My Veterans Addendum

Just a few other thoughts about this story: I had an excellent relationship with the Cleveland VA Hospital counselors and I sadly miss them, as they did so much good for people. I called the Cleveland VA a few years ago to inquire about the counselors I had dealt with back during the time of this story, Jan, Steve and Charlie, only to find that they had all transferred to other parts of the country; a loss for Cleveland, but a gain for those other parts of the country. The veterans housing program that I participated in was the first in the country.

I don’t know where all of the veterans are, but I sure hope those who had progressed so much have been able to maintain their lives, without going back to any dependency on drugs or alcohol. And I hope that those who were not success stories at our building regained their footing and continued to fight the battle against addiction elsewhere, but not on the streets. My thoughts are often with you guys and will continue to be with you for the rest of my life.

After the building was vacated, I received a call from one of the VA counselors. He said that the VA had something special for me and that he would be in to see me shortly. He showed up with a signed card, a cake and a special certificate that I have on my living room wall to this day. I just want to share with you what it says:

“Department of Veterans Affairs”
Certificate of Appreciation
Presented to
(my name)
For his participation and service in the
Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH)
Program. As the FIRST participant in this initiative
to provide veterans housing assistance, (he) provided
the veterans with a unique opportunity to reside in the community, obtain employment and live a more productive lifestyle. (His)
contributions to the veterans are greatly appreciated by the veterans
and staff of the Domiciliary Service.

Veterans Affairs Medical Center
Cleveland, Ohio
December 1, 1994

(It is signed by the Chief of the Domiciliary Service
and has the seal of the Department of Veterans Affairs.)

Some Nasty Statisitcs

The U.S. Census Bureau has released a report about the Greater Cleveland area showing some startling (to some) statistics from 2000 to 2006. The basic report, published in the Plain Dealer, covers the eight county metro area. During the time frame, we have lost 45,500 manufacturing jobs, 7750 retail jobs, 5600 public administration jobs, and 4500 info technology jobs. There were gains in employment, listed only in percentages, of 14.3% in finance, insurance, real estate, rental and leasing; 10.8% in educational services, 9.9% arts, entertainment, recreation, food services and accommodations, and a 6.2% gain in the self-employed. The most disturbing statistic shows the median household income in 2006 declined by $6367 compared to 2000!!! Folks, that is a tremendous drop! All family income levels above $50,000 per year dropped, with the largest decline coming in the $75,000 to $99,999 bracket, which showed a drop of more than 25,000. All family income levels below $50,000 increased, with the largest increase, nearly 22,000, coming in the $10,000 to $14,999 bracket, followed by an increase of 16,402 in the $15,000 to $24,999 bracket, and an increase of 12,746 in households earning less than $10,000.

Hoping For The Best

Within the past few weeks I heard some interesting comments from a couple America’s friendly business people. One, and energy analyst and futures’ trader, appeared on MSNBC; this was as Hurricane Dean approached the Gulf of Mexico. He could barely contain his glee at the idea of another hurricane barreling through the Gulf and disrupting oil, gasoline, and natural gas supplies, or at least giving these greedy energy traders the excuse to up prices, even if the hurricane did little or no damage, which is essentially what ended up happening. He talked about the steps the oil companies were taking to protect refineries and other installations and he ended his comments with the “tongue-in-cheek” statement, “We’re hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst.” What a bunch of bull!!! On the BS-o-meter, he ranks high.

A few days later, a second futures’ trader, involved in natural gas, was commenting on how natural gas prices were low. The interviewer asked what it would take to see prices rise, and he unashamedly and smilingly said, “We need a hurricane!” The only thing he lacked was a big mustache and the Snidely Whiplash laugh. At least he was totally honest about it, compared to the first guy above.

Folks, I’m telling you there is absolutely no shame in these greedy #@%&*%^#. Is this what we’ve sent our troops to defend over the decades? Unfortunately, the answer is, “Yes!” I have nothing but contempt for these people, in case you haven't noticed. They are so disconnected to humanity! No concern for the people who could get killed or injured; only concern for mo' money, mo' money!!! Most of them have so much now, they couldn't it all spend in a thousand lives.