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tetris
Moderator
2040 Posts |
Posted - 05/14/2008 : 6:37:55 PM
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I read this letter earlier today but I haven't had a chance to comment until now. I don't know Michael Steiner but I believe that I have read letters to the editor by him before. I have some questions about what was printed. Was his letter printed in its entirety or was it edited? It seems kind of strange how it dived right into the subject matter with no set up at all. How long ago was this letter written? There was a time when Hickey and Cardello were the only two names being batted about for this position and this letter would have made a lot of sense then. If anyone knows Mr. Steiner, could we get a clarification on these issues?
I don't know how Mr. Steiner would be privy to information that the rest of us didn't know but he may have his sources. However, the idea that there is still a choice to be made runs directly contrary to the last official communication from the Mayor's office on this issue. In the Globe on Sunday April 27th, we were told "Mayor Carlo DeMaria is expected to announce his choice this week for the city's new veteran services commissioner." So where are we really at this point? |
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massdee
Moderator
5299 Posts |
Posted - 05/14/2008 : 6:46:24 PM
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| I don't know Mr Steiner personally either. I do know a few years back he ran for CC in ward 2, I believe. |
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massdee
Moderator
5299 Posts |
Posted - 05/15/2008 : 09:25:59 AM
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Here is that article that was in the Globe, and now almost three weeks later, we are still waiting to hear who will be appointed.
It appeared Sunday, April 27, 2008.
VETERANS' AGENT CHOICE NEARS - After weeks of searching for and interviewing 17 applicants, Mayor Carlo DeMaria is expected to announce his choice this week for the city's new veteran services commissioner. The applicants include four women who are veterans, said Erin Deveney, the mayor's chief of staff. Those interviewed included candidates from Billerica, Concord, and Malden. "While they all had different professional backgrounds, the one thing that distinguished all of the candidates is that they all expressed their commitment and desire to serve their fellow veterans. That came up in every interview," Deveney said. - Kay Lazar
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Tails
Administrator
2682 Posts |
 Posted - 05/15/2008 : 09:33:24 AM
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Thank you for posting that. I forgot about the Boston Globe article. Completely different from the Independents letter to the editor yesterday. Like you said massdee, we'll just have to wait and see how this plays out.
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massdee
Moderator
5299 Posts |
Posted - 05/15/2008 : 4:56:35 PM
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| Is it true that there is only a part time person working in the VSO right now? What happens when that person is not available? |
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arthur
Senior Member
212 Posts |
Posted - 05/15/2008 : 8:15:41 PM
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| it's going to be millie her son the meter person already let it out of the bag |
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massdee
Moderator
5299 Posts |
Posted - 05/15/2008 : 8:21:01 PM
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| Interesting. |
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Tails
Administrator
2682 Posts |
Posted - 05/15/2008 : 8:23:22 PM
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| NO WAY |
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Marie
Senior Member
114 Posts |
Posted - 05/15/2008 : 8:29:26 PM
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| if true, does that mean our Vet's have to wait 6 months before she can take that position? |
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Tails
Administrator
2682 Posts |
Posted - 05/15/2008 : 8:38:50 PM
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| Better not. |
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Marie
Senior Member
114 Posts |
Posted - 05/15/2008 : 8:49:06 PM
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| are they going side step Mass. General Law on this too? |
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massdee
Moderator
5299 Posts |
Posted - 05/15/2008 : 9:04:28 PM
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| I doubt it, if the rumor is true, they probably found a way around the MGL. |
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Tails
Administrator
2682 Posts |
Posted - 05/15/2008 : 9:08:06 PM
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Well.......it's either a loophole or the heck with the veterans. They can wait or that office can close when Gerri is unavailable. Stories like this do not mean anything to people that are all about themselves.
When Lance Corporal James Crosby returned home to Boston paralyzed from a rocket attack in Iraq, stacks of paperwork stood between him and his benefits. His father, an ex-Marine who "doesn't take no for an answer," helped Crosby conquer the maze of bureaucracy.
