FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Political Science vs. Government – Did They Make Us Lose The Way?
710 words
Harlingen, Texas, May 31, 2008: Back in those long ago days when I was
a college undergraduate, I selected a major. It was called
Government. Now this word distinction is important because in those
days our institutions of higher learning thought they were obligated
to teach about the art of governance. Today it is difficult to find a
major field of study listed as Government. Instead it has been
replaced by Political Science.
These two titles are now considered to be the same, but really have
markedly different meanings. As defined in Webster’s New Collegiate
Dictionary, the primary definition of Government or Governance is
“moral conduct or behavior, discretion, in the act or process of
governing”. Political Science, which has replaced that specific
college major, is defined as “a social science concerned chiefly with
the description and analysis of political and especially governmental
institutions”.
You can see the difference at a glance. Colleges and universities of
the past taught young students about how to conduct themselves morally
and with discretion while governing. Today these institutions teach
about the workings of governmental bodies and the politics of working
in such environments.
Just as the lessons on governance have vanished with the passage of
time, so has the morality and discretion taught in those now forgotten
classrooms. In place of those studies our students learn about the
“politics” of government, which is in reality learning about how to
win office and hold control of government. This is a very wrong-
headed approach to how the public arena should be viewed.
Because the virtues of public service have been diminished, people now
entering into these fields learn primarily from those who currently
hold positions of power. They learn “politics”, not “government”.
The difference can best be expressed in a current tongue-in-cheek
definition of the word. Politics (n.): 1. A multitude of special
interests masquerading as a contest of principles. 2. The conduct of
public affairs by public officials for private advantage and private
fortune.
Because political science or politics is the rule, rather than the
exception, we have an unending collection of political jokes that
range from…”Our politicians are so crooked that when they die, we have
to screw them into the ground”, to “Question: How do you tell if a
politician is lying?
Answer: His lips are moving!”
Seldom does a week pass without us hearing about politicos who have
stolen from the public, lied to their constituents, cheated on their
families, committed sexual misconduct, distorted their record, padded
their resume, taken credit for good things they had no part in
advancing, put blame on the backs of others for their own failings,
accepted bribes or falsified records.
If they are not into committing any of the above, they are standing
around with a moist finger raised high to check which way the
political wind is blowing. This is done so frequently that most folks
think it is some form of political salute.
There are really very few office holders on the national scene that
can be considered as quality individuals who are dedicating their
lives to moral conduct and behavior, discretion and the art of
governance. In their place we have managed to substitute political
parties and political animals that find it next to impossible to be
honest with the public. Government is gone…. replaced by politics,
politics, politics…or win at any cost. It has turned us into a nation
that constantly votes for the least offensive of several very bad
choices…and we get bad officials as the result of our own actions.
Even staying home and not voting isn’t a good option, because then, we
are giving another vote to the other guy we don’t want to see in office.
Some people think we can blame political science, a preoccupation with
enhancing political parties and a failure to demand quality candidates
for the mess we have in today’s public arena. When the academics
stopped teaching government we lost all those great young minds that
dreamed of meaningful public service. We allowed our nation to become
a tool of the political elite…and America today is the big loser.
Semper Fidelis
Tom Segel
tomsegel@sbcglobal.net
Friday, May 30, 2008
Political Science vs. Government – Did They Make Us Lose The Way?
OIF/OEF veterans get phone calls from VA
WASHINGTON (May 30, 2008) -- The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
announced today it has completed making calls to veterans potentially
identified as being ill or injured from Operation Enduring Freedom and
Operation Iraqi Freedom (OEF-OIF), and will immediately begin targeting
over 500,000 OEF-OIF veterans who have been discharged from active duty
but have not contacted VA for health care.
"We promised to reach out to every OEF and OIF veteran to let them know
we are here for them -- and we are making real progress in doing so,"
said Dr. James B. Peake, Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
A contractor-operated "Combat Veteran Call Center" is making the initial
calls on behalf of VA. All potentially sick or injured veterans on VA's
list received an offer to appoint a care manager to work with them if
they do not have one already. VA care managers ensure veterans receive
appropriate care and know about their VA benefits.
