Despite adding billions of dollars for mental health care to Department of Veterans Affairs budgets the last four years, and the hiring of 7,000 more mental health professionals at VA clinics and hospitals, many veterans with severe combat-related stress still face long waits to get the care they need. And some VA facilities might be […]
‘Unfunded’ benefits can hurt vets
June 14, 2011
Through a decade of war, Congress has pumped billions of additional dollars into new benefits and programs for veterans. They deserve them, lawmakers say. Helping vets also is popular with constituents. Veterans’ service organizations have lobbied for these benefits, but with the expectation that newly authorized programs would be fully funded. Last year, even as […]
Chairman: Where did funds go?
January 11, 2011
Under Democratic control the last four years, the House voted to pump tens of billions of additional dollars into the Department of Veterans Affairs for improved benefits and health care. The new Republican chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee says it’s time to learn where a lot of those dollars went and to provide […]
Military increasing awareness of benefits
March 3, 2010
By Tom Philpott: Military Update Despite billions of additional dollars pumped into veterans’ benefits in recent years, many military personnel still leave service unaware of their VA benefits or of programs set up to help them transition to civilian life, a senior Defense official and veteran advocates testified Wednesday. Noel C. Koch, deputy under secretary […]
Long-lasting drug war needs new approach
February 3, 2009
Freedom New Mexico Americans are addicted to the drug war.
New mandates will only harm auto industry
January 28, 2009
Freedom New Mexico Even as Washington doles out tens of billions of dollars to rescue unprofitable Detroit automakers, President Barack Obama cleared the way Monday to impose billions of dollars of additional costs on the industry. He directed the Environmental Protection Agency to reconsider granting 14 states waivers to set their own more strict regulations […]
Border fence with holes not worth billions
November 7, 2006
By Freedom Newspapers We weren’t particularly enamored with the decision by Washington to construct a 700-mile fence along the U.S.-Mexico border, believing that it will be far less effective than claimed and that the problem of illegal immigration ultimately requires a much more holistic and balanced solution. But as long as a fence is going […]
