SCHOOL BOARD CANDIDATES FROM EDDINGTON NEEDED

Two Eddington candidates are needed to run for the AOS (Alternative Organized System) School Board. Eddington has three positions on the Board, each of which holds a three-year term. Currently, one position is vacant. A second position is up for re-election. Elections are conduction in March.

Last March, Karen Clark was re-reelected to a three-year term. However, Karen and her family moved to Holden this past September or October. She did not officially notify the Town Office of this or change her official residence status until November 2, Election Day. Because she no longer resides in Eddington, she is not eligible to serve as an Eddington School Board member. Someone is needed to run for the two-year remainder of her term.

Pam Dorr's term of office expires in March. She has held the position for three years. This writer has been told Pam may not run for re-election. I do know she has missed meetings and experienced poor health during her term.

The only other Eddington School Board position is currently being held by Therese Anderson. Therese was re-elected two years ago. She is the Chairperson of the Board and is doing a fine job. But she can not represent Eddington alone.

Interested candidates need to go to the Eddington Town Office to pick up Filing Papers soon. Anyone interested in running will need to gather signatures of approximately 25 registered Eddington voters who support that candidate for the position. The Filing Papers need to be turned in to the Town Office by a specific date - some time in February, I believe.

Voting takes place shortly before the Eddington Town Meeting and the results are announced at the Town Meeting.

Things to know and consider:

Candidates need to be Eddington residents.

They do NOT need to be parents of children currently enrolled in any of the three schools within the school AOS.

Each school board member is required to attend the monthly school board meeting which is usually the fourth Monday of the month from 7pm to whenever business is concluded. Meeting sites rotate between the three schools (Eddington, Holbrook, & Holden).

School board members are required to participate on a certain number of standing committees. I believe three committees is the norm.

School Board members are required to attend the May Public Hearing to review the Proposed Budget for the coming year and to Listen to the Public's concerns and questions regarding that budget. Following that Public Hearing, the Board may make revisions to the Proposed Budget which is then voted on at another Public Meeting which School Board member are required to attend.

(It is also beneficial for School Board members to attend, if not actually participate on, the Budget and Financial Committee Meetings that take place prior to that Public Meeting. Those meetings usually begin in March. It can be expected the next three years will be challenging financial years for the School Board, teachers, AOS staff and taxpayers.) This makes it all the more important for people who are concerned about the quality of our schools' education AND costs, as well as AOS budgeting and financial management to be on the School Board.

Being on the School Board is not a light-weight responsibility. It is not for someone who is unwilling to consider new ideas or able to face hard financial realities. It is not for someone who is unwilling to face the fact that a disproportionate amount of the school budget will be bourne by senior citizen residents who are trying to live on not only fixed incomes - but incomes that are decreasing each year since social security has seen no cost of living increase in two years. And there will not be a COLA in 2011 either.

At the same time, we need School Board members who believe that having our students test at the State's Average is not good enough - not if this state is going to get out of the economic hole it is in. Academic Excellence is what we should be striving to provide for every student who is willing to work for it.

Are you someone who is willing to step forward to serve? If so, contact the Town Office Staff and ask for a School Board Candidate Filing Form. Consider it another way to serve your community and your country.

G.I. BILL BENEFITS BILL ACTED ON BY CONGRESS THURSDAY

According to today's IAVA (Iraq Afghanistan Veterans of America) emailed newsletter:

Congress passes expansion of GI Bill benefits
For the second time in two years, Congress has approved a major overhaul of GI Bill benefits, this time simplifying the formula for college tuition payments and awarding housing stipends to students attending classes online. The measure, which passed the House in a 409 to 3 vote Thursday afternoon, would also allow more veterans to use the Post-9/11 GI Bill to pay for vocational school and on-the-job training.

THE WOES OF A LAZY DELIVERY DRIVER

Ever depend on some service only to find the driver of that service's truck is too lazy (or perhaps lacks to incentive) to take the "challenge" of a winter's weather? Happens here every winter. Living on the shoreline means having a driveway with a downward slope. And, granted, it is a long driveway. But it gets plowed. Especially if this writer needs to get out or a delivery is expected. For sure if there is more than a dusting of snow.

On the other hand, there is the inevitable contribution at the edge of the driveway left by the DOT plow as it cleans up the Maine Road, otherwise known as Route 9. If that mound is significant, either the family plow/plower will come back and clean it out or I trudge up the driveway (or drive up) with a shovel and clean it up. But most of the time my car and others drive through it so many times the mound becomes worn down to nothing but crunched snow. Certainly easy enough for a large fuel truck to drive over - except when the truck is driven by a driver who would "rather not" it seems. And so it was this past week.

Having checked the driveway on Wednesday, in anticipation for a delivery on Thursday, I knew there was no ice that would require sanding (at a cost of approximately $60.00 this year). And the driveway had been plowed Monday. But when there was no delivery, I called Friday morning to be told that the driver had left his company a note stating he had not delivered the oil because "the driveway needed to be plowed and sanded."

The heat in this house is not because of anything this writer can be billed for this week. We'll see if Sunday and Monday's projected three inches of rain will clear the driveway to that driver's satisfaction. Maybe it's time to look for a heating oil company that is hiring drivers who actually do the job they're paid to do. At $350.00 a delivery, one would hope so.

NO COMPLAINTS

It would appear the lake is just not ready to succumb to winter. Within the last two days all signs of ice have disappeared. We are back to open water, again. No complaints. Even with this weekends projected rain or snow or who knows what, there may just be open water for one more week. Have at it. Just fine by me.

****

With all the discussion in Washington regarding the recommendations from the President's Deficit Reduction Committee, the one he had to appoint because Congress refused to take on the problem, it is no wonder the Committee failed to garner the necessary 14 votes to move the Bill on to the floor. One of the recommendations was to freeze the salaries and benefits of the members of Congress but not those in the military. Now that is one recommendation I can support, I know too many military families who are in real financial difficulty, especially during repeated deployments. (And kudos to the President for appointing the Committee - no pat on the back to the members of Congress who wanted to walk away from the issue.)

There are a few of the other recommendations I have a problem with, such as eliminating the tax deduction for homeowner mortgage interest. That would be a "killer" for the housing industry, not to mention those of us already paying the interest and increasing property taxes and what would also be higher income taxes. For retirees trying to survive on fixed incomes, I just don't know where the money would come from to pay any taxes at all unless we stopped paying for the heat, electricity and gasoline we already can't afford. Even the taxes on gasoline would double. Just means we couldn't go anywhere except to the grocery store to buy food we couldn't afford.

Looking at the scenario this Debt Reduction Committee has put full square in the spotlight, one has to wonder why Congress has a problem on raising the income taxes on those making more than $250,000? Maybe an argument can be made for $250,000. It was explained to me today that many small business owners file a certain tax form that includes their personal and small business taxes together. So being taxed at a higher rate at the $250,000 level would hurt the job creation aspect. But this same person agreed that raising the limit to a compromise amount of $750,000 (instead of $1,000,000) would be equitable.

Leaving the tax break for those earning under $750,000 but increasing it for those earning over that amount would generate plenty of increased taxes - cut into the deficit, and still provide a tax break for the middle income Americans. A fair compromise if anyone in Congress would sit down and compromise. Talk about a Christmas Miracle.

LATEST NEWS FROM MAINE HERITAGE POLICY CENTER

From Thursday's Maine Heritage Policy Center newsletter (via email):

On Monday, the U.S. Senate voted on an amendment that would ban earmarks, the legislative direction of federal funds for pet projects within an elected official's home state. Although the amendment was defeated by a vote of 56 to 39, Maine Senator Olympia Snowe cast her vote in favor of the earmark ban.

Below is a statement released yesterday by MHPC Communications Director Chris Cinquemani:

"The Maine Heritage Policy Center thanks Senator Olympia Snowe for her vote in favor of an amendment to ban legislative earmarks. This amendment, although largely symbolic, is an important step in demonstrating to taxpayers that the message they have sent has been heard. Maine people expect and deserve a federal government that is committed to fiscal restraint and common sense spending. Senator Snowe has shown that she has heard that message, and that she will abide by the will of Maine's struggling families and entrepreneurs. The Senator can count on our support as she and her colleagues search for ways to restrain government spending and improve the job climate."

Contact Senator Snowe's office today to thank her for standing firm against congressional pork: (202) 224-5344


Under the Statehouse Dome
Many of the officials who won on Election Day ran on a platform of lower taxes, less spending, less debt, and greater liberty for Maine citizens and entrepreneurs. Now that they are in office, we have two important tasks: first, to support those officials who advance these pro-growth policies in Augusta. Second, to hold officials accountable, and make sure they keep their word.

NOTE: To contact our
newly elected Representative, Dave Johnson: DJHouse20@Gmail.com
State Senator Richard Rosen: www.SenatorRichardRosen.com - or - rrosen113@aol.com

Supreme Court to rule on Matching Funds

On November 29, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear a case originating in Arizona to strike down The Grand Canyon State's matching funds provision included in its Clean Elections Act, on the basis that the provision violates free speech.

Matching funds "are distributed by the state to publicly funded candidates in order to offset private fundraising advantages of candidates who raise money the traditional way by soliciting donations from private interests, as well as spending on behalf of candidates by independent political groups."

Like Arizona, Maine's Clean Elections Act includes a matching funds provision. Earlier this year, The Maine Heritage Policy Center, in partnership with the James Madison Center for Free Speech, filed suit against Maine's matching funds provision. Our case has been appealed to federal court, but the outcome of the Arizona case in the Supreme Court may render our case in Maine a non-issue. If the Supreme Court rules Arizona's matching funds provision unconstitutional, Maine's will be as well.

