This is completely disgusting!

[ProSense]

Arrrrrggggggggh!

Government Dismantles Veterans Small Business Contracting Office, Terminates Veterans' Advisory Committee
1 hour, 1 minute ago

To: National Desk

Contact: Kathryn Seck of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, 202-224-9431

WASHINGTON, May 24 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Senator John Kerry (D- Mass.) today voiced his concerns about two severe actions taken by the Bush Administration, turning its back on the veteran's community during a time of war. Without consultation or notification, the Bush Administration has closed its office at the Small Business Administration (SBA) solely dedicated to helping veteran-owned small businesses gain access to federal contracts. The Administration has also informed the Veterans Advisory Committee, another group dedicated to helping veteran small business owners, that their charter will not be extended and instead will expire this September. These unprecedented moves hurt America's veteran entrepreneurs and raise serious questions about the Administration's commitment to comply with federal law.

"The Administration finally informed us three weeks late that thieves walked off with the Social Security Numbers and personal information of over 26 million veterans, but the Bush administration has failed to come forward publicly to announce they recently decided to close the SBA's Veterans Office and disband the Veterans Advisory Committee. This complete lack of commitment to our veterans is really appalling, especially just before Memorial Day," said Kerry, Ranking Democrat on the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship.

In closing the contracting assistance office, the Small Business Administration (SBA) has eliminated the one office solely dedicated to implementing a law that requires three percent of all federal contracting dollars to be awarded to service-disabled veteran owned firms. The government has failed to meet this goal and has also failed to develop and support the Veteran's Advisory Committee, as required by law passed in 1999. Last year, the federal government awarded just .38 percent of contract dollars to companies owned by service-disabled veterans, costing them nearly $9 billion in lost contracts.

"It is shameful that in a time of war, the Administration saw fit to abandon our commitment to those who have honorably served our country - and the brave men and women serving today who will be the proud veterans of tomorrow. Now, it should be our turn to serve them, by protecting their personal information and by providing them with opportunities to start a business, or rekindle businesses that are struggling from recent deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan," said Kerry.

Joe Wynn, President of the VETs Group and executive member of the Task Force for Veterans Entrepreneurship, said, "Despite the best efforts of the Task Force and other veteran's groups to work with the SBA to help make the Veterans Procurement Program under PL 108-183 become a success for the government and for the service disabled veteran business owners that it was designed to serve, the SBA continues to demonstrate a seemingly disregard for carrying out the President's Executive Order, 13-360, which instructed the SBA to provide information, federal procurement training, and assistance to increase participation in federal contracting for service disabled veteran business owners."

Bob Hesser, also a member of the Task Force for Veterans Entrepreneurship, and President of Vetrepreneur, LLC a Service- Disabled Veteran-Owned small business said, "During the short time the SBA's Veteran's office existed there were meaningful actions that gave us a belief that someone cared. I am just not sure of that today!"

The SBA has also failed to respond to a letter sent on February 27, 2006 from Senator Kerry and Senator Daniel Akaka (D- Hawaii), Ranking Member of the Veterans' Affairs Committee, regarding their role in implementing the Veteran's Benefits Act of 2003.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/usnw/20060524/pl_usnw/government_dismantles_veterans_small_business_contracting_office__terminates_veterans__advisory_committee154_xml

[sandnsea]

1. Oh my god

Do you know how many years he worked to get that office?? Going way back into the 90's, at least. He FINALLY got the disabled veteran's program in 2003, and now these assholes come and shut the whole thing down. When are the people in this country going to wise up to the fact that these Republican fuckers do not care about us at all.

[ginnyinWI]

2. Republicans don't care about veterans.

Say it loud and often.

[ProSense]

3. And all the smug

Repigs who have the audacity to proclaim devotion to supporting the troops, but who continue to berate war heroes and cut veteran's benefits every chance they get.


Hypocritical assholes!

[_dynamicdems]

4. Rotten bastard scumbags!

I'm so angry I can barely type.

