Helvig's Helvitorials

Zero tolerance on illegal immigration

This is the highly controversial article by Alan Helvig, as published in the Holland Sentinel on July 29, 2008.

Prior to this year, it had been over 25 years since I last filled out a job application and all the accompanying paperwork. I was quite impressed with my current employer’s requirement for me to provide proof of citizenship prior to being hired in. If only all area employers were so diligent, one of Holland’s favorite sons might still be alive today.

For years, I have warned against the consequences of illegal immigrants taking up residency in our community. For years, area employers have violated federal law by hiring illegal aliens. For years, illegal immigrants have stolen wages away from would-be employees who have legal right to hold a job in Michigan. For years, I have been labeled as hateful and a racist because I believe in living within the confines of the law of this great land and I’m not afraid to say so.

Illegal immigration is a plague which is tearing away at the moral and financial fiber of America. Our schools are filled with students who were brought here illegally by their parents. Our businesses are infested with frauds and identity thieves. Our hospitals are treating thousands each year who don’t have insurance or the money to pay their medical bills.

Our car insurance rates are climbing in concert with the number of crashes involving illegal aliens. Crime rates are on the rise in areas with growing concentrations of illegal immigrants. Some of our prisons are filling up with illegals faster than they are filling up with citizens. Cities, counties and even states are corrupting themselves by turning a blind eye to these lawbreakers.

How many American citizens have to become the victim of illegal immigrant crime before America says, “Enough is enough”? How many legal residents have to die at the hands of illegal aliens before America decides to end illegal immigration for good? How many tax dollars have to be wasted on these criminals before we wake up to the seriousness of this issue? How deep does Michigan’s recession have to get before Michiganders take a stand for what is right?

It is time for all Americans to acknowledge illegal immigration as a crime and to recognize illegal immigrants as criminals. It is time for Michigan to get serious about illegal immigration and to show the rest of the country how to be tough on these crimes. It is time to implement a “zero tolerance” policy on illegal immigration.

We need to crack down on any and all employers who are knowingly and deliberately hiring illegals. We need to crack down on banks and other businesses which are knowingly providing accounts and/or loans to illegals. We need to crack down on landlords who are knowingly renting property to illegals. We need to crack down on citizens who are harboring these criminals and/or aiding and abetting them in any way.

Cracking down on those at the root of the infestation will bring about the end of the infestation. We don’t have to round up and deport the illegals in order to solve this problem. All we have to do is dry up the well and they will leave on their own.

Why would illegal aliens come to Michigan if they knew they would not be able to find a job here? Why would they stay in Michigan if they knew they couldn’t find a place to live here? Why would they even consider migrating to a state where they knew there is a “zero tolerance” illegal immigration policy in place?

The border state of Arizona finally figured out that it would need to take matters into its own hands and it has. Arizona is cracking down on illegal immigration and its problem is subsiding. Michigan and the other 48 states need to stand with Arizona. We need to show the world that we are the “United” States of America and that we will no longer tolerate the violation of our immigration laws.

There's plenty at stake on Aug 5

This is the entire version of the article which was submitted to the Holland Sentinel and reduced to be a letter to the editor due to violating the Sentinel's "no by name endorsement for pictured columnists" policy.  Published on July 24th, 2008.

Hello West Michigan, and welcome to month 21 of the 2008 election cycle. Have you had enough yet? Are you tired of the rhetoric and the empty promises yet? Are you still wondering why you aren’t hearing anything about your key issue yet? Don’t walk away now; the real race is just about to begin!

Michigan’s primary is just days away. The absentee voters are already doing their thing. There is a lot at stake for the future of the region, the state, the country and for each of us as individuals. This is not the time to be complacent about politics.

Since elections are the only term limits we have in D.C., now is time to end the 30 year career of another Washington insider. That’s right, Senator Carl Levin is wrapping up his 5th term in the Senate and if West Michigan does our part, we can send Mr. Levin home, once and for all.

State Representative Jack Hoogendyk from Kalamazoo is rallying everyone who is tired of the agenda driven antics of one of Washington’s senior politicians. Levin quit watching out for us a long time ago so it is only appropriate that we quit watching out for him. Thanks for your service Carl, but it’s time for you to fly.

While there are few contested state house seats in the region, two of the most significant campaigns are taking place right here in the 88th and the 90th districts. With Fulton Sheen and Bill Huizenga being termed out, there are a number of candidates vying for the chance to represent you in Lansing.

