Veterans – Black & Blonde Media

Don Cherry Run Out of HNIC Where Speaking Truth to Power is Illegal

©Black & Blonde Media — Tue, 12 Nov 2019 00:53:30 +0000

Let’s get put things in proper perspective at the onset: Canada is no bastion of free speech. Ask the late Sun News, Mark Steyn and others whose conservative voices have been silenced because they offended the liberal activists and their government. Let this be a lesson to those who believe liberals everywhere are tolerant of speech they don’t agree with.

But now we have the same hypocrites who defended and saved the job of Prime Minister Justin “blackface” Trudeau who are all bent because of what they think they heard.

On Saturday during former Boston Bruins coach and Hockey Night in Canada’s “Coach’s Corner” segment, Don Cherry lamented the lack of support from “immigrants” for Canada’s veterans on Remembrance Day. At no time during the clip available online did Cherry ever disparage Canada’s ethnic veterans, deny their existence or contributions. He went squarely after those whose nations today have problems with those newly-arrived, most of the time without permission, who refuse to assimilate and subsequently drain social services.

You wouldn’t know that from the kneejerk reactions of HNIC’s Sportsnet, the activist mind-reading media who put their racist thoughts in Cherry’s mouth, and his cowardly co-host Ron MacLean who threw him under the bus to save his job….

It’s not like immigration’s fully embraced in Canada and is without all the wonderful complications immigrants bring to a host country their liberals either whitewash, lie about or ignore.

Anti-immigration billboards across Canada taken down after backlash
Setting the record straight on the benefits, and heavy costs, of immigration to Canada
Majority of Canadians think immigration should be limited: poll
37% in Ipsos poll say immigration is a ‘threat’ to white Canadians — what’s the threat?
Canada is going to take in more than 1 million new immigrants in the next 3 years
Canada’s Conservatives vow to limit illegal border crossings by migrants
Trudeau’s immigration policies alarm many Canadians
Canada’s border agency ‘cancels’ arrest warrants for people it wants to deport but cannot find
Vancouver immigration consultant charged for allegedly using forged documents
New Express Entry draw invites trades candidates with scores as low as 357
9th person sentenced in largest immigration fraud case in Canadian history

It appears social justice has found an inroad into the National Hockey League and it’s only a matter of time before we find out just how many agree with Don Cherry and if so, will Sportsnet pay an appropriate price? Succumbing to social media whiners, most of whom don’t know what “The Original Six” is in reference to, is not always the best way to preserve a popular business model.

The recent experience of the National Football League should be a good example worth reviewing.

Political Declarations of ‘Ended’ Veteran Homelessness is a LIE

©Black & Right — Mon, 12 Nov 2018 19:28:56 +0000

In the media’s ongoing attempt to prove how much better they are than the American people, CNN issued the following “Do more than just thank a veteran” in their daily email drop.

Help veterans on the streets
A phone call can also make difference in the life of a veteran who is homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. Call 877-4AID-VET, or 877-424-3838, to connect with help at the VA. This service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The Department of Veterans Affairs’ Stand Down program is designed to help homeless veterans “combat” life on the streets. Stand Downs are usually one- to three-day events that provide food, shelter, clothing and health screenings to homeless and unemployed veterans. To find a Stand Down program in your community, contact your local VA hospital.

This implies there ARE veterans that don’t have a warm place to call their own, however if you were look at the declarations of states and municipalities (mostly Democrat-run) you would get a far different impression of the plight of too many veterans.

The whole theme of “ending veteran homelessness” was initially a pet project of First Lady Michelle Obama and we all know the priority “pet projects” of the boss’ wife are given, even if the results have to be embellished to keep the wife happy and those involved in good favor.

Opportunist politicians took the cue and announced successes that require a suspension of common sense.

Virginia Just Became the First State in the US to End Veteran Homelessness

And it just snowballed from there….

The disingenuous definition of “ending veteran homelessness” for the politically callous is sending a homeless veteran to a shelter. If he or she goes to that shelter for a night, that veteran is checked off the “homeless” list. This is VERY temporary and too many veterans would rather sleep on the street than go to potentially dangerous homeless shelters.

When this administration took on the challenge to end veteran homelessness, many believed that it was an unattainable goal. A growing list of more than 35 communities, and the entire states of Connecticut, Delaware, and Virginia, have proven that ending veteran homelessness is possible and sustainable.
— Tina Tchen, Assistant to the President and Chief of Staff to the First Lady

“Functionally” and “effectively” are political words used to dance around reality for political backpats and points. Some even leave those words out and make the declaration despite the very real reality on the ground.

