Healthcare Reform is Just a Shell Game

Yesterday, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced the release of extensive studies she says detail the local benefits of healthcare reform. Healthcare reform is vital to Detroit, Sebelius said during a conference call. She added the region has too many people without health insurance or with costly premiums. In a sort of stick-and-carrot approach, she added “So doing nothing would just…I would suggest…continue to increase what is already a very dramatic gap in who has insurance coverage and who doesn’t.” According to her, Michigan’s uninsured would jump to 1.6 million without reform.

The carrot Sebelius is offering is healthcare coverage for Michigan’s 1.3 million uninsured. She claims thousands in Michigan will benefit from coverage, lower premiums orpremium subsidies, and better coverage. Her implication is by avoiding growth in the rate of the uninsured, we’ll save money. And here’s where the shell game comes into play. A majority of the newly insured will fall under an expanded Medicaid program.

First, we are already paying for the uninsured, either through taxes or the insurance premiums we pay now. Shifting the cost entirely to the taxpayers doesn’t really change anything. A rose is a rose no matter what you call it. Next, supporters of healthcare reform say 94-96% of the population will have coverage. Let’s split the difference, so 95% of Michigan’s 10 million people will enjoy health insurance. That’s 9.5 million compared to today’s 8.7 million. An additional 800,000 will be covered. That still leaves .5 million without coverage of any kind. So, healthcare reform will only fix less than 62% of today’s uninsured.

About those Medicaid costs. If you didn’t know, Medicaid is a joint Federal-State program. Anyone see a problem here, especially Michigan’s current economic morass? In 2006, nearly 1.5 Michiganians participated in Medicaid at a per capita cost of $5,482. The Feds match 58.1% of that, meaning Michigan has to come up with 49.1%, or $3.4 billion.

Healthcare reform will add about 800,000 people to Michigan’s Medicaid rolls. Under the Senate plan, the Feds would cover the additional cost, including the state’s share, for 3 years. After that, the Medicaid balloon payment comes due. Assuming no change in the Federal match, Michigan will need an extra $1.8 billion for Medicaid annually beginning in year 4. Sounds like an unfunded mandate to me. And the Congressional Budget Office states the costs of unfunded mandates on the private sector exceed those allowed in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act.

So, let’s see if I’ve got this straight. Beyond the dubious constitutionality of healthcare reform, the bill violates the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act. How can anyone vote in favor of a bill that breaks the law? I think that’s how the Nazis used to legalize their behavior. In fact, the healthcare reform bill doesn’t even manage to contain skyrocketing costs. In short, it’s a failure all the way around.

All of that leads me to wonder. Has anyone read the bill?

Most Dangerous: Michigan in Top 10; 2 Cities in Top 5

CQ Press released it’s 2009 lists of most dangerous places. They based their rankings on the following types of crime rates: murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, and motor vehicle theft. Michigan has 12 cities on the list of 393 cities. Twelve Michigan metropolitan areas, out of 332 evaluated, also placed. Saginaw metro ranked as number 3 with Fint metro at number 14. The Detroit-Livonia-Dearborn metro area is not rated.

You might be surprised to learn Michigan is 10th in the nation for crime. That’s not an enviable ranking to have. But, considering the state has been tops in unemployment for 43 straight months, I’d say Michiganians are doing pretty good for themselves. Here are the 10 most dangerous states:

1. Nevada—Gov. Jim Gibbons (R)
2. Louisiana—Gov. Boggy Jindal (R)
3. South Carolina—Gov. Mark Sanford (R)
4. New Mexico—Gov. Bill Richardson (D)
5. Florida—Gov. Charlie Crist (R)
6. Tennessee—Gov. Phil Bredesen (D)
7. Alaska—Gov. Sean Parnell (R)
8. Arizona—Gov. Jan Brewer (R)
9. Maryland—Gov. Martin O’Malley (D)
10. Michigan—Gov. Jennifer Granholm (D)

