Kerry surrounds himself with veterans in West Virginia

[bigtree]

March 17, 2004
By Scott Finn
http://www.wvgazette.com/section/News/2004031639

HUNTINGTON — Before Tuesday, John Devine was a little shaky in his support for Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry. Devine, 58, served as a medic during the Vietnam War. Now, he drives every month to the veterans’ hospital in Beckley for treatment of his Hodgkin’s disease, likely caused by his exposure to the toxic defoliant Agent Orange.

But the Bush administration failed to provide $1.2 billion that the Department of Veterans Affairs requested this year. The VA already has proposed closing the Beckley hospital, which means Devine would have to travel more than two hours for care.

“To close any beds in West Virginia is ludicrous,” he said. “We don’t have enough beds to begin with.” Still, Devine was upset with Kerry, a decorated Vietnam veteran, for protesting the war when he returned to the United States.

But Devine was impressed to learn that as a U.S. senator, Kerry wrote the legislation to cover veterans for Orange Agent-related diseases, and led the effort to track down missing soldiers from Vietnam. “We need a president who will stand up for veterans, and I believe he will keep his promises to us,” Devine said Tuesday afternoon, after Kerry surrounded himself with a crowd of more than 200 veterans and other supporters at a town hall-type meeting at Marshall University

[sandnsea]

1. WV loved Kerry

This event wasn't shown, although I think it was supposed to be. But I caught a different WV event on C-Span and it was great. The people really seemed enthusiastic about changing the direction of this country and John Kerry as the guy to do it. And the biggest cheer was "no more wars because of our dependence on foreign oil". Even rural West Virginians get it.

This is a good article too. We need more of these kinds of events, really lifts your spirits to see every day Americans cheering for Kerry. Lifts mine anyway.

[bigtree]

2. More

West Virginia for Veterans Town Hall Meeting, Kerry Focuses on National Security, Homeland Defense and Taking Care of U.S. Troops.

March 16, 2004

For Immediate Release
Huntington, WV –
http://johnkerry.com/pressroom/releases/pr_2004_0316b.html

At a town hall meeting with West Virginia veterans and several of his Vietnam crewmates today, John Kerry talked about his plans to strengthen our military, support our troops and honor our veterans. Kerry took questions and discussed his pledge to be a "veteran's veteran" as President, keeping vital promises to America's veterans and military families.

"On issue after issue, this President's misleading misstatements have produced a Credibility Gap as big as the New River Gorge.

"On the economy, after taking us from the best economy in our history to the worst job performance since the Great Depression, he's been pointing fingers of blame left and right. Bill Clinton, Silicon Valley, Saddam Hussein, 9-11. But today the independent, non-partisan Congressional Budget Office is reporting new research that shows the truth. They show that 94 percent of the $500 billion deficit coming next year is due to George Bush's policies - wasteful spending and ineffective tax giveaways for the rich.

"You can't have fiscal responsibility without personal responsibility - and George Bush needs to face the truth.

"On Medicare, we found out that this Administration hid evidence that their prescription drug company benefit bill would cost $135 billion more than they told the American people - and intimidated public officials to keep quiet about the truth.

"And the former top international weapons inspector has revealed new evidence that this Administration didn't level with the American people on the intelligence they had on weapons of mass destruction.

"Under this Administration, the Credibility Gap is growing every day. We need change and new leadership that can Americans can believe in again. And that's what we will bring."

Kerry promised to keep faith with America's veterans. Each day that passes with George W. Bush in office, veterans are getting less: less in benefits, less health care, and less support for their families. George Bush spoke 99 words in his State of the Union speech about steroid use in pro sports, but not one about what he would do to support and honor and help our veterans.

At the same time he stubbornly pushes for more tax giveaways for the wealthiest people, George Bush wants to raise health care costs for 1 million veterans by over $2 billion dollars - a proposal that would drive 200,000 veterans from the VA health care system. He refuses to lift a finger to help the quarter of a million veterans who've waited half a year just to see a doctor for the first time.

"Our veterans' health care shouldn't depend on the yearly whims of budget cutters," said Kerry. "When I am President, we will make the funding for veterans health care mandatory for all veterans. I will end the 'disabled veterans' tax' that takes hard-earned retirement pay from our most vulnerable veterans. And I will always provide our soldiers on the frontlines with the weapons and the armor they need to protect themselves and defend America."

