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pan6467 · 09-14-2004, 08:13 PM

For those who say Kerry is against the military because he didn't vote for 1 bill. What about these where Bush threatened VETO on our troops?

Kerry-Edwards 2004: Overstretched Guard and Reserves, Overstretched Families

Tue Sep 14, 1:11 PM ET

To: National Desk

Contact: Chad Clanton or Phil Singer, 202-464-2800, both of Kerry-Edwards 2004

WASHINGTON, Sept. 14 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Kerry spokesman Phil Singer said: "George Bush (news - web sites) vehemently opposed efforts to improve health care for the National Guard, Reservists and veterans but had no problem doling out billions to companies like Halliburton. It's just another example of how George Bush's emphasis on helping out his special interest friends at the expense of the brave men and women in uniform has taken the country further in the wrong direction."

BUSH THREATENS VETO ON HEALTH CARE FOR GUARD AND RESERVES

THREATENED VETO ON TRICARE FUNDING. As part of the $87 billion emergency supplemental appropriations for security and reconstruction in Iraq (news - web sites) and Afghanistan (news - web sites) in 2003, the Senate passed an amendment that provided an additional $1.3 billion for improved medical benefits for members of the National Guard and Reserves and veterans. OMB Director Josh Bolten wrote to the Congressional Appropriations' Committees, threatening to recommend a veto, stating, "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." (Fox News 10/21/03, BVA legislative bulletin, 2003; CQ, 10/20/03, Statement of Administration Policy, 10/16/03; New York Times, 10/22/03)

REFUSED TO EXTEND TRICARE BENEFITS TO NATIONAL GUARD AND RESERVES. The Bush Administration opposed extending TRICARE health coverage to the National Guard and Reserves in the 2004 Defense Authorization Act. On July 8, 2003, Secretary Rumsfeld wrote to the House Armed Services Committee, "If the President is presented a bill that...expands TRICARE, then I would join other senior advisors to the President in recommending that he veto the bill." (Rumsfeld letter to Congressman Duncan Hunter, 7/8/03)

OVERSTRETCHED GUARD FACES DELAYED PAY AND LOST JOBS

GAO REPORT FINDS 94 percent OF GUARD SOLDIERS HAVE PAY PROBLEM. "Overall, 450 of the 481 (94 percent) Army Guard soldiers from our six case study units had at least one pay problem associated with their mobilization. In addition, our limited review of the pay experiences of the soldiers in the Colorado Army Guard's 220th Military Police Company, who are currently deployed to Iraq, indicated that some of the same types of pay problems that we found in our six case study units continued to occur." (GAO Report, "Army National Guard Personnel Mobilized to Active Duty Experienced Significant Pay Problems," 1/28/04)

GAO REPORTS SAYS ARMY RESERVE SOLDIERS HAD PAY PROBLEMS. "Of the 332 of 348 soldiers (95 percent) we audited at eight case study units that were mobilized, deployed, and demobilized at some time during the 18-month period from August 2002 through January 2004 had at least one pay problem." (GAO Report, "Army Reserve Soldiers Mobilized to Active Duty Experienced Significant Pay Problems," 8/20/04)

REPORT: PAY PROBLEMS HAVE "PROFOUND IMPACT" ON SOLDIERS AND FAMILIES. "These pay problems often had a profound adverse impact on individual soldiers and their families. For example, soldiers were required to spend considerable time, sometimes while deployed in remote, hostile environments overseas, seeking help on pay inquiries or in correcting errors in their active duty pays, allowances, and related tax benefits." (GAO Report, "Army Reserve Soldiers Mobilized to Active Duty Experienced Significant Pay Problems," 8/20/04)

SERVICE MEMBERS RETURN HOME AND FACE LOSING OLD JOBS. "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." In all, approximately 4,000 Guardsmen and reservists have filed job complaints with the Labor Department (news - web sites) since 9-11. (AP, 8/15/04)

UNDER BUSH, GUARD NOT AVAILABLE FOR DOMESTIC PRIORITIES

STATES CONCERNED THAT GUARD WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE FOR DOMESTIC PRIORITIES. The Washington Post reported that the National Guard is stretched so thin that it may have problems facing domestic disasters if they arise: "The Iraq mission is placing new stress on the active-duty Army as it leans more heavily than it has in decades on the Guard... it is provoking more immediate worries in states that rely on the Guard to deal with fires, floods, hurricanes, tornadoes and earthquakes." (Washington Post, 6/6/04)