But many veterans don't have this support. Those with severe injuries or mental health problems are especially susceptible to falling through the cracks, says Crosby. He's the director of Statewide Advocacy for Veterans' Empowerment (SAVE), a new outreach program launched by the Massachusetts Department of Veterans' Services.
Since 2001, 28,000 new veterans have returned to the Bay State. Although the federal government funds healthcare through the Veterans Affairs (VA) system, the Massachusetts Department of Veterans' Services offers additional aid. Dr. Roberta White, a professor at the Boston University School of Public Health, says the VA may need the help of state programs. "I think the VA has the bureaucracy, the setting and the scientific knowledge," she says. "But it's whether there's adequate funding; that's the critical question."
Last year, 121 service members committed suicide nationally—more than any other year on record. A recent Institute of Medicine report found that a quarter of all returning Iraq and Afghanistan combat veterans face mental health problems like Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), depression and anxiety. PTSD is a condition that occurs after exposure to extreme mental or physical stress, characterized by re-experiencing traumatic events, numbing of general responsiveness (or, alternatively, hyper-vigilance), sleeplessness and irritability.
Dr. White suggests many returning Iraq veterans have suffered mild brain injuries from explosions, which can make their PTSD more severe than typical cases. "You might have a mild head injury superimposed on an emotional reaction to wartime stress," she says.
Crosby says SAVE's outreach workers are trained to recognize the warning signs of suicide and the symptoms of PTSD. They are all veterans themselves. "There's automatically a bond of trust. You can really empathize," Crosby says. "If you haven't been there, you can't even understand what its like." They travel around the state in their mobile outreach center (a van with wireless internet, a printer and a scanner), functioning as a one-stop shop for veterans' needs. They can print forms, have them signed and completed on the spot. "We're the ultimate referral service," says Crosby.
SAVE Family Outreach Coordinator Cayenne Isaksen says this is a form of early intervention, which is why the program receives funding from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. "If they can get jobs and healthcare, they're less likely to commit suicide," she says.
Under Chapter 115 of Massachusetts law, qualifying veterans and their dependents can receive necessary financial assistance for food, shelter, clothing, fuel and medical care. The amount of cases per month where Chapter 115 provides assistance almost doubled from January 2004 to December 2007.
Legislators are also proposing bills to identify and treat a new wave of veterans. Gov. Deval Patrick proposed an $8 million increase in the 2009 budget for veterans and military spending. Rep. Anthony Verga, D-Gloucester, sponsored a bill creating a new special commission to study the "hidden wounds of war." The proposed 11-member commission would consider a proposed mandatory mental health treatment program for returning National Guard members, in the hopes that screening all veterans would help identify those with mental health problems and reduce the stigma of seeking professional help. The commission would also consider a statewide program educating law enforcement and other first responders about the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder.
Isaksen says both public programs and private organizations (health providers in particular) want to help veterans. She sees this as proof of increased cultural sensitivity to the struggles they face. "We don't want them to go through what Vietnam veterans went through," Isaken says. "I hope it translates to the veterans that this is a different generation, a different era."
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Tails
Administrator
2682 Posts |
Posted - 05/15/2008 : 9:33:33 PM
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If they do wait the six months per MGL, then they have no regard. What about the terminally ill man that only had 4-6 weeks to live? He didn’t have six months to wait and at least Walter was there to give him comfort and solace during his last days.
This man went to see Walter in his office after he was told he only had 4-6 weeks to live and wanted to talk, and talk to a fellow veteran. Right now we are going on three months without a VSO. Is Gerri not entitled to a sick day or any other time off and what happens when she's not there, is the office just closed? What happened to all the other prospectives from Malden, Concord, who was listed by the Mayors Assistant in the Globe and never any mention of Millie Cardello or Joe Hickey from MS. Deveney. This entire situation has been handled very poorly.
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massdee
Moderator
5299 Posts |
Posted - 05/15/2008 : 9:40:32 PM
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| Has anyone else heard that Millie Cardello is getting the VSO's job? |
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Veteran’s Services