In the new phase, beginning today, veterans who have not accessed health
care from VA will be called and informed of the benefits and services
available to them. Additionally, military personnel received
information about VA benefits when they left active duty, and the
Department had sent every veteran a letter with this information after
their discharge.
For five years after their discharge from the military, these combat
veterans have special access to VA health care, including screening for
signs of post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury. VA
personnel have been deployed to the military's major medical centers to
assist wounded service members and their families during the transition
to civilian lives.
"VA is focused on getting these veterans the help they need and
deserve," said Secretary Peake. "I expect these calls to make a real
difference in many veterans' lives."
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When are they going to call the Vietnam Era veterans to make sure they know what programs are avialbale to help them and their families?
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Army suicides reported up again at 115 in 2007
Army suicides reported up again at 115 in 2007
By PAULINE JELINEK
The Associated Press
Thursday, May 29, 2008; 3:28 PM
WASHINGTON -- The number of Army suicides increased again last year, amid the most violent year yet in both the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. An Army official said Thursday that 115 troops committed suicide in 2007, a nearly 13 percent increase over the previous year's 102. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because a full report on the deaths wasn't being released until later Thursday.
About a quarter of the deaths occurred in Iraq.
The 115 confirmed deaths among active duty soldiers and National Guard and Reserve troops that had been activated was a lower number than previously feared. Preliminary figures released in January showed as many as 121 troops might have killed themselves, but a number of the deaths were still being investigated then and have since been attributed to other causes, the officials said.
Suicides have been rising during the five-year-old war in Iraq and nearly seven years of war in Afghanistan.
The 115 deaths last year and 102 in 2006 followed 85 in 2005 and 67 in 2004. The only Army records immediately available go back to 1990, and show no year with a higher number of suicides than 2007. The figure in 1990 was 102.
More U.S. troops also died overall in hostilities in 2007 than in any of the previous years in Iraq and Afghanistan. Overall violence increased in Afghanistan with a Taliban resurgence and overall deaths increased in Iraq, even as violence there declined in the second half of the year.
Increasing the strain on the force last year was the extension of deployments to 15 months from 12 months, a practice ending this year.
The increases in suicides come despite a host of efforts to improve the mental health of a force stressed by the long and repeated tours of duty.
The efforts include more training and education programs, such as suicide prevention programs and a program last year that taught all troops how to recognize mental health problems in themselves and their buddies. Officials also approved the hiring of more than 300 additional psychiatrists, psychologists and other mental health professionals and have so far hired 180 of them. They also have added more screening to measure the mental health of troops.
Earlier this year, Lt. Gen. Michael Rochelle, the deputy chief of staff for personnel, directed a complete review of the Army's suicide prevention program, according to the Army's Web site. He called for a campaign that would make use of the best available science, and would raise awareness of the problem.
"Since the beginning of the global war on terror, the Army has lost over 580 soldiers to suicide, an equivalent of an entire infantry battalion task force," the Army said in a suicide prevention guide to installations and units that was posted in mid-March on the site.
"This ranks as the fourth leading manner of death for soldiers, exceeded only by hostile fire, accidents and illnesses," it said. "Even more startling is that during this same period, 10 to 20 times as many soldiers have thought to harm themselves or attempted suicide."
The numbers kept by the Army only show part of the picture because they don't include guard and reserve troops who have finished their active duty and returned home to their civilian jobs.
The Department of Veterans Affairs tracks the number of suicides among those who have left the military. It says there have been 144 suicides among the nearly 500,000 service members who left the military from 2002-2005 after fighting in at least one of the wars.
The true incidence of suicide among veterans is not known, according to a recent Congressional Research Service report. Based on numbers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the VA estimates that 18 veterans a day _ or 6,500 a year _ take their own lives, but that number includes vets from all wars.