Sadly, it should come as no surprise that Detroit is Michigan’s most crime-ridden city. But nationally, Detroit ranks 4th, followed by Flint at 5th. Here are the five most dangerous cities and their mayors:

1. Camden NJ—Gwendolyn A. Faison (D)
2. St. Louis MO—Francis Slay (D)
3. Oakland CA—Ron Dellums (D)
4. Detroit MI—Dave Bing (D)
5. Flint MI—Dayne Walling (D)

Michigan has four other cities with crime rates about the national average:

•   83.   Lansing
• 114.   Grand Rapids
• 185.   Southfield
• 200.   Dearborn

Other Michigan cities that made the list had crime rates below the national average. These are:

• 277.   Clinton Township
• 338.   Ann Arbor
• 353.   Sterling Heights
• 354.   Farmington Hills
• 362.   Livonia
• 372.   Canton Township

It’s interesting to note the governors of the highest crime states split 60-40 Republican-Democrat, with Republicans dominating the most dangerous states. On the other hand, the country’s top 13 most dangerous cities all have Democrats for mayors. In fact, the 7th most crime-riddled city, Birmingham AL, has an acting mayor because the elected mayor was convicted of 60 counts of bribery just over 3 weeks ago. I’m just sayin’.

Reid’s Healthcare Transparency Dark Already

On Saturday, November 21st, the Senate voted 60-39 to debate the healthcare bill. I wanted to check the roll call, but no record of the vote. I wanted to see the official roll call even though I already know how my Democratic Senators voted.

No record of this vote represents a total lack of the transparency promised by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV). And on the very first damn vote! Why the hell is there no record of this vote?

Do you suppose any of those guys have read the damn bill beginning to end? I’ll be asking my Senators to see what kind of form letter comes back.

Michigan’s Stool of Tears

Michigan is a beautiful state with many things going for it. It touches all but one of the Great Lakes. It’s the only state in the union where residents describe where they’re from by pointing at their hand: right hand for the lower penninsual and left hand for the upper penninsula. Michigan played a key role in the industrial revolution when Henry Ford introduced the production line. Detroit was the Arsenal of Democracy during World War II but is now in serious decline. And so is Michigan.

As I see it, Michigan’s problems are three-fold: declining manufacturing sector and lagging replacement jobs, a structural deficit, and a dysfunctional political process. Michigan won’t truly mend and become great again until all three of those are addressed. All the legs have to be present, stable, and durable for the stool to be useful.

Jobs in Michigan

Michigan continues to lead the nation in unemployment, dropping slightly to 15.1% for October. This is the 42nd consecutive month Michigan has had the highest unemployment rate in the country.

Recognizing the seriousness of the situation, Pres. Obama extended unemployment benefits and Michigan wants to add to this.

Don’t misunderstand. I’m in favor of programs that facilitate displaced workers finding new employment. Until new jobs show up in Michigan, however, evisceration of automotive jobs is not a step forward. Underfunding of Michigan’s No Worker Left Behind program isn’t helping, either.

Gov. Granholm touts so-called green jobs and jobs in the film industry. Still, Michigan has lost more jobs than it’s gained. So, no matter how you count them, Michigan is further behind in jobs. According to University of Michigan economists, that will be the case until 2012.

 
Structural Deficit

Just as jobs have been declining over the last decade, state government operated with a structural deficit each of those years and continues to do so. A structural deficit will not be fixed by better economic conditions. Michigan’s structural deficit predates the recession.

The economic downturn exacerbates the structural deficit by adding a cyclical deficit. That problem will go away when the economy improves. Conventional wisdom claims Michigan’s tax system needs restructuring because it’s out of sync with the new economy. This is an easy argument to make with charts showing decreasing revenues from various taxes such as income and sales and use taxes. Well, duh! With increasing job losses, there’s less income and, therefore, less buying. Looking below the surface, however, a Pew Center on the States report finds Michigan tax revenues not doing so badly. From a Mackinac Center for Public Policy summary:

In the current recession, despite having the worst economy in the nation, Michigan’s tax revenues have fallen less than those in 31 other states, when measured in relation to state employment and personal income declines.

