Posted on 12/24/2004 6:38:49 AM PST by Tumbleweed_Connection
California soldiers serving in Middle East hot spots are getting a special gift from Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and his wife, Maria Shriver: prepaid phone service home.
California National Guard members stationed in Afghanistan, Kuwait and Iraq are getting up to 66 minutes of free phone time, paid for by contributions from private citizens and corporations and organized by the California State Alliance, the Office of the First Lady and the Army & Air Force Exchange Service.
"I am so pleased to send our support and gratitude to our service men and women," Shriver said in a statement. "I speak on behalf of all Californians when I say how honored we are by all your remarkable acts of courage and your bravery as you defend our nation." The First Lady's office said that as many as 20,000 soldiers could take advantage of the calls, which cost about $15 each, making the overall expense of the program close to $300,000.
To receive the gift, qualified military personnel have been directed to send an e-mail to Calphonecardsaafes.com that includes his or her full name, assignment location, a return e-mail address and California home address or driver's license number.
The opportunity will be available until January 31, 2005.
What a stupid headline. As if no soldier could phone home without Arnold and Maria's permission.
Merry Christmas
Wouldn't it have been wiser and safer for the military to certify those who are eligible and provide names only to Calphonecardssafes.com?
Who knows where all that other vital information is going to end up?
I agree. Arnold is too influenced by Maria. We all know that Reagan had Nancy the astrology buff and he loved her completely but Maria is another thing entirely. She had the California museum closed until it would tell California history from a "woman's perspective". I think she is like Hillary, she has the goods on Arnold and when he gets out of line and gets too conservative for her tastes she boxes his ears. Maria is in charge of California on the social, cultural issues. Period. Arnold also recently told a reporter in Europe that Republicans need to go "left" to pick up 5 percent more votes. Arnold needs to go left right in the Pacific and take a good look at the memorial to Pearl Harbor's heroism by American Soldiers. Right is right. California is turning redder, not bluer. Arnold needs to remember that Voters are NOT the stupid imbeciles that the media and his wife tends to believe. WE cannot be fooled by "Maria's" phone cards for the troops. She would have them all put in jail for crimes against Kennedy socialism if she could. Remember when Arnold said she didn't have any "relations" with him for two weeks after he spoke at the Convention for George Bush. Arnold will never be great because of Maria and the skeletons in his closet. As Republicans we should turn off any hopes for him as a candidate for 2008 and in California the conservatives should be looking for his replacement in the next election.
Nice move.
paid for by contributions from private citizens and corporations ..
Merry Christmas,, mountain folk. :)
Blessings to you and your family.
"What a stupid headline. As if no soldier could phone home without Arnold and Maria's permission."
-Exactly. too bad they didn't have one of their phone cards to give to Uncle Teddy so he could have called the Edgartown Police Department in a timely fashion.
I don't always agree with their politics. I'm touched by Arnold and Maria's generosity towards those who serve our nation at extreme risk to their lives. Their thoughtfulness will not soon be forgotten by the American people.
Booo....Arnold is the devil if he even dares to express his RINO luvin opinion we should form a lynch mob with pitchforks and other sharp pointy things. . . < /sarcasm>
Sacramento Bee, December 12, 2004The page cannot be displayed
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(snip)In California, administration spokeswoman Terri Carbaugh said the idea for phone cards sprang from two visits Shriver paid to Camp Pendleton this year, to meet with the spouses of soldiers. "She was constantly asking, 'What can we do? How can we help?' and a common theme was that phone calls were inordinately expensive and out of reach for many," Carbaugh said.
Postage for holiday cards and the phone time for men and women of the California National Guard is being paid through the California Protocol Foundation, a nonprofit group that defrays state cultural and diplomatic costs and traditionally helps administrations promote California on overseas missions.
That foundation also pays to send about 1,500 holiday cards to Schwarzenegger's friends and colleagues, governors from other states and California lawmakers and constitutional officers. Typically, these cards are accompanied by a keepsake tree ornament. This year, recipients will get a plastic phone card ornament and a note explaining the program for soldiers.
The California State Alliance, a charity established by Shriver, is paying for the larger military phone card effort. The alliance raised $20,000 for that project last week at the Governor's Conference for Women and Families in Long Beach. Information about how to contribute to that effort will be posted later this week on Shriver's Web site - www.firstlady.ca.gov
I second that. Thanks Norm. And Merry Christmas! :-)
pssst.... it wasn't their money.
A good cause, nonetheless.
My pleasure posting news that matters whether we like it or not and some chaff too. :-D
404 error ? Ouch!
Maybe Kerry hacked it.
Kerry has his own phone cards for the troops thing going, yaknow. ;-)
Merry Christmas to you and family and here's to good health for all in the New Year.
Well, we can give to the troops without any help from Arnie or Kerry.
This site makes it easy:
Army and Air Force Exchange Service
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