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Michigan Governor Granholm Wants To Punish Poor, Disabled Veterans
For residents of the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans, the summer carnival, concert trips or fishing jaunts on Lake Michigan are highlights of the year. They are now victims of the state's budget crisis, prompting complaints from residents and veterans' advocates. "If they cut these activities out, why am I here? It's what makes me feel like I am part of the real world," said John Palmer, a 63-year-old Air Force veteran who depends on a wheelchair because of multiple sclerosis.Palmer said residents learned last week everything from doughnuts on Saturday to a trip to Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park for its butterfly exhibit have been axed. Resident Randy Fortune, 58, said the announcement cast a sense of gloom among the home's 720 residents. "We have no light at the end of the tunnel. We have nothing to look forward to. Everybody is upset." According to Frank Snarski, the home's commandant, the cuts stem from an executive order by Gov. Jennifer Granholm that restricted funds at the home only be used for "essential" items. They come from a $1 million fund used for items not covered by the home's overall budget. They include eyeglasses, dentures, medical supplies, trips the doctor, as well as entertainment of residents. Although the fund comes from private donations, including those made on state income tax forms, the state historically has had broad oversight over how the money is used. Posted by: Anonymoose 2007-04-14 |
| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=185776 |