STATES HARDEST HIT:

Ohio soon to become a "hollow force." "Ohio's commander, Maj. Gen. John H. Smith, warned, 'We will soon be a hollow force without replenishment dollars to replace what is being consumed or lost.'" (Washington Post, 6/6/04)

Oregon at half-strength. "The governor of Oregon, Ted Kulongoski, a Democrat, said in an interview...that the troop deployment (in Iraq) had left his National Guard with half the usual number of firefighters because about 400 of them were overseas while a hot, dry summer was already producing significant fires in his state." (New York Times, 7/20/04)

New Hampshire "tapped." "'As far as New Hampshire goes, we're tapped,' said Maj. Gen. John E. Blair, that state's adjutant general, or Guard commander. Of his 1,700 Army National Guard troops, more than 1,000 are in Iraq, Afghanistan or Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, or on alert for deployment." (Washington Post, 6/6/04)

North Carolina less prepared for hurricanes. "The brigade the North Carolina Guard now has in Iraq came from the southeastern and southern parts of the state, the area that tends to bear the brunt of hurricanes." (Washington Post, 6/6/04)

West Virginia stretched thin. "Some soldiers in West Virginia's 1092nd Engineering Battalion got home in April from 14 months of duty in Iraq -- only to be activated in the past few days for weeks of flood-relief work in Mingo County and other southwestern parts of the state." (Washington Post, 6/6/04)

Florida needs more funding. Florida's Maj. Gen. Douglas Burnett said: "Rather, Burnett's complaint is money: 'We're proud to be in the fight, but we've got to be funded'." (Washington Post, 6/6/04)
============
LINK: http://www.usnewswire.com/

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=stor...amilies132_xml

BTW, who's protecting us from the terrorists here at home?

I mean with Bush cutting aid to cities and cities like Cleveland having to layoff police and firefighters who's guarding us at home?