Here are some veterans blogs and sites if anyone wants to help get the message out. They may already know, but if not, they need a heads up.

This list (with a couple added) came from www.taylormarsh.com



http://optruth.org Optruth

http://www.sgtlizzie.blogspot.com SgtLizzie

http://www.mudvillegazette.com Mudville

http://www.cbftw.blogspot.com CBFTW

http://corpsmanup.blogspot.com Corpsmanup

http://docinthebox.blogspot.com Docinthebox

http://universeandthings.blogspot.com Universe and things

http://www.soldierlife.com Solider Life

http://www.gunplaces.com/blogs.htm Gunplaces

http://kimponders.blogspot.com FemmeLaGuerre

http://www.livejournal.com/users/soldiergrrrl SoldierGrrrl

http://www.blackfive.net/main Blackfive

http://www.intel-dump.com IntelDump

http://www.missick.com/warblog.htm A Line in the Sand

http://www.indepundit.com CitizenSmash

http://www.passthebrass.com Pass the Brass

http://www.sgtstryker.com The Daily Brief

http://www.tcoverride.blogspot.com TCOveride

http://www.captainsquartersblog.com Captain’s Quarters

http://coldfury.com/index.php Cold Fury

http://www.donaldsensing.com DonaldSensing

http://blogs.washingtonpost.com/earlywarning EarlyWarning

http://www.windsofchange.net WindsofChange

http://counterterror.typepad.com Counterterrorism

http://www.military.com/blog NEW MilitaryBlogs

http://www.veteransforcommonsense.com Veterans for Common Sense

http://www.veteransforcommonsense.com/forums

[_dynamicdems]

5. Which ones I've done/eliminated.

Posted to both Veterans for Common Sense
Posted to Military.com
e-mailed Donald Sensing
e-mailed Captain at captain's quarters - yup it's RW, but I wrote short note saying I'm a fan and asking his take on the news release.
e-mailed http://www.indepundit.com CitizenSmash
e-mailed http://www.passthebrass.com Pass the Brass

These ones don't look pertinent so I ruled them out:
http://www.sgtstryker.com/
http://www.tcoverride.blogspot.com/
cold fury - contact disabled & is a RW rag
early warning
http://www.windsofchange.net
http://counterterror.typepad.com

I'm through for a while, if anyone else wants to jump in, please do. I'm taking a break!

[sandnsea]

10. I clicked a few

Up to gunplaces. They don't look like people who would be very receptive. Probably get some kind of tax cut - boot strap response. Plus, a couple seemed like personal blogs of soldiers trying to keep in touch with family, I don't think they want to have to worry about stateside politics.

Still, I think it would be a good idea to make a list of friendly military blogs to post to.

[_dynamicdems]

11. I've clicked the rest of them.

Not much on that list.

You're right we need to get a list of friendly military blogs...or at least neutral ones. The anti-war military blogs are friendly. I've posted on a couple of them in the past, but it is difficult to be a regular poster unless you are actually involved in the military. So I've been posting only where there is some news that involves veterans benefits.

The military attitude is a problem. There is too much RW propaganda being flung at them. They acutally broadcast Rush Limbaugh in Iraq. How sick is that? Sad actually.

[ProSense]

6. Isn't this

http://www.captainsquartersblog.com a RW blog?

[_dynamicdems]

7. Yes, I believe it is...but they need to know how they are getting screwed.

Can't hurt to post. The anti-terrorism blog...that one I have ruled out by looking at it. It really doesn't say much about the miliatary and veterens, per say.


I just posted at military.com. So that one is done.

[ProSense]

8. I see!

:thumbsup:

[_dynamicdems]

9. I just updated my earlier post with the ones I've contacted.

I'm working from the bottom of the list. Some of the sites do not apply. So far, 3 posts and one e-mail. I haven't had time to stick around for any responses...maybe others here will be able to check them out and add support if needed.