(This version CORRECTS the number of suicides to 115 instead of 108.)
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Veterans Employed At Regional V.A. Allege Discrimination
For previous story about this situation, click here...
http://www.vawatchdog.org/08/nf08/nfMAR08/nf032508-7.htm
Be sure to watch the video of this story at the link below.
Story here... http://www.wltx.com/news/story.aspx?storyid=62392
Story below:
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Veterans Employed At Regional V.A. Allege Discrimination
COLUMBIA (WLTX) - From medical treatment to financial assistance, the Department of Veterans Affairs spends more than $1 billion a year in South Carolina to serve war veterans who live in our state, but some people whose job it is to help these heroes say the government is not looking out for them.
The V.A. Regional Office in Columbia employs more than 300 people to serve some 400,000 veterans in South Carolina. Leaders say the Regional V.A. office is a fair place to work-in fact, they've been recognized as being one of the top performing regional offices in the nation for several years running.
Despite those accolades, some current and past employees of the Regional V.A. Office in Columbia say for years, the office has discriminated on the basis of race and gender.
1st. Sergeant Vontella Fludd is a retired Army veteran. The Elgin mother of two returned from her second tour of duty in Iraq four years ago. In all, she spent more than twenty years as human relations coordinator for the military. A painting of her family done by an Iraqi citizens reminds her of her days in the service.
"It reminds me of what kept me in Iraq. Not only did God keep me, but thinking about my family gave me peace," Fludd said.
After retiring from active duty she wanted to remain in service to veterans, and Fludd applied for and was accepted to a lower-level position in the Claims Assistant Department at the Regional V.A. Office in Columbia.
"Because it was helping veterans, and I was in the field of H.R. helping soldiers, so I thought it would be a good job," Fludd said.
But Sgt. Fludd says less than a year into her job as a file clerk, her viewpoint changed. She says she overheard a supervisor make sexist remarks about a co-worker, and when she reported it, Fludd says her superiors turned against her.
"I felt that after that it was reprisal for me turning in a statement. That's when things began to happen," she said.
Fludd says she tried repeatedly to change jobs or move up in the department. A promotion certificate dated December of 2006 lists Fludd as the best qualified candidate for a financial accounts technician position. Yet a few weeks later, a memorandum from within the Regional V.A. indicated her certificate was not to be used, and someone else was selected.
Application after application, Fludd's two decades of experience in the same field did not earn her an advancement.
"Regardless of the position I applied for, even though I was qualified, I was not selected," Fludd said.
Physically and mentally exhausted, she finally gave up.
"The pressure, the stress got to be too much for me, so I had to resign," Fludd said.
Vontella Fludd is not the only person to claim discrimination at the Veteran's Affairs Regional Office.
The American Federation of Government Employees has compiled years of data they say cites discrimination within the agency.
"I believe you can not accuse anybody of anything unless you have some facts or documents or something to prove what you're saying," said Ronald Robinson.
Robinson is the union vice president. He's also worked for the V.A. for more than a decade. He also serves as a senior Veterans Service Representative for the V.A. When Robinson heard about Fludd's case, he began to dig into what happened.
"The more I investigated, the worse it got," Robinson said.
Here's an example of what he found:
Since 2001, twenty-four people have served or are serving as program support or file clerks (like Fludd). Of the six Caucasian employees, all received a transfer or promotion with higher pay. Of the seventeen African American (and one Asian) employee, just four made the same advancement.
Organizational charts obtained by News 19 show that eight claims assistant bridge positions were created in 2002, yet a year later, the positions were removed.
"You have to ask yourself, if you don't have these positions, who's doing the job?" Robinson asked.
Earlier this year, union members, employees and veterans picketed outside the Assembly St. headquarters, protesting unrealistic production standards and the resulting backlog in claims processing.