At the veterans town hall meeting today, Kerry was joined by several distinguished West Virginia veterans, several of his Vietnam crewmates, West Virginia Governor Bob Wise, and Jim Rassmann, a former Green Beret who credits Kerry with saving his life in combat.

West Virginia is home to nearly 200,000 veterans. Joining Kerry from West Virginia were Woody Williams, Jared Welker, and Don Kinnard. Woody Williams was a Corporal in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve. A WWII Veteran, Williams is West Virginia's only living Congressional Medal of Honor recipient. Fewer than 3,500 Americans have received the award; only about 150 of them are still alive. Williams was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as demolition sergeant serving with the 21st Marines, 3rd Marine Division, in action against enemy Japanese forces.

Jared Welker served with the Army 3rd Infantry Division during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Mr. Welker left for Kuwait in January, 2003 and returned from Kuwait on July 13th 2003. The 3rd Infantry Division left for Iraq the day the war began and was one of the first units over the border.

Navy Seal Don Kinnard served in Vietnam and is the State Commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. Kinnard is a recipient of the Navy Cross, the second-highest medal bestowed upon a serviceman next to the Medal of Honor. He retired in 1974 as a master chief in the Navy Seals program, the highest rank for an enlisted man. His service included seven tours in Vietnam taking part in clandestine operations and he was awarded a Bronze Star and seven Purple Hearts.

"Back in 2000, George Bush and Dick Cheney told men and women in uniform that 'help is on the way,'" concluded Kerry. "But four years later, America's veterans are still waiting for a helping hand and for the benefits they've earned. I am telling America's veterans that help and hope are on the way. And if I am President, the wait is over."
__________________________________________________________________

JOHN KERRY: Keeping Our Promise to Those Who Served

GEORGE BUSH: Breaking Faith with Those Who Served

The Disabled American Veterans said "the Bush Administration has broken faith with the nation's sick and disabled veterans."

2000 BUSH VETS CO-CHAIR DISAPPOINTED WITH BUSH ADMINISTRATION.

"When the Bush campaign asked James McKinnon to co-chair its veterans steering committee in New Hampshire -- a job he held in 2000 -- the 56-year-old Vietnam veteran respectfully, but firmly, said no. 'I basically told them I was disappointed in his support of veterans,' said McKinnon, who served two tours in Vietnam with the Coast Guard. 'He's killing the active-duty military. . . . Look at the reserves call-ups for Iraq, the hardships. The National Guard -- the state militia -- is being used improperly."

BUSH'S BUDGET LEAVES VETERANS BEHIND.

The President's budget raises health care costs for over one million veterans, increasing drug co-payments and imposing new enrollment fees that will cost veterans over $2 billion over five years. According to the Administration's own figures, raising fees will drive about 200,000 veterans out of the system and discourage another 1 million veterans from enrolling.

BUSH FAILS TO FULLY FUND VETERANS HEALTH CARE.

Bush's budget fell more than $2.6 billion short of the amount needed to fully fund quality veterans' health care, according to The Independent Budget, an annual collective assessment by four veterans service organizations of the funding levels and policy changes needed at VA. 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. . The Administration boasts of cutting waitlists for VA health care, but they have done so by excluding nearly 500,000 veterans (Priority 7 and 8) from enrolling in VA health care.


JOHN KERRY will end the annual budget gamesmanship that too often leaves veterans' health care underfunded. He believes that veterans should have health care guaranteed now and in the future. He will insist on mandatory funding for veterans health care for all veterans.

Kerry Pledges to Keep Vital Promises to Veterans, Service Members and Military: http://www.johnkerry.com/pressroom/releases/pr_2003_0130a.html
____________________________________________________________________

BUSH FAILS TO DELIVER ON PROMISE TO REDUCE BENEFITS CLAIMS BACKLOG.

President Bush boasted in 2001 of the "clearest of clear mandates" to his VA regarding the backlog of benefits claims. He said, "bring those claims to a speedy and fair resolution. We must move as quickly as possible on the backlog and we will."

Despite this promise, 348,000 veterans are currently waiting for a decision regarding their disability claims. President Bush had asserted that his goal was an average waiting period of 74 days for a decision on claims . Yet three years into his presidency, veterans continue to wait an average of 187 days-six months- to receive a decision. Instead of addressing the problem, the President's FY2005 budget proposes cutting 540 claims processors from the Department of Veterans Affairs. .