The 90th should be a no-brainer with Joe Haveman in the race. I have known Joe for a long time and would proudly vote for him, if I only lived in his district. I look forward to seeing him take his stand in Lansing on behalf of the good people of Ottawa County.

The situation in the 88th is another story completely. With eight candidates in the race, the first one to achieve over 20% of the vote will most likely be the winner. Will it be the passionate and assertive Todd Boorsma, the dedicated and effective Jeff Farnsworth, or the focused and energetic Joshua Leatherman? Only you can decide Allegan County, so make your vote count.

There are also a number of local races taking place which could impact your quality of life for some time to come. City and township officials can either help make your life much simpler or more complicated. If you fail to vote in the primary, you will have no one to blame but yourself for the outcome of the elections.

So, don’t let the longest election campaign in the history of the country get you down. Don’t be discouraged because things are not going the way you want them to go. Don’t sit this one out, just because your first choice isn’t in the race or your chief concern isn’t being addressed. On August 5th, do your part; go to the polls; and cast your vote.

Our future depends on it.

West Ottawa didn't respect Constitution

Published in the Holland Sentinel on June 16, 2008 -

“We, the people of the State of Michigan, grateful to Almighty God for the blessings of freedom, and earnestly desiring to secure these blessings undiminished to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this constitution."

Do you recognize these words? They are the preamble to Michigan’s Constitution. Like almost every other state in the union, Michigan acknowledges the existence of God in the opening lines of their state constitution. So much for the so called “separation of church and state.”

How is it that public school valedictorians are still being persecuted for their faith and prevented from exercising their right to freedom of religion, as in the 2008 case of Jed Grooters of West Ottawa High School? All Jed wanted to do was quote an inspiring passage of scripture as part of his commencement speech, as is his constitutional right.

However, school officials deprived him of that right. Proving himself to be a better person than the school officials, Jed respectfully complied with their illegal requirement.

What would possess the West Ottawa School District to so blatantly violate a student’s constitutional rights? Could it be that our local educators don’t know, understand and/or respect their own state constitution?

Article 1, Section 4 states: “Every person shall be at liberty to worship God according to the dictates of his own conscience. No person shall be compelled to attend, or, against his consent, to contribute to the erection or support of any place of religious worship, or to pay tithes, taxes or other rates for the support of any minister of the gospel or teacher of religion. No money shall be appropriated or drawn from the treasury for the benefit of any religious sect or society, theological or religious seminary; nor shall property belonging to the state be appropriated for any such purpose. The civil and political rights, privileges and capacities of no person shall be diminished or enlarged on account of his religious belief.” Jed’s rights, privileges and capacities were deliberately diminished.

Article 1, Section 5 states: “Every person may freely speak, write, express and publish his views on all subjects, being responsible for the abuse of such right; and no law shall be enacted to restrain or abridge the liberty of speech or of the press.” Jed was clearly restrained and the liberty of his speech was definitely abridged.

Worst of all, Jed was the subject of religious discrimination in violation of Article 1, Section 2, which states “No person shall be denied the equal protection of the laws; nor shall any person be denied the enjoyment of his civil or political rights or be discriminated against in the exercise thereof because of religion, race, color or national origin. The legislature shall implement this section by appropriate legislation.”

I don’t know what should happen to the officials responsible for these violations, but I do know that all public officials need to learn and comply with the protected rights of those under their charge. Maybe we should start by requiring all public officials to pass the U.S. Naturalization Citizenship Test. I wonder how many school board members, administrators and teachers would fail the exam required of an immigrant to become a U.S. citizen.

My hat goes off to Jed Grooters for standing firm in his faith and for honoring God by respecting those in authority over him, even though they were clearly wrong. My hat also goes off to the graduating class president, Andrew Webster, who made sure God’s word would not be silenced after all. To both of them, I offer this prayer from Romans 15:13, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Amen.

McCain VP short list should be minus one

John McCain's short list for VP assumedly still includes one name that should be scrubbed immediately. Florida Governor Charlie Crist is not worthy of the honor and McCain would be wise to drop him hard and fast.

Crist knowingly and deliberately violated the rules and bylaws of both the RNC and the DNC by holding Florida's presidential primary prior to February 5th, 2008. He is guilty of stealing votes from the citizens of Florida and needs to be held accountable, not rewarded.

It should not matter if you are a Republican, a Democrat or an Independent. Americans cannot allow our state legislatures and our governors to conspire to rob us of our electoral voice. Crist knew the party rules, he knew the consequences of his choice and yet, he still signed the bill which cost the Florida Democrats all of their delegates (until recently) and the Republicans one half of theirs. He was even given 30 days to change the date and he still chose to take his stand against the voters.