09-14-2004, 08:13 PM	#5 (permalink)
pan6467 Lennonite Priest Location: Mansfield, Ohio USA	For those who say Kerry is against the military because he didn't vote for 1 bill. What about these where Bush threatened VETO on our troops? Kerry-Edwards 2004: Overstretched Guard and Reserves, Overstretched Families Tue Sep 14, 1:11 PM ET To: National Desk Contact: Chad Clanton or Phil Singer, 202-464-2800, both of Kerry-Edwards 2004 WASHINGTON, Sept. 14 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Kerry spokesman Phil Singer said: "George Bush (news - web sites) vehemently opposed efforts to improve health care for the National Guard, Reservists and veterans but had no problem doling out billions to companies like Halliburton. It's just another example of how George Bush's emphasis on helping out his special interest friends at the expense of the brave men and women in uniform has taken the country further in the wrong direction." BUSH THREATENS VETO ON HEALTH CARE FOR GUARD AND RESERVES THREATENED VETO ON TRICARE FUNDING. As part of the $87 billion emergency supplemental appropriations for security and reconstruction in Iraq (news - web sites) and Afghanistan (news - web sites) in 2003, the Senate passed an amendment that provided an additional $1.3 billion for improved medical benefits for members of the National Guard and Reserves and veterans. OMB Director Josh Bolten wrote to the Congressional Appropriations' Committees, threatening to recommend a veto, stating, "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." (Fox News 10/21/03, BVA legislative bulletin, 2003; CQ, 10/20/03, Statement of Administration Policy, 10/16/03; New York Times, 10/22/03) REFUSED TO EXTEND TRICARE BENEFITS TO NATIONAL GUARD AND RESERVES. The Bush Administration opposed extending TRICARE health coverage to the National Guard and Reserves in the 2004 Defense Authorization Act. On July 8, 2003, Secretary Rumsfeld wrote to the House Armed Services Committee, "If the President is presented a bill that...expands TRICARE, then I would join other senior advisors to the President in recommending that he veto the bill." (Rumsfeld letter to Congressman Duncan Hunter, 7/8/03) OVERSTRETCHED GUARD FACES DELAYED PAY AND LOST JOBS GAO REPORT FINDS 94 percent OF GUARD SOLDIERS HAVE PAY PROBLEM. "Overall, 450 of the 481 (94 percent) Army Guard soldiers from our six case study units had at least one pay problem associated with their mobilization. In addition, our limited review of the pay experiences of the soldiers in the Colorado Army Guard's 220th Military Police Company, who are currently deployed to Iraq, indicated that some of the same types of pay problems that we found in our six case study units continued to occur." (GAO Report, "Army National Guard Personnel Mobilized to Active Duty Experienced Significant Pay Problems," 1/28/04) GAO REPORTS SAYS ARMY RESERVE SOLDIERS HAD PAY PROBLEMS. "Of the 332 of 348 soldiers (95 percent) we audited at eight case study units that were mobilized, deployed, and demobilized at some time during the 18-month period from August 2002 through January 2004 had at least one pay problem." (GAO Report, "Army Reserve Soldiers Mobilized to Active Duty Experienced Significant Pay Problems," 8/20/04) REPORT: PAY PROBLEMS HAVE "PROFOUND IMPACT" ON SOLDIERS AND FAMILIES. "These pay problems often had a profound adverse impact on individual soldiers and their families. For example, soldiers were required to spend considerable time, sometimes while deployed in remote, hostile environments overseas, seeking help on pay inquiries or in correcting errors in their active duty pays, allowances, and related tax benefits." (GAO Report, "Army Reserve Soldiers Mobilized to Active Duty Experienced Significant Pay Problems," 8/20/04) SERVICE MEMBERS RETURN HOME AND FACE LOSING OLD JOBS. "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." In all, approximately 4,000 Guardsmen and reservists have filed job complaints with the Labor Department (news - web sites) since 9-11. (AP, 8/15/04) UNDER BUSH, GUARD NOT AVAILABLE FOR DOMESTIC PRIORITIES STATES CONCERNED THAT GUARD WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE FOR DOMESTIC PRIORITIES. The Washington Post reported that the National Guard is stretched so thin that it may have problems facing domestic disasters if they arise: "The Iraq mission is placing new stress on the active-duty Army as it leans more heavily than it has in decades on the Guard... it is provoking more immediate worries in states that rely on the Guard to deal with fires, floods, hurricanes, tornadoes and earthquakes." (Washington Post, 6/6/04) STATES HARDEST HIT: Ohio soon to become a "hollow force." "Ohio's commander, Maj. Gen. John H. Smith, warned, 'We will soon be a hollow force without replenishment dollars to replace what is being consumed or lost.'" (Washington Post, 6/6/04) Oregon at half-strength. "The governor of Oregon, Ted Kulongoski, a Democrat, said in an interview...that the troop deployment (in Iraq) had left his National Guard with half the usual number of firefighters because about 400 of them were overseas while a hot, dry summer was already producing significant fires in his state." (New York Times, 7/20/04) New Hampshire "tapped." "'As far as New Hampshire goes, we're tapped,' said Maj. Gen. John E. Blair, that state's adjutant general, or Guard commander. Of his 1,700 Army National Guard troops, more than 1,000 are in Iraq, Afghanistan or Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, or on alert for deployment." (Washington Post, 6/6/04) North Carolina less prepared for hurricanes. "The brigade the North Carolina Guard now has in Iraq came from the southeastern and southern parts of the state, the area that tends to bear the brunt of hurricanes." (Washington Post, 6/6/04) West Virginia stretched thin. "Some soldiers in West Virginia's 1092nd Engineering Battalion got home in April from 14 months of duty in Iraq -- only to be activated in the past few days for weeks of flood-relief work in Mingo County and other southwestern parts of the state." (Washington Post, 6/6/04) Florida needs more funding. Florida's Maj. Gen. Douglas Burnett said: "Rather, Burnett's complaint is money: 'We're proud to be in the fight, but we've got to be funded'." (Washington Post, 6/6/04) ============ LINK: http://www.usnewswire.com/ http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=stor...amilies132_xml BTW, who's protecting us from the terrorists here at home? I mean with Bush cutting aid to cities and cities like Cleveland having to layoff police and firefighters who's guarding us at home? __________________ I just love people who use the excuse "I use/do this because I LOVE the feeling/joy/happiness it brings me" and expect you to be ok with that as you watch them destroy their life blindly following. My response is, "I like to put forks in an eletrical socket, just LOVE that feeling, can't ever get enough of it, so will you let me put this copper fork in that electric socket?" Last edited by pan6467; 09-14-2004 at 08:15 PM..