Stay tuned...

FICKLE FINGERS - IT IS OUR FATE I FEAR

With the rain projected for tonight and tomorrow, and even the temperatures not quite at freezing, we may have good ice skating on the lake should snow hold off for a week or so. Why? Because the water that was open only a few days ago has surrendered to the cold night air.

This morning, when at rising I thought I spied a single sliver of open water way out there in the middle, hope has dwindled. Not that anything or one should venture out heavier than a bird or perhaps a small chipmunk - not that there would be one so unwise. But ice there is, even though the patches of snow that remained a few days ago have gone. The lawn is a frozen, crunchy green. The few small piles of leaves are frozen hard. Not even a breeze moves them.

Driving through Bangor and Brewer yesterday on the way to mail out the last large box of Christmas gifts to the west coast, I had no problem in spotting entire driveways already covered with snowy ice. Perhaps they are so shaded even the sun of recent days never got a chance to shine into those areas. If so, winter started early for the cars and drivers there.

So far, my driveway is clear. Even the section in the upper part shaded by trees that was covered by crunchy snow as I drove out yesterday morning was clear with the gravel in control by the time I returned. That section is always the last to see the hard earth. However, behind my new neighbor's house, right at the base of their stairs where they often park, it is all icy. Perhaps there is a dip in the ground and the ice and snow has a greater depth. The sun can easily pour heat on the spot. Lots of ice melt will be applied there in the coming months.

But if the snow holds off, and the coming rain freezes hard on the lake, it will make for beautiful ice skating for those who venture forth when the time is right in a month or so. Time will tell. Right now the frozen water is high, much higher than it was this fall.

The fish will be going deep. It is time to pull out winter sweaters and gloves.

THE POWER OF SUNSHINE

The other day icy fingers were forming across the lake's surface. Winter was moving in. It is inevitable, I know, but not welcome in this household. Even Saturday morning when there was little snow left on the ground, just enough water from the day before had frozen on tops of the wooden steps outside to make walking treacherous. One good slip and down I would go for sure - a good bruise or broken bone awaiting at the bottom.

And yet, after just a single day of sunshine the forming ice on the lake is gone. There is open water once again. Of maybe there is something solid - white at least on the far side. I noticed it easily this morning. Over in one of the far inlets where the sun has to work to find access. But here, it is all sparkles with the slightest of ripples. No ducks though. And I haven't heard a loon in weeks. But I will be happy for the open water.

There are a few small patches of last week's snow. It has been that cold. Even the sunshine hasn't been enough to melt the snow on the cold ground. And the squirrels run up and down the trees playing tag with one another. Two jets fly over head in the bluest of skies leaving white trails behind.

I glance one more time at the water before going back to work. It sparkles clear across the surface in the sunlight from shore to shore. And Elizabeth thinks she has white diamonds.

WINTER IS SETTING IN

Looking out over the lake it is easy to see Winter has dipped more than a toe into the ever-darkening waters. The snow flurries from yesterday, last night and today, along with the freezing temperatures have left a snowy frosting in spots and a dark semi-slush in others. Yes, there are still large places of open water but even the eye can see how cold it must be there, even in the remaining liquid state. Not a time for anyone to venture out in any kind of craft.

There is no current today whereas just two days ago the current was free and flowing from east to west. Two days before that there were white caps on the waves as the brisk current whipped up from west to east. But today, the surface of the lake is a cold, still mirror of blackness with fat fingers of white and dark hardening slush. At least on the north side. Looking across the lake, from just past the midpoint toward the opposite shore, the water appears more open, fewer fingers.

Who knows. Maybe it's still late Fall over there. But here, on this side - Winter is checking out the landscape.

NEWS ABOUT TOWN AND ABOUT

The November 16th meeting of the Eddington Selectmen was moved to the 23rd - one day after the (scheduled) November School Board meeting. Since the Selectmen's meeting will be held after the school board, it would appear Eddington will only be represented by TWO instead of three members. One of the items on the Selectmen's agenda is to appoint a replacement for Karen Clark, elected to the school board last March. Karen and her family have moved to Holden and, as a registered Holden voter, she can no longer legally represent Eddington on the school board.

If the Selectmen had met on the 16th (the third Tuesday of the month as scheduled), the Selectmen could have appointed Karen's replacement in time for the School Board meeting on the 22nd.

***

On Saturday, December 4 from 11 AM to 12:30 PM, MWPA (Maine Writers and Publishers Alliance) member Jeff Foltz will be at the Bangor Public Library and then at the Rockport Public Library from 3:30 PM to 5:00PM with his new historical novel, Birkebeiner.

This writer encourages all writers and readers to support this event. MWPA has a full calendar of events in the Portland area, but there are few events planned on a regular basis here in Eastern Maine. There are several writers in Eastern Maine who would appreciate and need the support of communities in this part of the state.

****

With SNOW season soon to be upon us, there are people looking for available snow PLOWING services at reasonable rates. Anyone having or knowing of such services in the Eddington and Clifton area are free to use the Comments section here to post the name, contact telephone number and rates for services (rates per plow/storm or rates per month). At least we have a better Maine Road this year. It will be interesting to see where the snow banks end up (aside from the ones at the end of the driveways).

FROM TODAY'S BANGOR DAILY NEWS

ORRINGTON, Maine — New rules that went into effect this summer regarding alternative organizational structures under the 2007 school consolidation law are allowing communities such as Orrington and Dedham, and Eddington and Clifton, to keep local control.

“The AOS structure changed” and now “it’s very similar to the old school union,” Superintendent Allen Snell said at Tuesday’s Orrington School Committee meeting.

Community leaders in town and nearby Dedham are working together to create a new cost-saving regional school unit.

Under the proposed AOS, “The Dedham School Department will have [its] own budget and the Orrington School Department will have its own budget,” Snell explained Wednesday. “And there will be a combined superintendent and special education office” that will fall under the AOS.

Earlier this month, SAD 63 and CSD 8 approved an AOS plan that is very similar to the one being considered in Orrington and Dedham. The SAD 63 and CSD 8 plan made formal a partnership that has been in place for years, Superintendent David Anderson, who serves both SAD 63 and CSD 8, said Wednesday.

“This makes it official,” he said.

Under the new AOS rules, a school unit may keep its own school board and assign members of that panel to the joint AOS board.

In the Orrington-Dedham partnership, “the AOS board will have six members, four from Orrington and two from Dedham,” Snell said. “That’s based on the population” and each vote is weighted. “That AOS board would be charged with hiring a superintendent and creating a central office budget.”

Dedham and Orrington have already agreed that the AOS office will be located in Orrington, since Center Drive School has more space, he said.

Most of the school consolidation plan is complete, but one big piece that remains to be worked out is a nonexclusive contract with a community that provides secondary education.

With a majority of the high school-age students in both communities attending Brewer High School, the decision was made to contract with Brewer.

“Under the K-8 contract, they would become our public high school, but school choice is still preserved,” school board Chairman Kyle Casburn said at Tuesday’s meeting.

Details of that contract are expected to be presented to the public in December or early January at the latest, Snell said.

“We would discuss it in an open forum, then [the school board] would vote on it and then we would vote on it as a town,” school board member Glendon Rand said.

The Orrington School Committee will next meet Dec. 1. On Dec. 7, some members of the panel will meet with their counterparts from Brewer and Dedham. Orrington and Dedham school officials then will hold an AOS planning meeting Dec. 15. In order to consider the final AOS draft, which will include the contract with Brewer, the Orrington school board is likely to hold a special meeting in mid-December, Snell said.

“By Dec. 15 we hope to have the whole plan complete, then we have to submit it to the state,” he said. “Once the state approves it, then we have to set up a day for the [public] vote and hold public hearings” in both Orrington and Dedham.

“We would hope to have a [public] vote in January or February,” Snell said.

If approved by residents, the new Orrington-Dedham AOS school board will need to be appointed. The new board would hire a superintendent and create a new school budget before the July 1, 2011, start date.

Voters in the SAD 63 communities of Holden, Eddington and Clifton and the CSD 8 towns of Amherst, Aurora, Great Pond and Osborn approved their AOS in the Nov. 2 election by a nearly 2-1 vote, Anderson said.

“The next step is to form the AOS board,” which will immediately be tasked with negotiating a nonexclusive contract with Brewer, he said.

The AOS board for SAD 63 and CSD 8 will consist of seven members, one from each town, and will have weighted votes based on population, Anderson said.

Since each school unit will maintain its school board and each community is represented on the joint AOS board, “there will still be local control,” Anderson said.

NOTE: Considering that Orrington and Dedham received permission last April to form their own RSU (and now an AOS), it is interesting that the SAD 63 and CSD 8 Boards were able to get their acts together in time for the voters to approve our AOS on the Nov. 2 ballot - an election paid for by the state. There is no more money for school consolidation votes so Orrington and Dedham residents will be paying for their vote out of their own pockets.

ODDS & ENDS AT THE CLOSE OF THE WEEK

Looking out over the lake I am treasuring the open water. This morning it looks as still as cold, dark glass. Earlier a few ducks came in for a quick landing, rested for a while and then took off again.

On any given day, at various times throughout the daylight hours the surface displays varied personalities. Even here directly in front of my office home it is still. The few leaves floating on the surface are barely moving. The color of the water is a polished pewter. But there are spots to both the east and west where I can see patches of shiny dark surfaces streaking the polished pewter. And the far shore looks shiny. It's like that some days when there are currents moving in as many as three directions simultaneously across the lake's surface. Once can sit for hours just watching the "lady" as her personality flits from mood to mood. Then, as the sun comes into full force, it cause "diamonds" sparkling in places. In particular at the moment, right in front of my neighbor's home next door. Every "lady" does need her diamonds don't you know.