This act of election manipulation should be considered criminal, not commendable. The fact that he publicly denounced the DNC instead of accepting responsibility for his own failing is sad at best. The citizens of Florida did deserve to have their vote count, until he stole it from them. If he had any integrity, Crist would own up to his mistake and resign his post.

If McCain wants loser governors on his short list, he should add Governor Jennifer Granholm from Michigan. After all, she did the exact same thing to Michiganders that Crist did to Floridians. Like Crist, she conspired with her own legislature to steal the vote from her own people. Like Crist, she has blamed just about everyone but herself for defrauding her own citizens of their vote. If nothing else, she can blame her stupidity on being a liberal from Canada. What is Charlie's excuse?

Although the DNC finally caved and allowed delegates to be seated at the upcoming convention, the citizens of Florida and Michigan still have every right to be angry over losing their respective party delegates. The problem is, they are mad at the wrong people. They need to take this issue directly to the source, their own elected officials. They need to make sure their state governments don't defraud them again. Meanwhile, John McCain needs to make sure Charlie Crist stays in Florida to take his medicine.

Act now to restrain out-of-control judges

Published in the Holland Sentinel on May 19, 2008 -

As I gaze in awe at another beautiful sunset outside my Holland home, my view is darkened by a sad reality that lies way beyond the shores of Lake Michigan.

Approximately 2,200 miles away, on America’s left coast, a great injustice has taken place against millions of American citizens.

On May 15, 2008, the California Supreme Court proved beyond the shadow of a doubt that the judicial branch of American government is out of control and that the will of the people means nothing to rabid judges and justices. In direct opposition to Proposition 22 of 2000, in which the citizens of California voted 61 to 39 percent to define marriage as an exclusive relationship between one man and one woman, California’s highest court voted to legalize gay marriage.

That’s right. The citizens of the state passed the Defense of Marriage Act and their “supreme” court shot it down.

Why did the court do it? Because they could. The only thing that could have prevented the California court from trumping the will of the people would have been an amendment to the state’s constitution. But, since the people of California have not yet established such an amendment, the court was free to contradict the eight-year-old initiative.

Why should we care here in Michigan, or anywhere else in America, what happens in California? Because if the California Extreme Court can get away with overriding the will of their people, you can count on other courts being emboldened to do the same.
Demented judges all across America have decided that they are the lawmakers, not the legislatures. They have given themselves the power to supercede state and federal laws and to overturn majority rule. They are bound by one document and only one document, their respective constitutions. Even then, many of them will issue decisions and offer opinions that are contrary to constitutional law.

While I firmly believe that marriage was established and defined by God as the holy union of one man and one woman, this isn’t an article about gay marriage. This is a warning against the power of the American judicial system. All citizens need to understand the significance of these events and do what they can to prevent similar injustices from taking place at the state and federal levels.

There are only two ways to keep these power-hungry elitists in check. The first is to establish constitutional amendments that cannot be overturned by any jurist. The second is to remove them from power.

Most of these judges and justices cannot be voted off the bench. They are appointed to their post, many of them for life. The only way to get rid of them is to impeach them. The problem is there are not enough people with the guts to take them on or take them down.

As long as we Americans sit back and let these extremists write and rewrite the laws of our land, we will continue to get what we deserve. We must take a stand and we must hold our leaders accountable for their devious actions. If we can’t get our legislators to impeach these fanatics, we will have no choice but to establish constitutional amendments for anything we deem sacred, including the protection of marriage.

Look beyond the bubble and vote "Yes"

Published in the Holland Sentinel on April 21, 2008 -

What price do you put on “community”? What is the future of the Holland-Zeeland area worth to you?

As local businesses look to grow and as outside investors continue to shop for great places to expand or start up new businesses, Holland residents are debating whether or not to invest in our own community. We are squabbling over pennies for our own future.

While open debate is typically healthy and highly encouraged, how do you think this looks to those who have heavily invested in this community over the past decades? What do our words and our actions say to those who are considering making major investments in this area? 

So many of us here in this area live in what I commonly refer to as, “the nubble.” This bubble is like a force field that keeps us sheltered from the outside world. We don’t know what is going on out there and we certainly don’t want to be influenced by what is going on out there.

Living in the bubble can have many advantages. It can definitely lead to lower stress levels. However, it can also lead to many troubles. If we don’t understand what we need and why we need it, we may miss out on critical opportunities which may arise from time to time.