Fixing the structural deficit comes down to four options: raise current taxes, expand the tax base, curtail government spending, or a combination thereof. Unfortunately Michigan politicians don’t understand the problem. They grandstand, like Bishop blaming the Democratic House and Gov. Granholm. They punish the citizens, like Gov. Granholm laying off State Troopers to save only half of what it cost to train them just a year ago. And they waste time, like the House taking two months last summer. I used to be in favor of term limits since voters don’t seem to be able to dump inept politicians on their own. I’m afraid the side effect is politicians with a myopic view of the issues and no incentive to find real solutions. Bandaid fixes are good enough until the next guy takes the chair.

What to do about the structural deficit, then? We need to look at a menu of reforms, starting with spending. This isn’t a simple matter of just slashing budgets or taking a one-size fits all view. It requires prioritizing the tasks of government and drilling down into the detail of what we’re spending money on. A lot of things can be done more efficiently and there are a lot of costs that can be reduced. Any look at taxes can come after that.

Dysfunctional Political Process

Michigan Speaker of the House Andy Dillon (D-Redford) and others say Michigan’s political process is dysfunctional. The state government shutdown in 2007 and two subsequent near-shutdowns over budget deals is clear evidence of that. Again, I’m beginning to think the root cause is term limits. There’s no long term planning taking place in Lansing.

It doesn’t help that Speaker Dillon, State Senate Leader Mike Bishop (R-Rochester), and Gov. Jennifer Granholm all hate each others’ guts. Granholm has failed to display clear leadership throughout the fiscal year 2010 budget process. She laid out her budget proposal in February and then pretty much disengaged from the process except to lay off 100 state troopers in June. She finally came out of hibernation after Labor Day and has been rather vindictive in dealing with the budget.

Michigan’s House of Representatives is little better. Representatives most of the summer off. Then they pretty much left fixing the 2010 budget up to Speaker Dillon to work out with Senate Leader Bishop. They’re scheduled to be off the last half of November and December. That’s not convincing evidence a part-time legislature can be just as effective as the one we have now?

As for Mike Bishop, the State Senate Majority Leader? He’s been pretty much hands off since GOP-dominated Senate passed its versions of balanced budget bills in June. Since then he just waited for the Democratic House to come crawling to him. Bishop’s stance has been no new revenue all along, only budging slightly in a few cases. Even with Granholm slashing money out of the schools budget, Bishop says the Senate’s not putting money back in there. Last time I checked, compromise involved give-and-take on both sides. Smug Bishop is standing there with his arms folded across his chest not doing much giving.

Michigan’s top politicians are like The 3 Stooges, only they’re not funny. And Michigan’s citizens are not laughing. Those clowns can’t sit down together and get anything done. Apparently they don’t realize they can’t just be running around, not paying attention to anyone or anything else, if they want to arrive at the same destination, which is presumably a better Michigan. All three of them needs to just grow up.

Hasan Not the Ideal Islamist

It turns out MAJ Nidal Milak Hasan enjoyed lap dances contrary to the Muslim faith he professed. Reports are he frequented a night club at least a couple of times before his shooting spree at Fort Hood.

Army investigators building their case against Hasan plan to interview the Starz club manager soon. The manager says he remembers Hasan visiting the club at least 3 times in the last month.

Jennifer Jenner, who works at Starz using the stage name Paige, said Hasan bought a lap dance from her two nights in a row. She said he paid $50 for a dance lasting three songs in one of the club’s private rooms on Oct. 29 and Oct. 30.