Utah had touted ending homelessness for veterans years ago. Now the numbers are increasing

While the first person whom a veteran reaches out to points to a shelter, what does it say when being on the street is preferable to any homeless shelter a social worker, politician or nonprofit brags about but would NEVER choose to stay in themselves?

This shelter pictured above probably got advanced notice a state senator would be dropping by so don’t assume it looks (and smells) this clean the other 364 days of the year.

Let’s be real: the military and subsequent veterans are very low on the priority list of many politicians, yet politicians and nonprofits love to be pictured with black homeless veterans in particular to tug on public and donor heartstrings.

But as no one has called the politically-motivated out on the lie, it continues on….

St. Joseph reaches goal of ending veteran homelessness
Manistee, Missaukee, Wexford counties celebrate being ‘Functional zero’ for veterans homelessness
Lexington first city in state to effectively end veteran homelessness
Mayor announces end to veteran homelessness in Lansing

The federal government is even showcasing the ending-veteran-homelessness fabrication.

Communities and states that have ended Veteran homelessness

The VA continues to be a mess, albeit not as bad as in previous years, and taxpayer dollars meant for homeless veterans are quickly diverted to more desired immigrant refugees, illegal aliens with children, unwed mothers with children, etc.

The “success” stories continue to trickle in….

Series of innovations has virtually ended homelessness among veterans in Minnesota
James Lovell Federal Health Care Center marking an end to veteran homelessness in Lake County
Phoenix Valley model on ending veteran homelessness getting attention from Washington D.C.

Yes, the same Phoenix the late John McCain said was free of homeless veterans and way up near the top of our list, Connecticut in 2015 was declared the second state to end veteran homelessness.

That was then….

Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness CEO Richard Cho says in the report that “Connecticut appears to be maintaining its progress on ending veteran homelessness as the number of homeless veterans remains low, and homeless veterans that are identified continue to be reconnected to stable housing quickly (e.g., within 90 days).”
— Fox 61, 6/22/19

Kinda sucks when you have to revise the lie; a lie that requires constant updates.

Abilene officially ninth city in US to end veteran homelessness

The fact we still have homeless veterans is something we’ll continue to see on our street corners and sidewalks despite what politicians, bloated self-enriched nonprofits and the media say to our faces.

Veterans homelessness is down 49% since the Departments of Housing and Urban Development and Veterans Affairs began an inter-agency effort to tackle the issue nine years ago.

More specifically, about 77 communities and three states across the country have declared an effective end to veterans homelessness, Hunter Kurtz, assistant secretary for public and Indian housing at HUD, told a handful of members of the House Veterans Affairs Committee at a field hearing in San Diego, California, last week.
— Federal News Network, 8/28/19

If only Secretary Kurtz and the president really knew the reality.

Project VetCare: Another Nonprofit Career Mill Busted

©Black & Blonde Media — Wed, 30 Aug 2017 14:02:17 +0000

As we’ve previously noted, there are more than 16,000 nonprofits in the United States with the word “veteran” in its title. One would think with so many, there wouldn’t be so many needy veterans, especially in states where politicians have repeatedly assured the public there aren’t any homeless vets on the street.

Again, there is a constant when it comes to any nonprofit, but especially those that claim to be helping veterans: keep the mission vague and goal literally unattainable. That way there is no gauge for real success that ever has to be achieved and the potential for fraud is the more attainable mission. It WILL keep those running the nonprofit, literally, fat and happy….

Danielle Goodwin was arrested at 2:15 p.m. in the driveway of her home at 4 Kingsford Road in Hanover, Police Chief Charles Dennis said. Police said Goodwin exercised “unauthorized control” of $24,641.11 in Project VetCare funds while serving as the charity’s executive director.
— Union Leader, 8/30/17

That is, if they can stay out of jail.

According to the preliminary report, the AG’s Charitable Trusts Unit received a report in March 2016 of possible diversion of Project VetCare’s assets. An investigation revealed a diversion of large sums of money by Goodwin, the charity’s executive director, for the benefit of her family, an employee and some members of the board of directors.

“However, due to the charity’s deficient financial record-keeping, the full extent of the possible misuse of funds cannot be determined,” the report states.

For any of us, it would be “stealing” or “grand larceny”. For what we guess is a hefty, liberal woman, it was “unauthorized taking”. See how that works?

Danielle Goodwin is obligated to pay back $90,000 upon the sale of her Hanover home, which is listed for sale for $899,000. A sale is now “under contract,” according to the report.
— Valley News, 8/24/17

Our personal experiences with almost every veteran nonprofit we’ve examined has not been a good one and we look at them all with a heavy dose of skepticism as you should before you donate to any, because there are a lot of scams in the name of veterans out there.

