By: Diane Benjamin
Veterans risk their lives to protect our freedom and liberty. Locally they have to fight just to not be ignored.
1)
Remember the story of the disabled vet with a service dog who just wanted to teach? https://blnnews.com/2019/02/21/disabled-vet-ada-and-juvenile-detention/
He is able to teach now and he is assisting with the Veterans Court. I hear the dog has a great calming effect in the courtroom.
2)
Remember when the VA couldn’t get any help from the local officials finding a location for a local VA clinic? https://blnnews.com/2018/07/11/not-the-right-fit-tari/
3)
Former Alderman Judy Stearns had to spearhead restoration of the Korea-Vietnam Memorial at Miller park. Monuments in the City owned park weren’t important enough to preserve without her taking the initiative. https://blnnews.com/2014/05/23/fly-on-the-wall-honoring-veterans/
4)
When the VA finally located property on the south side of Bloomington, the ball was dropped arranging door drop off for disabled vets by Connect Transit. Instead CT wants to drop them off 120 yards from the door: https://blnnews.com/2019/08/01/wmdb-story-on-the-vet-clinic-problems/
5)
When a HIGH level meeting was held locally concerning the VA clinic problems, no one from Bloomington bothered to attend: https://blnnews.com/2019/07/24/does-bloomington-care-about-vets/
6)
Nikita Richards held an event supposedly for vets. Her campaign kept 40% of the money: https://blnnews.com/2019/05/08/shes-back/
Appalling since she is a veteran.
See why vets are feeling immaterial?
7)
Last Saturday I posted the email Art Rodriguez, the local head of AmVets, sent to the Normal Town Council and the Mayor. https://blnnews.com/2019/09/21/letter-to-the-normal-council-diversity/
Read the email now if you missed it.
Art only received one response – Stan Nord.
He didn’t even get an acknowledgment from Koos or the rest of the Council.
Maybe this Veterans Day the parade should be skipped. Vets can hold their own party with people who actually support them.
No more pretend events for politicians!
What? Art didn’t get a response from the Royal Fortress? I’m shocked! I thought I heard the Royal Fortress say she answered every email she receives from constituents.
Bicyclists from the Gold Star 500 Freedom Ride stopped in Bloomington this morning on their way from Pontiac to Peoria for their 500 miles/5 days ride honoring fallen servicemen and women. An impressive sight in their red, white & blue cycling clothes.
I just wanted to comment on some of the items covered in this email. I am particularly concerned about the way the city of Bloomington has handled the VA clinic. It just shows the lack of concern for veterans and their families.And the transit authority is no better. Purchasing busses twice the size of what is needed and trying to tell us they are “Cheaper to run”. Give me a break. And not allowing the busses to stop in front of the clinic…thoughtless decision.Maybe the head of the transit authority and both mayor’s should visit the Danville or Peoria VA facility. All they would have to do is show up in the morning and watch how many patients CAN’T WALK 100 YARDS. The mayor’s are very well traveled…how about a short trip to be better informed. I’ll even pay their transportation expenses. They can even ask some of the Vets why they can’t walk or need assistance. Their stories will bring tears to your eyes.I really enjoyed reading Mr Leifel’s correspondence. I knew Danny and worked with him years ago when he was a County prosecutor. He was a true professional and I have always respected him. I know he had to be fed up with all this for him to speak out like he did.Many of us feel the same way. Brett Beyer, Bloomington IlRvn 67-68, 173d abn sep
Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android
Local leadership is not concerned with veterans because they despise the military. I am sure there are pictures somewhere of both Koos and Renner taking part in anti military protests. It’s not hard to connect the dots when the Family Koos was known locally as a politically radical family. Renner has also been known to demean conservatives in his political science classes at IWU by standing on desks and doing other imitations in his class. That comes from people that actually took his classes.