What could possibly sound more useful and compassionate? The devil is in the details.
I constantly search other Veterans websites and glean them for meaningful things that may help you, the Veteran, in your pursuit of justice. However, when I run across a prime example of do-gooders run amuck, I cringe. Help should be spontaneous and unconditional for Vets. We defended America and expect them to honor their compact with us. What could possibly be more wasteful of limited resources than to do the following…
http://www.veteranstoday.com/2011/10/24/all-men-are-created-equal-except-homeless-veterans/
No offense to the Kenster, but he looks a little wet behind the ears on this one. A cel phone that ET would have a hard time phoning home on? Hello? McFly? Look at me without laughing, Ken Smith, and tell me you think this is the solution or even a beginning towards ending homelessness. This is hopeless social engineering with nothing accruing to the Vet. Feel good programs let social workers sleep better at night, but do nothing to improve the homeless’ lot. Throwing a cel phone into the mix is like handing out flashlights with no batteries. What honestly must pass through their pointed little heads when they “envision” these schemes?
Or this one already preplanned for a photo op and the news and film at eleven:
Veterans Advocate Bill Pittman, M.Ed. , Director of Special Programs for the “Veterans Workshop” and alum of Boston College will help launch this program in Washington DC with a homeless veteran calling his VA outpatient clinic coordinator in early 2012. Together with support and encouragement, all Americans can bring a voice to those who have given so much. Homeless veterans are asking for a voice because they are now -voiceless. Oh shit. What happens if the overworked outpatient clinic coordinator puts him on hold for 45 minutes? What if his cel phone battery runs out while he’s waiting for meaningful assistance? Smart money says they’ll be sitting there waiting for his call at the expense of every other Vet calling in.
Ki Yi yippee all day. Let’s launch another program that will run out of funding in six months and then what the hey? Launch another one. If they keep this up, we’ll be too busy attending the launchings and cheering to notice all the homeless Vets sleeping on the park benches behind us. I’m sure Bill Pittman and all his cadre think they’re going to make a difference with genetically inferior cel phones, but I have been watching this Dog and Pony show for decades and I have seen more “get rid of homelessness” programs launched than I can count. News flash! We still have an epidemic of this and all the king’s men and all the King’s horses haven’t managed to make meaningful inroads in it. The VASEC recently (six months ?) announced that he, too, was going to slay this dragon before he leaves office or die trying. Oh, please. Spare us the theatrics. What we don’t get to see is the army of Bill Pittmans he has hired as consultants at $120K a year to study this and make recommendations to VA on how to fix it. After paying all the REMFs to demonstrate how to use a cel phone at a VA photo op in 2012, the coffers will be empty. The 99% will be hornswoggled out of their money yet again and the fat cats will be shopping for a new “problem” to study and cure. They are so helpful. What would we do without them?
If we took all the money devoted to these studies and actually spent it on the homeless Vet- and not all the administrative infrastructure they employ to deliver it, we might discover we accidentally fixed in the problem. Thousands of you are out there willing to donate your time and energy to the plight of disenfranchised Vets, yet the Government doesn’t trust you to be objective like them. You are well-meaning but unprepared and untrained to perform anything other than mundane volunteer work. Therefore, VA must hire trained professionals. Everyone has to have a Masters in Sociology to get on this gravy train. No, the smart money to ending homelessness is to enroll them all in college, give them a degree and then a job at the VA. Yep- more government equals more taxes. Take a page from the Wall Street krewe- Kill the rich and take their money. Income redistribution is the cure, apparently, until we run out of rich people. And then what?
asknod
Bethanie Spangenberg
kcraveiro
robinhoodesqvetsatty
Wesley McCauley
Veterans Claims Help 
These propaganda campaigns to smooze the politicos and sway the public are cheaper, just the bottom line here. This cellphone campaign is just bunk designed to brainwash the public and not do anything at all for the homeless vet. I think you are right on to say that it is more beneficial to train vets and give them jobs. There are a certain percentage of homeless DISABLED vets like me who are already highly educated with impeccable certifications and work experience that just need jobs! Some of us have very limiting physical disabilities not mental ones! Hello Mr. VASEC, is anybody in there? This “let them eat cake” attitude is simply profound arrogance! But then as long as they can keep the suicide rate high, that bails them out of the problem. Dead vets tend to fall out of the statistics. The VA treats us like we are asking for welfare or charity. Like we are trying to “fool” the system just to get benefits.
ET has no home to phone!