Have you ever traveled outside the bubble? As you visit different parts of the country, what do you think of the communities that appear run-down or in need of a makeover? Is this the kind of place you would want your family to reside? Or, would you prefer to live in an area where the homes are well-kept and the yards are all nicely landscaped?

What is your opinion of the people who live in these blighted neighborhoods? Do they impress you as being caring and responsible? Do they display pride in ownership of their lands and their homes? Is there any indication that these residents are willfully investing in themselves or their community?

If you were a business owner looking for a new place to expand your operations, would one of these blighted communities be first on your list? Would you be quick to invest in an area where you, the investor, may care more about the community than the people who live there?

I know what I would think. I would be thinking about investing my money elsewhere.

As a conservative, I have an obligation to call for less and lower taxes. In fact, it goes against my grain to support new taxes. However, as a citizen living in an area that is struggling financially, I also have a responsibility to do what is necessary to ensure the future of my community.

While my conservative nature says “bo new taxes,” my common sense asks, “What would an investor think of me if I am not willing to invest in my own community?” What would they think of Holland if Holland rejects the airport tax?

Saying “no” to the airport tax could be interpreted by those who matter as the equivalent of letting your neighborhood go to pot. The real question you have to ask yourself is, “Can I afford not to vote for the airport tax?”

Who will pay for this fiasco?

Published in the Holland Sentinel on March 17, 2008 -

Last year, Gov. Granholm and the Michigan Legislature deliberately robbed all Michigan Democrats of their voice in this year's presidential primary election by violating national party rules. Now, they are scrambling to cover their tracks and to make up for their stupidity.

Granholm didn't think the Democratic National Committee (DNC) would stick to the rules of this year's election cycle, and she was wrong. Granholm didn't think her candidate, Hillary Clinton, would need Michigan's delegates in order to win the presidential nomination, and she was wrong. Granholm didn't care what her actions would do to Michigan voters, and once again, she was wrong.

Now, Granholm, the Michigan Democratic Party and the DNC are negotiating to correct the wrong done to Michigan citizens by their own leaders. All they need to do is come up with a plan (agreeable to both Clinton and Barack Obama) to hold a second Democratic presidential primary before June 10, so that Michigan's delegates can be seated and counted at this year's Democratic National Convention.

The big question I have for everyone is,"Who is going to pay for this fiasco?" Every moment spent on this disaster by any state official is costing Michigan taxpayers money we don't have. This "do-over" election will cost more than $10 million that Michigan doesn't have. Who is going to foot these bills? You can bet it won't be those responsible for causing this problem.

Michigan tax payers already paid millions of dollars for a special primary election on Jan. 15 of this year. The result of that "special" election was Michigan Republicans being robbed of one half of their delegates and Michigan Democrats robbed of all of their delegates. How wrong would it be to require the citizens of Michigan to pay for another election just to make up for the irresponsible actions of our governor and Legislature?

The sad reality of this matter is that both Michigan political parties believed this ploy would benefit their respective party. Both political parties cared more about politics than they cared about protecting the very people they are paid to serve; both political parties conspired to steal Michigan's presidential delegates; and both Michigan political parties were wrong.

Every red-blooded American should be outraged at the way Michigan's leaders defrauded their own citizens of their vote. Every red-blooded American should take a real hard look at Michigan's leadership to make sure they don't have their votes stolen from them by their respective state governments. And, every red-blooded American should stand with the citizens of Michigan in protest against our state government for the way they abused the national election process.

I have said this before about Washington, D.C., and I will now say this about Michigan: It's time to flush the toilet of political corruption in Lansing.

'Discrimination' isn't always a dirty word

Published in the Holland Sentinel on February 18, 2008 -

People have a bad habit of taking things to the extreme. Case in point: We pick words or phrases that we don't like and make them out to be completely bad, or even evil.

Take the word "discrimination." Many in our society would have you believe that any and all discrimination is wrong. I have to disagree. I don't believe that girls should be allowed in the Boy Scouts anymore than I believe boys should be allowed in the Girl Scouts. I don't believe male reporters should be allowed in the women's locker room anymore than women should be allowed in the men's locker room. Non-veterans should not be allowed to join clubs such as the VFW. Yet, to deny such access is technically "discrimination".

I do believe that a store should be allowed to decide which organizations may solicit contributions on its property without the threat of being sued for discrimination. I do believe that the emotionally unstable should not be allowed to be police officers. And I do believe that God discriminates against those who have refused to repent of their sins.

