Jack Kemp

The young Marine who runs the charity Backpacks for Life once told me he wanted to stay away from politics. But the problem is that politics won't stay away from U.S. veterans.

The government only has so many spare dollars and empty buildings. If some American government, be it state or federal or local, wants to house some people or ease access to jobs or welfare payments, they have to chose between giving spaces and funding to American citizens, such as veterans - or give the money to sanctuary city protected illegals. A Massachusetts veterans group has criticized Sen. Warren of Mass. for advocation giving things to illegal immigrants over giving those things to veterans. It is getting harder, if not impossible, to seperate veterans issues from other political concerns because there is only so many tax dollars to go around.

I've got one of those old men's "when I was a boy" stories for you. I once promised myself when I was young that I'd never say these words but I can't keep that promise these days, so I limit such remarks to significant issues and personal stories such as the next one.

Nowadays in NY City, newsstands are run by people from overseas, often from Asia or the Middle East. Perhaps not all of the people in those stands are here legally - I didn't check their personal papers so I can't say for sure. When I was a boy, a number of these NY newsstands were run by disabled people, often U.S. war veterans. They were given some license or government ordered priority for those positions. I recall as a kid going to some newsstands in Manhattan which had a blind person owning and operating it. Even before my time, you can sometimes see one in a 1930s movie. I recall a story - but I can't recall the title - where James Cagney played a blind New York City newsstand owner or worker. Even in my childhood, when a NY Post or NY Daily News cost 3 cents or 5 cents and the NY Times perhaps a dime, it was easier for a blind person to feel in their hand that they had gotten the correct payment than today when periodicals cost $1 to $5. Although a blind person could feel the texture of a $1 bill even today, more people now give a newstand worker a $10 bill and want change in this era when a newspaper costs a lot more than pocket change. I recall that there were also people with physical problems like missing fingers working at newsstands. As a kid then, I would never ask them if these were the result of WWII injuries or work accidents or if they were born that way. But I suspect, guess now that they were people from all the types of causes I mention.

The point is, the NY City government used the newsstand business to help people who were locals who needed help. Not anymore. And that change isn't limited to NY City or the Northeast.

I've figured out the new slogan for establishment Democrats and Big Business establishment Republicans concerning this issue.

"We support hiring undocumented immigrants and unscreened refugees. They are doing the work that unemployed or homeless U.S. veterans just aren't willing to do!"

On second thought, they may have to reword that slogan. I'd say rethink but I believe their minds are already made up and they do not want to do any further thinking about this.

On to the veterans complaint with Elizabeth Warren...

http://www.bostonherald.com/news/us_politics/2017/02/veterans_group_blasts_elizabeth_warren

(If you can't read the text with this picture, it says: Vets Blast Liz, Mass. Dems for putting immigrants in U.S. illegally before those who have served. Where's OUR rally?)

A local veterans’ advocacy group is blasting Massachusetts U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren and other state Democrats for their support of illegal immigrants, calling it "selfish political theater” and demanding they put veterans’ services at the top of their list — or feel the heat.

"We’d like to see our leaders re-examine their priorities, put this at the forefront — if we have to, we’ll knock on some doors in D.C.,” said John MacDonald of Veterans Assisting Veterans. "We need to take care of veterans first before we decide to take care of people who are illegally here.”


In a two-page open letter to "all Americans,” the group — which has funded all-terrain wheelchairs for local vets as well as horse therapy at Ironstone Farm in Andover — slams the "selfish blatant ignorance of the politicians that have chosen illegal immigrants over US Veterans” and calls for readers to support VAV’s cause.

The letter also targets U.S. Sen. Edward Markey, U.S. Reps. Michael Capuano and Seth Moulton — an Iraq war veteran — and Mayor Martin J. Walsh for failing to speak out about veteran homelessness and health care problems, specifically calling out Warren and her "misguided antics.”

"Senator Warren and others like her should know the difference between legal and illegal activity and chose instead to act out negatively in selfish political theater,” the letter reads. "Where’s your rally for US Veterans, Senator Warren?”

Posted by: Timothy Birdnow at 07:24 AM | Comments (7) | Add Comment
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