Veterans benefits vs. entitlements others feel due

My latest column appearing July 29, 2011...

It seems as the debate goes on between the warring political factions. I find myself spending an inordinate amount of time responding to e-mail on all sides of the many issues that are brought up.

It is almost impossible to discuss any issue today that isn’t somehow linked to the budget deficit battle going on in Washington DC and state capitals around the country. Our legislators at all levels have been running around like a reckless housewife on a shopping spree with a no-limit credit card for decades, and it’s all coming home to roost. Programs of importance to everyone are under scrutiny, knowing we have to reign-in spending or we will soon be relegated to a much reduced living standard.

Last night as I heard a New York representative flat-out state the US does not have a budget deficit problem…say what? He is under the belief that all are problems are to be blamed on unemployment. Right…and how did that occur?  Reckless government programs, promises made to special interest groups to garner votes, inadequate oversight from government committees assigned the task of protecting us from abuse, and an ambivalent block of voters trying to “get their fair share” of the bureaucrat pie. Such naivety is the insanity that legislators get from too long in office. They don’t even recognize the  havoc their policies do to the citizens.

To my way of thinking, the word “entitlement” has come to represent a thought that because one claims a right, the right being claimed is automatically justified.  I don’t consider veterans in this category as our so called “entitlement” is actually a contractual arrangement, whether explicit or inferred, when we signed on the dotted line and raised our hand to protect and defend this country from all enemies foreign AND DOMESTIC. I kind of feel like we did the first part of that and are now in Phase II, defending ourselves from domestic foes. While many citizens should and need help, the issue of helping those in need  versus those who feel entitled to unending support has gotten out of hand.

Let’s take a look at the educational system in the US. We spends considerably more per student than any country on earth, from about $18,000 per year in New York to $9000 in many states with an average across the board of $12,000. Detroit spends $13,000 per year on its students and is typical of what we see. Half of the population of Detroit is functionally illiterate.  Of the 47% of Detroit residents who can‘t read, half of them hold Detroit City School System diplomas.  All of them made it past the elementary school  years, where basic reading is taught.  Can anyone justify these results? So let’s agree the education is an “entitlement”, but where does the money go? Why do we have tenure (built-in job security regardless of the competency of the teacher)?  Of the salaries paid to teachers, about $1100/year ends up in the union bank accounts which help perpetuate this obvious problem. Where ever you sit politically, how can we condone this inefficiency?

Welfare and other “entitlement” programs are handout programs. Some folks honestly cannot take care of themselves and need assistance, but to many it has become a gravy-train promoted by politicians trying to ingratiate themselves with benevolent voters. The very poor in our country would be living quite well by other country’s standards, yet they want more.  It is your or my fault that we have our next round of welfare families already in the making because near 50% drop-out in high school, join gangs, do drugs and commit crime, or that we have parents that won’t marry and take responsibility for supporting their families because we’ve made it too easy for mom to stay at home, continue to have more kids, and collect benefits, while dad works for cash under-the-table? Come-on.

I didn’t want to go into the support of illegal immigrants and the benefit package we throw to them as they shouldn’t be here in the first place, and what a slap in the face it is those who have gone through the legal process to become card-carrying residents of the US.  The fraud, waste, and abuse in these programs defies justification on any account

Of all the groups trying to maintain the status quo, only a few come to mind that are truly worthy a seat at the table. We need to expand our horizons to look at other views, not just views that make ourselves feel warm and fuzzy.

We have all paid into the government endorsed Ponzi schemes named Social Security and Medicare. Like veterans benefits, these are contractual obligations folks love to call entitlements to diminish the importance of the programs if they are not currently participating. Social Security was never meant to be one’s only retirement stash, but it should be enough to keep people out of the gutter.  Means-testing, reducing payments to those with taxable income over $50,000 could be a ways to deal with the shortage of funds for those who are receiving a monthly check, because what was paid-in and what is being paid-out simply don’t equate. In 1935 our average life span was about 65-70. Today it is nearly eighty for many. Increasing the age to collect benefits for those aged 20-45 by 2-3 years may well improve the solvency of the system. The government improperly invested the so-called trust funds by loaning it back to the government. It’s not the fault of the citizen, but it is the reality we have to deal with. Medicare oversight to prevent fraud and dismantling the recent prescription program in light of all the new $4.00 pharmacy programs could save billions.