The ugly business of stealing money meant for vets
Veterans Charities Don’t All Make The Grade
IRS forms show charity’s money isn’t going to disabled vets
Veterans Charity Fraud: Despite Widespread Outrage, Groups Continue To Abuse Public Trust
Veterans Charity Raises Millions to Help Those Who’ve Served. But Telemarketers Are Pocketing Most of It.
State and federal officials accuse veterans nonprofit of misleading donors
Dozens of fake charities scammed donations for veterans then pocketed the cash: FTC

“Thank you for your service.”

Have You Ever Heard of a Homeless Veteran Officer?

©Black & Blonde Media — Sun, 02 Apr 2017 10:50:00 +0000

They’re glamorized in movies and television programming. They’re the “experts” we see on cable news. They’re called to give expert testimony on Capitol Hill.

We dare you to find and send one link to a news story about a homeless veteran who was an officer as we’ve done the research and our suspicions have been verified.

Persons who subsequently became homeless were disproportionately among those with the lowest pay (72% of the homeless came from the 44% that had the lowest pay grades). This corresponds to substantially reduced adjusted hazard ratios (AHR) associated with the higher pay grades.
— Homelessness and Risk Factors for Homelessness Among Veterans from the Era of the Afghanistan (OEF) and Iraq (OIF/OND) Conflicts

You very rarely see officers at veteran job fairs because they either get hooked up (within their own fraternity network) with government contractors or have that guaranteed pension coming in that cures most ills.

Think about how differently the approach to veterans issues would be when it comes to employment and housing if the officer class had to deal with government agencies or so-called veteran nonprofits that do more to keep themselves in business than actually give the vet the services they offer in advertisements.

President Donald Trump had at least 1,987 vacancies within his new administration, most of which did not require Senate confirmation, according to data from tracking service Leadership.
— CNN, 2/25/17

Every federal government vacancy should be offered to a veteran FIRST, regardless of discharge status. From the look of many who currently occupy many jobs within the government, finding qualified applicants shouldn’t be a problem and veterans clearly come with a work ethic far superior to their civilian counterparts. A good-paying JOB alleviates many issues that eventually result in homelessness.

Don’t get us started on the lies some politicians tell on the backs of veterans when it comes to homelessness, and we won’t even get into the promises given to veterans during campaign season vice the promises kept AFTER the election.

USAJOBS: Another Federal Agency That Won’t Work for Veterans

©Black & Blonde Media — Thu, 23 Jun 2016 19:41:31 +0000

At a Veterans Administration event last month in Washington, D.C., I went to the nonprofit vetsfirst.org table, gave a young woman my resume and she said she would call me back. To date, nothing; not like I expected a return call.

I’ve also visited usajobs.gov numerous times, applied for a few jobs, and again no response. And it turns out, my experience appears to be the norm.

Despite presidential proclamations, an overhaul of the USAJOBS website and federal agencies’ sloganeering about their desire to hire former servicemembers, veterans still find applying for a federal job arduous and – because the odds of success are so low – a waste of time.

Roger Peterman, who helps veterans find jobs as transition assistance adviser for the Indiana National Guard, cites equally bleak numbers. “In eight years of working with USAJOBS, I only know of two people who got jobs applying through the website. And either they knew somebody or we were able to connect them with somebody in the federal agency who could pull them along.”

The following was my suspicion all along, as many who are in state and federal government positions tip off friends and family to coming, coveted job openings. Screw the targeted and/or qualified….

Veterans also suspect that many positions are posted to comply with legal requirements by agencies that have already decided who they want to hire. And there are complaints that some job listings aren’t current. “They don’t keep it updated,” Casey Curry, who served 26 years with the Oregon Army National Guard and has had much experience with the website says. “People are filling out applications for jobs that are already closed.”

But there’s evidence that some federal agencies purposefully circumvent veterans preference laws and discriminate against veteran applicants who successfully negotiate USAJOBS.

In at least one case, a BPA administrator closed the hiring process after learning that a veteran was the most qualified applicant – and then rewrote the job description to include criteria the veteran couldn’t meet. BPA’s human resources department was ultimately blamed for the agency’s discrimination, and vowed reform after its hiring practices were exposed in 2013.
— Bogus Benefit, Legion.org

Here we have yet another entity that gets taxpayer money to help veterans, does not and USAJOBS is not alone.

Using the “veteran” heartstring-pull has got to stop and will only do so when people thoroughly vet any group before giving that donation. Ineffective government agencies are a whole other issue due for a very frank discussion.