Nonetheless, Virginia Imam Anwar Al-Awlaki says “Nidal Hassan is a hero.” He is blessed to bear living the contradiction of being a Muslim and serving in the Army.

I’m sorry. Hasan got his medical training gratis from the US Army. And this justifies the mass murder of 13 how?

Obama’s New Suit Beginning to Show Through

When then Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) began running for president three freaking years ago, I was opposed to him as a candidate. My issue with him? I didn’t think he had enough experience. I still remember a line from a morning talk radio show: “Obama’s only foreign policy experience is his trips to International House of Pancakes.” Never mind that two full years of campaigning just wears you down. Perhaps that was the point.

Next up, Obama pulled his name from the Michigan primary because the state went against Democratic National Committee rules and made the primary earlier than others. I don’t take lightly when candidates diss my state and fellow Michiganians. If Obama had had any chance with me, he threw it in the trash then and there. It didn’t help I disagreed with his vote on the Wall Street bailout.

Barack Obama is now President. He’s been spending money like a whole shipful of drunken sailors. Only now he wants to cut back some because China’s nervous about him maxing out the national credit cards. And what do we have to show for all that spending? Not much except maybe fancy “Stimulus” signs along the highways. And he’s still pushing for a total healthcare overhaul. This is a complex issue whose real ramifications and costs are not clearly forseen despite Congressional Budget Office projections.

How’s the Commander-in-Chief doing with leadership? Not so well, if you ask me. Early on he recognized a need to refocus on Afghanistan in the Global War on Terror, er overseas contingency operations. Since then, he appointed a new commander on the ground, Gen. Stanely McChrystal, whom he asked for an assessment. In September, McChrystal said he needed 40,000 more troops in order to be successful. Obama’s reaction was like let me get back to you on that. Two months later still no decision. As I’ve said before, Afghanistan is where the 9-11 attacks were launched from and the same bad guys are still in the area. This is not time to dilly dally and look at your feet like a nervous school child.

There are certainly plenty of conservative bloggers out there who miss no opportuntity to bash Obama’s policies, agenda, and record. For others, I think the novelty is beginning to wear off. Folks are beginning to see that new suit is actually nothing at all. Via Dewey from Detroit comes this from HillBuzz:

We know absolutely no one in Bush family circles and have never met former President George W. Bush or his wife Laura.

If you have been reading us for any length of time, you know that we used to make fun of “Dubya” nearly every day…parroting the same comedic bits we heard in our Democrat circles, where Bush is still, to this day, lampooned as a chimp, a bumbling idiot, and a poor, clumsy public speaker.

Oh, how we RAILED against Bush in 2000…and how we RAILED against the surge in support Bush received post-9/11 when he went to Ground Zero and stood there with his bullhorn in the ruins on that hideous day.

We were convinced that ANYONE who was president would have done what Bush did, and would have set that right tone of leadership in the wake of that disaster. President Gore, President Perot, President Nader, you name it. ANYONE, we assumed, would have filled that role perfectly.

Well, we told you before how much the current president, Dr. Utopia, made us realize just how wrong we were about Bush. We shudder to think what Dr. Utopia would have done post-9/11. He would have not gone there with a bullhorn and struck that right tone. More likely than not, he would have been his usual fey, apologetic self and waxed professorially about how evil America is and how justified Muslims are for attacking us, with a sidebar on how good the attacks were because they would humble us.

Honestly, we don’t think President Gore would have been much better that day. The world needed George W. Bush, his bullhorn, and his indominable spirit that day…and we will forever be grateful to this man for that.

As we will always be grateful for what George and Laura Bush did this week, with no media attention, when they very quietly went to Ft. Hood and met personally with the families of the victims of this terrorist attack.

FOR HOURS.

The Bushes went and met privately with these families for HOURS, hugging them, holding them, comforting them.

If there are any of you out there with any connection at all to the Bushes, we implore you to give them our thanks…you tell them that a bunch of gay Hillary guys in Boystown, Chicago were wrong about the Bushes…and are deeply, deeply sorry for any jokes we told about them in the past, any bad thoughts we had about these good, good people.