***

My neighbor is out one more time with his lawn mower, or maybe it's the blower, dealing with the last remnants of fallen leaves. It is not just a pleasure to be out these days when the sun is shinning and the temperatures are in the mid-to-high 50s. It is a necessity. Next week there will be rain. Again. And soon there will be the inevitable S-N-O-W. As I said to a visitor at the post office the other day, I have no problem with the "S" word, if only it would stay out of my driveway and walkways. Unfortunately, I think God has far too many big things to be dealing with these days for me to bother him/her with such a pithy request. Besides, I will be talking with him/her steadily as I am shoveling in the months to come.

***

This coming Tuesday is Selectmen's Meeting. It will be interesting to see how they chose to deal with the School Board representative replacement issue. It seems that state regs allow an individual to continue serving even if that person has moved "temporarily" out of the town which s/he has been elected to represent. The state provides NO definition or parameter of "temporarily." Fortunately, Karen Clark appeared at the Eddington Town Office on November 2 to change her voting record to show her residence as Holden (and not Eddington) which makes the record official. The relocation is no longer considered "Temporary" even by state law.

***

I find it interesting to read comments in the online version of the Bangor Daily News where individuals - hardline Republicans - accuse our state Senators of being RINOs which is supposed to mean something like Republicans on the outside but Democrats on the inside. I see these two women as hard workers trying to bring much needed business to this state and major cheerleaders for Mainers regardless of who is in power in Washington, D.C.

Just the other day, when Senator Collins was at her home in Bangor, she received a call from Senators McCain and others who had been diverted to BIA because their place could not land in Nova Scotia, their destination. Although she was waiting for a call from Secretary of State Hilary Clinton, Senator Collins went to BIA only to find that Homeland Secretary Janet Neapolitano had also been diverted to BIA. (Same destination, same reason.) Because of other circumstances, Senator Collins was able to arrange dinner for all of her/our unexpected guests at Thistles Restaurant (a great place to eat on York Street, BTW) and to have these very influential people participate in greeting two departing flights of troops along with our every-present Troop Greeters.

Yes, it was an awesome opportunity for the soldiers about to be deployed to Afghanistan. But it was also an opportunity for these unexpected guests to see how valuable BIA is for the refueling stop for our military - something Senator Collins has been fighting for (and against having cut back in the ongoing battle for budget cuts). Some beaucoup political help for Maine and this area was dropped in our lap that night because our Senator put forth an extra effort.

Now read the following from a recent IAVA (Iraq Afghanistan Veterans of America) newsletter:

"A Navy proposal to award lucrative contracts for a new class of speedy warships to the builders of two competitive versions could cut out Bath Iron Works from future bidding, Senator Collins said."

OUR Senator is working for us. And that is the job we elected her to do. Seems like she is on the job - derogatory labels from the far right aside.

A SOLDIER'S ADVOCATE - HIS WIFE

This posting is a continuation of yesterday's posting - "The Other Side of Veteran's Day." It is also a true story.

This past August I traveled from Eddington, Maine, to Bethesda, Maryland, for a writers' workshop. To get to Bethesda, I flew from Portland, Maine, to Dulles Airport in Washington, D.C.

Transportation from the airport to my hotel in Bethesda was easily arranged before I ever left home using the Internet. There is this wonderful system called The Blue Van (www.bluevan.com). An individual can reserve their one-way or round-trip transportation with door-to-door pick-up and delivery at a better rate than it would cost using a taxi. While there are personal chauffeur-driven cars available, there are also vans which transport several individuals that involve multiple stops along the way. (Each trip is one-way; a trip is not a pick-up and drop-off sort of affair which speeds up the process.) Van transports are less expensive than the chauffeur-driven cars.

Needless to say, I was a "Van" person.

There were about five or six people, including me, on the van as we left Dulles around noon. I chose a seat on the rear bench next to a young woman who was looking out the window.

She looked tired. I could understand that. My plane out of Portland had been a 6AM flight, which meant leaving the hotel at 4:15AM.

In the course of time I came to learn her name was Rosie. She looked to be in her thirties. Rosie was on her way to Walter Reed military Hospital to see her husband, Jose, for the first time since he had been returned home after being injured in Afghanistan. They had only been married six months.

Rosie worked as a civilian at the military base from which Jose had been deployed. Rosie said there was a policy (maybe the military's maybe the base's, I wasn't clear)that they were responsible for providing a voucher (a check) to pay for the spouse's travel within 48-72 hours of notification of the injured soldier's arrival at Walter Reed.

Rosie advised her military employer as soon as she received that notification because she would need to leave her job on base. No problem. And yet weeks passed with no voucher.

By the time I met Rosie, Jose had been at Walter Reed for several weeks. Both she and her military boss had inquired about the voucher but it had still not arrived. In frustration Rosie had taken personal funds to buy her plane ticket. Jose's mother had no ability to travel to Walter Reed.

Fortunately, there are housing facilities for family members available on or near the hospital grounds where Rosie was going to be able to stay. That was where the Blue Van was going to drop her off because she had to check in there first to get her clearance to Walter Reed before she could see her husband.

During the time Rosie was at home waiting for the voucher, she had been able to talk with Jose on the phone. He said he wasn't able to tell her very much about his injuries. She didn't know if that was because the doctors weren't telling Jose very much - or if Jose was trying to spare her. What she did know is that the lack of information only added to her anxiety.

What he was able to tell her was that his dressings were supposed to be changed twice a day. But, because of staffing shortages at Walter Reed, his dressings were only being changed once a day. And his wounds were weeping onto the bed linens. Unfortunately, his bed linens were only changed once a day as well. So he was lying in the seepage of his wounds.

Rosie was angry. I was angry for her as well.

As she said to me, "My husband is a career soldier. He wants to get well and go back. He can't say anything. But I can. I don't have a chain of command. I have my husband. If they don't have the staff to change his dressings, then I can learn and do it myself. If they can't take proper care of him, I will. I will be my husband's advocate. Because I will speak up, even if he can't."

I had no doubt she would.

But I had to wonder what happened. It was a couple of years ago that Robert Gates, Secretary of Defense fired the General who was in charge of Walter Reed. Mr. Gates ordered the deplorable conditions at Walter Reed Hospital be corrected. Apparently they haven't been - for all of the good artificial limbs that are being developed for our military men and women.

There was one good thing Rosie had to look forward to. "At least we'll be celebrating our first wedding anniversary together," she said. True. It was only a few months away. Chances were it would be there at Walter Reed Hospital.

I have thought or Rosie and Jose several times since last August. I am thinking of them today. I am thinking of all the men and women at Walter Reed Hospital - and all the military hospitals and VA hospitals across this country and in places abroad. We still have work to do for our veterans beyond parades and flag waving.

THE "OTHER SIDE" OF VETERANS DAY

Thursday, November 11, will be Veterans Day. Most families have a Veteran in their family. Mine does, as well as the career Navy man currently working his way toward becoming a veteran. Of course we all hope and pray he lives to become a one - a healthy one at that. It's not something any family can take for granted.

Each day I receive the IAVA (Iraq Afghanistan Veterans of America) newsletter. It provides a variety of information about what's happening in Washington D.C. as well as in the two war zones. So much of what I read is never reported on ANY of the news channels - not just the three major networks but on the cable news networks either. During the recent political campaigns nationwide, neither the wars nor veteran issues were mentioned above a whisper, if at that.

And so, with tomorrow's National Holiday when some of us will be watching parades or attending special ceremonies, maybe there are other groups of veterans we should all be thinking of. For that reason I thought the following article should be of particular interest, particularly for those who have one of those "Support our Soldiers" magnets on the back of their cars, or who campaigned for lower government spending, or those who believe America IS (or should be) strong - a leader in the world. When you hear the phrase "Freedom isn't Free" think of the following and ask yourself what you really mean by that - and who is really paying the price.

I'll post a personal story tomorrow that has haunted me from my trip to Bethesda, Maryland this past August when I met a military wife on her way to Walter Reed military hospital.

And now - from today's IAVA newsletter: ****

More than nine years of war in Afghanistan and seven in Iraq have so far cost America nearly 5,800 lives lost in combat, close to 40,000 wounded and more than $1 trillion.

Even if America starts withdrawing troops from Afghanistan in July 2011 -- the stated goal of U.S. President Barack Obama, who inherited the conflicts from his predecessor George W. Bush -- the impact of the wars will last generations.

Beyond the additional nearly $1 trillion two prominent economists estimate it will cost just to treat veterans of Afghanistan and Iraq for the next 40 years, the potential human cost is huge.

Since the war began in October 2001, there have been periodic reports about substance abuse, depression, domestic violence, suicide, homelessness and violent crime among traumatized veterans of Afghanistan and Iraq. High unemployment in a bad economy has merely compounded their troubles.

The experience of America's last major conflict, Vietnam, shows these problems have staying power. Many Vietnam veterans are still filing in and out of the U.S. criminal justice system. They are considered a high-risk group for suicide, alongside veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan.

The trouble with assessing the legacy of Vietnam, however, is a paucity of data. Despite advances in technology, the same goes for today's wars. With a few localized exceptions, there is little data in this statistic-loving nation on how many veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan are in jail, homeless or committing suicide.

JOBS, JUSTICE AND SOMEONE TO TALK TO

A three-month search for data and many dozens of interviews with officials, veterans, their families and veteran advocates provides some insight on future challenges for America's government and people.

