More Creative Flacking and His NYT's Mini Me NYT on Vet Homelessness

Decrease in Homeless Veterans in New York Far Outpaces National Drop (NYT) Even as homelessness has surged, the city has recorded a drop of 80 percent in the number of veterans living in shelters or on the street since 2009 — though some advocates question the counts. * De Blasio's Pride Over Ending 'ChronicHomelessness' Is Premature: Veterans (DNAINFO) But the designation excludes the approximately 600 veterans living in Department of Homeless Services shelters and the 760 remaining homeless veterans. Two hundred of those veterans in DHS shelters are slated to move out in January. There are also five homeless veterans who have been offered housing but have declined to accept.

"If you are homeless person who lives in a homeless shelter you are still homeless. Are you chronically homeless? No. But you still don't have a permanent home," said Kristen Rouse, executive director of the NYC Veterans Alliance. * De Blasio can claim a victory in his battle against homelessness, as New York City succeeded in getting every

U.S.

military veteran struggling with mental illness, disability or addiction off the streets, the Daily News writes:

More on the Homeless

How Team de Blasio (Berlin Rosen) Tried to Blame Homelessness and the NYCHA Mess On Cuomo
More On the Homeless Vets

Mayor Uses Media to Solve A Vet Homeless Problems That He Has Been Unable to Fix

Mayor de Blasio launches $400G ad campaign urginglandlords to house homeless veterans (NYDN) De Blasio pledged to end veteran homelessness by the end of the year in his State of the City address in February, but the Daily News reported last month he looks unlikely to meet the goal – there were still around 1,000 homeless veterans, a number that hadn’t budged since February. Now, the number is around 880. A large majority of those people have vouchers from the feds or city to pay rent, but haven’t found an apartment yet. The max rent is around $1,200 for one person, and many landlords want more. * The de Blasio administration is launching a $400,000 advertising campaign to urge landlords to house homeless veterans who have vouchers to pay their rent

PA to Mayor Stop Blocking Vet Dept
Letitia James Breaks Again With de Blasio OverNYC Department of Veterans Affairs(NYO)

More about NYC Vets

Before We Lose the WWII Veterans NYC Must Restore Its WWII Memorial, Doors Closed Since 1985

Veterans Locked Out of Memorial Honoring World War II (Fox News) The memorial was constructed to honor the more than 300,000 heroic men and women of Brooklyn who fought for liberty during the war, including the more than 11,000 who died overseas. But since 1985, the doors of the memorial have been locked to the public and, more importantly, locked to our nation's heroes. Without proper maintenance and funding, the closed memorial has fallen into disrepair. It needs approximately $70 million in renovations, including new stone work, a new roof, new electric, new plumbing, new glass, insulation, a ramp, handicap accessible bathrooms and an elevator.* A crowdfunding campaign aims to re-open a Brooklyn WWIImemorial to the public. (NY1)

More About NYC Vets Getting Dis

Veterans

Thank You

The dead we honor (NYP Ed) * Editorial: A tribute to the valiant (NYDN) The Times Union writes that while we may disagree onpolicy surrounding military action, we cannot be divided in honoring those who made the ultimate sacrifice nor forget our obligation to those who return:

NY Forgotten Veterans

Veterans and advocates for military service members say New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio’s progressive agenda that he has been promoting across the country leaves them behind, the Daily Beast reports: *As de Blasio touts his progressive policies in other states, advocates for veterans say he has not included vets in his plans, despite the city having one of the largest vet concentrations in the country,the Daily Beast reports: “He’s talking about a progressive platform all across America. * New York City Council members are pushing a bill that would create a new city department to provide veterans services, but Mayor Bill de Blasio is not yet on board with the plan, the Daily News writes:

But I guess it doesn’t include veterans,” said Paul Rieckhoff, who heads the New York-basedIraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), a veterans’ service organization with around 400,000 members nationally and 10,000 in New York City. * Banner to honor POW/MIA veterans returns to City Hall after Daily News probe; critics call flag flap Blaz's latest insult to nation's servicemembers (NYDN)* Editorial: The forgotten flag (NYP)

NYC Forgotten Veterans Get Much Needed Attention in City Hall

Mayor @BilldeBlasio today will present new Veterans Advisory Board amid harsh criticism fromveterans community (Capital)

More About How NYC Ignores Vets

Assemblyman Michael Benedetto, chairman of the Veterans Affairs Committee, expressing his disappointment in Cuomo’s veto of the expanded veteran pension credit bill, State of Politics reports: * * While the federal government and New York State have goals for allotting government contracts to veteran-owned businesses, New York City does not,Gotham Gazette reports: * STRUGGLE ON THE HOMEFRONT: With haunted memories, some city veterans fighting for a place to call home(NYDN)

City Throws Money At Everything But Vets

Due to limited funding and manpower, Loree Sutton, the new commissioner of the Mayor’s Office of Veterans’ Affairs, faces serious challenges amid calls to revamp the office, Gotham Gazette reports:

NYC Forgotten Veterans Get Much Needed Attention in City Hall

Mayor @BilldeBlasio today will present new Veterans Advisory Board amid harsh criticism fromveterans community (Capital)

More About How NYC Ignores Vets

Council Cannot Find Extra $$$ for Vets In Spite of the VA Hospital Scandal in the City Budget for Vets

Although the New York City Council asked for an additional $400,000 in funding for the Mayor’s Office of Veterans Affairs to develop programs to assist veterans and an additional $1 million for mental health, employment and legal assistance services for veterans, those funds are not in the budget agreement, Gotham Gazette reports:

D-Day Punk CM Dromm Want to Kick the Military of Schools Out of NYC Schools

Tuesday Update

Junior ROTC kids fire back at councilman who trashed program(NYP)

New York City Council Education Committee Chair Daniel Dromm wants to shut down the New York City school system’s Junior ROTC program, saying he has a philosophical problem with the program, the Post reports:

* The head of the NYC Council’s Education Committee, Queens Democrat Daniel Dromm, wants to shoot down the school system’s Junior ROTC programs — charging they’re training high-school students for a “war machine.”

Nothing Extra In City Budget for Vets

of

No Extra Money for Vets but Money for Municipal ID
The City Council voted to create the largest municipal ID program in the country, giving the city’s undocumented immigrants and the homeless a way to prove their identity and transgender people to self-designate their sex, the Daily News repo
D-Day Punk CM Dromm Want to Kick the Military Out of NYC Schools

Tuesday Update
Junior ROTC kids fire back at councilman who trashed program(NYP)
New York City Council Education Committee Chair Daniel Dromm wants to shut down the New York City school system’s Junior ROTC program, saying he has a philosophical problem with the program, the Post reports: * The head of the NYC Council’s Education Committee, Queens Democrat Daniel Dromm, wants to shoot down the school system’s Junior ROTC programs — charging they’re training high-school students for a “war machine.”

A Very Different America On Our 238th Birthday