Contact: James Robertson, Jr.
Blackdems
832-493-3377
jrobertson@blackdems.com
www.blackdems.com

www.blackdems.com/vetsspeak.htm

MILITARY VERTERANS TO BE LINKED WITH NEEDED RESOURCES AT FORUM HOSTED BY COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP FOR THE AMERICAN DREAM AND UH VETERAN’S AFFAIRS OFFICE

Houston, TX March 25, 2006 –With so much attention on the war on terror, it is easy to forget about the daily struggle of many of our Veterans that have served us in the past. While most elected officials openly support the troops, Veteran benefits have been reduced substantially. According to the Veteran’s Administration, 28 million veterans are utilizing VA benefits. Because of recent cuts, new many Veterans are being charged fees in order to receive treatment. New cuts may also prevent veterans from receiving their disability pensions. “Supporting our troops means that we must fight for Veteran benefits here at home.” – James Robertson Jr. BLACKDEMS Chairman

This week BLACKDEMS will be hosting a Veterans Forum on the UH campus (University Center Cougar Den) this Saturday, March 25th from 10:00 – 2:00 p.m. This forum will be one of the first politically based Veteran forums led by the African American community in the Houston area. “Personally, there are many programs out there for Veterans that we just don’t know about. The best way to compensate for the programs that have been cut is to take full advantage of what is out there for us as Veterans.” – Marc Bygrave BLACKDEMS member, Veteran.

This forum is part of an ongoing series of community events that BLACKDEMS has organized on a community level to highlight community issues. BLACKDEMS specializes in taking a community based approach to working on issues that affect working class people. “Politics must always take a back seat to solving the real issues that affect our communities.”- James Robertson Jr. BLACKDEMS Chair.

- END -