Anyone who says, "All discrimination is wrong and should not be tolerated," is an extremist. Although there are many types of inappropriate discrimination, there are also appropriate types. Extremist thinking and behavior of any sort should be challenged, so that common sense may prevail.

What does it mean to discriminate? According to my dictionary, it means to differentiate, to distinguish by discerning or exposing differences. Is all discrimination bad? I think not. Can discrimination be used in a godly way? I believe so.

I'm not talking about treating people badly because they're different. I am talking about understanding the difference between right and wrong. I am talking about distinguishing between what is acceptable to God and what is not. I am talking about identifying sin and what God says we should do about it.

It is not because of hatred that the Christian calls on others to identify and turn away from their sins. It is because of love for their fellow man and their love of God that they say such things. It is not discrimination against the person, but discrimination against the sin. Anyone who discriminates against sin is acting according to God's word. Anyone who hates others because of their sin is in direct violation of God's greatest commandment.

If those who understand what is right never correct me, how am I to know when I'm doing wrong? There is a huge difference between correction and condemnation. Just because someone points out my sins, that doesn't mean he is judging or condemning me. There is also a huge difference between earthly discrimination and biblical discernment. Directing me away from my sins should not be confused with discrimination.

The good news is that God's love for people and hatred of sin both come from the same heart. God's grace and judgment come from the same heart. We cannot have one without the other. We cannot stand in the comfort of God's mercy without first being convicted of our sins.

There can be no salvation until there is forgiveness; there can be no forgiveness until there is repentance; and there can be no repentance until there is confession. How can there be confession, if we don't know what to confess?

There are many forms of appropriate discrimination taking place every day across this great country. You have to be of minimum age to get a job. You have to be able to see in order to get a driver's license. You have to pass a physical to join the armed forces. You have to pass all your classes in order to graduate from school, etc.

Unfortunately, there are still way too many cases of inappropriate discrimination occurring daily as well. Racial discrimination is still one of this country's worst character flaws. Labeling Christians as hateful because they try to lead people to repentance is also wrong. What we all need to do is learn to discern right from wrong and help each other get on the right path.

What did we get for voting early? Nothing

Published in the Holland Sentinel on January 21, 2008 -

If there are any legislators or executives in Lansing patting themselves on the back for bumping Michigan's presidential primary up to Jan. 15, they should simply resign their office, effective immediately.

Our elected officials in Lansing went out of their way to violate national party rules and in effect, stole the voice of every Michigander who wanted to vote for a Democratic candidate. They also stole one-half of the voice of every Michigan resident who voted for a Republican in this year's presidential primary. They have effectively contaminated the entire election process and for what, 15 minutes of fame in the national news? Give me a break.

First off, anyone following the national news since Michigan's vain decision to go against the Republican and the Democratic national committees knows that Michigan did not get the coverage our so-called leaders had hoped to receive. In fact, the bulk of the hype was still on Iowa and New Hampshire, leading up to their respective contests, and on the rare occasions Michigan was mentioned, it was usually in a bad light.

Secondly, the national media have moved on to other states, where they will stay until after the national conventions take place this summer.

In the meantime, Michigan is still stuck in the same rut we were in before our one week of "glory." We continue to set national standards in unemployment, job losses, foreclosures and, of course, resident departures. If things don't start getting better real soon, Michigan is going to lose a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives after the 2010 census is complete. Then we will get to enjoy the agony of redistricting the entire state.

While there are some who would argue that Michigan's economic plight being brought to the forefront of the presidential race was a good thing, I would ask you to consider the cost. Whether they voted or not, the state's Democrats have been robbed of their right to have their votes count in this year's presidential primary election. Meanwhile, the Republican voters lost half of their delegates. Can you imagine what kind of national news coverage Michigan is going to get if after all the states have voted, Mitt Romney comes up 30 votes short of the number needed to win the nomination? Surely there was a better way to grab the national spotlight.

Is there a bright side to all of this? Absolutely! Every red-blooded citizen who managed to go to the polls on Jan. 15 gets to look forward to receiving tons of junk mail from either Michigan's Democratic Party or Republican party.

After all, aside from Mitt Romney winning the GOP primary, the state's political parties were the only true winners in all of this. If you voted, they get to know exactly who you are, where you live and which party ballot you requested. What a comforting thought!

So, what positive, tangible results have come to the citizens of this state because our primary was moved up? How is this going to stop the exodus of jobs and citizens? What long-lasting financial boost did our state economy receive from this venture? How was bumping up our primary in the best interest of all Michiganders?

