West L.A. new homeless veterans facility inadequate, say veterans

General Eric K. Shinseki (USA Ret.)
Secretary, Department of Veterans Affairs
Washington, D.C.

Dear Mr. Secretary:

Re: “VA commits $20 million to convert West L.A. building into homeless facility” – LA Times

Once again, it’s politics as usual with Senator Dianne Feinstein, Congressman Henry Waxman, LA County Supervisor Zev Yarolsavsky and Santa Monica Mayor Bobby Shriver, all non-Veterans, using homeless Veterans for political grandstanding … and to the tune of $20 million to house a mere 70 to 90 Veterans while more than 20,000 are homeless.

And once again, you and your department have shut out the Veterans community as you kowtow to Senator Feinstein, Congressman Waxman and Supervisor Yaroslavsky who kowtow to Sue Young’s wealthy, non-Veteran homeowner group for turning Veterans land into a public park.

Mayor Shriver’s brother-in-law, the Governor of California, has children attending Brentwood School that controls 21 acres of Veterans land as an athletic playground, which is off limits to Veterans. A short distance from there is a public dog park. And the abuse and misappropriation goes on and on, and more Veterans become homeless day by day.

Let’s cut to the chase; we have 20,000+ homeless Veterans in Los Angeles* because the aforementioned politicians have aided and abetted in the political prostitution of Veteran land with sweetheart deals through private, non-profit organizations that have taken over these sacred grounds at the National Home. It’s that simple.

Nonetheless, your giving four non-Veteran politicians $20 million to supposedly house 70 to 90 Veterans is just another money-laundering scam on the back of homeless Veterans. That’s more than $200,000 to house each Veteran, albeit $125,00 cheaper per room than New Direction plans for buildings 4 and 5 at the Sepulveda VA.

Mr. Secretary, please read the attached “Restore The Promise” with an emergency and long-term Grand Plan for the National Veterans Home with our Mission to “Bring our homeless Veterans HOME.”

Pages 7 and 8 propose reverting back to the successful Board of Managers concept of the late 1800s and early 1900s for managing this property as it was intended, “to be permanently maintained as a National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers.” In all due respect sir, the VA has become the problem, and not the solution. Major changes are needed, posthaste, and this is a good start.

Pages 15-21 propose an emergency plan with a “Tent City” (page 17) quite similar to Camp Pendleton’s Vietnamese Tent City in 1975. I witnessed this amazing fete first hand as I was contracted by U.S. Silver Corporation to represent them during a 60-day period. (see attached letter).

Mr. Secretary, let’s make a deal: You go ahead and give the aforementioned politicians $20 million to house 70 to 90 homeless Veterans in building 209. At same time, grant the “Old Veterans Guard” and our team half that amount ($10 million) to build a Tent City and Dome Village on open-space property as outlined on Page 16.

Then, let the public and fellow Veterans see the results and choose whom they want to entrust in the taking care of our homeless Veterans, including the merits of implementing the long-term $2.5 billion Grand Plan.

It’s that simple Mr. Secretary.

On behalf of our fellow Veterans, I respectfully await your response.

Sincerely,
Robert L. Rosebrock
Director, Old Veterans Guard