CNN

"Vets. homeless, jobless and forgotten.
All our government is worried about is giving the lazy and irresponsible a free ride on the backs of the few that still have a job."
______________________________________________________

I'm a veteran and I still have a job, but I do not agree with the person who wrote the self-righteous words above. As a matter of fact, I wouldn't be surprised if some of the people this person criticized are veterans. The government is not into giving the lazy and irresponsible a free ride on anyone's back. The government, I can assure you, wants to eliminate fraud, waste and abuse. In fact, it's getting better at doing so all the time through IT improvements. Welfare to work programs also abound. So, this person who sits in judgment of those are less fortunate might want to think a little harder before leveling such criticisms in the future.

My dad came home from Nam' and they way my mom explains; tossed his fatigues in the trash that way no anti war liberal would spit on him. You can blame Bush or the Dems but the point is only the American people can truly help these folks. There are plenty of private organizations out there that help vets. Pick one don't count on any government to take care of the people that served this country. I've read enough articles about all the fraud and waste that ensures the money never gets to the vets. Throwing more taxpayer money at problems never fixing anything.

YES IT IS. These men and woman should NOT have to end up on the street after DEFENDING OUR COUNTRY. These men and woman have put their lives on the line defending our freedom and protecting our rights, and this is how we pay them for their service. They can't even get adequate healthcare, military benefits suck. Majority of military families are living BELOW PROVERTY!! That's just disgraceful by any stretch of the imagination. It's truly despicable.

The veteran hospitals are nothing but political bureaucracy!!

We are the only country that doesn't CARE for our Elderly, our SICK and our VETERANS. It's no wonder other countries think America disgraces their OWN people, and their would be RIGHT.

American is NOT the land of the FREE, it's the LAND OF THE GREEDY.

SHAME ON AMERICA!

SHAME ON AMERICA!

SHAME ON AMERICA!

is the product of an illegal war

That disgarace is aproduct of an illegal war.

Start with Justice, bring the Previous admin to trial.

Follow through with compassion, honesty and intention

It is the only path to to the future.

It is the right thing to do.

.... and the Bush administration did what to solve the problem?

Most any labor union has a veteran's committee... Please america support your vets...

No kidding. And they were wearing invisible blankets when Bushy boy was in Office. Now all of a sudden they lost there powers and there now Visible. I love fairy talez and looks like this Joker dose too.

People ask how is this possible that we have so many homeless vets?

Well, look at the idiots who started our last two wars: A bunch of Chicken Hawks, arrogant ninnies who all managed to avoid service (and until you can account for every single day of GW Bush's 18-month "vacation" while in the Texas National Guard, I don't considered him a veteran).

These same ninnies love to spout off about "protecting America" and "being a patriot" when they don't have a freaking clue!

President Obama obviously gets it – in part because of the servicemen in his own family. His conduct today at the Ft. Hood memorial service exemplifies this.

Uh Obama is no better then bush...his new "health" plan cuts VA and medicare benefits.

Were more interested in giving illegal aliens more and more and turning our backs on veterans.

This is a problem of both parties not just one. So quit with the blame game. Our veterans deserve more than they are getting and should be honored. The spending is getting out of hand. Lets stop giving welfare to the mothers who keep having kids & have them step up to the plate and either have a tubal or force them to get a job. Stop giving raises to the House & Senate, cut their benefits down, there's a lot of ways to cut the spending & take care of those who fought for us & served their country.

"The same government that abandoned our Vets now wants to take over health care?!"

Noooooo, the government that abandoned our Vets was voted out a year ago; the current Administration actually wants to help Vets and our country and is doing something about it.

Am I the only one who's embarrassed to admit that I don't trust that every guy with a card board sign at the freeway off ramp is really a veteran? God Bless those who are, and I hate myself for not knowing who is who.

Beverly in NC....which Republican started WWII? How about the Vietnam war? How many died in those wars?

To bad the Democrats are going to spend trillions on some useless public option and Cap-and-Trade. Our vets could have used that money in the VA hospitals.

The government has a responsibility to the welfare of these service men.....MAYBE we could have done something if the Democrats hadn't spent 2-3 trillion on health care.

I'd rather pay taxes for that than see two entire industries be destroyed by the Democrats.

Too bad there won't be enough to go around.

Hey...Maybe you Dems can pay more than 10-20% taxes?!! Let’s all pay 35-40%! What do you say?

So then why don't you give them part of your huge paycheck? Ya...I thought so..it ain't gonna happen.

A senator in OK is holding up the Veterans bill; this happens to be a republican. There has to be an answer for our veterans for they have gone to protect their country and come back to many problems that are facing them. They do not need opposition.

And yet our politicians can give themselves hefty pay raises and fly around the world on our tax paying dollars this while Americans are suffering.