They argue that equal employment opportunity settlements are taking money out of the V.A.'s budget–money that could otherwise be spent on veterans.
Between 2005 and 2007, EEO judgments resulted in approximately $200,000 in settlements. A civil suit (later mediated) cost the V.A. another $321,000. The complainants in the suits alleged unequal pay, sex and race discrimination, and reprisal.
During the same time period, documents show the Regional V.A. Office director received a $50,000 bonus.
"How can we as Americans say that's a good investment on our tax dollars?" Robinson asked.
News 19 requested an interview with V.A. leaders about employee concerns. The request was denied by the Federal office, but a written statement was issued in response:
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Columbia Regional Office takes great pride in serving our Nation's heroes and their dependents. To accomplish our mission, the regional office employs more than 300 employees, of whom over 60% are veterans themselves. This regional office is one of the top performing regional offices in the Nation thanks to our employees. The regional office received national recognition for its performance every year from 2002 to 2007.
Ensuring all employees have equal opportunity to compete for advancement in a workplace free from discrimination is, and will remain, a top priority at the Columbia Regional Office. A recent review of the current equal employment opportunity (EEO) issues raised at the Columbia VA Regional Office clearly indicates that these issues have been thoroughly investigated and found to be without merit. Additionally, an examination of personnel data indicates that during the tenure of the current Director, the Columbia Regional Office has increased the number of minorities that serve at all levels of employment. While the Columbia Regional Office has a diversified workforce that equitably represents the labor force and those we serve, VA management remains vigilant to ensure the principles of equal opportunity are upheld throughout the organization.
The statement continues:
No senior level management official, including the current RO Director, has been found liable of discrimination through any third party process. Settlement of a complaint is not an admission of wrong doing by any of the parties involved in the complaint.
A spokesperson added that EEO complaints are handled externally and that there is plenty of outside oversight for every internal decision made.
"We're not trying to paint a picture that nothing [good] happens at our V.A. That wouldn't be true. But we are saying there's a problem and we need to fix it," Robinson said.
After the two EEO settlements, two management officals at the V.A. resigned, and another received a reduced bonus and additional training.
The V.A. is unable to discuss Vontella Fludd's employment as a file clerk due to privacy laws, but officials did state that work or military experience may be selection factors for a position.
"[It's hard] for someone who's been in the military for twenty years and is used to working hard and having that discipline that the military gives you," Vontella said.
A stay-at-home mom now for the past seven months, Fludd says she's no longer angry; she just wants others to know what she went through. For now, her best memories of serving her country are of her duties abroad; not at home.
"You would think that a vet–someone who's been to Iraq twice–that you would get treated better. That once you came back, a 'Thank You,' and a 'Welcome Back.' But that was not the flavor in that building at all," Fludd said.
Vontella Fludd is not a member of the union, but those who are have written legislators at the State House, lawmakers in Washington, and all kinds of third-party entities hoping for someone to take up their concerns. A week and a half ago, the union received an answer. Over the next few days, facilitators will be meeting with employees to improve labor management relations and to ensure any future issues are addressed.
The directive comes at the request of the Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs in Washington, D.C.
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posted by Larry Scott
Founder and Editor
VA Watchdog dot Org
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This doesn't sound very encouraging to disabled veterans like me who have to deal with these people on Assembly Street and depend on them to make fair decisions on evidence and the use of "reasonable doubt" when they treat their own employees this way. Maybe getting my file out of 1801 Assembly street and into BVA in Washington DC is the only way I am going to get a "fair hearing". My claim has taken longer than the Iraq War, I filed my claim in November 2002 and just had a C&P exam 2 weeks ago, I am 100% for PTSD but they want to argue to cardiovascular issues either direct service connection or as secondary to my PTSD despite the Boscarino study the VA has been using to SC cardiovascular issues to PTSD for more than 2 years, at the BVA level. I guess they are hoping I will drop dead first
Military Diagnosing More Post-Traumatic Stress
Military Diagnosing More Post-Traumatic Stress
By Ann Scott Tyson
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, May 28, 2008; Page A02
The number of U.S. troops diagnosed by the military with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) jumped nearly 50 percent in 2007 over the previous year, as more of them served lengthy and repeated combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, Pentagon data released yesterday show.