At this point, one can only ask those in Lansing, "Just who are you really working for?"

McCain NOT this Veteran's Candidate

The following is a letter from my father regarding Senator John McCain's lack of care, concern and assistance for an Air Force Veteran dealing with America's Veterans' Administration. I don't know about the rest of the Veteran's in this country, but John McCain is not this Veteran's candidate.

I am a United States Air Force Viet Nam Vet that suffered a service connected back injury due to a fall while servicing an airplane in July of 1966. This injury damaged, nerve roots and permanently crushed the left gluteal muscle. After hospitalization and extensive physical therapy I was able to continue my service to my country and served in Viet Nam in 1967. I continued to suffer from chronic lower back pain, but the warm SE Asia climate helped diminish the pain. In early 1968 I left the Air Force and entered the private sector.

One month after discharge I was at a Veterans Hospital suffering from sever back pain. The environment toward returning Viet Nam military by the people at the VA was spiteful to say the least. I was x-rayed and then with no examination asked by a doctor if I could touch my toes. Since after a few painful minutes of bending down I was able to accomplish this he informed me that if I could do that I could not have a bad back, then he summarily sent packing as he walked away. I was so infuriated I walked out of the hospital

Without pulling up or reviewing any military medical records the VA due to this visit claimed that my injury was not service connected. This started a 40 year battle that still goes on to this day.

In January of 1984 the pain in my lower back was different and my right leg went dead. No movement and I suffered drop foot. The VA in Seattle tried to diagnose the condition and at first recommended surgery, but after six months the leg recovered 85% and the prognosis was that the siadic nerve coming from the lumbar section was compressed. Also at this time the condition was determined to be service connected and a new VA ID Card was issued reflecting this change.   

However no compensation was provided. The lower back has remained a chronic problem from 1966 to this date.

In late 2004 the pain in my lower back changed again with sharp shooting pains radiating down through my thighs buckling my legs and causing me to fall. I went back to the VA in Seattle where they did an immediate MRI and then prescribed Physical Therapy. The condition continued to deteriorate causing both legs to weaken with pain and limit my ability to walk or function. I did not and to this day have not been seen by a VA doctor with the exception of a doctor at the VA in Fayetteville, Arkansas in 2006 when the pain got so bad I could barely walk and I required an injection into my right hip. This relieved the pain in the hip only.

During these several months we moved from Washington state to Gilbert, AZ, while remaining in communication with the VA and trying to receive treatment. This has remained to no avail.

With total frustration I contacted the office of  Senator John Mc Cain in the Phoenix office and talked to a Mr. Tom Mc Camma. Tom after reading the history of this condition and the years of failing to get any medical help from the VA committed his office to assist me in any way they could. I was asked to come to the office where I talked to Tom on this matter and we established a strategy.

However last Fall I had another letter and several more documents that I was sending to the VA and wanted to send Tom copies. I called Tom to inform him that this was my intention and that he didn't have to do anything with them except to file them if he wanted. However Tom informed me that he didn't want them at all and I needed to be aware that they were in the middle of an election campaign and were to busy to assist me. When I reminded him he only needed to file them he sharply stated that I needed to be aware of the fact that the VA has a 400,000 back log of Vet's needing one thing or another and I shouldn't expect them to be able to help me.

I was sharply taken back by this statement and replied that a backlog of that magnitude was disgraceful and didn't happen over night and maybe the Senator should have been on top of this problem as he claimed to be one of us. Point blank I informed Tom Mc Camma that If John Mc Cain had been doing his job in the Senate and spending more time fixing the VA to insure proper and expedient receipt of medical treatment and education assistance that the veterans wouldn't be part of a 400,000 back log and being denied their benefits. I further informed Mr. Mc Camma that it could not be a funding issue as Senator Mc Cain like many others voted billions of dollars to criminals invading our country, so they can have free unearned medical and education benefits.

How ironic that those that served, suffered and died are denied earned benefits while those breaking the laws and costing our economy billions of dollars get a free ride. Like Hillary Clinton, John Mc Cain hasn't done the job we have been paying him for over the past several years and now he wants us to elect him to a higher post. Not on my watch! John Mc Cain is not one of US!

My back condition deteriorated to the point where it required major surgery and I could no longer put it off so in October of 2007 my L-4 and L-5 vertebrae were fused bringing L-4 back into place and the nerve canal was opened as well to relieve the nerve compression. This has provided some relief and allowed me to function better than before the surgery, however I will have major life long restrictions that affect my life and that of my family.