This could be a worthy cause for Republicans. If they suggest the idea and introduce the same, maybe they would participate in a viable solution, otherwise they will crush any thing that cost time and money.

I think it is shameful for the people that defend this country to be homeless or to try to live without the basic needs of life.

Sad.... what does it tell about the citizens of a wealthy Nation when they can't take care of the sick ( Uninsured), their vets and their poor.
That Nation is MORALLY BANKRUPT! Our capitalistic profits, massive SUVs , large bank accounts, our designer handbags etc are meaningless when there are people around us hurting.

NO KIDDING! I worked in downtown Wash, DC for over 20 years and all you saw were people lying on heat grates and huddled in abandoned store doors. There is a park directly across the front door of the White House and a lot of them slept in that park.

First off- to all the people who keep injecting "Well, if the Liberals get their way..." or "The Dumb-acrats don't care, they just want to give illegals free hand outs and they hate America and"... ENOUGH!!! You want to know what I've had enough of, over the top "Conservatives" who say they want smaller government that stays out of peoples personal lives unless they aren't white or straight, because then they need to intervene. Veterans need our support in so many ways its not funny. I personally don't want to fight in a war, especially a stupid war that is fighting an IDEA, you CAN'T KILL AN IDEA. If there was a country called Terroristalvania or something "Yeah bomb it" but there isn't, there isn't one country above all others that our enemies hide so this war is STUPID

Don't you remember? Bill O'Reilly already put this one to bed. There are NO homeless vets in America. Bill said it! And everything he says is well researched and true. And how could we have homeless vets after 8 years of Bush/Cheney war-mongering while simultaneously slashing the budget for support of our troops both in active duty and after their service to our country. (Up-armored vehicles? What up-armored vehicles?)

This story is simply preposterous. I've never seen any homeless vets. (I just close my eyes every time I cross a bridge, or pull up to a stop light at a busy intersection.) I've not seen a single one.

If you think there'll be any aid forthcoming out of OB
and his Democrats you can forget it. Fall on your knees and praise Allah.

Homelessness is a national disgrace period.

Stop all Veteran's care because this is government run socialism.
Say no to any government program.

I agree that we need to do something to help vets, but I'm confused a bit by the example in the story. Guy returned from Iraq, her husband left her, and her solution was to get a discharge? Why would she give up a paycheck, healthcare, and housing money if she was about to find herself on her own? To me, that sounds less like an issue of a veteran being homeless and more of an issue of poor decision-making on her part.

The government is not too cincerned with the vets. They are more concerned with the illegal aleins and what we can do to help them. Go to ftc-vi26.wmv to see what they want to do for them.

If anyone knows a Vet in need of services--housing, medical, clothing, help with paperwork, etc.................

Please refer them to AmVets--it is one of the best organizations out there for assisting our Vets.

Also, please remember our Vets over the holidays..........A small donation can make a HUGE difference for our Vets.

amvets.org

This is news? I want to hear what the Republicans in DC have to say about it. O yeah, their too busy trying to get the uninsured out on the streets too! Beau Colby

What a shame we take better care of illegal aliens better than our Vets. And getting some of these second and third generation welfare folks off welfare and give that money to Vets sure would be a good idea.

I'm amazed when I get my request for donations from the DAV. Why in the heck do we need a chairty to assist veterans? Shame on the USA.
– USN Ret.

republicans treat old furniture with more respect

So the Democratic Federal Government blows $1 trillion on Wall Street ( where did that go? ), $50 billion on GM and Chrysler, $1 trillion on failed stimulus promising to head off unemployment, and people still try to blame the homeless problem on the last administration?

Move over homeless vets. With almost 3 more years of this kind of government management you will soon have millions of new people fighting you for the scraps and sidewalk space you have now. That's the change people voted in a year ago.

It's a disgrace all right, but it's not exactly a new disgrace. Disgusting treatment (or non-treatment) of veterans has been an issue since the Vietnam War, and I'm sure, before.

Homelessness of any type is a disgrace for a nation as rich and powerful as ours is.

Sen. Menendez has been in the Senate for awhile, and his party has been in the Majority foe awhile, so what's the name/number of the bill he previously submitted to help out the vets? Wow, it's so much easier to grandstand than it is to actually accomplish anything, isn't it, Bob?

This has been a problem ever since the frigid welcome home the Vietnam Vets were given, hatred spawned by the left wing peaceniks who tagged them with the "baby-killer" moniker. Liberalism has been nothing but negative.... and BAD for this country..

