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Feb-13-2012 22:56
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Letter From a Veteran About Rick Santorum
Michael Rowzee for Salem-News.comSenator Santorum obviously looks out for himself but doesn’t care about men and women who defend this nation.
 Special thanks to politico.com |
(SALEM) - I am a veteran and feel I have the right to write this letter. Senator Santorum served in the U.S. Senate for sixteen years. He is now retired and receives 100% of his senator salary as a pension.
He was a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, the group who decides military pay and pensions. As a senator, Rick Santorum voted to raise his pay and pension to over $14,000 per month while deciding to compensate veterans wounded and disabled in defense of this nation less than $3,000 per month.
What heroic act did Senator Santorum do where he considers he deserves over $11,000 per month ($132,000 per year) more than soldiers wounded in battle?
Senator Santorum obviously looks out for himself but doesn’t care about men and women who defend this nation.
Michael Rowzee
Former Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army
Here is a story found at Huffington Post
- The Armed Forces Retirement Home, which is run by the Department of Defense, bills itself as the "premier home for military retirees and veterans." The facility sprawls across 272 acres high on a hill in northern Washington, DC, near the Petworth neighborhood. The nearly 600 veterans who now live there enjoy panoramic views of the city—the Washington monument and US Capitol to the south, the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception to the east. At its peak, more than 2,000 veterans of World Wars I and II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War lived at the Home.
- But with the rise of the smaller all-volunteer military, the Home began to run into serious financial problems. It was clear that one of its primary sources of revenue—a 50-cent deduction from the paychecks of active-duty servicemembers—wasn't enough to keep the Home operating fully. In the 1990s, the Home scrambled to find ways to avoid insolvency trimming its staff by 24 percent and reducing its vet population by 800. Still, the money problems began to show, with its older historic facilities slipping into disrepair and decay. To grapple with its worsening shortfall, officials running the Home eyed a valuable, 49-acre piece of land worth $49 million as a potential financial lifeline.
- Under one scenario, by leasing the parcel of land and letting it be developed, the Home could pocket $105 million in income over 35 years for its trust fund, David Lacy, then-chairman of the Home's board of directors, told Congress in 1999. Lacy stressed that the Home wanted to keep the property, and not offload it to a buyer. "Once land is sold," he said, "it is lost forever as an asset."
- Enter Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Penn.). At the behest of the Roman Catholic Church, and unbeknownst to the Home, Santorum slipped an amendment into the 1999 National Defense Authorization Act handcuffing how the home could cash in on those 49 acres. The amendment forced the Home to sell—and not lease—the land to its next-door neighbor, the Catholic University of America. Ultimately, the Catholic Church bought 46 acres of the tract for $22 million. The Home lost the land for good, and by its own estimates, pocketed $27 million less than the land's value and $83 million less than what it could've made under the lease plan.
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Aime February 24, 2013 9:17 am (Pacific time)
Ron Paul's weirdo cult of folelwors (Paulamites) believe in Bigfoot and Little Green Spacemen in UFO's. They are also known for being the 9-11 Truther Movement that thinks Bush blew up the WTC Towers and for being Birthers (believing Obama was born in some other country). Ron Paul is a nut case and he has no chance to ever win the GOP. Ron Paul supports Terrorist Acts against the USA. Anyone who votes for for Ron Paul is wasting their vote. Ron Paul is wrong for the USA. Let us all say Amen.
Steve February 17, 2012 1:53 pm (Pacific time)
Don't kid yourselves. Electing Ron Paul isn't going to keep the US from getting into wars. I'm sure that you, like Ron Paul, believe that the US has been in wars because we wanted to be. In fact, we have had to fight because of threats from the outside and those threats will continue as long as there is evil in the world. We will not be able to sit idly by while aggressors attempt to increase their holdings in other countries. Do you want us to have to defend our country from enemies at our own doorstep? If so, elect Ron Paul. Rick Santorum is the only true conservative choice. He has always stood for what he believes in. "Senator Santorum obviously looks out for himself but doesn’t care about men and women who defend this nation" is the most ridiculous statement I've heard in the current political debate. Are you going to put credence in material from politico.com and the Huffington Post? You should know that whatever they say is spun to the left, with no information at all on why Santorum did what he did. Research it for yourself - you'll find out that he did what needed to be done at the time. To the point - yes, veterans' affairs must be addressed - we need a conservative to address them, not a moderate, a progressive and an isolationist.
Amar February 15, 2012 12:01 pm (Pacific time)
Laura, Iran is not that a big threat. Israel could them on by themselves. Sure in the long run it is a concern, but hopefully our countries can get together and have a peace talk someday.
Jennifer February 15, 2012 10:57 am (Pacific time)
The FEC reports don't lie Laura. Paul recieves more donations from active duty military than any of the other candidates, COMBINED. So, please, continue on with your false rhetoric, while myself and others fight with the truth.
specs February 15, 2012 10:27 am (Pacific time)
Add to the above that in Santorums advertisements he misleads people into thinking he served. He puts the words "Served 8 years on Armed Services" in one of the scenes and leaves out that it was just some cushy Committee in the senate, he didn't serve IN our armed forces.
Laura February 15, 2012 5:18 am (Pacific time)
Ron Paul is an appeaser who would lose our country with his idiotic foreign policy. He claims to have the votes of the military, yet I don't believe that for one minute. Yeah, if you want more huge wars and to be overrun by our many enemies, pick Ron Paul, who'd like to just let Iran get nukes while he smiles at them. Puh-lease...
Stephen February 14, 2012 7:40 am (Pacific time)
Ron Paul is a veteran. And Ron Paul does not take the perks whatsoever. People complain because he takes "pork" money. Yes he does, but he also votes against having "pork" money. The reason he takes it is because if he doesnt take it, someone else will, and it still comes out of the tax payers pocket. And, if someone else takes it, they will use it to buy police tazers, where Ron will use it to help the people. Ron Paul also gets more donations from the military than all candidates combined both republican and democrat..I think says says alot. Bottom line...you want more huge wars? Support anyone but Ron Paul...you will get your wars, and it will totally devastate this country. Its up to you.
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