The first is while Americans have been focused on their economy, a rather frank discussion appears to be ongoing in military circles on how worn out America's volunteer military is after nine years of war. Just 2 million men and women out of a population of 300 million have been deployed.

"As a result of the multiple tours involved with these two wars there is a huge amount of burnout across the military," said retired Brigadier General Stephen Xenakis, a psychiatrist and advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from 2007 to 2009. "If the situation doesn't improve it could have an adverse effect on America's ability to sustain a top-flight military in the field."

Multiple tours are obviously tough on families. They also multiply the likelihood of PTSD, which in turn leads to higher substance abuse and domestic violence. Dubbed the "signature wounds" of Iraq and Afghanistan, PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) and TBI (traumatic brain injury) make it harder for veterans to reintegrate into society with each additional tour.

In its landmark 2008 study "Invisible Wounds of War," RAND Corp estimated up to one third of those previously in Iraq and Afghanistan were suffering PTSD, TBI or major depression.

Yet, finding veterans with PTSD can be difficult. The illness is apparently grossly underreported because of a stigma attached to mental issues. In addition, troops fear opening up about it will harm their careers.

"I believe our hardest work is yet to come," said Jan Kemp, who heads the VA's national suicide prevention program.

Gallup asked voters in September to rank the country's "most important problem." One percent mentioned Iraq and less than half of 1 percent said Afghanistan. A group that is keenly aware of their plight is Vietnam veterans, many of whom now work on behalf of the new generation of U.S. veterans.

Vietnam veterans speak of the hostility they encountered upon returning from a deeply unpopular war and feel they were abandoned. While Americans are more supportive of today's troops, those who fought in Vietnam say inattention and a lack of understanding could produce the same result.

"We are determined not to let you cast aside these new kids like you did us," said Tom Berger, national chair on substance abuse and PTSD at Vietnam Veterans of America.

According to veterans' advocates, a lot of problems can be avoided by helping veterans find jobs (though funding for new programs may prove tough given the Republican Party's stated intent of cutting government spending.) They say it is also imperative to provide someone to talk to, preferably a veteran. A safety net to redirect them away from the criminal justice system and allow them to rebuild their lives is also critical.

"America faces a decision over whether we want to change history or doom ourselves to repeat it," said veterans advocate Robert Alvarez. "The time to make that decision is now."

Veteran advocates also warn that if Iraq and Afghanistan veterans are neglected, future recruitment could suffer.

"100 PERCENT UNEMPLOYABLE"

Stephen Edwards is not sure when the IED hit his Humvee, but it was either November or December of 2004 in Iraq. The blast bounced him up into the vehicle's roof, knocking him unconscious.

"I felt like I'd been kicked in the gut," said Edwards, 44, a former combat engineer in the National Guard.

Sent to the company medic, he was given painkillers and told to rest. "We had a mission to run and people relying on us, so I went back out instead," he said.

For two years after his return, Edwards complained to the VA of chronic back and neck pain until he underwent an operation in 2007 that left him with a titanium plate in his neck. He walks with a cane and takes multiple medications.

Edwards' marriage fell apart because of his PTSD. "I don't blame my ex-wife," he said. "She said she felt like she was married to a stranger. And it's true, I am not the same man that left."

Five years after leaving Iraq, he still does his surveillance routine when parking his car and never sits with his back to a door at a restaurant. He tried returning to work at his old company in the customer service department. But that went sour when he encountered a condescending customer.

"Before I went to Iraq I could have laughed it off as his problem," he said. "But I was about to punch him in the throat when my supervisor stepped in and suggested I take a break. The VA heard about it and now I am listed as 80 percent disabled and 100 percent unemployable."

The mild TBI he sustained has left him with memory problems and trouble reading.

Apart from occasional "dark" periods, Edwards lives contentedly in Tracy, California, looking after his girlfriend's children and dogs, "enjoying the quiet and solitude" and avoiding contact with most people.

Edwards is part of a new generation of patients for the VA, which prior to Iraq and Afghanistan was focused on an aging veteran population.

At the Edward Hines, Jr. VA Hospital 12 miles from downtown Chicago, which sees 2,000 outpatients a day, an influx that has wrought changes at every level. "A few years ago the main recreation here was bingo," said spokeswoman Maureen Dyman during a tour. "Now we have family fun days."

SIGNATURE WOUNDS

The new wars have also brought new problems. While PTSD has been recognized as a condition since 1980, TBI has become a major issue in Iraq and Afghanistan because while armor protects troops from external injuries, blast waves affect their brains.

"In previous wars a lot of veterans never had these issues," said Mike Erwin an active duty captain and founder of Team Red White and Blue, which pairs up volunteers with wounded veterans to help them reintegrate into society. "They never made it home because they died on the battlefield."

Of the more than 178,000 TBI cases reported from 2000 to the first quarter of 2010 in the U.S. military, 1,891 were severe and 3,175 were penetrating. Those are the easy ones to diagnose as there is physical damage to the outside of the head. But more than 168,000 were mild or moderate, where there is no external sign of injury.

At Hines VA, a team of rehabilitation specialists tries to diagnose veterans with TBI and PTSD. This is difficult because the symptoms for both are similar. What is more, mild and moderate TBI often does not show up on an MRI or CAT Scan.

"Screening is not the issue when it comes to TBI, diagnosis is the issue," said Melanie Querubin, whose job is to provide a diagnosis. "What we do is detective work, piecing together events from two or five years ago based on veterans 'vague recollections."

"It is particularly frustrating if you get it wrong."

Staff here said it is even more frustrating when troops are redeployed, as a fresh tour delays treatment and can make the injury worse.

The Defense Centers of Excellence (DCoE), set up by the military in 2007 to deal with psychological health and TBI issues, are researching technologies to screen for moderate and mild TBI. But Katherine Helmick, DCoE senior executive director for TBI, said it could be 12 to 18 months before they may be widely used.

The long-term effects of TBI are unknown. Clinical psychologists like Jaine Darwin, co-director of SOFAR, a group providing free counseling to veterans' families, compared the issue to the growing school of thought that multiple concussions in the National Football League may cause early dementia.

"Wounded people don't age well and we could see a lot with dementia 30 years early," Darwin said. "I believe we're going to face a public health crisis for the next 20 years."

The VA's Kemp said another unknown is what impact TBI will have on veterans' suicide risk. From 2005 to 2009, some 1,100 active duty service members killed themselves, one every 36 hours. In a report unveiled in September, officials said suicide prevention efforts were failing partly because troops do not trust the military to help.

"The force is out of balance," Colonel John Bradley, chief of psychiatry at Walter Reed Hospital said of America's overstretched military. "The force is fatigued. Anyone who doesn't believe that has their eyes closed."

Lieutenant Colonel Christopher Robinson, the DCoE's senior executive director of psychological health, mentions a sergeant he has been counseling who has spent five years in combat plus a year in Korea in the past decade and is struggling to go on.

"He's just worn out and tired of it all," Robinson said. "We're starting to see more and more of that."

There is little reliable data on veteran suicides. Only 16 U.S. states collect data on veterans for death certificates and the VA gets that with a two-year delay. "It is very frustrating," said the VA's Kemp, who noted that the U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki has been pushing for all states to provide more recent data. "The data we do have suggests that suicides are maybe lower among veterans receiving treatment," she said.

There are some 950 recorded suicide attempts a month within the VA system, though Kemp said the real number could be twice that. The VA's suicide prevention hotline gets up to 13,000 calls a month.

"We are looking to communities around America to help us avert veteran suicide," she said. "This is a national issue."

$1 TRILLION UNFUNDED LIABILITY

Lori Goodwin is another sign of changing times for the VA, as she is one of a growing number of female veterans.

Goodwin, 28, joined the military in 2000 out of high school in tiny Twin Rocks, Pennsylvania, with the aim of eventually going to college. She served in Iraq from July 2007 to October 2008 in a "medevac" team, and for much of the time she was there the base where she was stationed was pounded daily by mortars and rocket-propelled grenades.

Goodwin recalls explosions that would bounce her out of her bed, but as she was asleep, she does not know if she lost consciousness. She was discharged last April with fibromyalgia, despite mentioning she thought she had TBI. "I was told if you don't remember being knocked out, you don't have it," she said.

Since then Goodwin has been wading through the VA system in California and complains she could not get an appointment for nearly five months. "We were promised we'd be taken care of if we served," she said. "But instead of taking care of us we have to fight for everything."

"We already had to fight overseas. We don't want to fight here to get help."
Complaints about maddening bureaucracy, lengthy delays and a tendency to overmedicate at the VA are common. But veterans' advocates say the VA has come a long way in the past few years under Secretary Shinseki, who was appointed by Obama.

"Shinseki is a leader for our times," said John Driscoll, president of the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans.

The VA has hired 6,000 mental health professionals over the past four years and is seeking new ways to reach veterans outside the system.

The U.S. Congress has fewer fans in these circles. Tom Tarantino, a legislative associate at nonpartisan group Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), said 2009 was a revolutionary year where Congress passed a new GI Bill and a law providing funding for the VA two years in advance. But 2010 was a dud.

Bills to overhaul the VA disability process and provide veteran employment opportunities went nowhere. An October IAVA report card on the current Congress gave Democratic leaders mostly Bs and Cs, while Republican leaders all got Ds.

(NOTE: Maine's two Senators received a "B" rating as did Congressman Mike Michaud. Congresswoman Chelli Pingree received a "C" rating. The ratings were based on three factors: 1. Improving the outdated VA disability claims process, 2. Upgrading the post 9/11 G.I. Bill, and 3. Helping Vets find jobs in a tough economy.)