We send them off to war to die for our cause but when they return we don't have the integrity or character to thank our vets and help them transition back into regular society. We have wasted close to $5 billion dollars per week for almost 8 years of wars and we can't find the money to help our heros. So much for all the lip service of "support our troops". Instead we say "no new taxes", "cut government spending", etc. Well people, how exactly do you propose to pay for these kinds of programs? Obviously the last administration couldn't have cared less and looked for ways to cut services to vets, let's hope this administration values these soldiers sacrifices for us all and that we all share the financial costs for those who choose to protect us. It's time to be that patriotic American instead of just a sign waving complainer.

I'm a repub and the answer to this is easy....fire all those union strikers with their unrealistic demands for todays economic climate and give the jobs to the vets.
Philadelphia SEPTA workers should be all fired....11% pay increase, more retirement pay in and even demand they not be part of government health care. Shameful!

Now now, do not upset the Repubs. They would rather let the Vets starve and freeze than to offer them shelter, food, and health care. After all, those ideas are too much like Liberal ideas, just as Medicare and Social Sevurity are.

My Conservative friend in my home town, a member of the local police force, is hearing from his police union that since the Repubs won the majority of seats on the local council this Fall, that tax cuts and benefit cuts are sure to follow and he better retire NOW before his benefits are slashed by the Repubs. Odd how the old Conservative "principles" seem to cease when they impact you.

Where were you democrats in Congress during the vietnam war?

You can't blame the dems for this, vets been homeles for years and years and President Obam is the first i heard of trying to actually help the vets. The repigs doesn't want to help anyone pertaining to giving any monies

Bush slashed budgets for Vietnam vets, veterans hospitals and other veterans organizations while piously pointing the fingers democrats for not supporting our troops. Now that this disgrace to the White House is gone, hopefully this is something else that Obama will rectify. Just another facet of the gigantic mess Bush and his cronies left. Everyone please remember that before voting for republicans again

That's the little stinch in Uncle Sam's undies.

Bet if we end the wars and took that money to help the vets we could reduce that number dramitacally.War is a lost cuase to all but the folks who makes weapons of war.That would indeed a good bussness to go bankrupt,I would support a bail out on that one.

Don't the health insurance companies have extra money? What about the Congressment and Senators in their pockets - there's money there, too! Help those vets!

Vets. homeless, jobless and forgotten.
All our government is worried about is giving the lazy and irresponsible a free ride on the backs of the few that still have a job.

Most homeless are veterans and no one has done anything to help these people who also struggle with mental illness (PTSD) from wartime experiences.

Republicans sure love to start wars, run up huge deficits to play war games, kill or maim our soldiers, and then completely ignore them when they manage to make it back home.

The homeless are not there because they want to be. They have been deserted by the government they put their lives on the line for and were given no medical treatment. Why do they drink? To self-medicate since they have no health insurance and cannot get the medical treatment they need.

The same government that abandoned our Vets now wants to take over health care?!

"Veterans' homelessness is a national disgrace" , thanks again to George W. Bush, the "War President".

GOP: Evolve or die...

We can thank Republicans for devastating OUR Country at every level

Go Bob! Let's fix it!

I'm kind of fed up with wealthy Senators and congressmen who run around in limosines, own multiple mansions, fly private jets and eat at expensive restaurants complain about homelessness. They take millions from lobbiests and jobs with lobbiest when they are done. Why don't they do something about it?....If you are a multimillionaire with 4 homes and you are concerned about homelessness, then sell one home and open a homeless shelter in your nearest city. If everyone who claims to care about the poor and the homeless would do their small part the problem would be solved. Particularly the Democrats like Charlie Rangel cheat on their taxes, have homes in the tropical islands and then want to tax me more to pay for someone else's expenses. I give generously to charities and these losers don't. Stop complaining, stop taking other people's money and start helping out yourself.

This is the thanks they get for serving their country. WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Where's DICK CHENNEY and family?

He should be sent to spend a week or better in these guys homes. It is a shame for DICK to speak only about war, then dodging Vietnam while the homeless from that era was also terrible.

Wouldn't be nice for DICK CHENNEY to say something positive about government response to assist our honored soldiers oppose to trashing politicians with war antics.

hmmmmm........

I don't get it. we have a Veteran's Administration and last I heard hundreds of plans to help vets. What am I missing here?
Have benefits been cut? Do they just not take advantage of them? Is this a case of the mentally ill vet not getting the proper care and not knowing how to handle thier situation?
Instaed of saying the probelm is terrible- where is this Senator's solution?
Typical!

I think its a shame that the government will go out of its way to support illegal aliens and their anchor babies over our own with their hands out for all the freebies . Our Vets should come first over the illegals.

These Men and Women risked their lives to protect our country & freedom , when they really need support and help from us the government just to turn their backs on our Vets.

Having worked with the homeless at various times in my life, I have met many, many homeless vets. This senator is absolutely right, it is a national disgrace. Have a nice day!