You may be as surprised by this as we are ourselves, but from this day forward George W. and Laura Bush are now on the same list for us as the Clintons, Geraldine Ferraro, Stephanie Tubbs Jones, and the other political figures we keep in our hearts and never allow anyone to badmouth.

Criticize their policies academically and intelligently and discuss the Bush presidency in historical and political terms…but you mess with the Bushes personally and, from this day forward, you’ll answer to us.

We hope someday to be able to thank George W. and Laura in person for all they’ve done, and continue to do. They didn’t have to head to Ft. Hood. That was not their responsibility.

The Obamas should have done that.

But didn’t.

Wouldn’t.

Thank goodness George W. is still on his watch, with wonderful Laura at his side.

We are blessed as a nation to have these two out there…just as we are blessed to have the Clintons on the job, traveling the world doing the good they do.

And we are blessed to have Dick Cheney, wherever he is, keeping tabs on all that’s going on and speaking out when the current administration does anything too reckless and dangerous.

Cheney’s someone else we villainized and maligned in the past who we were also wrong about. There has never been a Vice President, including Gore, Biden, or Mondale, who was more supportive of gay rights than “Darth Cheney”. There has never been a Vice President more spot-on right about the dangers facing this country from Islamic terrorism.

We live in strange, strange times indeed.

We are now officially committed fans of George W. and Laura Bush. We are fans of Dick Cheney. Our gratitude for them makes us newly protective of them, and the continued role they play in this country.

After the primary battle of 2008, we never thought we’d go back to Texas for anything, but sometime in 2010 we want to find some event in Dallas the Bushes will be at so at least one of us can go up to them, tell them we are deeply sorry for ever thinking ill of them, and thank them from the bottom of our hearts for their service to America.

We’re sure they will just stare at us and wonder why these gay Chicagoans are crying, but we don’t think we can get through a meeting with them without being emotional.

What they did at Ft. Hood for those families humbles us. Every day, the Bushes are most likely doing something just like it behind the scenes.

We hope if any of you encounter them you will let them know this is deeply appreciated beyond partisan lines.

We will never look at the Bushes, the Bush presidencies, or their legacies the same again…and someday when his presidential library is built, we will be so proud to visit there and tell anyone will listen about November 10th, 2009, the day we finally appreciated former President George W. Bush and his wife Laura.

Thank you for your service, Mr. President. We’re sorry we didn’t appreciate you while you were in office, but we thank Heaven we’ve wised up and can see the good you are out there doing, under the radar, today.

Emphasis is mine. So, how’s that for an eye-opening realization? Although I suspect Mr. Bush would be mortified knowing he’s on the same list as the Clintons, Geraldine Ferraro, and Stephanie Tubbs Jones, but we get the point.

Obama to Congress: Butt Out on Fort Hood

Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R-MI) and Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) want to launch Congressional investigations into Army and FBI failures regarding MAJ Nidal Malik Hasan’s views and contacts. MAJ Hasan has 13 charges of premeditated murder preferred against him, but Pres. Barack Obama asked Congress to hold off on investigations until the Army and FBI investigations are complete.

President Barack Obama on Saturday urged Congress to hold off on any investigation of the Fort Hood rampage until federal law enforcement and military authorities have completed their probes into the shootings at the Texas Army post, which left 13 people dead.

On an eight-day Asia trip, Obama turned his attention home and pleaded for lawmakers to “resist the temptation to turn this tragic event into the political theater.” He said those who died on the nation’s largest Army post deserve justice, not political stagecraft.

“The stakes are far too high,” Obama said in a video and Internet address released by the White House while the president he was flying from Tokyo to Singapore, where Pacific Rim countries were meeting.

