Although the origional story has absolutly nothing to do with Veterans Healthcare, I think you are missing the point in regards to V.A. Healthcare funding.

I will mention the obovious first, last Spring the V.A. Healthcare System claimed a $1.5 Billion operational shortfall for the current budget year. At that time a Congressional hearing was conducted and outraged was exprssed by everybody from President Bush on down to the newist Congressperson, all pledged to do something now. Well the Current budget year has only thirty days left in it and all concerned are on Vacation, meanwhile nothing has been done.

Does this effect your personal healthcare, no not in the short term. This short fall is being made up out of operational budgets. But here is the problem.

The current V.A. master plan (from the Reagan Admin. of the 1980’s) calls for about 18 Million Veterans by the year 2012. The current projection including Veterans of the GWOT has indicated there will be at least 26 Million living Veterans by 2012.

In short President Bush is making more Veterans then who are exiting the system while slashing V.A. funds. Not counting the $1.5 Billion shortfall in the current this administration since 2001 when they took office have “Removed” from the Dept. of Veterans Affairs Congressionaly allocated budgets in excess of $7.5 Billion.

I don’t think it takes a “Crystal Ball” to perdict some huge problems with Veterans Healthcare just over the horizon in the not to distant future.

Oh and by the way Steve, I have over 200% acculmated “Combat Related Disabilities” and have been in the V.A. Health System for over 39 years now.

ALLONS,
Byron Skinner
“Stewart’s Platoon”

I wonder if Gary is a Vet. If he is, and I doubt it, I wonder when he last tried to access the VA health care system? I don’t work for the VA system and don’t personally know anyone who does. But, I am a Vet and proud of it, and I get INCREDIBLY good care at the VA facilities here in Pittsburgh. Maybe they’re not all alike. But I visit the VA an average of once a month for a variety of ailments only one of which is possibly service-connected. I am assisted at least as quickly, with more courtesy, and with at least as much quality of care as what I receive from the civilian doctors and hospitals. I’ve had treatment for skin cancer with follow-up plastic surgery, treatment for neurological disorders and for other ailments and tests, and my medicine costs me $8 per 30 day supply for each of my 8 different daily medicines several of which would cost well over 10x that amount EACH. For my diverticulitis surgery last year, well-qualified, caring surgeons had to remove part of my colon. My bill from the VA was less than a thousand dollars for the entire surgery and my 2 week stay in the hospital, and I had OUTSTANDING care every single day. The only reason I pay as much as I do is that I make over $30,000 a year and have no other insurance. Yes, I hear some Vets whine about the fact that they have to wait one or two hours in the emergency waiting room to get their free flue shot or can’t see a heart specialist in 10 minutes when they are in for their annual checkup. But, they’d be waiting at least that long to see a doctor at the local hospital emergency room if they had pneumonia, and they’d have to schedule an appointment with a heart specialist 3 months in advance. They could get in front of the line if they fell to the floor with chest pains in either case. But for Gary to make those kinds of accusations about the military, the VA, and the government’s efforts to take care of us Vets is a slap in the face to tens of thousands of healthcare workers and administrators in the VA Health System and simply tells me that Gary has absolutely no clue about which he speaks. I’m sure he’ll keep swilling down and regurgitating the anti-Bush talking points anyway. Presidents Clinton and Carter were certainly staunch supporters of the military and veterans, weren’t they? NOT! Well, it’s one of Gary’s rights as an American citizen to spew such crap for which I and all the other Vets fought and still fight. He might want to thank a Vet the next time he sees one, but I doubt he will from his position behind the skirts of women on the protest line at Walter Reed while the heroes are unloaded from the ambulances coming back from Iraq. His kind rarely hangs out with the likes of us, and his kind certainly gets more press.

The key word here is “transformation”. The military is transforming – very slowly – from one designed to fight the USSR to one in where soldiers “Instead of lugging around brick-sized satellite phones, troops will sport BlackBerries that deliver space intelligence on the run”.

Is the transition going perfectly? Of course not. But is it moving ahead? Absolutely.

But at the end of the day, the GWOT is not about a couple of individuals. It is about defeating an ever changing network of, well, evil. We will need our military to be more adaptable than the enemy. This will let them do that job.

We are doing the best we can today and even better tomorrow.