We have unemployment insurance, another contractual obligation, not an entitlement. Money is paid in to insure some semblance of family solvency during a period of unemployment. The government runs out of program money because it is not treated as insurance, but unemployment really is insurance, not a handout. Maybe the government shouldn’t have anything to do with or be a part of these kinds of programs. When a real insurance company faces a disaster and has to pay claims, they have built in protection though a series of re-insurance partners, and in most cases remain solvent. Not our government…no back-up plans, just jobs for more bureaucrats, and a slush fund to spend the money until needed.

Now to us veterans who have earned our benefits…Thank God we have dedicated supporters that recognize our situation and organizations which are supporting our position. This past week I received a great e-mail from Julio Martinez thanking me for sticking up for veteran’s rights, but the thanks should really be directed to all veterans group. I will discuss his comments on Monday but to paraphrase his thanks for supporting veterans…

“We have made great strides in meeting the needs of veterans of today, while keeping our promise to yesterday’s veterans. We must not be lured into turf battles, but instead rise above the political fray to fight for America’s well-being. Out of control spending is crippling our country, and we need to slow the growth of government and take responsibility for our bills. As we do this, our veterans deserve better than to be used as shields in political warfare. Instead, we have an obligation to work in a bipartisan manner to better serve veterans and their families. No one should disagree this is the least we owe these men and women”. 

An AMEN would be appropriate. In coming articles I will discuss suggested solutions posed by readers of my column, and try to do justice to those ideas.

Kicking off new campaign in Liberia

Wayne State University is a campus up in Michigan, and home to a Rotary Rotaract Club youth group. For those who do not know Rotary and Rotaract, in a short sentence, they are service organizations like Kiwanis, Lions, etc, that do a lot of great humanitarian service projects for their communities and internationally. Victor Helb is a young man from Liberia who was attending school at Wayne State when we met. He told me about a vision to help the people of his country learn to read and write, because more than 90% of the citizens were either illiterate, or well below elementary school reading ability. He wanted to change all that. One man wanting to change an entire country...what a concept!

Well, after we kicked some ideas around I left Michigan but reconnected with Victor on a few occasions over the next couple of years when he would call for advice. This year things are moving into action. Victor's aunt is the President of Liberia, and now, following years of civil unrest, Liberia has come under the wing of US help; doors are now open for programs like Victor's Liberian Book Project (see: http://www.liberianliteracyfoundation.org/news.html). Just having doors open would not be enough as such projects to provide millions of books, schools supplies, computers, teachers, and even electricity (most of the country is without a large enough electrical grid that the majority of the people do without). Also such grandiose projects require volunteers (lots of them), and much money.

Victor is now back with a request to put everything into motion, but has made the road smoother with years of working US college campus Rotaract Clubs to gain support. Most of what is needed now is to raising money and find a way to ship goods to Liberia on the cheap. As the volunteer Development Director working with the National Guard State Partnership Program, it is ironic that Michigan is the state partner of Liberia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_Partnership_Program), home of this project, and perhaps we can use that mechanism to provide transportation when the time comes. As to fundraising, we just opened our new consultancy to assist non-profit service organizations develop fundraising programs. Victor's timing couldn't have been better to seek help. With their sights set on 2000 US college campuses the project is sure to gain momentum.

If others would like to help give us a call at (630) 440-7912 or simply click on to the Liberian Book Project website above. All are welcome

57 years after the fact Pfc. Johnson recognized for bravery

The battle for Outpost Harry is but a paragraph in the annals of military history. Those who were there have never forgotten the heroic efforts that many displayed throughout the eight-day battle, and Donald Dingee would not let the military forget the efforts of Pfc. Johnson. It took 57 years before Brigadier General Jeffrey Phillips, 3rd Infantry Division deputy commanding general-rear, presented Pfc. Charlie Johnson, posthumously, with the Silver Star, the nation's third-highest medal for valor in combat. The Silver Star is awarded for gallantry in action against an enemy of the United States. See the full story: http://www.veteranstoday.com/2011/05/18/105199/

“Private First Class Charlie Johnson, a Browning automatic rifleman with the 15th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division, was killed in action June 12, 1953, after an eight-day battle at Outpost Harry, in the Choran Valley during the Korean War. During the battle, Pfc. Johnson placed himself between his comrades and the enemy, creating the conditions for their successful rescue”. God bless Pfc. Johnson.

