Wednesday, January 16, 2008

Democrats Disrespect Iowa’s Veterans Again

TRS recently got started on our review of the Democrats budget plans. A noticeable absence was the Veteran’s Trust Fund.

The VTF was started by the Republican General Assembly back in 2003. The program is administered by a non-partisan trust board. The fund was designed to give the state flexibility in assisting Iowa’s returning vets, particularly with problems that were common to vets but failed to fit in an existing program.

The VTF could be spent helping vets in the following categories:

1. Travel expenses for wounded veterans directly related to follow-up medical care;
2. Job training or college tuition assistance for job retraining;
3. Unemployment assistance during a period of unemployment due to prolonged physical or mental illness or disability resulting from military service;
4. Expenses related to nursing facility or at-home care;
5. Benefits provided to children of disabled or deceased veterans;
6. Individual counseling or family counseling programs;
7. Family support group programs or programs for children of members of the military;
8. Honor guard services.

Republican leadership recognized that vets may not need social workers and social workers administrative bureaucrats to administer the social workers but that vets may simply need some money to help them through a tough time. Republicans commenced the program with a half million dollar budget back in 2004.

The program worked. Benefits got through to the actual humans that needed them with minimal overhead. The bi-partisan commission that administers the VTF recommended a permanent $4.5 million budget, and Republicans approved that amount in2006, together with budget commitments to ensure future financial solvency.

In 2007 the Democrats cut the VTF back to $500K. Gov. Lugs latest budget allocates zero to the VTF. That’s right – nothing to help Iowa’s vets with the necessities of life.

Why does the Democrat leadership in Iowa think the vets who die in service of their country don’t deserve an Honor Guard at their funeral? It’s hard to get past that one.

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

If the federal government didn't shit all over the vets the state wouldn't need to pay for stuff like this.

bgunzy said...

Ah, but The Big Lug will order all flags to half-staff when an Iowa soldier dies, right? Isn't that enough to honor our vets?

Simply amazing. I don't know if Lug is simply an idiot or actually doesn't care about our soldiers.

Anonymous said...

What's going on with the State Central Committee and the Chairmanship? Is Ray Hoffmann resigning?

Anonymous said...

I really wanted to be for Fred. I really wanted him to do well. I really thought he might do it. But, instead, he has behaved as if he just "ought" to get it. I have found him to be thinskinned in interviews. I couldn't believe it when I heard him accusing Fox of conspiring against him and for Rudy.

He's real personal in his attacks on the other candidates, which serves to insult the voters who are FOR that candidate.

He's just been nothing but a grumpy old man, and not very presidential as an old man.

Anonymous said...

So vigilante gets his feelings hurt when he is insulted. vigilante, here's how not to get insulted. Quit insulting the good folks who are republicans on this blog and we'll leave you alone. Your comments are always SEETHING with nastiness and sarcasm about GOPers. We don't like that here. So, plan to be insulted every time you do it.

You understand don't you? It's kind of a "justice" thing.

Anonymous said...

To all of you who refused to vote for Jim Nussle (talking to you Deace), congratulations on your support for Governor Big Lug and his dedication to spending more of your money on stupid things while disrespecting our vets. Very well thought out.

Anonymous said...

Speaking of the session, R's one big thing they want to discuss is gay marriage. - That's it! The most burning issue in the state?? If that's the R view, your gas tank is empty. Things are looking good for D's in the fall, even if one can't be too impressed with my side (guv or legislature) either.

Anonymous said...

actually r's are talking about property tax releif, education standards and health care affordability...

just because activists are at teh capitol advocating for an issue doesn't mean that house and senate members are using that issue as their sole disucssion.

check your facts RF

Anonymous said...

What was Rants talking about the first day of the session: gay marriage. - That's a fact.

Anonymous said...

he mentioned it in his speech.

he also mentioned health caer, property taxes and education

so saying that's the only thing r's are talking about is disingenuous

Anonymous said...

The R's were the ones holding up state standards for years. Local control was the mantra . . . . (unless it means local towns deciding on smoking bans). At least both sides have finally seen what the rest of the country is doing with state standards in education and are moving in that direction.

Cedar Waxwing said...

Anon..

If the ISEA is going to keep demanding that the State Legislature throw more and more money into the schools..then they had better expect that the teachers be held to some basic standards..

If we're graduating kids who can't read..write, do basic math, balance a checkbook or have any other basic life skills....what the hell good does it do to keep throwing more money at the problem...

Yes..we want local districts to have control of how they achieve these basic goals....but cmon anon..at the bare minimum..a kid graduating HS should be able to read, write, do math, etc...

Anonymous said...

Local control was supposed to be about school boards running the schools, not the NEA and it's evil branch office, the ISEA. Citizens and parents of the community used to be the one thing that kept the union at bay from ruining education. It was supposed to be a oversight board, the one that the Superintendent, Principals etc all had to report to for accountability.

That obviously doesn't work anymore. The school boards are dominated by left wingers who go along with everything the NEA and it's evil subgroup, the ISEA want.

What does the NEA and ISEA want? These UNIONS want what all unions want. More pay for less work.

That's why we need state standards now. Sadly, it seems, the legislature is our only hope of reversing the slide downward that the UNIONS have created for our schools and our kids.

Anonymous said...

You hit on something Cedar. The newest slavery is keeping people poor and stupid. That is why the ISEA is so dead against any competition in our educational systems.

Stupid people are easier to control and vote overwhelmingly DemocRAT.

Anonymous said...

You guys are so full of shit your eyes are brown. The ISEA and NEA have nothing to do with setting curriculum. Get off your lazy asses and volunteer to sit on one of those committees in your local schools - that's where the curriculum decisions get made. Same thing with the "left wing" school boards (what the hell does that even mean?) - put your name on the ballot or shut the hell up.

Anonymous said...

Um..where you been anon.. The ISEA and NEA most certainly want to exert influence on local curriculums....they want more $$ with no strings attached..

ISEA and NEA sit around and complain about how setting standards "raises the bar" without more $$...

If the NEA/ISEA thinks "raising the bar" means ensuring our students are able to read, write, do basic math, balance a checkbook..have life skills in order to be a productive member of society...then the ISEA's bar is pretty sad and pathetic.

Iowa used be #1 in the nation when it came to education. Our HS kids came out better prepared, better educated than anywhere in the country..

Now..we're at the middle of the pack and continuing to decline..

Yet, the NEA/ISEA refuse to acknoledge the problem..and merely expect government to throw more money into a system that isnt working...

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