"I guess they were all busy seeking reelection," Tarantino said. "I'm sorry, but Congress doesn't get to take a year off in the middle of two wars. That's unacceptable."

Another major critique of the government is while the Bush and then Obama administrations have sought massive appropriations to fight two wars, no one has tallied the future cost of veteran care.

Linda Bilmes, who teaches at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government and Columbia University Professor Joseph Stiglitz estimated in their 2008 book "The Three Trillion Dollar War: The True Cost of the Iraq Conflict" that taking care of veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan would cost between $400 billion and $700 billion over the next 40 years.

But because disability applications have already passed their original expectations for 2013, they have raised that estimate to a range of $589 billion to $934 billion. Bilmes described this as a "massive unfunded liability." By comparison, America's unfunded social security liability is often estimated at $8 trillion.

"We think it is very bad policy to appropriate large sums to wage war without including the inevitable cost for treating veterans," she said.

Veterans groups like Veterans of Modern Warfare (VMW) plan to pressure Congress to assess the total cost of war before future conflicts. "If Congress has to assess 60 years of care, maybe they'll think twice about the cost of future wars," said VMW executive director Donald Overton.

"FIGHT OR FLIGHT"

Before the VA can treat veterans, it must find them.

David Cifu, VA head of physical medicine and rehabilitation, says while nearly 500,000 veterans have undergone TBI and PTSD screening "there are another 500,000 out there who aren't coming to us."

As TBI worsens with time, Cifu said this is a concern. "Three years out my chances of treating your TBI are less than 10 percent to 20 percent," he said.

The problem is often a matter of geography or stigma.

When Jessie Bratcher, 28, came back from Iraq in 2004 to Prairie City in rural eastern Oregon (population around 1,000) he found it hard to adjust. So he went to the nearest VA hospital 180 miles away, where he was given "weird meds," diagnosed with PTSD and took part in a few counseling sessions.

While in Iraq with the National Guard, Bratcher saw his best friend die after taking his place in a convoy and was near a large number of blasts. In one incident, his Humvee was hit so hard by an IED the soldiers in the vehicle behind it thought it had disintegrated.

Back home, Bratcher bought guns (he never owned a gun before Iraq) and went on night patrols in the mountains. He lost his job at a grocery store because he could not deal with the customers.

In late 2007 Bratcher fell in love with a girl and was delighted in the summer of 2008 when she said she was pregnant. Delight turned to horror when she said she had been raped and the baby might not be his.

After spending nearly 48 hours awake and nearly committing suicide, he bought a handgun and went to confront the man, Jose Medina. Bratcher says Medina threatened and then shoved him, at which point "it was a choice between fight or flight."

"I felt threatened, so I pulled out my gun," Bratcher said. He shot Medina six times.

At his murder trial, Bratcher's defense team successfully argued he was insane at the time of the shooting (a defense allowed under Oregon state law) and he is now in Oregon State Hospital.

"I just want to get out of here and get back to my family," he said in a telephone interview.

Markku Sario, Bratcher's lawyer, noted the hospital does not have any programs focused on PTSD. "If there's no treatment for Jessie, he'll just end up stuck in there until he's 60," he said.

STIGMA AND GEOGRAPHY

A significant obstacle to treating veterans with mental health issues is that so many are from remote rural areas.

In October Hines VA opened a satellite clinic in Peru, a small town in central Illinois. Around 350 veterans appeared on opening day, though most were older veterans and not those who had served in Iraq or Afghanistan.

Another issue is the stigma associated with admitting mental issues, which the military and the VA have been working hard to counter.

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen said during a visit to the Executives' Club of Chicago in August that "PTSD is a natural reaction to what troops experience in combat."

The DCoE runs the Real Warriors program to battle that stigma, with videos of soldiers saying opening up shows strength, not weakness. The U.S. military has more mental health professionals in forward areas to help soldiers in combat.

But the reluctance to talk about PTSD also stems from soldiers' fears they will be separated from their families and their future prospects will be damaged.

For a study on veterans released in September, Mary Beth Dunkenberger, senior program director at the Institute for Policy and Governance at Virginia Tech, held focus groups in which veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan said just before being reunited with loved ones they were asked if they had PTSD.

"If they admit to having PTSD, they know it could be weeks until they see their families so there is a tendency to minimize their symptoms," she said. "Also career soldiers are reluctant to speak up because they're afraid it could hurt their future prospects in the military while those returning to civilian life are afraid that no one will employ them if they're known to suffer from PTSD."

That study also showed that decades after that war ended, Vietnam veterans still have a higher rate of PTSD and depression than veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan.

Bruce Roberts, head of mental health at Hines VA, said many returning troops want to go into law enforcement, but cannot if they have mental health issues.

"So they say nothing in order to get on," he said.

MEAT GRINDER

Another problem is that symptoms of PTSD often do not appear until weeks or months after demobilization. Having been in a high-stress situation for months on end, it is natural for veterans with PTSD to experience nightmares and be in a constant state of hyper-arousal and hyper-vigilance.

"We are not designed to survive for long periods of time at that level of arousal," said Portland, Oregon-based neuropsychologist Robert Stanulis. "It has a damaging effect."

The strain of untreated PTSD can cause high-blood pressure, as well as heart and other problems. Studies have shown up to 80 percent of PTSD sufferers resort to substance abuse to ease their symptoms, from alcohol to illegal drugs.

PTSD is also linked to domestic violence. A study published by researchers in the VA Puget Sound Healthcare System in 2007 showed that 53.2 percent of PTSD sufferers in a test group reported at least one act of aggression in the previous 4 months.

April Gerlock, a research scientist in the same system, is conducting research with couples across age groups where one partner is a veteran and said the tendency toward violence actually increases with time.

"I think this has only just begun," she said.

PTSD can last years. According to the National Vietnam Veterans' Readjustment Study, conducted in 1987 (long after the war ended in 1975) and based on interviews with more than 1,600 veterans, 15.2 percent met the criteria for suffering from PTSD. Among men with a high combat exposure it was 35.8 percent.

Some 18.7 percent of veterans in the study had served more than one tour. Most did not because America had a draft in the Vietnam era.

"There is general agreement that there is a connection between multiple tours and PTSD," said Randy Petzel, the VA's Under Secretary for Health.

According to the U.S. Defense Manpower Data Center, as of September 2010 more than 270,000 active duty Army and Marine Corps personnel had been deployed more than once. That is more than 50 percent of the total deployed for both services. Roughly a third of National Guard and Reservist troops in both services had served more than one tour. More than 110,000 active duty Army and Marine Corps troops have served three or four tours, more than a fifth of the total deployed.

Multiple tours grind down families. "The divorce rate is so high on some bases it's called the Black Plague," said Brad Gallup, who runs the Colorado section of hirepatriots.com, which links veterans to employers. "It's a meat grinder."

Ivy Lloyd, who heads a program for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans at Hines VA, said simply: "The greatest casualty of this war has been the family."

Between 2002 and the third quarter of 2010, 156,866 veterans of Afghanistan and Iraq have received a provisional diagnosis of PTSD from the VA, or 13 percent of those eligible.

Bob Adams served in Vietnam 42 years ago as a medic and still experiences unexpected flashbacks of events his mind had blocked at the time. He now runs the Midwest Shelter for Homeless Veterans in Wheaton, a Chicago suburb.

Adams has seen Iraq and Afghanistan veterans end up on the streets faster than Vietnam veterans did because their multiple tours have eroded family bonds. He expects many more.

"The worst affected Vietnam veterans we've seen had more than one tour," he said. "When you have multiple tours in any war you're going to see problems you don't get with one tour. One tour is enough."

Also, Iraq and Afghanistan are unlike Vietnam in that there is no rear area and troops have served under constant duress for months at a time.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development estimates that last year around 13 percent of America's homeless population were veterans.

THROWAWAY SOLDIERS

Two groups that fall outside the system may be additional cause for concern.
The first is former soldiers with a less than honorable discharge -- including misconduct and drug use -- who have little access to VA services. According to Army data, there have been around 50,000 such discharges since 2002. VMW's Overton said many of those men and women may be PTSD sufferers forced out because their condition made them unfit for duty.

"These young men and women have become our throwaway soldiers," he said.
The other group consists of private contractors, used extensively in both wars. According to a July report to Congress, there were almost as many contractors in Iraq as troops in March of this year and 1.4 contractors for every service member in Afghanistan. Many of the contractors providing security formerly served in special forces units.

"One thing that makes the hairs stand up on the back of my neck is the trigger-pulling military contractors being repatriated to the United States," said Jonathan Shay, a psychiatrist who specializes in war trauma. "They may not get the benefits and support services they need down the line."

"The royal road to recovery lies through talking to other veterans. If you don't have that, the road may be closed."

JUDGMENT PROBLEMS

After his second tour in Iraq in 2006, Steven Jordal's family noticed something was wrong.

"We knew war changed people so we thought if we left him alone he'd work through it," Steven's father Dale said. "It turns out we were wrong."

Steven got divorced in early 2008, then tried to commit suicide. He also almost crashed his motorcycle a couple of times going at 155 mph. At least two men in his old unit have died in crashes since returning.

His nightmares were so bad he ground his teeth so hard in his sleep that three broke. To stop them he started smoking marijuana.

Then his drug dealer in Oklahoma City asked him to make an incendiary device to burn a rival's car. Steven agreed, but the drug dealer was arrested and offered the authorities Steven instead. He was arrested in December 2008.

Robert Mitchell, an attorney who represented Steven, said the multiple concussions he had sustained had affected his frontal lobes and impaired his ability to tell right from wrong. Neuropsychologists confirmed that is a common outcome.

