February 15, 2011 posted by Veterans Today 

John Stamatiades, 75-year old Korean and Vietnam War Veteran protests the public park on Veterans land.

Tennis courts or homeless vets?

ACLU calls for investigation of VA land use

Claiming that the federal Department of Veterans Affairs in Los Angeles is not doing enough to help homeless veterans, the ACLU of Southern California is calling for an investigation into the VA’s stewardship of its sprawling Westside campus, which includes leasing portions of land for use as private tennis courts.

In letters to VA Secretary Eric K. Shinseki, the U.S. Department of Justice and California Atty. Gen. Kamala Harris, the ACLU’s managing attorney, Peter J. Eliasberg, claimed that the VA was failing to abide by the terms of a 1888 deed that created the West Los Angeles veterans campus.

“The VA has allowed portions of those lands to be leased to a private school for use as tennis courts and other portions of VA property to be leased for use as theaters instead of housing our homeless veterans, who are in desperate need of housing,” the ACLU said in a prepared statement Tuesday.

The VA has defended its decision to lease campus lands to private organizations, saying the agreements generate funds for the care of former service members.

Read article here: http://www.veteranstoday.com/2011/02/15/la-times-tennis-courts-or-h....