TRENTON - Even the hapless Herbert Hoover once envisioned a chicken in every pot, while the establishment in New Jersey has seemingly long drearily dreamed of a Trump in every town - in a haze of (taxable!) pot.

That's because the epicurean culture here too frequently insists that garish overlords on the public dime, some of them ancient enough to have been rammed into the seats at the Trump Taj Mahal with free tickets to the fights - put themselves first, while people who actually serve the country - like veterans - can patriotically crawl the backstreets amid rats and tin cans.

Governor Mikie Sherrill has a different set of priorities than much of the gold-fringed sludge of the past, joining hands with those here who possess the same conviction to help those in need. Ramrod at the microphone in the War Memorial this morning, the Navy veteran in a room with her fellow military veterans, elected officials (of both parties) committed to the same cause, and other dignitaries, affirmed the mission of "Bringing Veterans Home."

Launched in 2024 and led by the Department of Community Affairs' Office of Homelessness Prevention in partnership with the NJ Department of Veterans Affairs and others, the initiative aims to end veteran homelessness in the state by connecting veterans experiencing or at risk of homeless, with stable housing and support services.

Born as the Vietnam War ended, Sherrill would grow up seeing the mistreatment of veterans in her midst. When she got to Congress, she pledged to do everything she could to ensure the same fate did not befall the next generation - and the next.

"I am hopeful when I see this program that we will learn lessons," said the Governor. "There is not one veteran who should face homelessness."

But not only that.

"There is also not one child who should face homelessness," Sherrill added. "There's not a family who should face homelessness. ...As we take care of our veterans, these are lessons we learn to apply elsewhere. This is just the starting point for taking care of people in our state - and it makes so much sense to start with veterans."

It's her community, military families, but it's bigger, of course - by far, she insisted.

"This community gives me such a great deal of hope because as I sit here today, I don't wonder about who you voted for," Sherrill said. "I know you're here to serve the community. That's what you put first. That's what my administration puts first."

WATCH GOVERNOR SHERRILL'S (FULL!) REMARKS AT THE WAR MEMORIAL HERE:

IN ADDITION, WATCH SENATOR RAJ MUKHERJI'S REMARKS HERE.

Since its launch, according to the Governor's Office, the Bringing Veterans Home program has supported more than 1,450 permanent housing placements. "The $11 million investment in the FY 2027 budget builds on that momentum, ensuring the program has the resources needed to fulfill the Governor's historic pledge."

Jacquelyn A. Suarez, NJ Department of Community Affairs Commissioner, Vincent Solomeno III, NJ Department of Veterans Affairs Commissioner, and State Senator Raj Mukherji, chair of the State Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, also spoke at the event.

The audience included many veterans and retirees, Trenton Mayor Reed Gusciora, Assemblyman Wayne DeAngelo, Assemblywoman Verlina Reynolds-Jackson, Assemblywoman Aura Dunn, and Assemblywoman Tennille McCoy.