The root of the problem you are expressing here about your daughter's family's income is the shrinking middle class in this country. The politicians on both sides (left and right) have sold our country out in order to line the pockets of their contributors. Have you heard that "sucking" sound yet that Ross Perot mentioned when he was running for president? You should have heard it loud and clear...it keeps sucking more and more middle class jobs out of the this country and those that are left are being taken over by illigals that will do the job for much less money and no benefits. They don't need the benefits...the government is taking care of them...too bad they won't take care of your daughter and her family who are trying to work as best they can to make ends meet. It is a story being told over and over in this country every day and every day it gets worse. Voting for this person or that person is not going to solve it....none of them want political reform to eliminate the special interest monies....to even mention the words political reform means political suicide to any politician now days. As for Bush's comments about starting a savings account for medical problems...it just shows he is out of touch with the realities of what is happening to the working people of this country...it is probably hard to relate to what it means to worry about paying one's rent and buying groceries for the kids when every barrel of oil being sold is making you richer.
As for the VA being broken...this country has never provided very well for it's soldiers after they got off active duty....through out history veterans have had to fight to get any help from the people that used them. How many drives have you seen to collect monies or other items to send to the active duty troops over the past few years....lots and lots of them....churches, civic groups, merchants, industries...they all have them. How many drives have you seen to collect things for the troops in the VA hospitals...?? I am not saying it is not good to support our active duty troops...god knows I was one of them for 26 years...but how do we not support those that made the real sacrifice while they were on active duty?
Bottom line here is the system is broke.....and I don't know about you but I don't see anyone in the wings that is willing to do what it will take to fix it.