It's no secret that Texas Biker Radio in conjunction with Sons of Liberty Riders MC has been doing a series of video's and articles on homeless Veterans in the DFW area. Our intent has been to help those in need veterans or not. And the organizations that work to provide services and direction to the homeless. It's a monumental task because people find themselves homeless for many many different reasons.

We decided to look at Fort Worth first because unlike Dallas, Fort Worth has not made attempts to scatter the homeless away from the central locations which includes religious missions. Of course the big daddy on the block is the VA who contracts private organizations or people to run private and VA owned facilities.

 

To the outsider it's not clear who runs what?

For the most part the folks who run these facilities have welcomed us with open arms. Trying to figure out just what their needs are is like pulling teeth and it changes from facility to facility even though they are under one name.

 

Transportation seems to a big issues since Veterans services are spread about town. We were told they run out of bus vouchers from time to time, others claim that's not the case. Like other VA operations which includes Veteran hospitals the needs seem overwhelm a system that is set in their ways and has limited capabilities because of management. The Homeless themselves we think has a love hate relationship. They appreciate the help but feel locked up and not trusted. The facility here we understand costs $7.00 a night if you can get in. We've been told it talks up to 9 months to get in once you've got all your paperwork completed at the newest admin building among the shelters, owned by the VA. 

 

We judge this by what our eyes see and our own experiences within the VA. Yes, many in our group are Vets.

On Wednesday evening we were invited to a town hall at the original building of the Presbyterian Night Shelter funded by the VA. This is where we ran into Betty Constantine who seemed to be the VA gestapo on site. We had been told we could video the meeting by the Staff but gestapo Betty quickly told us no filming. They started their meeting with bed bug infestation and instructions for those present. A few minutes later they asked us to speak and tell who and what we were doing.

Of course our mission is to bring public awareness of the plight of the homeless. We are asking questions about the needs, is the system overwhelmed, are resources in the right place, do they need more funding? We see our country spending Billions warehousing foreigners with money, medical treatment and yes "housing". What's wrong with this picture?

Gestapo Betty interrupted with the only question she was concerned about. How do you know monies are not being spent in the right places or something similar to that. I answered we do not know, we're simply asking in what areas do you need help? We were not questioning funding or where the money is being spent, we're here to help bring public awareness to the problems of the Homeless Vet and Homeless in general. I repeated myself several times she kept coming back with the same question. She quickly said I think we are done here.

 

What is she hiding? 

As I'm going home one of the news items of the day is "Inspector General Warning" Conditions are so dangerous at the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Washington, D.C., that the agency's chief watchdog issued a rare preliminary report Wednesday to alert patients and other members of the public.

 

 

​The VA is once again in the public eye, could that explain Betty Constantine's behavior toward an internet news media that's doing a story about Homeless Vets? Is there something to hide? Do they think we are prying onto their business? Get the hell out? 

 

That's not what we are trying to do, but now our eyes are wide open.

We can tell you this, as we watched the homeless weather beaten vets with an increasing number of women come into the building. We think there is not enough of everything including case managers who handle up to 34 veterans. Many with very serious issues. What they call 2nd chance housing vouchers, which helps veterans get into apartments willing to take veterans. There are more vouchers than available apartments. Is that a problem Betty?

 

 

 

Gestapo Betty has bit the hand that feeds her. Not only are we Vets, we are tax payers and as tax payers we have the right to see what our government agencies are doing or not doing. The last thing we need is a federal worker protecting their turf as if it belonged to them and only them. She would be better off helping us understand what the needs really are.

 

We're just sayin, 

 

Video 2 Coming This Weekend..

 

Respect,

 

Popeye