Supporters of a new Main Street location for a center for vets seeking counseling and a variety of day services met yesterday with Republican U.S. Rep. Tim Griffin, an opponent of the Main Street location, and House VA Committee Chair Jeff Miller, a Florida Republican, brought down by Griffin to buttress his attack on the VA for considering the location.
A release follows on the meeting by Kathy Wells, Robert Johnston and Herb Rule with the congressmen, though it doesn’t mention a congressional response.
Griffin is going to line up some politically sympathetic vets this morning to cover him on a fight, which — if successful — will add another year or so to the VA’s six-year search for better quarters for vets. The VA has been opposed at every turn by government officials — like Griffin and Mayor Mark Stodola — who speak out of the other side of their mouth about their reverence for veterans. The congressmen will meet later today with VA officials and then hold a news conference at 11 a.m. at which they are likely to say the problem is the VA, not veterans. Our vets should be happy to take a location as far as possible from human eyes except those in a neighborhood with no clout, such as that around the woeful site the city chose (without public notice) for a homeless center for non-vets on Confederate Boulevard.
Another supporter of the vets center suggests a viewing of this video on Kipling’s tribute to the forgotten vets of the Light Brigade. He put together the tribute above.
ALSO: Here’s a letter from almost 50 people, including several local clergy, backing the Main Street location.