Posted by
landerson in
Lane's Blog on
02 20th, 2010 |
no responses I have read Captain Paul Chappell’s book “Will War Ever End” and enjoyed it greatly.
I did not realize that Gandhi and Socrates were war veterans.
His distinction between fury and rage struck me. When I struck out at the nut that hit Phil and threw the display at Tom I was acting out of fury turned to rage. Halting fury at its constructive stage, that of acting out of concern for our fellows, and short of rage is the thing to learn!
I just learned today an important opportunity for Millenium Veterans!
(thanks to Annenberg Foundation for this info)
Please forward to all returned vets you know of the millenium generation. It is beginning of April but ideas to win $25,000 and put your idea forth need to go in by end of this month!
Other ideas for the young vets or older ones who want to provide housing for homeless veterans:
Check out Community Partners classes on non profits.
Go to the VA page on Homeless Veterans Grants and Per Diem
Check out the Foundation Directory Professional Tutorial, available at a library near you.
We were asked at Chapter 54 to take a position on a reported land grab at the VAMC WLA and I decided to investigate.
After many visits, meetings and covert recon missions at VAMC WLA, I am ready to make a report to you. Remember that despite my efforts to “get the facts”, this should be treated as one man’s investigation, albeit one that involved many hours and many sources.
A long term use plan will soon be developed for the property and I have been assured that veterans organizations will be invited to have input. I’ll keep you posted.
The Veterans Park Conservancy is no land grab, in fact the lease is carefully crafted to ensure that the VA has complete flexibility with the 16 acres in twenty years. They can either take ownership of the property with all the improvements or convert it into housing as they wish. The same is true of the Brentwood school East Campus, the VA will get the sports facilities and swimming pools at the end of the lease. The VA is already trying to cut a deal to use the pool and facilities on off hours even while it is leased. The difference in the two leases though, is that the Veterans Park will be open to the veterans, will be clearly labeled a veterans park, will have open gates on the VAMC WLA side and possibly locked gates many hours on the San Vicente side and will be a real asset for the thousands of veterans living on campus (it will be very close to the domiciliiary and to New Directions). Because it is a school, the Brentwood lease is restricted.
The land grabs were the Federal Building on Wilshire, the US Army Reserve Center, the National Guard Center, the US Post Office, the I-405 and Wilshire Blvd seizures and the cemetary. These were all lost and were violations of the Bandini-Baker gift of land. If veterans are protesting they should be protesting that and asking that the land be returned. Stacked cemetary is planned for the parking lot by the Jackie Robinson field…maybe protest that but its only a parking lot after all.
The VA assured me that no more property will be lost and that what they are doing is serving veterans well. There are at least four large buildings that need rehabilitating (205, 208, 209 and 158), one may face demolition (bldg 156, a nice one). There is a lot of vacant land that can be used to build on if that gets done before the leases are finished. There is more land and buildings than is likely to be needed in the next twenty years.
Because Obama promised 3.2 billion dollars for homeless veterans, the VA is holding the buildings with the hope of opening them as solid VA facilities instead of partnering. Still, there is a lot of need for partners. I made the point of how superior the VAMC Menlo Park/Palo Alto is…the clinicians consider it the best PTSD center in the country. Mr. Tillman agreed on the wisdom of trying to make the vacant buildings VA run. We have to wait and see how much money there is for LA!
In solidarity, Lane Anderson
Proud Lifetime Member of VFP Chapter 54
Adjutant, DAV Chapter 37
Lifetime Member of VFW Post 1649
RSS 2.0 Feed URL