The increase brings the total number of U.S. troops diagnosed by the military with PTSD after serving in one of the two conflicts from 2003 to 2007 to nearly 40,000.
The vast majority of those diagnosed served in the Army, which had a total of 28,365 cases, including more than 10,000 last year alone. The Marine Corps had the second highest number, with 5,581 total and 2,114 last year. The Air Force and Navy had fewer than 1,000 cases each last year, according to the data from the Office of the Surgeon General on a chart released by the Army.
Military officials cautioned that the numbers represent only a small fraction of all service members who have PTSD because not included are those diagnosed by Department of Veterans Affairs workers or civilian caregivers, and those who avoid seeking care out of concern over stigma or damage to their careers.
"We're in our infancy right now of fully knowing what the extent of this is," Lt. Gen. Eric Schoomaker, the Army surgeon general, told defense reporters yesterday.
Service members with PTSD often feel constantly under threat, experience nightmares or intrusive thoughts in which they relive the horrors of losing comrades or being wounded in combat, and grow emotionally numb, causing their intimate relationships to suffer.
The military, like the country as a whole, faces a shortage of specialized health personnel to treat the growing ranks of troops with PTSD.
"As a nation . . . our mental health facilities and access to mental health providers is not adequate for the need right now," Schoomaker said. He said the Army is seeking to narrow the gap and has hired 180 of a planned 300 additional mental health specialists.
The incidence of PTSD grew last year as more U.S. troops were exposed to combat -- with force levels in Iraq and Afghanistan reaching more than 170,000 and 27,000, respectively. Also contributing were a lengthening of war zone rotations from 12 to 15 months and the rise in the number of troops serving repeated tours, which sharply increases the likelihood troops will experience symptoms of PTSD.
The military's ability to track the cases has also improved with the creation of an electronic medical-care record system in 2004, Schoomaker said.
As many as 30 percent of deployed soldiers suffer symptoms of PTSD, but the majority are expected to improve with early and appropriate treatment, he said.
Foreclosures in Military Towns Surge at Four Times U.S. Rate
Foreclosures in Military Towns Surge at Four Times U.S. Rate
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601109&sid=awj2TMDLnwsU&refer=home
By Kathleen M. Howley
May 27 (Bloomberg) -- U.S. Air Force Technical Sergeant Jeffrey VerSteegh, who repairs F-16 jets for the 132nd Fighter Wing, departed Des Moines, Iowa, in April for his third tour in Iraq. The father of four may lose his home when he returns.
The four-bedroom farmhouse he and his wife, Kathleen, own near the Iowa State Fairgrounds went into default in December after their monthly mortgage costs doubled to $1,100. Kathleen missed work because of breast cancer and they struggled to keep up the house payment, falling behind on other bills. Their bankruptcy was approved by the court a week after VerSteegh left for Iraq.
In the midst of the worst surge in mortgage defaults in seven decades, foreclosures in U.S. towns where soldiers live are increasing at a pace almost four times the national average, according to data compiled by research firm RealtyTrac Inc. in Irvine, California. As military families like the VerSteeghs signed up for the initial lower rates and easier terms of subprime mortgages, the number of people taking out Veterans Administration loans fell to the lowest in at least 12 years.
``We've never faced a situation like this, not in the Vietnam War, World War II, or the Korean War, where so many military are in danger of losing their homes,'' said Paul Sullivan, executive director of Veterans for Common Sense, a Washington-based advocacy group started in 2002 by Iraq and Afghanistan War veterans. ``No one asked them for their credit score when we asked them to fight for us.''