LIE: McAuliffe Claims He ‘Functionally Ended’ Veteran Homelessness in Virginia

There are those rare times nowadays when a falsehood is easily recognized for what it is, no matter who says it. Then again, when coming from anyone with Clinton ties, parcing becomes the necessary word dance.

Incredible statements by the First Lady and especially Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe, who had the audacity to say it in front of active duty soldiers and veterans. Some of the numbers of homeless veterans recited by Michelle Obama are simply unbelievable, and the very idea there are NO homeless veterans in Virginia, are on its face also unbelievable, as are the government’s suspect numbers.

The Obama administration recently said that the number of homeless veterans dropped by 12 percent from 2010 to 2011. But getting accurate counts of the homeless is extremely difficult, and the government changed its counting methods during the year of the reported drop. Is the number of homeless vets really going down, or is the drop an artifact of murky statistics?

In 2010, the actual head count of homeless veterans registered 61,011 people. However, HUD knows that a head count isn’t going to include everyone. For example, homeless vets who stay in beds at VA shelters were not counted. Homeless people on the streets were not asked if they were veterans or not. To reflect the homeless veterans the PIT count missed, HUD “imputed”—that is, they estimated—the number and added 15,318 homeless veterans to the official 2010 statistic. For reference, a 12 percent drop in the nation’s homeless vets equates to 8834 fewer people.

Even to a fawning media….

“Folks, there is a reason why we are the greatest state in America. We are because we take care of our veterans,” Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) said at a ceremony at a Richmond veterans memorial.

Technically according to McAuliffe’s twisted political reasoning, a veteran in a shelter counts as being off the street and thus, no longer “homeless”.

McAuliffe announced Wednesday that Virginia is the first state to meet the federal definition of effectively ending homelessness among military veterans. The federal homelessness designation means Virginia has no homeless veterans with the exception of those who have been offered housing but do not want it. The state must find a home for a veteran within 90 days and have more homes available than the number of veterans who have been identified as having no place to live.

Ask any current homeless veteran for their experience on how “the state” found them a place to live in 90 days….

A little over a month since his declarative Veteran’s Day statement about the Commonwealth of Virginia being the first state in the nation to “functionally end veteran homelessness”, Governor Terry McAuliffe took the opportunity to repeat a political comment that requires the suspension of common sense.

After what we’ve written about the governor’s statements (which was polite in comparison to the many we’ve talked to who responded to McAuliffe’s assertion with much more colorful language), we assume the governor saw B&B Media at the grand opening of the Fredericksburg Veterans Benefits Office and may have directed some of his comments to us….

At the 2016 Democrat National Convention in Philadelphia, McAuliffe continued his shameless lie.

Until veterans are no longer used as opportune political props, there will continue to be homeless veterans, despite his lie being the political template used and repeated by politicians nationwide to this day.

Yesterday evening, the Operation Renewed Hope Foundation presented Governor McAuliffe with the Northwestern Mutual Award for Improving the Lives of Veteran Families during the foundation’s Five Year Anniversary Awards Ceremony. Operation Renewed Hope has helped more than 500 veterans and their family members find housing. The organization, which serves veterans through job referrals, transportation assistance, and financial management, chose Governor McAuliffe due to his administration’s achievement functionally ending veteran homelessness in the Commonwealth.

“I am so proud to receive this award on behalf of the Virginia civil servants who worked their hearts out functionally ending veteran homelessness in our Commonwealth,” said Governor McAuliffe, speaking at yesterday’s announcement. “Since we made the commitment to end veteran homelessness, Virginia had helped 2,640 veterans find a permanent place to call home. Virginia’s historic progress over the past three years sends a clear message of support to our veterans. And while we can never fully repay the sacrifices they’ve made, we can ensure that any veteran’s experience with homelessness either now or in the future will be rare, brief, and non-recurring.”
— Virginia Department of Veteran Services, 1/20/17

Again and again.

Governor McAuliffe announced today that the Virginia Department of Veterans Services (VDVS) received the Abraham Lincoln Pillars of Excellence Award from the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The award recognizes the innovative partnership between the Commonwealth and federal and local entities that enabled Virginia to be named as the first state to functionally end veteran homelessness in 2015.

“I am proud to announce the Virginia Department of Veterans Services has been honored for their outstanding work making the Commonwealth the first state in the nation to functionally end veteran homelessness,” said Governor McAuliffe. “The public servants at VDVS worked with their federal, state and local colleagues to demonstrate that smart, innovative government can make a different in people’s lives.”
— WVIR NBC29, 3/28/17

Sad and still true.

Senator Obama’s 2007 Campaign Pledges to Veterans

It was easy to criticize and make promises….