ONE WOMAN, ONE VOTE: Democratic Party Leaves Democracy Behind

ONE WOMAN, ONE VOTE

The Day the Democratic Process Left the Democratic Party

By Robert L. Rosebrock – Vietnam War-era Veteran

November 15, 2008, is a day that will live in infamy for America’s Military Veterans, as well as all patriotic Americans, because one member of the California Democratic Party blocked the "Resolution to Protect a National Sacred Trust," which would protect and preserve the sacred land at the Los Angeles National Veterans Home and prevent it from being turned into a public park.

This noble Resolution was written and sponsored by Bob Handy, the chairman of the Veterans Caucus of the California Democratic Party and Sanford Cook, his vice chairman. Correspondingly, General Joseph P. Hoar, (U.S. Marine Corps, Retired) the former Commander in Chief of United States Central Command, co-sponsored the Resolution.

Those are very impressive credentials, yet one member of the Party’s resolution committee did not consider these Veterans and their honorable duty to our country to be worthy of having their Resolution discussed.  

Strength in Numbers
Mr. Handy’s Resolution is similar in terminology to the California American Legion’s Resolution approved on behalf of its 150,000 members at this year’s State Convention.

Consequently, his Resolution had the support of other prominent Veteran support organizations, including the American GI Forum of California, Veterans United For Truth, Inc., We the Veterans, the National Veterans Coalition, North Carolina Democratic Party Veterans Caucus, Veterans For Common Sense, Military Spouses For Change, etc.

In addition to being supported by so many Veterans organization, the Handy Resolution also included endorsements from Democrats, Republicans, Independents and the Constitution Party, many who were not even Veterans. 

“To Keep a Sacred Trust”
Lest we’ve already forgotten, President-elect Barack Obama campaigned and essentially won the General Election because he promised to be a uniter by reaching across Party lines for conciliatory progress.

Moreover, during a recent Veteran’s Day tribute, the Democratic President-elect proclaimed: “Let us rededicate ourselves to keep a sacred trust with all who have worn the uniform of the United States of America: that America will serve you as well as you have served your country.”

In spite of Bob Handy exemplifying both of the President-elect’s pledges with his Resolution that unified so many Veteran organizations and included individual endorsements from members of such political diversity, the California Democratic Party undermined both pledges with one vote and disallowed Mr. Handy from even discussing the merits of this moral and responsible Resolution.

The Destruction of One Vote
It is common knowledge that the men and women who proudly serve our country, courageously pledge their lives to defend and protect our freedom and democracy.  However, what took place on November 15th was not at all representative of the kind of democracy that America’s Veterans agreed to pledge their lives to defend.

And while it’s the Veterans who have protected our nation’s democracy over the last 232 years, in one split second, Veterans were denied the very right they have defended for others.

One Woman, One Vote
So how did the Democratic Party, once known for being unified in standing up for those who were getting knocked down, throw away such a great legacy with just one vote?  It all comes down to just one woman.

In a recent article in “VT” by fellow Veteran Rees Lloyd, titled “Shame on VA Bureaucrats and Shame on Congressman Waxman,” Rees correctly pointed out that “Veterans Park Conservancy, which manifestly is not a veterans organization but an organization of wealthy Brentwood residents whose principal agent in advancing its own interests through arrogant manipulation has been the politically-connected Sue Young — that is, politically connected to the Westside Machine.”

Yes, Sue Young, a woman who has been hell-bent for the past 20 years on stopping the National Home from living up to its deeded legacy of providing a quiet haven for disabled and homeless Veterans to heal from war, has once again dictated from behind-the-scenes to manipulate others into compromising their principles so that she can egregiously occupy Veterans sacred land for a public park to appease her wealthy friends in West Los Angeles.

The Westside Political Machine
And who is this political "Westside Machine" that answers to Ms. Young? It’s an alliance of powerful Democrats that include U.S. Congressman Henry Waxman, whose 30th District encompasses the National Veterans Home, U.S. Senators Diane Feinstein and Barbara Boxer, Los Angeles County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky and his Senior Deputy Flora Krissiloff who is also a vice president of Veterans Park Conservancy, California State Senator Sheila Kuehl, California State Assemblyman Michael Feuer, Los Angeles City Councilmen Bill Rosendahl and Jack Weiss, and Brentwood Community Council president Wendy-Sue Rosen, etc. Only Rosendahl is a Veteran.

