My little girl's stuffed animal PAL and our cat Zena.. (odd pair)
Tea Party legislator and Vetwife Kossack
Veterans at Picnic
Talk about an odd day...Yesterday was one odd day. Vet and me were invited to a Veterans Coalition Picnic. Guess who sits at a table to discuss veterans in the state of Florida with me? Yep..out of all the places I could have picked, unknown to me, I sit at the table with Tea party legislator Jimmie Smith from our district.
The whole discussion started when he hands me a form to examine regarding changing the hours of a local VA clinic. I look over the form and with hamburger in hand which I nearly choke on hear someone refer to him as Congressman. I said, " Good idea, won't work". This is just veterans making demands and we are talking a federal facility. Here we go.
We were civil but we agreed on nothing..except helping veterans. I pointed out to him to look on the back of my card and it said, " We Really Care". This was after a rather heated exchange on why changing one clinic's hours would not work.
I said, " Want to change things", well you might want to make it for all not just some."
He said, " Well I have to start somewhere and that is where I said, " It won't work".
His jaw dropped. He told me he is used to people kissing up and not challenging. I laughed and said, " Well if everyone agrees with you all the time, that is an echo chamber. I have no problem telling you, you are going about things ALL WRONG.
He told me that he was retired military and I thanked him for his service but then went on to tell him after I asked him about five questions regarding his idea, that he had no structure in this idea. I told him he needed to get cost estimates of such an adventure and why it wouldn't work. I aksed him about adminstrators at the VA and he said he didn't talk to people in charge and I said, " Well I do".
This is one facility that is not even special needs and this won't work. This is political and feel good for the veterans in this district. That is all it is. I like the hours.. But no body will go for a change in hours for ONE facility and besides it is not feasible or cost effective regarding change ups in personnel that cross over to different facilities at different time when there is a need. He said, " You have to start somewhere and we went in to a whole realm of political persuasion he was going after."
I called him by his first name and said, " Are you trying to tell me that you don't lobby special interests? He replied his work was not political or partisan but genuinely helping. I said, " Oh like defunding the Affordable Care Act?" That is not political? This is not all about veterans and neither is your position regarding the people you are representing. You are vote grabbing. This is not helping people.
I said, " Why are you here today if not political? " 2014 you are up again aren't you? He said, " Yes" and I said then this too is political. I ask again, " Why are you here"?
He said, " To drink beer and talk shit". I stood up, Big orange in hand, and said, You are talking shit for sure. The man looks confused. I would not waver on my stand regarding my views. The man was clearly annoyed.. Not only for calling him out on soooooooooooooooo many issues but because I did it and went to the same kind of church he did.. YES.. imagine that? A liberal churchgoer !!!
He asked me lots of questions and I had answers. I also had opinions. He tried to control the conversation but I actually was still debating when I hear the faint sound of taps playing and shut up. This guy and me were in such debate I didn't hear a song that had Taps playing over the loud speaker and this fellow and I were fully engaged.
This debate was fast and furious. I stood up for all of our Bernie Sanders type of help and he came up short on every single talking point. It did not take me but about 5 minutes to figure his party affiliation once he started talking about his way of helping vets. He told me about a bill he was going to introduce into the state legislator and someone said, " She can help you". I picked up my big orange and said, " I will only help you..with my ideas that will work". He asked me if I was planning on running against him... I laughed. No.
He asked me what did think I think about his wanting Lecanto VA hours changed. I put down my fork and said, " Look Jim, I have been to 810 Vermont, I have talked to Federal legislators, and even though the VA VISN groups are run differently by region, they are still under a federal mandate and their hours and their accomodation on one facility won't even make your idea out of committee even if you were the Chair. He then tells me he is Vice Chair.
I said, " It won't work the way you have this structured". He then says lobbying and special interests are too different things...and he doesn't deal with special interest.
I shake my head no. I said, the whole GOP has special interest. He admitted he had no structure. My eyebrows went up and said, " Clearly".
I tell him I am lobbying him right here under a tent. I want better for Florida Vets. I tell him if he wants more assessibility to accomodate veterans, get some transportation for them and not just special mode and then we got in to it about the ADA.
I don't recall talking about any pleasantries except about what church we attended and photography and art. Most of the conversation was about the RIGHT way to help veterans and how could he sit on a committe and be so clueless about the VA !!!!!! He tried to tell me why there was a backlog and I disagreed. I think he thought I was campaigning because I was talking to a LOT of his constiguents.
This was one hell of a picnic and you would have thought me and this guy were standing on the floor of the Florida State legislature. Debating how to help veterans, students, and the uninsured. He did not have horns or carrying a pitchfork but he was most definately clueless so I spent my time trying my darndest to educate a tea partier in power. We didn't even get to Syria. I never raised my voice and he didn't raise his but my goodness what a great debate. This proved one thing in my mind. You can talk to some right wingers and HOPE you can challenge their way of thinking.... And I thought yesterday would be boring... I did think of holding up two fingers behind his head when my 8 year old took a pic but I restrained myself.
Folks... get in the arena with boots on the ground and let your voices be heard. They get so confused when challenged. I am glad I thanked him for his service...He thanked me for mine. WHAT A DAY !!!!
This is some info on this legislator and why we crossed up so much !!!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/...
Well he got an earful from me yesterday !!!!!!! In the pic we are both smiling but neither of us were very happy....and my hand rested on the back of the chair as I almost put the peace sign over his head and then thought ..no..that would be immature. But I thought about it !
Man was that fun !!! I also got a letter from DaNang yesterday where that Caregvers act is up for expansion to ALL veterans.. I will write a diary on that as well and guess which legislator didn't have a clue about that either.