thedrifter
10-21-02, 05:34 PM
The following letter by jack@momule.com (Paul) is the most common sense
letter I have seen come down the pike in many a day, I encourage you read
and if to your liking, adhere to Paul's recommendations. Further, this letter
should be copied and pasted and sent through out the USA before 5 November
2002.
Friends:
In less than three weeks the 2003 elections will be upon us. The
politicians have been begging and pleading for our votes and for our
campaign contributions. The President has been begging and pleading for our
votes for those of his party who will support his agenda. We have been
begging and pleading for all of them to listen to us and to do just a little
to restore what we rightfully earned during our military careers of twenty
or more years in uniform. They apparently have not heard us!
It appears that the President, and those Senators and Congressmen who are
aligned with him, are willing to forgo supporting us in preference to giving
him their support. Yet they still want our support at the ballot box. Is
there something wrong with this picture? I want and need your vote so I can
support the President, even though I may desert you along the way. Yes,
Yes, I know, we have those who are cosponsors of legislation that is
important to us. We have those who get up before the public and television
cameras on national holidays and offer their deepest gratitude for the
service rendered by the veterans of military service. They are great at
stating "This grateful nation" when referring to the sacrifices of those men
and women who served this nation in war and peace. Yet, when tit comes to
tat and those bills before Congress come down to the wire, we have those in
the administration of every stripe working against giving anything to the
retired military and veterans. "We just don't have the money"! That is the
answer. Then where does the money come from to give themselves a $5,000.00
proposed pay raise? And about all those pork-barrel projects they want in
their home districts to help them get votes? Where does that money come
from? Or what about them considering the declaration of a war that may cost
as much as $200 billion. Where is that money to be found? Huh? Where?
From the backs of the military retirees and veterans, that's where.
In 2003 during the 107th Congress, there have been bills introduced that
would help to rectify some of the wrongs of the past. Remember Health Care
for life for career military retirees and their families? Congressman
Ronnie Shows (D-MS) has tried for several years to get this wrong corrected.
He succeeded partially with the introduction and passage of Tricare For Life
and the establishment of the National Mail in Pharmacy. He has continued to
push for the government to keep it's promise to all military retirees but
his legislation, notwithstanding many cosponsors, still has not made it into
law. Senator Harry Reid (D-NV) and Congressman Michael Bilirakis (R-FL)
have introduced legislation in both Houses of Congress to correct the
discrimination that has existed for over 110 years that prohibits disabled
military retirees from receiving both their military retirement pay and VA
disability compensation. The retired pay is offset, dollar for dollar, by
the amount received from the VA. During this past year, there have been 82
cosponsors in the Senate and 402 cosponsors in the House to this
legislation. That essentially told everyone that "this is the year for
concurrent receipt"! When it finally looked like there would be some sort
of amicable agreement between the Senate and House conferees to solve
differences in this legislation, the Speaker of the House gets into the
act. He intends to hold this up because he knows there enough votes in both
Houses to override the threatened Presidential veto. Can't take any chances
to let the President look bad. Those military retirees will never figure
this out!
So there we are, right down to the wire for election day and the House
members leave town not to return until after we cast our ballots. They
think by delaying this legislation until after the election and thereby any
threat to their being reelected will be forgotten, it will be safe to come
back and then kill the bill. THEY NEED TO HAVE A SURPRISE WAITING FOR THEM
ON ELECTION DAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2002! The President wants to continue his hold
on the House and to regain control of the Senate. THAT IS WHERE WE CAN GIVE
THEM ALL THEIR SURPRISE! Since the President himself is not up for
reelection at this time, we can give him and others a clear message. YOU
FAILED US AND IN FACT DISHONORED US WITH YOUR WRANGLING OVER LEGISLATION
THAT AFFECTS OUR LIVES DAILY! THIS IS OUR MESSAGE TO YOU! MISTER
PRESIDENT, HERE IS YOUR NEW CONGRESS, BOTH HOUSES UNDER CONTROL OF THE
OPPOSITION PARTY. WE HOPE THIS WILL HELP YOU TO REALIZE THAT OUR GOVERNMENT
OF THE PEOPLE, BY THE PEOPLE AND FOR THE PEOPLE, IS AT WORK! IT IS NOW UP
TO YOU TO WORK WITH THEM TO CARRY OUT THE BUSINESS OF THE PEOPLE IN A MANNER
THAT IS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONSTITUTION. WE KNOW THERE WILL STILL BE
DISAGREEMENTS BUT THERE WILL ALSO BE AGREEMENTS. WE KNOW THAT HISTORY HAS
SHOWN THAT WHENEVER THE PARTY OF THE PRESIDENT WINS THE WHITEHOUSE, THE
CONGRESS OF THE OPPOSING PARTY ALWAYS GETS THINGS DONE BETTER.
So Friends, there you have it. My opinion of how we can make the government
work better for us in the future. I speak as neither a Republican nor as a
Democrat. I belong to no political party because I don't want my freedom of
choice taken from me. I want to retain the right to vote as I see fit
without undue influence by a party that is concerned about wielding power
and nothing else. If we can be effective at sending this message in 2002,
it will ensure that the military retiree and veterans communities will be
remembered as those who should not be overlooked in the future. We shall
have been effective in sending the message that they need to hear - We
expect and demand what is rightly due us and what we have earned. We want
nothing more! Respect that fact and we and our elected officials can get
along.