JOHN KERRY will streamline the VA so that veterans hear back about their status and receive benefits they are eligible for in a timely manner, supporting legislation, appropriations, and other steps as needed so that such decisions are made promptly and fairly.

John Kerry to Keep American’s Promise to Veterans:
http://www.johnkerry.com/pressroom/releases/pr_2003_1111b.html
___________________________________________________________________

BUSH DOES NOT SUPPORT FIXING THE DISABLED VETERANS TAX.

Secretary Rumsfeld recommended that Bush veto legislation if it contained concurrent receipt. When members of Bush's own party balked the White House and some Congressional Republicans responded by proposing to gut the VA disability system to pay for it.<http://www.vfw.org/index.cfm?fa=news.newsDtl&did=1342> The idea was so bad that the president's own VA Secretary Anthony Principi opposed it. A compromise was struck still leaves out approximately 400,000 veterans. <http://www.moaa.org/Legislative/Archive/sept2003/26.asp#Issue%201>


JOHN KERRY will fight to end the "disabled veterans tax," under which military retirees who receive both veterans' pensions and disability compensation must surrender a dollar from their military retirement pay for every dollar they get for disability compensation. The Bush Administration has fought to keep this unfair tax in place.

JOHN KERRY STARTS REPEAL THE DISABLED VETERANS TAX PETITION AND HOUSE DEMOCRATS SPEAK OUT AGAINST THE TAX ON THE HOUSE FLOOR
http://blog.johnkerry.com/cgi-bin/mt-comments.cgi?entry_id=341
_____________________________________________________________________

NEW OVERTIME REGULATIONS MAY DISQUALIFY VETS FROM RECEIVING OVERTIME BENEFITS. Military contractors are considering using proposed language in a Department of Labor overtime regulation concerning the definition of "learned professionals" to deprive employees with military experience of overtime benefits. Historically, "learned professionals," who were exempt from overtime pay, were interpreted to be workers with advanced degrees, such as doctors, lawyers, scientists, and theologians. The Labor Department proposed a March 2003 change that would broaden the definition to include "training in the armed forces," and thus, deprive many employed veterans of their overtime pay. Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI) has observed that military reservists who have been mobilized for duty in Iraq may come home to find their pay reduced because they no longer qualify for overtime.

JOHN KERRY would reverse the Bush overtime plan and expand overtime to even more Americans.

Take a stand with John Kerry - sign his online petition demanding that President Bush abandon his plan to gut our nation's overtime law: http://petition.johnkerry.com/overtime/
___________________________________________________________________

PENTAGON PLANNED TO CUT PAY OF TROOPS SERVING IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN. 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.

JOHN KERRY will not abandon our troops or cut their pay, particularly at a time when so many members of our military are facing danger. What's more, John Kerry understands that most reservists are professionals with families who depend upon a paycheck. It's not enough just to refrain from cutting their military pay; John Kerry will provide help to small businesses through a tax credit to make a difference in the cost of the salary for a reservist called up to active duty.

JOHN KERRY believes that we need to treat our troops and their families with respect, dignity, and fairness in what they are paid, where they live, and where their children go to school. We need to make sure our troops are paid enough so that we address problems of retention and enlistment - and we should improve active duty housing for soldiers and their families. And as someone who has helped lead the fight on Gulf War Illness, John Kerry knows we have to be much more aggressive on health screenings for troops. They are required by law and they need to be given.

[bigtree]

3. More

Kerry said tens of thousands of troops arrived in Iraq "to find that - with danger around every corner - there wasn't enough body armor to protect them." Many families purchased the equipment and had it sent overseas, he added.

"Families should be sending pictures and care packages to Iraq - and the Department of Defense should be sending the body armor," Kerry said. He called on the president to support a bill he has introduced in the Senate to reimburse families for their purchase of body armor. Similar legislation is pending in the House.

Kerry said acting Army Secretary Les Brownlee had testified before Congress that U.S. forces were "not prepared" for the present conflict in Iraq and they didn't have the preparation and hardware they needed to fight as effectively as they could.

In testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday, Brownlee was asked why the Army took so long to produce adequate numbers of upgraded body armor and Humvees with extra armor plating. "I also regret that we were not more farsighted here. We simply were not prepared for that kind of a counterinsurgency that attacked our convoys and our soldiers in the rear, as it has proven to be," he said.



http://apnews.myway.com/article/20040306/D814VGIG1.html
____________________________________________________________________