In the news: 3 Republican Candidates Speak at "Kill the Gays" Pastor rally

A Conference that just happened is EXACTLY what we were talking about on Monday's Blog. In Iowa this week, Kevin Swanson, a "Pastor" at a Political Conference called for the death of gay people, screaming about the bible and his religion. 
 This was a Conference where Republicans Mike Huckabee, Bobby Jindal and Ted Cruz attended and spoke!!!

  In fact, this "Pastor" introduced ALL of them.  
  This was a rabid anti-gay, "biblical commandment" that gay people should be rounded up and murdered in the name of Jesus.
  These people are SICK, SICK, SICK. Very, very disturbing.

In the news: Three Republican candidates speak at anti-gay pastor's rally

Rachel Maddow shows that while Democrats were participating in a candidates forum, Republicans Mike Huckabee, Bobby Jindal and Ted Cruz were guests at "religious freedom" event led by a pastor who preaches that homosexuality should be punished with death.

VIDEO: (THIS STORY STARTS AT 5:56 minutes on the video)
Story: http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/watch/anti-gay-pastor-event-hosts-3-gop-candidates-563178051820?cid=eml_mra_20151110

Here's more on the idiot:  Pastor Thinks Parents Should Drown Themselves Instead Of Letting Kids Read 'Harry Potter'

Let it be known: Pastor Kevin Swanson is no Harry Potter fan. In fact, Swanson is so opposed to J.K. Rowling's iconic series, he'd prefer that parents would drown themselves than let their children read it.
Swanson, who is a pastor at the Reformation Church of Elizabeth, Colorado and also hosts a weekly radio show, blasted Harry Potter and "How to Train Your Dragon" in a convoluted speech at the National Religious Liberties Conference on Nov. 7, Right Wing Watch reported. His issue with Potter, it seems, stemmed from Rowling's 2007 revelation that she always thought of Dumbledore the wizard as a gay man.  Full Article: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/kevin-swanson-harry-potter_5640bd73e4b0411d3071a74e

GOOD NEWS! -Rhode Island Latest State Poised To End Veterans' Homelessness

    We have deep appreciation for the sacrifices and dedication shown by our veterans and active military men and women. Thank you for your service.

 As everyone has heard, Veterans have not been getting the care and attention they deserve, but there are things being done to correct that. This article from the Associated Press indicates that several states have already helped end veteran homelessness. It's a program between by both President Barack Obama's administration and Zero: 2016, a campaign run by the nonprofit group Community Solutions. Story below. 

Rhode Island Latest State Poised To End Veterans' Homelessness 

By MICHELLE R. SMITH Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/rhode-island-veterans-homeless_563f938de4b0307f2cadd1d3?ncid=newsltushpmg00000003

Posted: 11/08/2015 01:29 PM EST | Edited: 11/08/2015 01:37 PM EST

John Nordell via Getty Images
 

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — For more than two years, Don Perrault lived without a home as the Vietnam veteran struggled with depression and personal setbacks that at one point left him with nothing to do but take a therapeutic 7-day walk to New Jersey — then walk back.

Now, after living out of a shelter where he shared a room with six other men, he has a home of his own under an ambitious push to wipe out homelessness among veterans in Rhode Island.

"It helps a little bit with your mind, your mental aspect," Perrault, 60, said. "It's hard for a person who is homeless to have dignity."

The efforts that have secured Perrault a newly renovated one-bedroom apartment — complete with new furniture and even a TV — for a rental voucher and $25 per month for rent and utilities are part of a national push to end homelessness among veterans by the end of the year. The goal has been spurred by both President Barack Obama's administration and Zero: 2016, a campaign run by the nonprofit group Community Solutions

In August, the federal government declared Connecticut the first state to end chronic homelessness among veterans. New Orleans, Houston and a handful of other communities have also reached the goal.

Nearly 50,000 veterans were homeless nationwide before the effort began, Community Solutions estimated.

Rhode Island, Connecticut and New Mexico, all part of the campaign, are on track to reach the veterans goal, said Community Solutions spokesman Adam Gibbs. One strategy all three states are using is a list of names, he said.

