - Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve.

Army Col. Brarry Cox, who coordinates the ESGR's mediation efforts between employers and returning troops, said typical issues raised by soldiers include: "What about the 401 (k)? The end-of-year bonus? What about my evaluation? I was due a merit promotion that I missed.

"We try to talk employers through a logical approach: How were they (the employees) performing prior to active duty, where do you think they would have come out?''

The Labor Department, which has subpoena power, asks employers to justify firings or reduction of benefits and can refer complaints to the Justice Department for filing of civil lawsuits. Only a small percentage of cases get that far.

While the 1994 law strengthened previous protections, it doesn't help doctors, lawyers or small business owners who depend on maintaining a client base. It doesn't save jobs eliminated by plant closings or budget cuts. And it doesn't help injured troops who can no longer perform the work they once did.

Reservists and guardsmen who returned to the Prince George's County government outside Washington, D.C., were among those who fell into a gray area.

[Maddy McCall]

10. Unbelievable. I thought "small businesses" were the "backbone of America"

Or isn't that the drivel that Bush asserts to justify his massive high-income tax breaks.

Thanks for the info--going into my warchest. :-)

[Keirsey]

11. missed opportunity

jchild, thank you for that compilation. It would have made a great flyer to hand out today when Bush* is speaking at the Veterans of Foreign Wars convention in Cincinnati.

Maybe not too late, though, to hand out when Kerry speaks on Wednesday.

[buycitgo]

12. fanTAStic! find a way to get this to Kerry campaign`

I MEAN it, cause he's speaking before Vets this week, and I can guaranTEE you have better info than the pathetic Kerry factgatherers


seriously, this thread has more info than you'll find at his site

[Maddy McCall]

14. Can we leave that duty to you?

Can someone PM Dem_Strategist and have him/her check in on this thread?

Thanks to whomever takes on this task.