The charges against Steven could have landed him in prison for up to 30 years. Led by Rhonda, the Jordals fought back for nearly two years until a doctor told them Steven was deteriorating and needed treatment. So a deal was struck and Steven will serve 10 years probation.

"To their credit, the authorities did come around and finally agreed with us," Mitchell said. "This is Oklahoma City after all."

"But the criminal justice system needs to understand this is a legitimate mitigating circumstance, if not a complete defense."

Oklahoma City lives in the shadow of the 1995 bombing by Gulf War veteran Timothy McVeigh, who blew up the Alfred P. Murrah Building, killing 168 people.

VETERAN JUSTICE

There is scant data on Iraq and Afghanistan veterans in America's prisons. The U.S. Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) has previously conducted surveys of veterans in prisons. The last one was in 2004 and found that Vietnam veterans made up 36 percent of the veteran population in state prisons and 39 percent in federal prisons. Only a few years into the war in Afghanistan, 4 percent of veterans in state and federal prisons had served there or in Iraq.

The next survey is not planned until 2013, with the results due in 2015. A BJS spokeswoman said in an email those dates are "subject to change, pending funding and other considerations."

Guy Gambill, a senior justice fellow at the Open Society Institute, has worked with over 300 families over the past nine years and said 2015 was "simply too late."
So instead there is fragmentary local data.

In 2007, for instance, William "Bud" Brown, a sociology professor at Western Oregon University and a Vietnam veteran, surveyed jail inmates in Marion County. Only 31, or about 5.5 percent of the total, said they were veterans. But 19 had served in Iraq or Afghanistan. All had experienced combat.

"No one really wants to know how many veterans there are in our jails," Brown said. "I guess that would be too embarrassing."

Brown is currently helping 16 veterans in criminal cases, 14 on murder or attempted murder charges.

The jail in El Paso County, Colorado, counts veterans as there are five military bases nearby. Charles Corry, president of the Equal Justice Foundation, says preliminary data show up to 270 veterans are booked there monthly and noted three murder charges in the three months up to the middle of October.

Veterans' advocates say America's tough criminal justice system creates more problems by giving veterans a criminal record for petty crimes like substance abuse (a natural reaction to PTSD) cutting them off from most jobs and leaving them to drift, often toward violent crime.

Floyd "Shad" Meshad, a medical officer in Vietnam, says the uncompromising attitude of many courts undermines Americans' claims to back soldiers, typified by the yellow stickers on many cars saying "support our troops."

"If you are blown away 15 years from now by a traumatized vet who didn't get a second chance, I wonder what good that sticker will do you," Meshad said.

Instead, many advocates say "veterans' treatment courts" may be a solution, as they offer a way out of jail for veterans if they clean up and stay out of trouble. There are more than 40 of these courts operating around the country and about a dozen more are planned. Many, though not all, try to leave veterans who clean up without a criminal record.

Robert Russell, a judge in Buffalo, New York, launched the first veterans' treatment court in 2008. There is a VA representative in his courtroom and volunteers, many of them veterans, help defendants, for example by getting them treatment for PTSD or substance abuse.

"When one veteran speaks to another it appears to have an encouraging and motivating effect," Russell said.

So far 181 veterans have been through his court, 86 percent of whom have stayed clean. About one third of those veterans served in Iraq and Afghanistan, another third in Vietnam.

Veterans' courts can also save states money.

Judge John Kirby started his veterans' court in Cook County, Illinois, in February 2009 and has so far seen 75 veterans come through. In the year before his court began, there were 278 arrests in that group at a cost of $432,000. The year after, there were four arrests costing $32,000.

Others say veterans' treatment courts show potential, but may need to include domestic violence cases, which the BWJP's Tinney says could make up to between 25 percent and 50 percent of all cases involving veterans.

"COMING BACK IS HARD"


Alex Garcia, 26, considers himself lucky, though it was not always that way.
When he first came back from Iraq in September 2005 to the Chicago suburb of Aurora after a 15-month tour, his life began to unravel. He became angry for no reason, flashbacks and nightmares led him to alcohol, which provided temporary relief from his PTSD.

"There was a lot of emotion I pushed down," he said. "I didn't want to talk about it because I didn't want to seem weak and look like a crazy guy."

But in 2007, Garcia heard there was a job opening at the Midwest Shelter for Homeless Veterans in Wheaton. He got the job, which was his first piece of good news.

"I was feeling lost and I don't know what would have happened if I hadn't found this job," Garcia said.

Before long he was opening up to Vietnam veteran Bob Adams, "who got what I went through." Now, Garcia has a girlfriend, an infant son and is getting used to civilian life.

"I take it a day at a time. I am comfortable now knowing that a part of my soul is and always will be in Iraq."

Veterans' advocates say a job is a major step toward reintegrating into society.
"Mental health support is important, but all the mental health support in the world won't solve the problem," Meshad said. "The key to helping these veterans reintegrate into society is jobs. What we need is a national jobs program for them."

But John Keaveney, founder of New Directions, which helps homeless veterans in Los Angeles, warns that in the wake of the midterm elections resurgent Republicans want to cut spending.

"We're going to have to do more with less," he said.

At his Executives' Club of Chicago visit Admiral Mullen asked local businesses to hire veterans. When asked to sum up veterans' best qualities Mullen said emphatically they are loyal, disciplined and honest. But then he struck a plaintive note.

"For those who don't know us, take a chance," he said. "It's worth the risk."

But with the national unemployment rate at 10.2 percent for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans (advocates believe the real number is higher) in September, above the national rate of 9.6 percent, jobs are scarce.

Rajiv Srinivasan is CEO of myvetwork.com, a job service for veterans that teaches them how to translate their wealth of military experience for prospective civilian employers.

"No piece of legislation, no derivative on Wall Street is going to get us out of this economic mess," he said. "Veterans are the independent leaders and thinkers who will lead the way."

Srinivasan says failure to provide jobs for these new veterans would be a disaster for the U.S. military.

"This is not just an economic issue, it's a national security issue," he said. "If American kids see veterans without jobs, without healthcare and no education, then they're just going to see military service as a dead-end career and they won't sign up."

"Hundreds of thousands of soldiers will leave the military in the next few years," he added. "This is only going to get bigger."

As for Steven Jordal over in Forest City, Iowa, he regrets that he tore ligaments in his knee on his second tour and cannot serve. Otherwise he would be in Iraq.

"Getting deployed is easy," he said, with a flash of the smile his mother said he wore constantly before the war. "It's coming back that's the hard part." (Editing by Jim Impoco and Claudia Parsons)

WHEN IS A REPRESENTATIVE NOT A REPRESENTATIVE?

I heard a few comments last week after the election that some people were surprised at the number of votes against the AOS (Alternative Organized Structure) "consolidation" for the school district. It surprised me, too, until I heard that some people never receive the brochure that was mailed out. This was particularly true for some residents in Clifton. In a town with a high population of elderly people, many of who do not get out of the house (and therefore would not have gotten to the Public Hearing on October 19th even if they had heard about it) and do not have or know how to operate a computer. Without the brochure, they had no information explaining what the AOS was or would be as compared to the current system. They certainly would never go to the SAD 63 website to read the proposed plan. And without the brochure they would have had no information regarding the Public Hearing. And, No, they don't read this blog. They have friends who do, which is what generated the phone calls.

I discussed this with the Eddington Town Manager and he indicated that he provided mailing addresses for Eddington residents to receive the brochure. I have no idea how the Clifton addresses were (or were not) obtained for mailing purposes. Too bad because every property owner will be paying for the school district, even though, in the end perhaps we are going to be better off than we would have been if we had consolidated with school districts that didn't want to partner with us or would have driven up our local costs with nothing to gain in exchange.

So now, with the addition of an AOS Board to govern the governance of the shared administration and related administrative costs, we resume business pretty much the way we've been doing business all along - with some necessary changes in the wind.

A School Board Member is elected to represent his or her community which, of course, requires that that representative live and reside in the community he or she has been elected to represent. Seems simple but at the moment, it is not the case with one of Eddington's School Board representatives. Last March (2010), Karen Clark ran unopposed in Eddington for her seat on the School Board and she was elected. Since that time, Karen and her family have moved from their residence in Eddington to another community.

While Karen has done an admirable job on the Board, she no longer meets the requirement of being an Eddington resident. Therefore there is a significant question as to her eligibility to be a member of the School Board as one of the three Representatives from Eddington.

At the November 16th Eddington Selectmen's meeting (at 6PM) the matter is expected to be on the Agenda. At that time the Selectmen may be asked to appoint someone to fill Karen's seat on the School Board - someone who resides in Eddington and who is interested in the issues and responsibilities of the schools in (whatever the name will be) SAD 63. While the Eddington Selectmen usually go to one particular individual for appointments relating to school board matters, this appointment cannot involve anyone who is currently employed in any capacity by the school district. It also needs to be someone who will speak up for Eddington's town interests as well as the academic interests of the students and the financial interests of the taxpayers of the property owners who consistently end up significantly paying for the costs of the district. This writer hopes the Selectmen will consider all of these qualifications when they fill the position on the school board.

THE LATEST SCHOOL TEST SCORES FOR THIRD & FOURTH GRADERS IN SAD 63

Back on September 27, 2010, this writer posted data regarding the three schools within SAD 63 (Eddington Elementary School, Holden Elementary School, and Holbrook School). The data was found on Educationnation.com, a national public education awareness project sponsored by NBC and other companies. (If you are interested in reading the data, you can screen this blog site to "older posts" to the posting of that date.)