In Rhode Island, every person who comes into the homeless system is given a "vulnerability survey," which asks a series of questions about their history and assigns them a score based on how likely they are to die on the street. Then, advocates create a list of all the people who are homeless with the most vulnerable people listed on top, by name. 

A committee meets weekly and goes down the list to try to find housing for each person. If a person has a problem that's standing in the way of getting an apartment, such as a criminal record, the committee tries to come up with a solution.

The state is also using a "housing first" strategy, which prioritizes getting people into permanent housing, said Eric Hirsch, a professor of sociology at Providence College, who chairs the Zero: 2016 campaign in Rhode Island. In the past, people would be placed in temporary housing and have to get substance abuse or mental health counseling or jump through other hoops before getting a permanent place to live, Hirsch said.

Now, they get the apartment first and are then "surrounded" with services that they can then choose to use. Many decide on their own they want the help, he said. Hirsch said his research and research by others shows 85 to 95 percent of people placed in permanent housing were there a year later using this approach.

A big help has also been a dedicated stream of money from the state, and more money set aside for things like rental subsidies, said Jim Ryczek, executive director of the Rhode Island Coalition for the Homeless.

Advocates say they don't expect to eliminate homelessness completely, but that their goal is to make sure if people become homeless, they have a permanent home within weeks, rather than months or years.

Rhode Island advocates last year estimated that 4,067 Rhode Islanders used a homeless shelter at some time in 2014, out of a population of around 1 million people.

The Zero: 2016 program's next goal is to end chronic homelessness in a several states and cities by the end of next year.

In Rhode Island, the project will be using the same model they have used for veterans. They have already found homes for 176 chronically homeless people since January, out of an estimated 400 chronically homeless. They also plan to focus on housing families.

Best Mat for Dog Dishes and Feet!

Franklin drinking water on the LL Bean Waterhog Mat

We recently found a great waterproof mat to put under the dog bowls- and wanted to share it with you!

It's called the "Everyspace Waterhog Mat, 23" x 35"" and we ordered it through the L.L. Bean catalog. In fact, we ordered TWO of them. One went under the dog bowls, and the other inside the door on the sun porch so when the kids come inside with muddy paws, it absorbs the mud.

The Waterhog Mat inside the door on the sun porch

You can actually wash the mat off, if it gets muddy, food drops on it, etc. and just put it back down. No worries!  After years of different mats - that wouldn't come clean, wouldn't wash out, or took a long time to dry after washing. - this mat had none of those problems!
 
We highly recommend it, whether you need a mat for dog bowls, or one to wipe your feet coming inside. It comes in a variety of colors, too.

CHECK IT OUT ON-LINE: http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/66308?feat=506645-GN3&page=everyspace-waterhog-mat-23-x-35

A Personal Note about Facebook Housecleaning, Extremists, Welcoming All

There is less than a year until the next election and unfortunately, it's bound to get ugly since the conservatives are extremists this year and stand against every fiber of what and who we are. We are liberal democrats who believe EVERYONE of every race, color, creed, sexuality should have the same rights as everyone else. Conservatives do not believe that. 
SO, if there are any of you who are connected to us via social media, and are right-wing conservative, feel free to disconnect.

HERE'S WHY-  No disrespect, but ALL candidates running in the conservative party are extremists this election and stand for the same bad  things.
WHAT BAD THINGS? - They have again called for the removal of all legal protections of gay citizens including again trying to invalidate our marriage. Mr. Carson for example told Wolf Blitzer on CNN during the week of Oct. 26 "there's no room for gays in the Constitution" - I HEARD it myself - live on television.
  Conservatives  stand against Science (and I'm a scientist). They stand against Education and believe their bible is a factual source of education. Some candidates said they want to arm ALL teachers (including kindergarten teachers) with guns (we don't have an issue with guns as long as there are mental health checks make it somehow more difficult for crazies to get). They want to cut social security and medicare that our disabled and elderly rely on.  They want to dissolve "Obamacare" and take away health care from over 16.4 million people who finally have it- and health insurance coverage from people who were previously denied coverage for pre-existing conditions; and remove health care coverage from college students through their parents.
WE EDUCATED OURSELVES ON EVERYONE'S POSITIONS - We have read the websites for ALL of the conservative candidates and educated ourselves on where they stand. We thought the Ohio governor may be a moderate, but after checking his website, he's like all of the others. They are dangerous because they cater to religious fanatics and people with a lot of money, or they throw "We'll help you keep your guns" and "we want to run the country with Jesus" and they get the poor and uneducated people to vote for them.

