"My fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country." President John F. Kennedy

OFF THE WIRE
In 77 days, on Nov. 6, voters in America will participate in the most important election in this country's history since 1860.
Thus, with President Kennedy's words ringing in my ears I have a mission for all veterans: Volunteer to participate in this year's election, regardless of your political affiliation.
How?
Contact Ruth Weiss and her volunteers who work in the Election Integrity Project, a volunteer-based non-partisan organization formed to provide education about the electoral system, as well as training and oversight volunteers during elections.
"We're looking for volunteers and veterans are perfect candidates because they have served our country on the battlefields and now they can serve our country again during this and future elections by simply monitoring the system," Weiss said during a telephone interview from her Spring Valley home on Wednesday.
The EIP project encourages veterans and volunteers to work at their polling places, to volunteer for ballot counting oversight in the county and other critical election tasks.
Weiss quickly added, "No way is this a negative reflection on (San Diego County registrar of voters) Deborah Seiler or her staff. Under her leadership, San Diego County is better than most at election integrity in our state. All we're advocating is: The more people who are involved, the better. And, there is no one I'd trust most than veterans."
Anyone interested in joining the EIP, can contact Ruth Weiss at Ruth@electionintegrityproject.com. The EIP Website is www.electionintegrityproject.com.
The complete Registrar information is:
Deborah Seiler, Registrar of Voters
5201 Ruffin Road, Suite I
San Diego, CA 92123
Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 85656
San Diego, CA 92186-5656
858-565-5800
800-696-0136
Fax: 858-694-2955
Hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Email: rovmail@sdcounty.ca.gov
Website: www.sdcounty.ca.gov/voters/Eng/Eindex.html
Why so late?
Last week, the North County Times reported on the California attorney general filing a civil lawsuit seeking $4.3 million from the Help Hospitalized Veterans organization based in Murrieta and San Diego.
The lawsuit also asked for the removal of officers and directors of that charity, alleging that its former president, Roger Chapin received more than $2.3 million in excessive compensation over the past seven years.
I'm happy the attorney general finally took action against an organization that collected millions of dollars under the guise of helping veterans while allegedly taking excessive amounts of that money for their personal use.
"I'm pleased that the attorney general in California finally moved against Help Hospitalized Veterans, but what took so long?" asked Daniel Borochoff, president and found of Charity Watch, a watchdog group that monitors the financial records of charities and issues reports and grades that are posted on its Website at: www.charitywatch.org.
In 2007, Borochoff testified before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee alleging that Help Hospitalized Veterans' officials distorted in their reports the ratio of money spent on advertising, the money pocketed for personal salaries and money actually used to benefit veterans.
"Since our 20-year existence, we've given them an 'F' grade and it took a long time for the regulators to act. In the meantime, think of how much money could have been used to help veterans in respectable veteran charities," Borochoff said Tuesday in a phone interview.
The money is mindboggling.
Borochoff told Army Times that Help Hospitalized Veterans had income of $30 million in cash donations and $10 million of in-kind contributions last year.
"The big shame is they take money away from charities that actually help veterans, such as local charities," he said.
"What's truly tragic here is that in our country, almost any bozo can go out and say they're collecting money for veterans and they'll throw around a few flags, maybe pay some big-name general $100,000 and people think it is legitimate. Legally it is, but morally their conduct is reprehensible."
Borochoff gave the following example to show how there is no policing agency to monitor veteran fraud rip-offs. "During a natural disaster, if someone pretends to be the Red Cross they can go to jail," he said. "With veterans, there is no law enforcement against the people who appeal to the generous people of our country in the name of helping veterans and then violate that trust time and again for their own personal gain and greed."