As a U.S. Air Force veteran, I attended an event for vets hosted at VFW Post 1503 in Dale City. The Town Hall was on Wednesday, July 25, 2018.
I didn’t know this event for Vets was actually for Democrats only. I say this because Prince William County senators Richard Black and Richard Stuart, and Tim Delegate Hugo (all three veterans of considerable military stature) weren’t at the Town Hall.
They weren’t invited.
All of the Delegates in attendance (except Lee Carter) were Democrats who never wore a military uniform and aren’t veterans. To be fair, a few PWC Democrats (2 Senators and 2 Delegates) were absent.
Why did the guest speaker, Deputy Secretary of Veterans and Defense Affairs, Jaime Areizaga-Soto, speak as if all the new legislators were part of the veteran bills, which were discussed? In effect, they took credit for legislation which Republican delegates achieved for vets during the past several years.
That drives lots of vets to conclude that the July 25 Town Hall was a partisan event.
My husband (USAF Retired) and I (USAF vet) pay attention to what legislators do — and don’t do — in Virginia’s General Assembly. We knew that none of what Prince William County Democrat Delegates talked about at the July 25 Town Hall was their own work.
None of the Democrat Delegates at the recent town hall put up a disclaimer or gave credit where credit is due – and credit rightfully belongs with many Republican members of past and present Virginia General Assembly sessions.
Such information can be found very easily at virginiageneralassembly.gov.
