There is an old saying, “A man (or woman) cannot ride two horses at the same time.” Candidates who hold fundraisers in wealthy people’s living rooms and then claim to represent working Americans are being hypocritical. Sen. Bernie Sanders has received the largest number of donations of any candidate for president in history up to this point, with an average donation of $18, and is the only top-tier candidate with no billionaire donors.

As the former chair and longtime member of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, Sanders has a longtime proven track record of standing up for veterans and ensuring they and their dependents receive the care and benefits they are entitled to.

Among other things Sanders will implement as president are: 1. Eliminate the VA benefits backlog, fully fund and resource the VA, and stop the privatization of the VA. 2. Fill the nearly 50,000 vacancies at the VA in Bernie’s first year as president. 3. Provide over $60 billion in new funding to repair, modernize and rebuild the VA infrastructure. 4. Expand the VA’s Caregivers Program together with mental health services for veterans. 5. Reform harmful VA regulations that restrict access to care and benefits based on character of discharge.

Bernie is the ONLY candidate with the political will, zest and tenacity to make his proposals law. His effort to generate the largest voter turnout of all time will sweep new people into Congress who share his progressive vision and allow him to pass his platform.

You know and I know that not everyone who reads this agrees with Sanders on every issue. The key thing is your total impression of the person. Sanders is probably the authentic and honest person in national politics and we can trust him to follow through. He has received more donations from military members than any other candidate.

For these reasons and many more, Bernie Sanders is by far the top choice for veterans to support.

Gordon Kobayashi

Valley Springs