Small minded?

SO, ARE DEMS PERFECT?  -  Of course not. No politician is perfect.  But at least they're all-inclusive and welcome ALL people.   
SPECIAL NOTE: If we read one more IDIOT post some slam against Mrs. Clinton, we will disconnect from you. She's gone through  the mill with made up crap from the Republican Party and has been proven clear of everything. Three Republicans even admitted Benghazi was a sham to affect her poll numbers. If you bring up the Email stupidity - go check with Colin Powell and Condelzza Rice because they ALSO used personal email and servers. Powell admitted it and said it was no big deal. 

So, there you have it. 
BOTTOM LINE: If you don't believe EVERYONE of every race, color, creed, sexuality should have the same rights as everyone else, then PLEASE DISCONNECT from us. We're too old to deal with small minded, bigoted people.

For our Veteran and Military Friends: Who Really Supports You?

    For our Veteran and Military Friends: Some Interesting Background - Who really supports you?   (and there's a personal story I'll share of my experience with my friend Beverly's VA visits).

 The following info has been meticulously sourced from trustworthy news sources about how different conservative candidates supported or didn't support veterans or active military. We were prompted to research this when a veteran recently blamed Democrats for not being supportive of active military or veterans. 

  You may be surprised by what you read. We were.  

  Typically, the Republican party has been pro-military. However, not when it comes to pay raises or Veterans benefits as you'll read here.  

This includes LINKS to the actual news sources, so you can investigate yourselves. 

  This doesn't mean that all democrats have  been much better, but they have been better at trying to get more benefits to Veterans (and yes, the Dept. of Veteran affairs is screwed up- hopefully - things are being fixed. )We learned that  the VA operates the nation's largest integrated health care system, with more than 1,700 hospitals, clinics, community living centers, domiciliaries, readjustment counseling centers, and other facilities. GO TO: http://www.va.gov/

PERSONAL STORY- I (Rob) used to bring my elderly friend Beverly to the VA Hospital for visits, and sometimes she had to wait a month for a visit. Other times they'd take her in for emergencies.

  HOWEVER- As a NON-member of the military, when I try to get doctor appointments I always have to wait a month or two. In fact, I have to wait 2 MONTHS to get a physical. So, it's not just veterans that have to wait for health care appointments, it's everyone.

BTW President Obama did ask for a military pay raise on Aug. 28, 2015.

  Some of the non-partisan political sites to get ACCURATE news include: www.Politico.com and http://www.factcheck.org/.

*****************************************

The Run down: 

Marco Rubio and VA Funding

Marco Rubio voted against providing $27 million for the Veterans Health Administration, as part of a $50.5 billion Superstorm Sandy recovery package. In January 2013, Rubio voted against a bill that, according to Congressional Quarterly, included provisions that “appropriate[d] the following amounts: […] Department of Veterans Affairs —$27 million through fiscal 2014 for the Veterans Health Administration, including $21 million for medical services and $6 million for medical facilities expenses. —$1.1 million for the National Cemetery Administration. —$531,000 for information technology systems. —$207 million for major construction projects through fiscal 2017.” The provisions were part of a larger bill that, according to Congressional Quarterly, “provide[d] about $50.5 billion for communities hit by Superstorm Sandy. Nearly all funding [was] designated as emergency spending exempt from discretionary caps, except for $5.4 billion for the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Disaster Relief Fund.” The Senate passed the bill by a vote of 62 to 36; and, because the House had already approved the bill, it was then sent to the president, who signed it into law. [Senate roll call vote 4, 1/28/13; Congressional Quarterly, 1/28/13; Congressional Actions, H.R. 152; Congressional Quarterly, 1/30/13]