What’s Obama’s point? As I see it, there are two investigations needed. First, the forensic investigation by US Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID) and the FBI to see to it MAJ Hasan is charged with every crime he’s due. The other is the investigation into why “political correctness” allowed this tragedy to happen. Congress is the right body to investigate the PC issues, I think.

Hoekstra is the top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee. He says the government knew about at least 10 to 20 email contacts between Hasan and a radical Muslim cleric in Yemen. Rep. Howard McKeon (R-CA), leading Republican on the House Armed Services Committee, also wants to open an investigation.

Don’t get me wrong. Although I’ve pretty much convicted MAJ Hasan in my mind, I want him to be served with justice in the American tradition. I also know the US military has thousands of Muslims serving with honor. What’s at stake, however, is how many other Hasans are out there? Those situations need immediate action that can’t wait until MAJ Hasan’s case is settled.

Obama Just Dithering on Afghanistan

On his way to visit the Orient, President Barack Obama stopped off at Elmsdorf Air Force Base in Alaska. He told the crowd there:

I will never hesitate to use force to protect America.…

I will not risk your lives unless it is necessary to America’s vital interests. And if it is necessary, the United States of America will have your back. We’ll give you the strategy and clear mission you deserve….That is a promise that I make to you.

Okay, so here’s where I’m confused. At his 8th Afghanistan strategy meeting since mid-September, Obama gave his planning team a redo. WTF? Ironically, Obama tossed out the four options presented to him on Veterans’ Day. It’s been 2 months since the request for 40,000 troops from Gen. Stanley McChrystal. His boss, Gen. David Petraeus, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Adm. Michael Mullen, and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates all endorsed McChrystal’s plan.

The Afghan war is in direct response to the 9-11 attacks. It is inextricably tied to our national security and the defense of Pakistan, a nuclear power. The resurgence of the Taliban only makes the region more volatile and critical. When California Democrat Sen. Diane Feinstein says the mission is in serious jeopardy, you know you’re already behind the power curve.

Iraq took the focus off Afghanistan and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld fired Gen. Shinseki, Chief of Staff of the Army, for saying the US needed a lot more boots on the ground. Lo and behold, after toppling Saddam Hussein, civil order in Iraq disintegrated. It took a troop surge and 4 years to fix that fatal error. Along the way, though, we learned a lesson. Protecting the people works. On top of that, Gen. McChrystal was directly involved in Iraq operations during the surge. A similar move in Afghanistan will protect the people from the Taliban and make it harder for those who want to fight to join the Taliban. As security improves, there will be more trust for the government and, therefore, more willingness to be part of its Army and Police. Sounds like setting ourselves up for success, if you ask me.

Apparently we’ve not learned the lessons of Vietnman or Rumsfeld II since Obama doesn’t seem to be listening to his military experts. Not deciding what to do in Afghanistan shows a lack of leadership, a lack of a strategy, or a refusal to decide. There’s a growing feeling the latter is the case, considering every little upset adds weeks to the decision process. Since there aren’t enough troops in Afghanistan, and those that are there don’t have the right equipment, choosing not to decide would be criminal. It would be tantamount to failing to take action with MAJ Hasan’s warning signs.

Fort Hood Shooter Charged with 13 Murders

A US Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID) spokesman announced “MAJ Nidal Malik Hasan has been charged with 13 counts of premeditated murder in connection with last week’s shootings at Fort Hood,” said Chris Grey, a CID spokesman. Um, yeah. It sticks in my craw every time I read a news story on the shooting and they refer to Hasan as the “alledged” shooter. Ain’t no alleged about it! Ask 13 who are no longer with us.

There is no decision yet as to whether a 14th murder charge will be preferred for PV2 Francheska Valez’ unborn son, who also died in the shooting rampage. There may be additional charges relative to the 29 wounded personnel. Of those, 12 are still hospitalized; one remains in intensive care.