Mission Accomplished

A combined effort of the Partnership for the Americas and the National Guard Bureau of International Affairs State Partnership was finally completed with the issuing of a donation check from Best Buy. Best Buy was one of many corporate and community sponsors of The Big Leagues Camp held last July in Stevens Point, WI (see: www.thebigleaguescamp.org), to raise money to transport two donated fire trucks to the Mayport Navel Facility to be shipped to Nicaraugua aboard the HSV 2 Swift.

In coordinating the effort, Ed Mattson stated, "Despite the month-long rain, the program went off with the city's help. They provided the local indoor hockey rink where kids learned the basics of "the Game" from some of baseballs greatest stars. Programs like this can be arranged for other projects. All folks have to do is ask".

Establishing NEW PROJECT... Warrior2Citizen

The past few month I have been involved with Gen John Owings (Ret) and Col. Michael Roberts (Ret), developing a new pilot program with the state of Georgia, the National Guard, and veterans groups, to address the record number of post traumatic stress disorder cases (PTSD) in the warriors returning from duty in Iraq and Afganhistan...18 suicides/day, broken marriages, substance abuse...caused by 3-4-5-6 deployments into the war zone. This is unlike anything we've ever seen.

In Vietnam it was one deployment, R&R, and return home unless you volunteered for additional deployment; Granada, a one time deployment; Kosovo, Gulf I, one time deployment. This is different. Veterans know we cannot look the other way or abandon their family's hope that a warrior can make that successful transition back to being a normal civilian. It is not an easy transition to make without help. We will not let them down!

Starting 1 January 2011, you will hear more about our efforts which, following some initial grant monies from the State of Georgia and DOD, we will be in a fundraising mode which leads to sustainable funding so that we can provide the services these heros need. We will be filling the Internet with referrals back to our website (when completed), showing ways we can all help. We hope our email campaigns to veterans groups, and other organizations will not fall on deaf and blind citizens as we are all safe and our country stays strong because "They go when others won't...they do what others can't". God Bless America and Semper Fi!

New Ultrasound Units

December 9, 2010

The Pregnancy Resource Center of Northeastern Ohio, became the proud owner of a new Mindray Model DP 6600. Pro-Life Center Director, Jill Taylor, traveled with Ed up to Cleveland, OH to get a firsthand view of this new and compact ultrasound which weighs a remarkable 22 lbs. Priced exactly where it can do the most good and with its TWO-YEAR FACTORY WARRANTY, it will surely revolutionize the ultrasound services which can be provided at Pro-Life centers across the country which have always had to look toward "hand-me-downs" and refurbished units. Priced NEW AT LESS THAN $10,000, any center can now become far more effective in unplanned pregnancy counseling.

According to Jill Taylor, "This is one of the most remarkable systyems we've seen. With multiple centers in Northeastern Ohio, ultrasounds have become a big challenge, and even though we have purchased much larger and more expensive units in the past, the DP-6600, has, in some cases, almost identical capabilities at half the cost. And that 2-year warranty will save us $4000, which is the average annual warranty cost for other units". Jill goes on to say, "We are so glad we found Ed and his willingness to work with us with grant money and finding a better solution to our needs".

Visualize the Dream..... Do the Impossible...... Change the World

Relocated to Mooresville, NC (Charlotte area)

Irina

Cristofor

Relocating at any age can be challenging. Moving and relocating my family from the Republic of Moldova has been more than a challenge...more like pulling teeth without novocaine. Securing permanent legal status for my wife and youngest son was an expensive venture (doing it legally), which is why so many want to sneek across the border. It took more than five years and we still have our oldest son, Alex, and Mama to bring over.

We have made life-altering decisions to settle into the Charlotte area. I recently left The Humanitarian Network, which dates back to Rotary's World Community Service Resource Network founded by Past RI president, Cliff Dochterman, operating now as a consultant to source goods and services for international projects and disaster relief efforts, under the banner "Center-Point Consultants". We will be focusing on individual project consultation, fundraising development for major projects, source goods and services for those in need, and providing cutting edge cancer treatment information to healthcare practitioners and patients.