Marco Rubio effectively voted against considering the $142 billion FY 2012 Veterans Affairs, Military Construction, Military Housing and Related Programs appropriations bill. In July 2011, Rubio effectively voted against considering a bill that, according to the Congressional Quarterly Today, “would provide $142 billion in fiscal 2012 for the Department of Veterans Affairs, military construction, military housing and related operations. The bill also includes $52.5 billion in advance fiscal 2013 appropriations for VA medical programs.” The vote was on a motion to end debate on the motion to proceed to consider the bill; the Senate agreed to end debate by a vote of 89 to 11. The bill later passed the Senate, and after the House agreed nearly five months later, the bill was committed to a conference committee. The resulting conference report passed both the House and Senate and was signed into law by the president on December 23, 2011. [Senate roll call vote 109, 7/13/11; Congressional Quarterly Today, All Congressional Actions, H.R. 2055; H.R. 2055, 5/31/11]

Jeb Bush   VA Funding

Jeb Bush attempted to privatize portions of the VA health care system while Governor of Florida. According to CNN, “Jeb Bush’s effort as governor to partially privatize veterans health care services in Florida went so poorly it was ended shortly after Bush left office. That hasn’t stopped the former Republican governor, now in the early stages of running for president, from arguing veterans should be given the choice to see a public or private doctor, with either visit being paid for by the government. ‘All of these government programs should shift to the person who’s receiving the benefit and they should be empowered to have more choices, rather than be told what line you get into,’ Bush said recently in New Hampshire. […] But Bush’s experience outsourcing veterans’ nursing homes in Florida was a case study in privatization’s pitfalls. By the time it was over, Florida officials determined the state could provide higher-quality care at a better price for taxpayers.” [CNN, 5/1/15] 

Ben Carson VA Funding

Ben Carson questioned whether “we even need” the VA system. “World-famous neurosurgeon Ben Carson told WMAL’s ‘Drive at Five Show’ in Washington, D.C. Friday afternoon following VA Secretary Shinseki’s resignation that the greatest problem with the VA system is ‘too many layers of bureaucrats.’ […] ‘The real issue is that you got to get all that bureaucracy out of there and quite frankly, do we even need that system for most of our veterans? Why can they not be served at the local hospitals where they live and not have to drive 50 or a 100 miles to get a to a veterans facility? These are honored people in our society. They should be welcomed at any of our facilities and we should be honored to take care of them.’” [Daily Caller, 5/30/14]

Chris Christie

Chris Christie conditionally vetoed a bill setting aside 3% of all state contracts for veteran-owned businesses. “A bill that would have set aside 3 percent of all state contracts for veteran-owned businesses was conditionally vetoed Tuesday by Gov. Chris Christie. The governor objected to the establishment of fixed percentage of contracts earmarked for veteran-owned businesses, according to his veto statement. In his suggested revisions, Christie deleted the section mandating that contracting agencies set aside 3 percent of their contracts for veteran-owned businesses and replaced it with language directing them to ‘give due consideration to veteran-owned businesses in awarding contracts.’’ [Asbury Park Press, 2/22/11]

Ted Cruz - VA BENEFITS

Ted Cruz voted to block further action on a bill that would have enhanced benefits for veterans including guaranteeing in-state tuition rates at all public universities for post-9/11 veterans. “Senate Republicans derailed efforts to move forward with a $21 billion bill to enhance health care, education and job benefits for veterans. Republicans stopped the veterans bill from moving on a procedural vote, which needed 60 votes. The final tally was 56-41. Republicans and Democrats normally agree on the need to enhance benefits for the nation’s 22 million veterans and their families, but Republican senators wanted to lower the amount of spending in the bill… The bill would have improved benefits for veterans, including better health care and dental services provided by the VA. It also would have guaranteed post-9/11 veterans access to in-state tuition rates at public colleges and universities in any state.” [ABC News, 2/27/14; S. 1928, 2/3/14]