Paul
Sempers,
Roger
letter I have seen come down the pike in many a day, I encourage you read
and if to your liking, adhere to Paul's recommendations. Further, this letter
should be copied and pasted and sent through out the USA before 5 November
2002.
Friends:
In less than three weeks the 2003 elections will be upon us. The
politicians have been begging and pleading for our votes and for our
campaign contributions. The President has been begging and pleading for our
votes for those of his party who will support his agenda. We have been
begging and pleading for all of them to listen to us and to do just a little
to restore what we rightfully earned during our military careers of twenty
or more years in uniform. They apparently have not heard us!
It appears that the President, and those Senators and Congressmen who are
aligned with him, are willing to forgo supporting us in preference to giving
him their support. Yet they still want our support at the ballot box. Is
there something wrong with this picture? I want and need your vote so I can
support the President, even though I may desert you along the way. Yes,
Yes, I know, we have those who are cosponsors of legislation that is
important to us. We have those who get up before the public and television
cameras on national holidays and offer their deepest gratitude for the
service rendered by the veterans of military service. They are great at
stating "This grateful nation" when referring to the sacrifices of those men
and women who served this nation in war and peace. Yet, when tit comes to
tat and those bills before Congress come down to the wire, we have those in
the administration of every stripe working against giving anything to the
retired military and veterans. "We just don't have the money"! That is the
answer. Then where does the money come from to give themselves a $5,000.00
proposed pay raise? And about all those pork-barrel projects they want in
their home districts to help them get votes? Where does that money come
from? Or what about them considering the declaration of a war that may cost
as much as $200 billion. Where is that money to be found? Huh? Where?
From the backs of the military retirees and veterans, that's where.
In 2003 during the 107th Congress, there have been bills introduced that
would help to rectify some of the wrongs of the past. Remember Health Care
for life for career military retirees and their families? Congressman
Ronnie Shows (D-MS) has tried for several years to get this wrong corrected.
He succeeded partially with the introduction and passage of Tricare For Life
and the establishment of the National Mail in Pharmacy. He has continued to
push for the government to keep it's promise to all military retirees but
his legislation, notwithstanding many cosponsors, still has not made it into
law. Senator Harry Reid (D-NV) and Congressman Michael Bilirakis (R-FL)
have introduced legislation in both Houses of Congress to correct the
discrimination that has existed for over 110 years that prohibits disabled
military retirees from receiving both their military retirement pay and VA
disability compensation. The retired pay is offset, dollar for dollar, by
the amount received from the VA. During this past year, there have been 82
cosponsors in the Senate and 402 cosponsors in the House to this
legislation. That essentially told everyone that "this is the year for
concurrent receipt"! When it finally looked like there would be some sort
of amicable agreement between the Senate and House conferees to solve
differences in this legislation, the Speaker of the House gets into the
act. He intends to hold this up because he knows there enough votes in both
Houses to override the threatened Presidential veto. Can't take any chances
to let the President look bad. Those military retirees will never figure
this out!
So there we are, right down to the wire for election day and the House
members leave town not to return until after we cast our ballots. They
think by delaying this legislation until after the election and thereby any
threat to their being reelected will be forgotten, it will be safe to come
back and then kill the bill. THEY NEED TO HAVE A SURPRISE WAITING FOR THEM
ON ELECTION DAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2002! The President wants to continue his hold
on the House and to regain control of the Senate. THAT IS WHERE WE CAN GIVE
THEM ALL THEIR SURPRISE! Since the President himself is not up for
reelection at this time, we can give him and others a clear message. YOU
FAILED US AND IN FACT DISHONORED US WITH YOUR WRANGLING OVER LEGISLATION
THAT AFFECTS OUR LIVES DAILY! THIS IS OUR MESSAGE TO YOU! MISTER
PRESIDENT, HERE IS YOUR NEW CONGRESS, BOTH HOUSES UNDER CONTROL OF THE
OPPOSITION PARTY. WE HOPE THIS WILL HELP YOU TO REALIZE THAT OUR GOVERNMENT
OF THE PEOPLE, BY THE PEOPLE AND FOR THE PEOPLE, IS AT WORK! IT IS NOW UP
TO YOU TO WORK WITH THEM TO CARRY OUT THE BUSINESS OF THE PEOPLE IN A MANNER
THAT IS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONSTITUTION. WE KNOW THERE WILL STILL BE
DISAGREEMENTS BUT THERE WILL ALSO BE AGREEMENTS. WE KNOW THAT HISTORY HAS
SHOWN THAT WHENEVER THE PARTY OF THE PRESIDENT WINS THE WHITEHOUSE, THE
CONGRESS OF THE OPPOSING PARTY ALWAYS GETS THINGS DONE BETTER.
So Friends, there you have it. My opinion of how we can make the government
work better for us in the future. I speak as neither a Republican nor as a
Democrat. I belong to no political party because I don't want my freedom of
choice taken from me. I want to retain the right to vote as I see fit
without undue influence by a party that is concerned about wielding power
and nothing else. If we can be effective at sending this message in 2002,
it will ensure that the military retiree and veterans communities will be
remembered as those who should not be overlooked in the future. We shall
have been effective in sending the message that they need to hear - We
expect and demand what is rightly due us and what we have earned. We want
nothing more! Respect that fact and we and our elected officials can get
along.
Paul
Sempers,
Roger