Through the manipulation of this political Machine and the VA bureaucrats, Ms. Young, who is not a Veteran, received a no-bid privileged lease arrangement for 16-acres of Veterans Land, "rent free," even though the parcel is considered to be one of the most valuable on the west coast and estimated to be worth $1 billion. On the flip side of this billion-dollar coin, Veterans receive absolutely nothing while their healthcare needs continue to go under-funded.

Unprecedented Compromises
When Ms. Young was asked in the November 2007 issue of the “Brentwood News” how she was able to essentially expropriate this 16-acre parcel of Veterans land "rent-free" for a public park, she responded:   "Because this arrangement was unprecedented, it required lengthy discussions and compromises with Veterans Administration in Los Angeles and Washington. The agreement also called for approvals at the highest levels, i.e., Secretary Nicholson, and the involvement of the Congressional delegation."

As witnessed on November 15th, Ms. Young once again manipulated the politicians of the Westside Machine to compromise their principles and bow to the pressure of satisfying her selfish “wants” while disrespecting and disregarding the best interests and healthcare “needs” of America’s Military Veterans.

Broken Promises
What’s at stake here is the Veterans "Promised Land" that was specifically and patriotically deeded on March 3, 1888, to be permanently maintained as a National Home for all who honorably serve our country as a quiet place to heal from war. For over a century, every generation of America’s citizenry honored this promise until recent years.

In a letter dated September 7, 2007, to the “Wall Street Journal,” Congressman Henry Waxman stated that he has the "facts" about Veterans land by declaring "the national soldier homes were for disabled and homeless war veterans."  He underscores this truth by stating "the legal deed requires that the federal government maintain the property permanently for veterans."

Here is one of Congress’s most senior lawmakers, and a lawyer by profession, declaring in writing that the legal deed is the law of this sacred land, and further stipulating that it requires the federal government to permanently maintain this sacred land for disabled and homeless Veterans. So why are there still 20,000 Homeless Veterans in Los Angeles, even though this is their rightful and legal “Home”?

Prisoners of Neglect
While these defenders of America’s freedom live imprisoned on the dangerous streets of Los Angeles, Congressman Waxman and the California Democratic Party gave their blessing for a public park instead of providing a safe shelter for America’s Veterans.

One member of the California Democratic Party brought disgrace upon the entire Party by turning his back on 20,000 homeless Veterans and blocking a Resolution on their behalf, while defending the Westside Machine’s wealthy constituents who live in multi-million dollar homes.

Largest VA Healthcare Center in the Nation
Congressman Henry Waxman has been the public servant for the 30th District of the United States Congress for 35 years.  His District includes the Los Angeles National Veterans Home, which is the largest VA healthcare Center in the Nation and serves more than 300,000 Veterans.

The Congressman is the steward of this sacred land that is available for all Veterans, even though they do not reside in his District.  Thus, the responsibility is enormous and far-reaching, and his time and efforts should be devoted to protecting this sacred trust and not facilitating the giving away for a public community park.

Dereliction of Duty Zev Yaroslavsky, Los Angeles County Supervisor.  Sue Young, executive director of Veterans Park Conservancy, Henry Waxman, U.S. Congressman, and Flora Krissiloff, Westside District Deputy to Yaroslavsky and vice president of Veterans Park Conservancy, hold a rendering of the proposed public park on Veterans sacred land. The rendering shows the "majestic wrought iron fence" to beautify the entryway into Brentwood, which the VA was hoodwinked into donating $1 million of Veterans healthcare money.  The concrete part of the "fence" includes the denigrating slur of "Beauty, Honor, Country" instead of the noble "Duty, Honor, Country."

The California Democratic Party Sold Its Soul
Make no mistake; on November 15th, the California Democratic Party sold its heralded legacy of defending the defenseless to one woman, who for two decades has coveted the quietude and sacredness of Veterans sacred land to turn it into a clamorous community park. 

This California Democratic Party sold its soul to a woman who misled the California American Legion into believing they were endorsing a Veterans park for the “sole purpose of providing veterans a place to heal from war,” until they learned the real truth that it was going to be “a public park for the entire community.”

As a result, the American Legion sent a letter via U.S. Certified Mail to Ms. Young’s organization rescinding it’s previous endorsement and put her on notice not to use its honorable and noble name with her deceptive mission and reemphasized that it did not endorse her group’s public park. 