Spousal Benefits

Ted Cruz voted against legislation that would ensure that “all legally married same-sex spouses have equal access to the Social Security and veterans benefits they have earned.” In 2015, Paul voted against an amendment that would “establish a deficit-neutral reserve fund relating to ensuring all legally married same-sex spouses have equal access to the Social Security and veterans benefits they have earned and receive equal treatment under the law pursuant to the Constitution of the United States.” The Senate adopted the proposed amendment to the Senate’s FY 2016 budget resolution by a vote of 57 to 43, and later passed the amended resolution. [Senate roll call vote 121, 3/26/15; S. Amdt. 1063 to S. Con. Res. 11, 3/26/15]

VA Funding

Lindsey Graham voted against providing $27 million for the Veterans Health Administration, as part of a $50.5 billion Superstorm Sandy recovery package. In January 2013, Graham voted against a bill that, according to Congressional Quarterly, included provisions that “appropriate[d] the following amounts: […] Department of Veterans Affairs —$27 million through fiscal 2014 for the Veterans Health Administration, including $21 million for medical services and $6 million for medical facilities expenses. —$1.1 million for the National Cemetery Administration. —$531,000 for information technology systems. —$207 million for major construction projects through fiscal 2017.” The provisions were part of a larger bill that, according to Congressional Quarterly, “provide[d] about $50.5 billion for communities hit by Superstorm Sandy. Nearly all funding [was] designated as emergency spending exempt from discretionary caps, except for $5.4 billion for the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Disaster Relief Fund.” The Senate passed the bill by a vote of 62 to 36; and, because the House had already approved the bill, it was then sent to the president, who signed it into law. [Senate roll call vote 4, 1/28/13; Congressional Quarterly, 1/28/13; Congressional Actions, H.R. 152; Congressional Quarterly, 1/30/13]

Military Service

Lindsey Graham claimed to be “an Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm veteran, although he never got closer to the war than McEntire Air National Guard Base near Columbia where he was a military lawyer.” “U.S. Rep. Lindsey Graham’s military service record has been called into question because the Republican congressman, who never went overseas, calls himself as a Gulf War veteran. Graham’s Internet web site biography lists him as an Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm veteran, although he never got closer to the war than McEntire Air National Guard Base near Columbia where he was a military lawyer. Graham, who said Wednesday he never intended to mislead people, processed wills for soldiers deploying to the Gulf and helped their family members with legal issues.” [Associated Press, 2/19/98]

Bobby Jindal

Education

Bobby Jindal was “one of the most vocal supporters of for-profit schools.” “Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal has been one of the most vocal supporters of for-profit schools, opposing the president’s ‘gainful employment’ rule. He wrote in a column for the Washington Examiner, ‘The first programs to disappear under the ‘gainful employment’ regulations will be the ones that try to give Americans their first rung on the higher education and career ladders … It is tantamount to redlining educational opportunities for low-income and minority youths.’ His brother, Nikesh Jindal, is an attorney at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLC, represents the schools’ association, The Association of Private Sector Colleges and Universities.” [Think Progress, 4/30/15]

• For-profit colleges sought to enroll military members “often in ways that are not in the best interests of veterans and service members.” “As a beefier post-9/11 GI Bill has kicked in, a surge of service members has left the ranks armed with benefits that will cover the full cost of attending public college. In 2009, the for-profits took in almost as much military money as public colleges, even though they enrolled about one-third the number of vets. Spending on military education benefits has shot up to $10 billion; for-profit schools’ share of that money has gone up 600 percent, as revealed in a recent PBS Frontline exposé. For example, at Kaplan—owned by the Washington Post Co.—military revenues grew to an estimated $48.9 million last year, up from $2.6 million in 2006. The result has been a bonanza for schools’ executives and shareholders. ‘We didn’t foresee that the for-profit sector, eager to please Wall Street investors, would go after this new funding aggressively, often in ways that are not in the best interests of veterans and service members,’ stated Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) after leading an investigation into 30 major for-profits earlier this year. Or as one University of Phoenix alum put it on RipoffReport.com, the school ‘treats military students like cash piñatas.’” [Mother Jones, September/October 2011]

