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Reagan Cuts Vet Programs

By VVAW

In 1980 unemployment among Vietnam veterans jumped by 44%, making unemployment for Vietnam vets 5.9% of the total unemployed workforce, up 1.8% from 1979. Among minority and younger vets unemployment statistics are in the range of 20% and 17%.

So, what is the response from the Reagan Administration which, when it was trying to get elected, made lavish promises about no cuts in veterans' programs? Under the knife of David Stockman, Reagan's chief executioner, there are massive cutbacks for all American people who are most in need of government programs, and death for nearly all significant programs that vets—and particularly Vietnam vets—need most.

At the very least, six major economic programs for Vietnam vets are targeted for assassination. Those include educational assistance through the Vets Cost of Instruction Program, employment opportunities through the Targeted Technical Assistance Program, White House Outreach for blighted Urban Areas with high vet population, Disabled Veterans Outreach Program—and the list goes on.

Further cuts include elimination of the Legal Services Corporation which is presently helping thousands of vets on discharge review, some V.A. medical research programs, some V.A. special programs such as kidney dialysis, 20,000 jobs in the V.A.'s Department of Medicine and Surgery, and 2 V.A. hospitals.

But for many Vietnam vets the most crucial of the Reagan-Stockman slashes was the program of Vets Outreach Centers, one of the few V.A. programs which went to Vietnam vets where they were (instead of waiting for vets to trickle into the V.A. offices). Employing many Vietnam vets as counselors, and providing help with any number of vet's problems, the Outreach Centers have been, up to now, the single most successful V.A. program designed to do something for Vietnam veterans.

All in all the Reagan Administration has a hit list of 141 programs that will effect millions of people including vets and their families in nearly every economic sector of our society. One good example is in Chicago where vets were preparing to sue the Department of Labor, the Illinois Department of Labor, and the City of Chicago for non-compliance with the affirmative action program for Vietnam vets under the Vietnam Veterans Readjustment Act. Not only is the CETA program in question going to be axed, but so is the funding for the Legal Assistance Foundation which was going to bring the suit on behalf of the vets—who are left between a rock and hard place.

Proposed V.A. cuts will amount to a little more than $300 million. While that seems like an incredible amount of money to most vets, it's a mere drop in the bucket when compared to what the U.S. government is plotting to spend on "defense" over the next several years: $400.5 billion (yes, that's billion!) by 1982 alone!

There's no doubt that the Reagan Administration is out to screw millions of non-rich American; many Vietnam vets point out that the Reagan gang is gearing up for another war and they haven't even paid Vietnam vets what they were promised from the last one!

One VVAW member remarked on a recent TV talk show that while the Reagan Administration pushes our backs even harder against the wall, they'd better stop and consider who they're pushing! We won't take it, and while they say "cut back," vets will say "fight back!"