The California Democratic Party sold its soul to a woman who wrote, “Refused” on the Certified Mail envelope containing the American Legion’s letter, and further wrote “RTS” – Return To Sender.  The California American Legion subsequently had to re-send the letter, which she begrudgingly accepted. This arrogant attitude prompted the Legion’s State Adjutant to send a certified letter to all members of Southern California’s U.S. Congressional delegation explaining why they had rescinded their previous endorsement of her so-called “veterans park.”

The California Democratic Party sold its soul to a woman whose organization plagiarized and denigrated America’s revered watchword of “Duty, Honor, Country” when she manipulated VA bureaucrats and the Westside Machine to allow her group to irreverently engrave in stone on Veterans property, “Beauty, Honor, Country,” because it was her group’s mission to beautify the entryway into Brentwood.

The California Democratic Party sold its soul to a woman who hoodwinked the VA into donating $1 million of Veterans seriously needed healthcare money so that she could build a pretentious wrought iron fence to beautify the entryway into Brentwood and enhance her fellow homeowners’ property values at the expense of Veterans. (She is a past president of the Brentwood Homeowners Association)

The California Democratic Party sold its soul to a woman who has coveted Veterans sacred land for more than two decades with the emphatic plan to convert it from a quiet haven for Veterans healing from war into her own fiefdom for selfish amusement and entertainment,

The California Democratic Party sold its soul to a woman who has bragged about turning Veterans sacred land into a “Central Park West.”

The California Democratic Party sold its soul to a woman who manipulated the Brentwood Community Council to take prompt action after hearing her presentation about so-called “visual blight” supposedly created by Veterans living in recreational vehicles and campers parked alongside San Vicente Boulevard next to her “fence.” Ms. Young requested a “no parking zone for aesthetic reasons” to be enforced so that the public would have an unobscured view of her “majestic wrought iron fence.”

The California Democratic Party sold its soul to a woman who wants to take Veterans hallowed land and “provide a home for birds and wildlife," including a “butterfly sanctuary,” while 20,000 Veterans are homeless in Los Angeles.

The California Democratic Party sold its soul to a woman who wants to use Veterans land for “family picnics” and "military reenactments and other community celebration,” when this sacred land was specifically deeded to be a safe and quiet haven for Veterans to heal from war, and not be reminded of it.

Stop the Sellout of Your Party’s Legacy!
On November 15th, under the leadership of Veterans Bob Handy, Sanford Cook and 4-star General Joseph P. Hoar, the Veterans Caucus of the California Democratic Party asked that its “Resolution to Protect a National Sacred Trust” be heard and that a choice be made between serving the “needs” of America’s Veterans or succumbing to the “wants” of a wealthy community group.

One vote spoke out on behalf of the California Democratic Party to satisfy one woman’s desires and essentially chose to serve the "wants" of wealthy homeowners who want to take the sacred land of the National Veterans Home for their own playground.

Hopefully, somebody in the California Democratic Party will take the same kind of leadership that the California American Legion did when they learned the truth about Veterans Park Conservancy’s mission to build a public park on Veterans sacred land. 

Hopefully, somebody in the Democratic Party will stand up to Sue Young like the Legion did when they told her not to associate their noble and honorable name with her self-serving plans at the expense of America’s Military Veterans.

“Change We Can Believe In”
President-elect Barack Obama promised “Hope” and “Change we can believe in.”  Let us all hope that this new leader of our free and democratic nation will have the courage to step up and change the un-democratic process that transpired within his Democratic Party on November 15th. 

Twenty-five million Military Veterans across America are depending upon our new Commander-in-Chief to honor the promise he made on November 11, 2008: “Let us rededicate ourselves to keep a sacred trust with all who have worn the uniform of the United States of America: that America will serve you as well as you have served your country.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Robert L. Rosebrock is U.S. Army Veteran, Vietnam War-era, HQ USARHAW, Schofield Barracks. He is Co-Director of We the Veterans and Director of The Veterans Revolution, and a Member of the American Legion Press Association.

Robert Rosebrock

U.S. Army, 1965-67, Schofield Barracks, Hqs., U.S Army, Hawaii. Director, The Veterans Revolution, Captain, the Old Veterans Guard, and Director, We the Veterans.