Setting Columnist Straight On The Facts

In response to Frances Earl's column in Thursday's edition, I would like to take the opportunity to set her facts straight.

If Earl had bothered to read any of the news stories about the conditions at Fort Bragg, she would have known that the reason these troops came home early from Afghanistan and were temporarily housed in these facilities while the military was building them brand new housing. And, once the problems were brought to light, they were immediately corrected.

Earl also claims that U.S. Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite is somehow to blame for this situation. Nothing could be further from the truth. Brown-Waite has been a leader in the House fighting for expanded benefits and programs for veterans. It has been the inaction from Democrat leaders on funding for our troops that has led to situations like the ones we see at Fort Bragg. For a year and a half Speaker Nancy Pelosi has held up funding for our troops, and reports are that unless a military funding bill comes soon, soldiers won't get their paychecks starting in June.

It's about time Democrats like Earl stopped playing partisan games with funding for our troops and began to get behind efforts to see that our brave young men and women in uniform have the resources they need to defend our great nation. The congresswoman's district has the second largest number of veterans, and she always goes out of her way to make sure all their needs are met.

Alan Setelius

Spring Hill