Homeless vets' aid vowed - Hawaii News

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is going to take 131,000 homeless veterans off the nation's street in five years, vows Kauai-born Eric "Ric" Shinseki, the Vietnam War veteran who is the agency's new leader.

[Pat Smith]

For decades our government has done a very good job of saving taxpayers’ money with inadequate Veterans Affairs funding.

President Obama recently made excellent leadership appointments to Veterans Affairs. Even with their proven leadership abilities, and impeccable credentials, both Secretary Eric Shinseki and Deputy Secretary W. Scott Gould are facing the cumulative inadequacies of decades past. The tiny fuse of overmedication that has kept this whole VA system operational for 30-some years now desperately needs to be replaced with major re-wiring.

This young generation of veterans should not have to experience the palliative treatment of health care most veterans using the VA have experienced for decades. It would be great to see the VA step into the 21st century as the leader in world-class health care.

But after decades of under-funding, this proposed new VA budget is not enough. For our new leadership to achieve its full potential along with world-class VA health care, a one-time, additional funding of $20 billion for a ‘21st century investment in VA healthcare’ is desperately needed.

The VA has many good doctors working there who will feel much relief to actually have the opportunity to treat their patients instead of just medicating their symptoms.

[the thai kid]

i personally cant believe the veterans adminisation creating a comprehensive program for homeless veterans...they should deal with the combat service-connected issues from 8 years of war instead of giving thier va employees 24 million dollars in bonus monies.....they propgandize the american people...the veterans never get the treatment and entitilements under federal law. they are so backlogged with claims the war time vets have to wait at least 2 years just for thier claims to be processed and reviewed....what does that tell you mr shinseki ..to me you are just another va beaurcrat

[Von]

Veterans have to speak up more and keep informed.
A good place to start would be on the internet:

http://www.hawaii.va.gov/

Then next would be the toll free phone numbers.

There was a huge problem with suicide and homelessness. As for as suicide is concerned help is available 24 hours a day now and as for as homelessness goes that area has been improving, but you have to speak up if you need help.

[Pat]

We have heard this so many times without results.I wonder if the America Government could just stop its wars of aggression? People and the planet are being destroyed.

[Displaced Veteran]

This is propoganda. The reality is that the claims backlog has risen on Shinseki's watch to almost 1,000,000 Veterans waiting on benefits, and those are at extremely high risk of homelessness. No better is the new GI bill, which the VA was not ready for, and about 200,000 backlogged Vets will likely have their promise to go to college broken by the VA.

[old lady]

pat:

please stop with your total garbage. people are dying just so you can continue to denigrate this country.

it's one thing to critize a policy.

it's quite another to spew your vitriolic sense of logic at every opportunity.

[noend]

uuhhm..$3,800,000,000.00 and 85% of this money to aid mental health and DRUG ABUSE next year....wake up general, it will be just another of the federal governments money wasting PROJECTS....where are we getting all of this MONEY from????....we already have a $5,000,000,000,000.00 DEFICIT.it appears that all our government do is to THROW our taxpayers money away.nothing they do ever works.what you folks should be doing is to STOP all of the WASTED MONEY PROJECTS IN THE FEDERAL LEVEL because they are WAY TO MANY.

[the thai kid]

sad how the V.A. tries to maintain its public relations and public image to help disabled homeless veterans...they have been trying to communicate this message for years...i can say they have secured housing for vets on the ewa beach air station......which does assist veterans....but being a homeless veteran as i was taught me disciple and humility i choose to be homeless i lived in a green vw van for many years on the island of oahu.....and i never believed or trusted the federal government or cared for thier government programs...i was service connected and awarded 100% disability ..i use and appreciate my medical benefits eyes and teeth . free medical and free medicine....l I patronize the va medical facilities at spark matsunaga veterans clinic...sparky was a champion for veterans rights as he assisted me in attaining my entitlements under federal law...senator akaka and the new va director realize and respesct the needs of all veterans more so then the government ...i have mixed opinions how the V.A. bureaucratically can deny and discriminate hearing for compensation......they recently changed the hearing process to having your case heard from differnt veteran administration offices throughout the country....there is still a back-load of cases that not even the the 2 va boards can bring up to date ...all veterans ask is for a fair hand -shake with the V.A. It is the Secretary of the Veterans A dministration job to see that his agency is being administered under the federal laws of this great nation ...i have exercised my freedom of speech....each V.A. has a director who runs the Vetrans facilities. I suggest if VETERANS have a grievance you see the va director in your state MY experience says go to the higher ups and stay away from the bureaucratsand thier red tape

[Pat Smith]

Wow sounds like some veterans here need to learn how to leave the politics out of veterans issues, and also really need;

Something to Believe In

http://www.youtube.com/watch...

[Mike]

Good. Get them off of the streets and away from the bus stops.

[Sensei J Richard Kirkham]

About time. Homeless veterans is an insult to this nation, to those who serve our country and to those who will serve in the future

Rick
http://martialarts808.com/

[August]

Horrifying Prison-Like Shelters are NOT HOUSING.
The homeless veterans are begging & pleading for REAL CAREER/TRADE TRAINING and REAL HOUSING, and REAL JOBS to pay for the housing, but the VA & Poverty Pimp refuse, mandating forced Evangelical Christianity "Jesus Saves" Insanity & Mandatory 12-Step Religious Cultism, Mandating "Life Skills" nonsense and sorting clothes at Goodwill masqueraded as "Job Training"

FYI: The homeless veterans have already been through those SAME EXACT PRISON MODEL programs 10 times and are back on the beach.

[August]

The VA & POVERTY PIMP have got to stop their 12-Step Religious Cult "ABSOLUTE SOBRIETY FOR LIFE" nonsense. The HOUSED ISLANDERS are ripped-to-the-tits every night and they aren't homeless.
THE PROBLEM IS POVERTY & THE INSANE LEGAL SYSTEM where just one ticket on your record can destroy your entire life!