Hasan’s murder charges could bring him the death penality under the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ), but life in prison is more likely. Meanwhile, Pres. Barack Obama has ordered a review of intelligence on Hasan to determine if it was properly shared and acted upon. Chris Grey, with the Army’s CID, said “We are aggressively following every possible lead.”

Honoring the Fort Hood 13 and All Veterans

President Barack Obama was at Fort Hood yesterday for a memorial service honoring the 13 killed in November 5th’s domestic Jihadist attack. The shooting spree also left 30 wounded, some in critical condition. Those who died are:

• Mr. Michael Grant Cahill, 62, a civilian from Cameron Tx who was a physician’s assistant. He had a heart attack two weeks previously but had returned to work to assist Soldiers.
• LTC Juanita Warman, 55, of Havre De Grace MD, was a physician’s assistant with two daughters and six grandchildren. She was deploying to Iraq in the near future.
• MAJ L. Eduardo Caraveo, 52, of Woodbridge VA, a doctor of psychology who had taught children with learning disabilities as a civilian. He arrive at Fort Hood the day before the shooting and was preparing to deploy to Afghanistan</li
• CPT Russell Seager, 51, of Racine WI, a psychiatrist who joing the Army a few years ago to help veterans returning to civilian life.
• CPT John Gaffaney, 56, a psychiatric nurse from San Diego, who arrived at Fort Hood the day before the shooting to prepare for deployment to Iraq. Born in Williston ND, Gaffney had previously served in the US Navy and California National Guard.
• SSG Justin M. DeCrow, 32, of Evans GA, was helping train Soldiers how to help veterans with paperwork. He’s survived by his wife and 13 year old daughter in Evans. They were waiting for DeCrow’s assignment to Fort Gordon GA.
• SGT Amy Kruger, 29, of Kiel WI, joined the Army after the 2001 terrorist attacks. She arrived at Fort Hood on Tuesday in preparation for deployment to Afghanistan in December. She had vowed to take on Osama bin Laden; her mother said she told her daughter she couldn’t do that by herself. Amy’s response? “Watch me.”
• SPC Jason Dean Hunt, 22, Fredereick OH, joined the military after graduating Tipton High School in 2005. He’d gotten married just two months previously and had served 3-1/2 years in the Army, including a tour in Iraq.
• SPC Frederick Greene, 29, of Moutain City TN, was a hard worker and a computer whiz. While growing up, he was active in his church.
• PFC Michael Pearson, 21, of Bolingbrook IL, quit what he figured was a dead-end furniture job to join the military.
• PFC Kham Xiong, 23, of St. Paul MN, was a father of three. Xiong’s father said, “The sad part is that he had been taught and trained to protect and to fight. Yet, it’s such a tragedy that he did not have the opportunity to protect himself and the base.”
• PV2 Francheska Velez, 21, of Chicago was pregnant and preparing to return home. She was fun-loving, wrote poetry, and enjoyed dancing. She returned from deployment to Iraq just 3 days before being killed. A friend, who had served briefly in the military, was in disbelief Velez was killed in the US.
• PV2 Aaron Thomas Nemelka, 19, of West Jordan, UT, a Salt Lake City suburb, joined the military instead ofgoing on a church mission.

The President’s remarks at the memorial service recognized each of these Warrior heroes for the ordinary citizens they are and the sacrifice they made for the country they loved. We can only hope the nation is grateful for their selfless service. While this is more apropos to Memorial Day, I can think of no better tribute to what it really means to be a veteran than these 12 Soldiers and a civilian dedicated to serving Soldiers.

Today is, after all, Veterans’ Day. Among us are those who served in World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Grenada, Panama, Desert Storm, Somalia, Bosnia and Kosovo, Afghanistan, and Iraq. Regardless of your political views, I emplore you to recognize the sacrifice and courage of our veterans. They don’t decide the wars—that’s a political decision—but they serve with honor and distinction every day. I, for one, am honored to stand in their presence and wear the uniform with them.