Military Foreclosures
Foreclosure filings in 10 towns and cities within 10 miles of military facilities, including Norfolk, Virginia, home of the Navy's largest base, rose by an average 217 percent from January through April from a year earlier. Nationally, the rate was 59 percent in the same period, according to RealtyTrac, which tallies bank seizures, auctions and default notices.
The biggest surge was in Columbia, South Carolina, home to Fort Jackson, where the Army trains recruits for combat in Afghanistan and Iraq. Properties in some stage of foreclosure rose 492 percent from a year earlier, RealtyTrac said. The second-biggest increase was 414 percent in Woodbridge, Virginia, next to the Marine Corps Base Quantico.
Foreclosure filings tripled in the cities surrounding Norfolk Naval Base and the Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base near Oceanside, California, RealtyTrac said. Havelock, North Carolina, site of Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, saw foreclosures more than double.
Weak Credit
Military families were targeted as customers during the boom in subprime lending because their frequent moves, overseas stints, and low pay meant they were more likely to have weak credit ratings, said Rudi Williams of the National Veterans Foundation in Los Angeles. In 2006, at the peak of U.S. subprime lending, the number of VA loans fell to barely a third the level of two years earlier, according to VA data.
VA loans totaled 135,000 last year, its fourth consecutive annual decline.
An Army or Marine Corps sergeant with four years of experience makes $27,000 a year, plus combat pay of $225 a month, according to the 2008 Military Authorization Act, which increased basic pay rates 3.5 percent from a year ago.
Soldiers authorized to live off-base also receive a housing allowance that this year starts at about $500 a month, 7.3 percent higher than in 2007, paid even when they are deployed. Counting the stipends, they still fall short of the 2007 median U.S. household income of $59,224 as measured by the National Association of Realtors in Chicago.
Legislative Effort
``Think about how much stress comes with a foreclosure, and then imagine you're walking the same tightrope while being employed in Baghdad,'' said Paul Rieckhoff, 33, the head of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America and a former 1st lieutenant with the Army's 3rd Infantry Division.
The Servicemembers' Civil Relief Act protects soldiers and sailors from losing homes for nonpayment of mortgages only while on active duty and for 90 days after they return home. Members of Congress, including Senator Johnny Isakson, a Georgia Republican, and Representative Bob Filner, a Democrat from California, are trying to extend that to a year, saying three months isn't enough.
Another flaw in the current law is it puts the burden on the soldiers, sailors or the families they left behind to come up with the paperwork and notify the bank, said Sullivan of the Washington Veterans' group. Unlike in other wars, members of the military often are able to telephone home or receive e-mails, creating a ``morale problem'' as they try to deal with foreclosure notices, he said.
VA Mortgages
``It's heartbreaking to see people struggling with a foreclosure while they or someone they love is in a war zone, or when they're trying to adjust after coming back from one,'' said Sullivan, a Cavalry Scout with the Army's 1st Armored Division during the 1991 Gulf War.
Lenders aren't required to keep records on the status of non-government loans to military members or veterans, said Mike Frueh, the VA's assistant director for loan management in Washington. Judging solely by data on VA mortgages, active military and veterans in the current housing slump are getting into trouble with their home loans at a pace only slightly above the civilian rate, he said.
The share of VA mortgages in foreclosure was 1.12 percent in the fourth quarter, compared with 0.96 percent for so-called prime borrowers with the highest credit scores, the Washington- based Mortgage Bankers Association said in a March 6 report.
`Stench of Death'
``My data comes from those that have VA loans, and we haven't seen, as I understand it, a big jump'' in foreclosures, said James Peake, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs in Washington, in a May 20 interview.
The increase may yet be coming: the share of VA loans with payments 30 days or more overdue was 6.49 percent in the fourth quarter, double the rate of 3.24 percent for prime borrowers. The share of VA mortgages more than 90 days overdue was 1.54 percent, also double the prime rate, according to the bankers' report.
