Motivation Monday ~ Veterans Day ~ Modern Day Service The Opposite of What JFK Intended

Nov. 11, 2012 - PRLog -- Honoring those that have served and continue to serve.  Our Veterans.

What is it that they are fighting for and why?

In 2010, I had the privilege of honoring a mentor, John Behan with an American Motivation Award (see video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lif-mu2FKuM   ). (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lif-mu2FKuM)  

John Behan is a Veteran, a Marine's Marine.  A "man's man."  He was the first recruit off of Paris Island in 1967 and came home shortly thereafter from Viet Nam missing both legs.  However, the amazing thing about John and men like him, that never stopped him.  I would liken John to a bulldozer.  It just keeps coming and there is very little that can stop it.  That's John.

He became a wheelchair Olympian.  A Member of The New York State Assembly, where I met him and interned for him in the late '80s, and Head of the Veteran's Administration and an active member of the Republican Party.

This Veterans Day, which is also John's birthday, comes after an eventful couple of weeks of a incredibly important election, a Hurricane named Sandy and a blizzard with no name.

Here on Long Island and in New York, there is a lot of political noise regarding the handling of these natural disasters and how the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) has failed, as well as the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) and Port Authority.   Governor Cuomo has been very critical publicly and Steve Bellone, the Suffolk County Executive has actually circumvented LIPA and began to direct out of state workers that have come to help directly.

Here is where I bring this all together.  

I think of someone like John Behan.  A legend.  A true hero and the many men and women that have served our great nation and have given their lives and bodies to serve us with honor.   Then I see the tone of how our public servants and people that work for us, the community have taken advantage of us.

LIPA charges the highest rates in America and yet we get terrible service.  I spoke with some of the men from out of town that told me how poorly organized and how dysfunctional the LIPA workers are.   The Union prevents crews from doing other crews work.  So, in many instances where there were trees that have pulled down power lines, the "tree crews" had to come first to remove the trees, because the "line crews" can't cut trees!!!   The out of town crews thought that was crazy and the leading factor of why work wasn't getting done.   The way they handle disasters is everyone on the crew does whatever has to be done in order to get the job done and the service back on line.

The LIPA workers are more concerned about keeping their "Union rules" in place than helping Long Island families that pay their considerable salaries!  In one published story ( )  The local union actually forced non union organizations that wanted to come and help off Long Island where they are desperately needed.

I write this, because "we the people" of America and Long Island are not being told the truth.

Our military serve us with honor and integrity.  They risk life and limb to serve us and are paid very little compared to the risk they take and the price they pay.

Those that serve our community and are paid by us, the taxpayers of America, are taking advantage of us and nobody is doing anything about it.  Here is Suffolk County, we have the highest paid Police in America and will soon have an average pay of $200,000 for a police officer!! (we already have some that make more than that already.)   We have teachers making over $100,000 to work 200 days and they want more even though classroom performance is down.  And we have School Superintendents making over $400,000.

We are at a turning point in America, which was apparent in this election.  The increased number of people that work for the ever expanding government will continue to ask for more and give less.  They will demand through their Unions COLA payments and increased pay even though there are more and more workers to do less and less work.  Performance standards, which have been fought by teachers unions all across America will continue to be defeated.  As the numbers increase of those that work for us the people at any level local, county, state or federal government or quasi governmental organizations that are intended to serve us the people, they and their spouses and families are less likely to vote against any restrictions or responsible spending at any level!   Our local, state and federal taxes will continue to increase and services will continue to diminish.

Like in our experience here on Long Island with Long Island Power Authority, the priority is to stay true to the union not to the community.  Our governments and the services they provide are becoming more and more costly and in our time of greatest need, we the people that pay for these workers take a back seat to their union bosses and their loyalties to their unions.

I write this on Veterans Day, because it further exposes the unique service that the military provide and their willingness to give their all and ask for so little in return.

While here at home, those that serve cannot wait to take more and more of our money, but are not very willing to serve.

Men like John Behan, are few and far between and are true American heroes. We need more people in public service that serve with this type of dignity and honor.  They give so much and ask for so little.

After this election, I am shocked by how America voted.  One of the standard bearers of the Democratic Party is still President John F.  Kennedy.  His famous line, "ask not what your country can do for you, but rather what you can do for your country," has been seemingly turned upside down.  Democrats and those that work for us the people evidently now believe the opposite to be true, "ask not what I can do for my country, but what my country can do for me."  That is the new mantra of America.