On Aug. 8, 2008, at the Albert Lea American Legion I attended a meeting with Rep. Tim Walz and Sen. Amy Klobuchar on veterans issues. I had to leave early and did not get to state my thanks for how well vets and the troops have been treated in recent years. I also wanted to point out vets are citizens and taxpayers who do not want pandering and seeking to buy their votes with tax funds. Reasonable budgets for all and a balanced budget for the U.S. is needed. Inflation and government mandates hurt vets especially retired ones.

Over the years troop pay has gotten much better than in the past: $1,200-plus a month to start now, verses $98 in 1968 when I entered the Army or $21 in 1942 when my dad did or the $13 when his grandfathers’ Wisconsin Cavalry Unit was federalized in 1862.

Veterans’ Administration compensation has been good in recent years, and while I don’t get it myself, my son-in-law (Army MP in Iraq) does, my brother (Air Force in Vietnam for agent orange) does, and my dad did (US Army skin disease from the California desert).

My paternal grandmother was partially raised on her dad’s Civil War disability pension. When he died she was 9 years old. Her mother got $30 a month as a Civil War widow.

The VA has done well over the years for vets and deserves our thanks for the good job it has done, and I am sure they want to improve within a reasonable budget and spending priorities.

Tom Schleck

Albert Lea