Monique Kelly, a disabled Iraq War veteran, said she is on the verge of adding to those VA delinquency numbers. The former Army staff sergeant in the First Armored Division paid her May mortgage bill halfway through the month and said she won't be able to make June's payment for her house in Owings Mills, Maryland.
Kelly, designated disabled by the VA because of post- traumatic stress disorder, said she bought the property in January for $305,000 and had to spend $10,000 fixing structural problems that were not disclosed to her.
``We fought for our country, and now we have to fight to save our homes,'' said Kelly. ``After living with the stench of death in Iraq, it seems like we shouldn't have to face problems like this when we come back.''
Help for Veterans
The VA has nine regional loan centers in the U.S. that last year provided counseling for 85,000 veterans who had problems with government-backed mortgages, Frueh said. He said he contacted Kelly to see if he can help her.
Counselors also try to help veterans who fall behind on non- VA loans, he said, though they don't track the number of those cases.
``We will always try to intercede on a veteran's behalf,'' said Frueh. ``If they have a VA-guaranteed loan, we can do more for them.''
Military families or veterans refinancing a mortgage have limited resources for VA-backed loans, Frueh said. The government can only guarantee refinanced veteran loans up to $144,000, Frueh said. The median price of a U.S. home was $219,000 last year, according to the Chicago-based National Association of Realtors.
`No Hope'
The law gives military personnel the right to have interest rates temporarily lowered to 6 percent on loans incurred prior to entering active service. To apply for protection, they have to send copies of their military orders to their mortgage servicing companies, even if they are on the front lines. The VerSteeghs in Iowa didn't know about that option, said Kathleen.
Before leaving for Iraq, the 43-year-old VerSteegh called the Bush Administration's Hope Now program created to help people facing foreclosure, his wife said.
``We got no hope from Hope,'' and no information about the potential interest-rate deduction, according to Kathleen VerSteegh.
San Francisco-based Wells Fargo & Co., the servicer of the VerSteegh mortgage, removed the VerSteegh property from foreclosure in April after receiving a copy of the husband's active duty orders, said Debora Blume, a spokeswoman for the bank's mortgage unit, in an e-mailed statement. Kathleen VerSteegh, 42, said they weren't notified of the change. The mortgage had gone into foreclosure on Dec. 31, Wells Fargo said.
Refinancing Plans
Wells Fargo ``is working with Mrs. VerSteegh to reduce her monthly payment during this time of financial hardship,'' Blume said.
Like many U.S. borrowers who got adjustable mortgages, the VerSteeghs planned to refinance into a better loan before their initial rate of 6.45 percent, fixed for two years, reset in December 2006. U.S. home values began to decline about six months before their first adjustment.
The so-called margin, a fixed charge added to the loan's index to determine interest rate resets, is 5.25 percent, about double the typical margin for an adjustable mortgage. Their loan is indexed to Libor, the London Interbank Offer Rate.
``We refinanced so we could get new windows and do some work on the house,'' she said. ``We assumed we'd have no problem getting another loan, but then it blew up in our faces.''
Now they can't apply to refinance into a VA mortgage because they owe more on the house than it's worth and ``our credit is shot,'' said VerSteegh.
Bonus Army
The last time veterans lost homes to this extent was during the Great Depression, said Sullivan of Veterans for Common Sense. The so-called Bonus Army of almost 20,000 World War I ex-soldiers marched on Washington in June 1932 to demand early payment of certificates granted for service.
U.S. infantry and cavalry regiments under the command of General Douglas MacArthur attacked their encampment with bayonets and sabers to disburse them.
VerSteegh, who gets to speak to her husband by telephone for 15 minutes once a week, said she tries to reassure him that everything on the home front is going well, even as she struggles with the threat of foreclosure and her health problems. She's eight weeks into a course of chemotherapy treatments for breast cancer and had a double mastectomy on March 14.
VerSteegh said she doesn't know exactly where her husband is, just that he's somewhere near Baghdad.