Yesterday, November 4, I met for over an hour with Don Spencer, principal of the Eddington Elementary School, who graciously explained data he provided after that posting. (See the posting on Oct. 7 for more information.) The following is a result of yesterday's meeting and previous research by this writer. My appreciation is extended to Mr. Spencer.
*****

The Educationnation data came from 2008-2009 Maine Education Assessment (MEA) test results. Under the MEA system, third and fourth graders took the tests at the end of the school year, before the break for summer.

There are many explanations offered as to why Maine changed from the MEA testing system to the New England Common Assessment Program (NECAP). Some say it was for cost efficiency. Others say it was to meet the documentation required under the “Leave No Child Behind” program, otherwise known as Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP). And others say it was because the MEA gave a false sense of academic achievement for Maine’s public education system. Whatever the reason, effective October 2009, the testing element used for elementary students in Maine’s public schools became the NECAP. To be clear, these grades are now 3rd through 5th grade.

There are many differences between the MEA and the NECAP. Unlike the MEA tests, which were conducted at the end of the academic school year, the NECAP tests are conducted during the first two weeks of October. The test results not only provide information regarding the individual students knowledge. The results also impact federal and state funding for the school and the district.

Let us look at Entering Third Graders being tested as an example. On or about the second week of October, they will be tested on what they learned, on an accumulative basis, during their Second Grade Year – after an entire summer vacation period. The third grade teachers will have only September to review all of the material taught during the Second Grade Year which will be tested.

We know children will have forgotten a lot over the summer unless parents have been involved with their children and have helped them children retain what they learned that Second Grade Year. How many parents will have known or done that? Fewer than the number who attend Parent-Teacher Conferences, I expect. Fewer than those who review their children's homework during the school year or who read to them nightly throughout the year if the child is under twelve.

To complete the scenario, Entering Fourth Graders will be tested on what they learned in the Third Grade. And Entering Fifth Graders will be tested on what they learned in the Fourth Grade.

The subject matter being tested is Reading (to test both reading and literacy), and Math - basic skills upon which all education and professions are based regardless if one becomes a carpenter, a mechanic, a doctor, a lawyer, a teacher or a homemaker.

The AYP sets overall Annual target scores for the elementary grades (3, 4 & 5) in the areas of attendance and academic achievement (math and reading). These targets are set in terms of a percentage. For the 2009-2010 NECAP testing, the target percentage for SAD 63’s elementary grades was 92 percent. The actual testing result for SAD 63’s elementary graders was 95 percent. Good job - on the overall. Certainly an improvement over the 2008-09 scores.

What comprises Reading for testing purposes?
The subtopics are: Word identification & Vocabulary; The type of text – Is it Literary or Informational; and the Level of Comprehension – Initial Understanding and Analysis & Interpretation.

What comprises Math for testing purposes?
The subtopics are: Numbers & Operations, Geometry & Measurement, Functions & Algebra, and the Data & Statistics & Probability.

How are the tests graded?
There are four (4) grading levels:

Level 1 is the lowest. It is labeled as Substantially Below Proficient. Basically, it is the equivalent of an F.

For the Reading test, it is defined as follows: Student’s performance demonstrates minimal ability to derive/construct meaning from grade-appropriate text. Student may be able to recognize story elements and text features. Student’s limited vocabulary knowledge and use of strategies impacts the ability to read and comprehend text.

For the Math test, it is defined as follows: Student’s problem solving is often incomplete, lacks logical reasoning and accuracy, and shows little conceptual understanding in most aspects of the grade level expectations. Student is able to start some problems but computational errors and lack of conceptual understanding interfere with solving problems successfully.

Level 2 is the next highest level. It is labeled as Partially Proficient. Basically, it is the equivalent of a D.

For the Reading test, it is defined as follows: Student’s performance demonstrates an inconsistent ability to read and comprehend grade-appropriate text. Student attempts to analyze and interpret literary and informational text. Student may make and/or support assertions by referencing text. Student’s vocabulary knowledge and use of strategies may be limited and may impact the ability to read and comprehend text.

For the Math test, it is described as follows: Student’s problem solving demonstrates logical reasoning and conceptual understanding in some, but not all, aspects of the grade level expectations. Many problems are started correctly, but computational errors may get in the way of completing some aspects of the problem. Student uses some effective strategies. Student’s work demonstrates that he or she is generally stronger with concrete than abstract situations.

Level 3 is the next highest level. It is labeled as Proficient. Basically, it is the equivalent of a C (average).

For the Reading test, it is defined as follows: Student’s performance demonstrates an ability to read and comprehend grade-appropriate text. Student is able to analyze and interpret literacy and informational text. Student makes and supports relevant assertions by referencing text. Student uses vocabulary strategies and breadth of vocabulary knowledge to read and comprehend text.

For the Math test, it is defined as follows: Student’s problem solving demonstrates logical reasoning with appropriate explanations that include both words and proper mathematical notation. Student uses a variety of strategies that are often systematic. Computational errors do not interfere with communicating understanding of most aspects of the grade level expectations.

Level 4 is the highest level. It is label as Proficient with Distinction. Basically, it is the equivalent of an A or B.

For the Reading test, it is defined as follows” Student’s performance demonstrates an ability to read and comprehend grade-appropriate text. Student is able to analyze and interpret literary and informational text. Student offers insightful observations/assertions that are well supported by reference to the text. Student uses range of vocabulary strategies and breadth of vocabulary knowledge to read and comprehend a wide variety of texts.

For the Math test, it is defined as follows: Student’s problem solving demonstrates logical reasoning with strong explanations that include both words and proper mathematical notation. Student’s work exhibits a high level of accuracy, effective use of a variety of strategies, and an understanding of mathematical concepts within and across grade level expectations. Student demonstrates the ability to move from concrete to abstract representations.

NOTE: This writer has taken the liberty to allocate the Letter grades to the aforementioned Levels. There are only four levels. Some might argue Level 1 = A, Level 2 = B, Level 3 = C, and Level 4 = D. In such a world, there would be no failures. Of course, in such a world there would be no need for Special Education classes, either. The system would just keep “passing along” the D level students and eventually they would fall off the grid. Since the “real world” and high school does include the grade “F”, somewhere in the NECAP grading system, failure also needs to be acknowledged. Level 1 is it. Personally, being “average” is no guarantee of success, either.

So, how did Eddington Elementary School do in the 2009-2010 NECAP testing? And how did the SAD 63 district do overall?

There were 27 Eddington Elementary Beginning Third Graders who tested.
In the Reading Scores, 2 achieved Level 4; 19 achieved Level 3; 5 achieved Level 2;, and 1 achieved Level 4. Their “Mean Score” of 346 equaled the State’s Mean Score (with 13,415 students testing).

There were 24 Holden Elementary Beginning Third Graders who tested.In the Reading Scores, 5 students achieved Level 4; 18 achieved Level 3; 1 achieved Level 2; and 0 who achieved Level 4. Because of Holden’s higher scores, the District’s Mean Score turned out to be 350, 4 points higher than the state’s.

For the Math test (same Eddington Beginning Third Graders), the results were:4 students achieved Level 4; 12 achieved Level 3; 9 achieved Level 2; and 2 achieved Level 1 for a Mean Score of 343, which was 1 point above the state’s Mean Score of 342.

For the same Holden Beginning Third Graders, the Math test results were: 9 students achieved Level 4; 28 achieved Level 3; 11 achieved Level 2; and 3 achieved Level 1. Once again, because Holden’s Mean Score was slightly higher than Eddington’s, the District’s Mean score of 345 ended up being better than the state’s.

When it came to the Beginning Fourth Graders, the scores were better. (Remember, these students were being tested on what they had learned the previous year in the third grade and after the summer vacation with only the month of September to refresh their academic knowledge.)

There were 31 Eddington Beginning Fourth Graders who tested.
In the Reading Scores, 7 achieved Level 4; 15 achieved Level 3; 8 achieved Level 2; and 1 achieved Level 4. Their “Mean Score” of 447 exceeded the State’s Mean Score of 444 (with 13,461 students testing).

There were 32 Holden Beginning Fourth Graders who tested.
In the Reading Scores, 13 students achieved Level 4; 35 achieved Level 3; 13 achieved Level 2; and 2 who achieved Level 4. Because of Holden’s slightly higher scores, the District’s Mean Score turned out to be 448, 4 points higher than the state’s.

For the Math test (same Eddington Beginning Third Graders), the results were:4 students achieved Level 4; 17 achieved Level 3; 7 achieved Level 2; and 3 achieved Level 1 for a Mean Score of 445, which was 2 points above the state’s Mean Score of 443 (with 13,481 students testing). NOTE: There is a difference of 20 in the number of students statewide reported to have tested with no explanation.

For the same Holden Beginning Fourth Graders, the Math test results were: 11 students achieved Level 4; 36 achieved Level 3; 10 achieved Level 2; and 6 achieved Level 1. Once again, because Holden’s Mean Score was slightly higher than Eddington’s, the District’s Mean score of 447 ended up being better than the state’s by 4 points.

Two important pieces of information came for this data: (1) The test scores in 2009-2010 were better than 2008-2009, and (2) Our schools and parents still have a ways to go to achieve the high standard of education taxpayers hear about at the Annual Public Hearing in May.

Finally, we need to remember how important these scores are not only for the future of our students, but also for state and federal funding for our schools. When that outside funding goes down, our property taxes go up. As we continue to watch the budgeting process in the district, maybe it's time to start questioning ways we can bring more parents into the process of active participation in their children's educational future as well - particularly over the summer months.

