Well, as usual we are treated to Saturday morning news of Veterans-what else is important? As some know, in Southern California there is a large tract of land (400 acres) called the VA’s west LA campus. This was deeded in 1888 to be specifically set aside for Veterans housing purposes. This was the case for almost a century-until the end of the Vietnam Boundary Dispute. At that time, there were approximately 4,000 Vets still living there in VA housing. I’m sure the VA heard celestial voices insisting on a higher purpose and gave Vets the boot. The housing has since deteriorated with no maintenance as could be expected. But what of the rest of the campus?

In order to get some extra baksheesh for their martini happy hours and bonus remuneration fund, they have been leasing the property out during the ensuing decades. Face it- homeless Vets are indigent and not in a position to pay for this free housing. Faced with negative publicity due to the Veterans homeless population rumored to be as high as 8,000 locally, out of a total of 107,000 nationally, the VA recently made a big showing of revoking those leases. Or did they?

Closer examination of the property reveals that a public golf course, athletic practice fields for a prestigious prep school (Brentwood) and a college baseball stadium (UCLA Bruins) are still leasing parts of the property. In addition, the Enterprise Car rental and Tumbleweed Charter Buses outfits are leasing large areas for vehicle storage. The Sodexho Marriot has taken over the former VA laundry facility and the Barrington  Dog Park and Recreation Center are alive and well, too. Well, shucks. At least the dogs are being accommodated. The Brentwood Theatre also has a facility there. I assume it has something to do with properly preparing the kids at the prep school for a future in Hollywood. Oh, and did I mention there is a VAMC located there, too?

http://www.aclu-sc.org/documents/view/332

The ACLU has decided to rep a few homeless of the vaunted 8% who heard the Patriotic  Call. VA feels this is basically much ado about nothing and has asked for a dismissal of the lawsuit- probably based on the idea that it’s far more lucrative to continue the leases than minister to the great unwashed. U.S. Judge S. James Otero made it clear that the case is going forward and that the property was clearly set aside to help Veterans-not private schools and colleges.

While we commiserate with Tumbleweed Bus and Enterprise Car Rental that it’s damned hard to find storage space close to LAX for that many vehicles, we find it incongruous that they feel their predicament is more pressing. As for balancing the needs of the UCLA Bruins and a bunch of  culturally and athletically deprived prep school children against homeless Vets, we have to ask: “Are ya kidding me?” I don’t blame Marriott of showing up. If a perfectly good,  surplus VA laundry facility was lying around unused, I’d certainly attempt to take advantage of it.

We can only wonder who got the ax on their leases. The West LA Playboy Club? Mayhaps Solyndra Solar Panels, Inc? Now that the war religious misunderstanding in  Southwest Asia is winding down, VA will probably declare the acreage surplus and unnecessary for their purposes and sell it to Principi, Peake, et al for a dollar and other valuable considerations (read political contributions). QTC can then relocate their operation from Diamond Bar and provide a valuable service for Vets doing C&Ps conveniently located cheek and jowl next to all those “habitation-challenged” Veterans who foolishly choose a vicarious life of homelessness over a more mundane one as  productive members of society.

http://www.ktvl.com/articles/veterans-1204210-judge-says.htm

http://www.scpr.org/news/2012/03/16/31665/fed-judge-rules-aclu-lawsuit-against-va-la-may-pro

http://www.cnn.com/2011/10/22/health/homeless-veterans/index.html

Whichever way it comes down, I’m sure Vets everywhere will collectively scratch their heads and say “Huh? Has VA lost their minds?” VA will continue to spend profligately on “studies” to determine if they need to do anything about it. Many trees will be converted into the pulp needed to publish these studies, further increasing the probability of global warming. Eventually a responsible party will convene a beer summit in the Rose Garden (weather, public uproar and schedule permitting). I expect the aforementioned homeless Vets will be “unavailable on such short notice”.

They’ll reach a modus vivendi on this. Trust me. The property will be sold and a monument to these men and women will be erected in a designated wetlands area in Cucamonga  or the Mojave desert. The statue will be created by the sculptor who did the Vietnam Wall and will depict a Homeless Vet pushing a purloined shopping cart with all his worldly possessions. Said homeless Vets, should they desire to view this heart-rending statuary, will be bused there at no charge several times a day in a grand “green”, wind turbine-powered conveyance (wind permitting). After several years, there will be a small fee to offset the costs. This will be called an “energy surcharge and carbon tax” to defray the cost of towing the bus to and fro when the wind isn’t blowing.

Life will return to normal and the homeless will retreat to their abodes beneath highway overpasses. Millions more will be spent in years to come in an effort to study and cure this phenomenon. The actual pursuit of, and identification of these homeless Vets will continue on selected private golf courses and four star restaurants across the nation. Eventually the notion that these souls exist will be disproved as none will be found. Funding for the homeless can then cease and be devoted to far more worthy causes which we under-educated boobs cannot imagine as yet.

I apologize for being caustic. I am blessed and cannot conceive of the life these poor souls endure. I was close a few times in the early 70’s when I was rudely “divorced” from the military. Veterans deserve better than to be kicked like a can down the road. The time to deal with it is now. The facilities are there now. The will isn’t.

P.S. Attached is the Court motion on this.

Valentini v. Shinseki