As a 16-year veteran of the United States Air Force (and still serving) I also find the Homeless Veteran Problem appaling. WWII vets were truly treated as they duly deserved. An employer (i.e. DoD...or the War Department back then) who actually CARED about their well-being "after the fact", a warm and rousing welcome back home, companies that would hire them, etc. These days I see my Air Force and Army brothers/sisters greeted with an "Oh, you're a vet? That's nice..." It's a travesty, period. Nobody deserves a free ride. However the men and women who risked their lives, endured family separation, financial hardship and my have a permanent disability deserve better. To know that I'd be treated no differently if I separated today makes me shiver. We NEED to do something, people. I wish I knew exactly what that is. We elect those who hopefully will serve our best interests. It would be nice if it was easier to fire them when and if they don't deliver the goods, but the system is what it is. I'm a vet, just like millions of others. Our brothers and sisters deserve better.

How is this possible? Where is America honor? What is happening to our country? Who can help these people? Is this the new way we dishonor our veterans? Cry out America let's change this!

I dont find this surprising, given that many people join the military because they do not have very good job prospects to begin with. If you add a physical disability, stress associated with that job, and/or then the loss of prime working/college years, this group of people is being set up for a lifetime of dependency on the government for benefits, either through the military or through other welfare programs.

In 2007 the department of defense computer network was compromised and terabityes of nationally sensitive security information was stolen. This was on the Bush Cheney watch when they were protecting us.
What a joke, terabytes of information stolen under their watch.

Republicans only care about the military when they're ready to send them to war. You hear them crying for Obama to "listen to the general on the ground" and send 40k troops to Afhanistan to be fodder for the Taliban. When they come home hurt or disfigured, they get forgotten and left to fend for themselves.

When Ronald Reagan closed up the mental hospitals he told America;
"You can't help those who simply will not be helped. One problem that we've had, even in the best of times, is people who are sleeping on the grates, the homeless who are homeless, you might say, by choice." - President Reagan, 1/31/84
Now, as then, the plight of Americans – in this instance, Patriotic Americans who served their country, who may have severe physical and/or mental injuries as a result of that service are actually LUCKY that America is now in the hands of those "Communist/Liberal/Socialists" who can and WILL help them. If a Republican had won election (YES, even McCain – look at his voting record on Veterans issues), they would just stay homeless or die.

I pray for all of our homeless. I hope our homeless vets get the special attention they gave our country returned BY our country.
We can be and ARE better than the politics and policies that have brought us to this brink... Let's get to work.

Adding to the problem is the fact that some of the homeless are mentally challenged – SHELL SHOCKED FROM YEARS OF DEFENDING OTHER PEOPLE BUT ALAS UNABLE TO DEFEND THEMSELVES IN THE END.

This is not a new disgrace it's an ignored disgrace. When Bush sent our troops to war in the Middle East I questioned "what are they going to do for them upon return". The Vietnam war was the reason for my questioning because our Veterans have been living on the streets since then; they hold up signs begging for help and we pass them by without even saying thank you for your services. People like Sen. John McCain disgust me because if he was a true hero he would have been a champion for our veterans, but no he got his and that appears all he cares about.

But but but...to quote my GOPer colleagues: "Why the hell should I help anyone who doesn't want to help themself? Get your hands out of my pockets!"

So is this what conservatives want? Republicans are holding up health benefits for veterans, while cheering for war at the same time.

Get a clue, Republicans! You can't just blindly spend on war and not take care of your own soldiers!

This toxic attitude the Republicans have toward all government programs is ridiculous!

Thank you for bringing attention to this disgrace. We need to honor our veterans by provide them with appropriate physical and mental health care.

Our vets should be taken care of and illegal aliens should be shipped home.............Why in this great country do the illegals get better treatment then the people who served our country? That is a disgrace.

And in 2013 if the democrats get their way, all of the homeless vets will be in jail (mandated in the house bill) if they don't pony up and buy life insurance. At 50,000/yr to house an inmate that's 6 billion 550 million dollars. Makes sense doesn't it?

This IS NOTHING NEW........ since Vietnam when our Vets came home suffering from all manner of war related trauma, we have seen them on our Nation's streets!

I volunteer feeding the homeless,and I see countless Vets, from the Korean war, Vietnam, Desert Storm and now...... the Bush Wars!

Its disgraceful, that our Vets are on the streets! Let's STOP FUNDING WARS...... and buy homes, rent apartments with the TRILLIONS BEING SPENT!

I agree. Me being a veteran, it is an absolute disgrace. We need a 21st century VA because these worn down buildings aren't cutting it. There needs to be re-education training as well. What kind of job do you expect a young infantryman to obtain when returning home? Security guard? The situation is unacceptable.