``I don't tell him the whole story, because he has to focus on his job,'' she said. ``The guys in his unit are depending on him.''
Foreclosure Filings Near Military Bases from January to
April, Compared With a Year Earlier:
Columbia, South Carolina: 492%
Woodbridge, Virginia: 414%
Triangle, Virginia: 363%
Oceanside, California: 182%
Norfolk, Virginia: 155%
Havelock, North Carolina: 133%
Carlsbad, California: 131%
Barstow, California: 120%
Columbus, Georgia: 102%
Twentynine Palms, California: 73%
U.S. Total: 59%
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I am not real smart and it has a lot to do with the fact I am 100% P&T disabled with PTSD, I also draw a decent Social Security Disability check and I would not even imagine buying a house worth 305,000.00 dollars I don't care what the interest rate is, and mine is 6.5%, I live within my means, I don't try and keep up with the Jones or anyone else in the neighborhood. I have xxxxxx dollars coming in I can only spend this much, most people take this approach. I am sorry
"Monique Kelly, a disabled Iraq War veteran, said she is on the verge of adding to those VA delinquency numbers. The former Army staff sergeant in the First Armored Division paid her May mortgage bill halfway through the month and said she won't be able to make June's payment for her house in Owings Mills, Maryland.
Kelly, designated disabled by the VA because of post- traumatic stress disorder, said she bought the property in January for $305,000 and had to spend $10,000 fixing structural problems that were not disclosed to her.
``We fought for our country, and now we have to fight to save our homes,'' said Kelly. ``After living with the stench of death in Iraq, it seems like we shouldn't have to face problems like this when we come back.''
If she has already been discharged and rated by the VA and just bought this home in January 2008 and is already in trouble she just flat over bought more than she could afford, the nation does not owe her a way out of this problem, this is one of those live and learn situations. I need someone smarter than me to explain why her situation is special and demands extra care is it because she has PTSD or because she went to Iraq? I went to 2 wars and have been disagnosed with PTSD since 2003 and the VA and SSD take care of me and my family quite well, but I accepted the fact my last name is not Trump, Rockefeller, or Getty I think MS Kelly needs to grow up.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Statement from Hillary on Memorial Day
Statement from Hillary on Memorial Day
by Lindsay Levin5/26/2008 11:14:24 AMHillary:
Memorial Day is a solemn day for every American; a day to express our profound gratitude to the men and women who have given their lives in military service. A day to join in our thoughts and prayers with the families mourning loved ones. A day to cherish the freedoms and opportunities that so many have served, sacrificed, and died to defend.
On this Memorial Day, I’m reminded of the words of a poet and a veteran named Archibald MacLeish. He served in World War I and witnessed incredible service and sacrifice. Before the close of World War II, to commemorate those who had died, he wrote of the responsibility of all of us who survive them.
In his poem entitled “The Young Dead Soldiers Do Not Speak,” he reminds us that those we have lost: “have a silence that speaks for them at night…They say: We have done what we could but until it is finished it is not done…They say: our deaths are not ours; they are yours; they will mean what you make them…They say: we leave you our deaths. Give them their meaning.”
How do we give these lives their meaning? I believe we must honor our service members by doing our best to serve the men and women who have served us. And I believe we must honor the lives we’ve lost by honoring the values for which they fought. That is our duty. And on this Memorial Day, let us recommit ourselves to fulfilling this sacred responsibility every single day.
The United States has the finest military on the planet because we have the best soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen in the world. We owe them our support and resources while in-service and when they come home as our Veterans. We owe them a GI Bill of Rights that sees to their health care, housing, education and overall wellbeing. In many ways, everyday should be Memorial Day to honor and remember all they do for our nation, our communities and our families.
Our moral obligation is significant for the simple reason that the sacrifice of those who serve and have served in our military demonstrates a profound example of commitment and love for our nation. We must return to them all they have given and we must remember and honor those who gave their all, their lives, for our great nation.
Statement from Hillary on Memorial Day