RAND PAUL

Education

Rand Paul voted to block further action on a bill that would have enhanced benefits for veterans including guaranteeing in-state tuition rates at all public universities for post-9/11 veterans. “Senate Republicans derailed efforts to move forward with a $21 billion bill to enhance health care, education and job benefits for veterans. Republicans stopped the veterans bill from moving on a procedural vote, which needed 60 votes. The final tally was 56-41. Republicans and Democrats normally agree on the need to enhance benefits for the nation’s 22 million veterans and their families, but Republican senators wanted to lower the amount of spending in the bill… The bill would have improved benefits for veterans, including better health care and dental services provided by the VA. It also would have guaranteed post-9/11 veterans access to in-state tuition rates at public colleges and universities in any state.” [ABC News, 2/27/14; S. 1928, 2/3/14]

Spousal Benefits

Rand Paul voted against legislation that would ensure that “all legally married same-sex spouses have equal access to the Social Security and veterans benefits they have earned.” In 2015, Paul voted against an amendment that would “establish a deficit-neutral reserve fund relating to ensuring all legally married same-sex spouses have equal access to the Social Security and veterans benefits they have earned and receive equal treatment under the law pursuant to the Constitution of the United States.” The Senate adopted the proposed amendment to the Senate’s FY 2016 budget resolution by a vote of 57 to 43, and later passed the amended resolution. [Senate roll call vote 121, 3/26/15; S. Amdt. 1063 to S. Con. Res. 11, 3/26/15]

VA Funding

Rand Paul voted against providing $27 million for the Veterans Health Administration, as part of a $50.5 billion Superstorm Sandy recovery package. In January 2013, Paul voted against a bill that, according to Congressional Quarterly, included provisions that “appropriate[d] the following amounts: […] Department of Veterans Affairs —$27 million through fiscal 2014 for the Veterans Health Administration, including $21 million for medical services and $6 million for medical facilities expenses. —$1.1 million for the National Cemetery Administration. —$531,000 for information technology systems. —$207 million for major construction projects through fiscal 2017.” The provisions were part of a larger bill that, according to Congressional Quarterly, “provide[d] about $50.5 billion for communities hit by Superstorm Sandy. Nearly all funding [was] designated as emergency spending exempt from discretionary caps, except for $5.4 billion for the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Disaster Relief Fund.” The Senate passed the bill by a vote of 62 to 36; and, because the House had already approved the bill, it was then sent to the president, who signed it into law. [Senate roll call vote 4, 1/28/13; Congressional Quarterly, 1/28/13; Congressional Actions, H.R. 152; Congressional Quarterly, 1/30/13]
Rand Paul effectively voted against considering the $142 billion FY 2012 Veterans Affairs, Military Construction, Military Housing and Related Programs appropriations bill. In July 2011, Paul effectively voted against considering a bill that, according to the Congressional Quarterly Today, “would provide $142 billion in fiscal 2012 for the Department of Veterans Affairs, military construction, military housing and related operations. The bill also includes $52.5 billion in advance fiscal 2013 appropriations for VA medical programs.” The vote was on a motion to end debate on the motion to proceed to consider the bill; the Senate agreed to end debate by a vote of 89 to 11. The bill later passed the Senate, and after the House agreed nearly five months later, the bill was committed to a conference committee. The resulting conference report passed both the House and Senate and was signed into law by the president on December 23, 2011. [Senate roll call vote 109, 7/13/11; Congressional Quarterly Today, All Congressional Actions, H.R. 2055; H.R. 2055, 5/31/11] 
 ************************************************

Bernie Sanders  (Democrat)

Bernie Sanders’ PTSD Statistic

Sometimes politicians are right, but their campaigns can’t prove it. And we do.
That’s what happened when we decided to take a look at Sen. Bernie Sanders’ talking point that 500,000 veterans came back from Iraq and Afghanistan with post-traumatic stress disorder or traumatic brain injuries. His campaign pointed us to a 2013 Senate hearing as its source — a hearing in which a Veterans Affairs official told Sanders that the number was less than half that.
But it wasn’t a case of Sanders exaggerating. We discovered more recent VA reports that put the number with PTSD at about 390,000, and that would only include veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan that sought care at VA facilities. Not all veterans use VA care. Other estimates suggest the total number could be around the 500,000 figure Sanders has been using for the past year. http://www.factcheck.org/2015/07/sanders-ptsd-statistic/