WE HAVE A NEW GOVERNOR AND OTHER ELECTION CHANGES

Election Results:

The Following email was just received from the Eliot Cutler Campaign Office at 11am:

"At noon today I will announce at a press conference here in Portland that I have spoken with Mayor Paul LePage and congratulated him on his victory. The results that are available to us this morning are unofficial and informal, but I believe that it is unlikely that there will be a material change in the outcome.

"Although we all will await the official tabulations by the Secretary of State, I do not want to make it more difficult for Paul to assemble the team he needs to govern the State of Maine and to prepare a budget for the next biennium. In all likelihood, he will be the next governor for all the people of the State of Maine, and all of us who love the State of Maine should give him our support as he sets out on a difficult journey.

"I am unendingly grateful to you for your investment in the effort we have made and your support for our vision for Maine.

"I am proud of the fact that we came from literally zero to just a few thousand votes short of winning in a mere 16 months. And I am prouder still that we stuck a dagger in the heart of negative campaigning in the State of Maine, that we never ran a single negative attack ad nor made a single personal attack, that we withstood an onslaught of lies, slander and deception directed against us and that we emerge from this race with our heads held high and our integrity intact.

"You should be proud of your participation in this campaign, and I hope that you are, as I am. I am indebted to you and grateful to you.

Thank you.

Signed by Eliot Cutler
Authorized by the Candidate and paid for by Cutler 2010

Dave Johnson is the NEW Representative to the Maine House of Representatives for our District, having won 54.95 percent of the votes.

The proposed AOS for our school district was approved. So now, what SAD 63 and CSD 8 have been doing since 1977 (before mandated consolidation) is "legal." Suppose we could get back that $178,000+ the state took last year. After all, we were doing exactly what the state wanted before they even mandated it.

Clifton's proposed "amendment to the amendment" for the wind tower ordinance was defeated. Good thing. According to a reliable source, portions of the "amendment to the amendment" were illegal and a costly court action was sure to have occurred if it had passed.

BOTH of the state's Congress persons were re-elected. It should be an interesting "arena" under John Boehner as Speaker of the House. This writer won't miss Nancy Pelosi as Speaker but I won't be bringing out any horns and whistles for Mr. Boehner, either. I'd just like to see the children start playing together in the sandbox with some degree of civility - for a change.

THIS CASINO QUESTION ON THE BALLOT

Yesterday, while in Bangor, I had the opportunity to read Question #1 on the November ballot. This is the Question regarding the proposed casino in western Maine. As with all things, there are good aspects and bad (notwithstanding the gambling issue with which I have no problem).

I will admit that, prior to reading the entire proposition, I was inclined to vote for the casino. I have changed my mind.

The following are the reasons Why:

1. For all of the television ads about the immediate construction jobs the project would bring, once the casino is built, those jobs are gone. So those jobs are not a selling point.

2. Yes, the casino would provide several permanent jobs - but only for that immediate area. Not for any other areas in the state.

3. That casino would have table games (roulette, black jack, craps, etc.) which I think is great. I'm no fan of slots. Personally, having a "relationship" with a machine that is, in fact, programmed to pay off even on a random basis is no relationship. It just makes for a dead butt. I like sitting or standing around with other people and playing, whether it's cards or watching the spin of a roulette ball - not that I play often or expect to win, but I have on occasion. But the relationship, though temporary, with the people can be fun and enjoyable.

4. And there is a fair amount of pay back to the state defined in the proposal.

There is a set formula for net proceeds from the slot machines as well as a separate formula from the table games (lower percentage from the table games than the percentage from the slot machines - about 16% and 46% respectively).

From the slot machines, about 23 percent of the proceeds goes to SUPPLEMENT (not supplant which is important) K-12 public education. Less goes to the UofM system. Less goes to the Community College system. Even 4 percent goes to the Penobscot and Passamaquody tribes. Harness Racing gets into the act, too, with proceeds from the slot machine.

Sounds good so far, doesn't it?

But there is always a hook. The hook is that passage of Question #1 also locks in a provision that table games will not ever be allowed at any other location in the state. That means no table games ever at Hollywood Slots. No table games at any other casino that might ever be approved anywhere else in the state.

AND, there are requirements and restrictions regarding any other casino that might ever be built that it is easy to see, the intent is to make sure none will ever be allowed anywhere in the state that might be in competition with the one being proposed for western Maine. NOT GOOD for any Indian Nation that wants to have a casino built on their lands. NOT GOOD for any group that might want one in northern or coastal Maine that might attract the tourist ships coming into port.

One more time this is a case of "I'm getting mine but I'm making sure no one else will ever get theirs."How can this casino, even a four season resort casino, located in one county in western Maine be good for the entire state when it locks up all other future opportunities for the rest of the state?

I don't have a problem with quality resorts that provide casinos. I do have a problem with greedy people.

TODAY'S MAIL BAG

From today's Email bag:

Maine Heritage Policy center Announced:

At a Brewer press conference today, MHPC announced new data on MaineOpenGov.org that details Maine's nearly $15.4 billion government retiree pension burden.

The 25,727 individuals currently enrolled in the Maine Public Employees Retirement System will receive a combined $15,383,315,649-an amount equivalent to $11,834 for every man, woman and child in Maine. Of that nearly $15.4 billion total, retirees have paid in $882,274,785-less than six percent of the total pension cost.


The MaineOpenGov.org updates include the names, years of service (work), final employer, and age of retirement for the nearly 26,000 current government retirees.


The new data also provides the amount each government employee contributed to the retirement compared to the projected amount they are expected to receive in taxpayer-funded pension benefits over their lifetime.


CEO Tarren Bragdon demonstrated the disparity between what some employees contributed, and what they can expect to receive in pension benefits.

Other information presented at today's press conference:

· More than 2,000 government retirees will receive a lifetime pension worth $1 million or more.

· The average annual Maine Public Employees Retirement System retiree pension has increased by 129% since 1991.

· 50% of retirees retired with 25 or fewer years of service (work)

· Total pension payments have increased 213% since 1991 (from $165 million to $516 million).


All this information, and more, is now available on MaineOpenGov.org.

Visit today.

And on the phone: A call from Maine Senator Olympia Snowe urging a vote for Paul LePage. Could it just be the national RNC is behind this? At the moment my vote is leaning toward Eliot Cutler (still). But I'm still firm on Anyone BUT Mitchell.


New MainePolicy.org Web site is finally here!

Last week, The Maine Heritage Policy Center unveiled its brand new MainePolicy.org Web site.


See new features, search functions and more

CAN'T TELL THE SEASONS BY THE BIRDS

For the last two weeks I have had flocks of robins on the lawn. How they can find any worms through the blanket of leaves is beyond me. And Robins? I associate robins with Springtime. Consider my amazement - confusion is more like it this past Friday as I was driving west on Route 9 to the Post Office and then to the Town Office and there were at least ten (10) turkeys having a go on one of my neighbors front lawns fairly close to the road. Turkeys in the Fall I expect. But robins AND turkeys at the same time just boggles the mind.

And the chipmunks not only have the squirrels helping themselves to the black oil sunflower seeds, now the chickadees and thrushes are packing in for "Feed Time", too. At least the loons are still here. For the moment.

Did you see the full moon last night? Silvery white and beautiful over the water.

LOST DOG:

Last Sunday a little Pomeranian named Foxy got loose at the top of Merrill Road. Just 1 year old and 8 pounds, she was running back and forth, dodging cars, even came down my driveway to stand and bark. But she wouldn't come. People tried to catch her including her owners.

A flyer is posted at the Eddington Town Office. If you spot her - better yet if you have her or know someone who has her, call 843-0415. They miss her. She was the light in the household.

HOW MAINE LEGISLATORS DID ON VET ISSUES THIS PAST YEAR

From my incoming emails TODAY:

"IAVA (Iraq Afghanistan Veterans of America) Action Fund just released its 2010 Congressional Report Card – and we want you to be the first to check it out. This critical tool shows who in Congress took action for new veterans and who was full of hot air.

The grades are not good. The Report Card shows just how little Congress accomplished for Iraq and Afghanistan vets this year. Out of 535 legislators, only 20 legislators earned an A+, and more than a third of Congress earned Ds and Fs.

Check here to see if your Senators and Representative made the D List or the Dean’s List. (I did. Checked out both of our Senators and Representatives. See results below.)

Congress showed promise for vets in the first half of this session, but by the second half, everything went downhill.

They failed to achieve real reform in our three most critical areas: improving the outdated VA disability claims process, upgrading the Post-9/11 GI Bill and helping vets find jobs in a tough economy.

As we head into the midterm elections, Americans must hold Congress accountable for their voting record. Vets can’t wait for the gridlock to clear in Washington. IAVA Action Fund is keeping our nation's lawmakers honest, and ensuring that Iraq and Afghanistan veterans remain a priority on Capitol Hill. This is what the Report Card is all about.

Check out the Report Card now to find out if your elected officials flunked this session.

This Report Card brings veterans’ issues back into the national dialogue before the midterm elections and shows Americans who really has our backs.

Paul

Paul Rieckhoff
Executive Director and Founder
Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America Action Fund (IAVA)

Both Maine Senators Collins and Snowe earned "B" grades. Mike Michaud also earned a "B" grade. Chellie Pingree earned a "C" grade.

If America signs a contract with our men and women promising certain benefits if they will put their lives on the line to defend our country and freedoms, is not our country responsible for fulfilling that country when they come home? Even if they come home more wounded than the "experts" projected or than we expected the enemy to be able to achieve? If our elected government's word isn't worth the paper the "contracts" are printed on, what does that say about our government? Our country?

At least Maine's representatives aren't in the "D" and "F" range. Wonder where John Boehner and Mitch McConnell ranked?