The new "surge" that we are not prepared for

by: Neil Riley

Fri Aug 01, 2008 at 14:23:50 PM EDT


President Bush took time yesterday to talk about how well the the War in Iraq was going and the "success" of the surge.  I'll leave aside for the moment the ongoing debate on the validity of those claims.  I would like to focus instead on the new kind of surge that is going on in our country's VA Medical Facilities.

Jim Benson, national VA spokesman, said about 300,000 of the nearly 1 million veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan need health care.

Overall, patient visits have increased from about 200,000 to 300,000 a year.

"We've had a strong, steady increase over the last several years," Benson said.

So I'm assuming we will see President Bush in the Rose Garden again soon, announcing the opening of new facilities and the mass hiring of doctors, nurses, and support staff around the country to make this a successful surge as well. John McCain, the maverick and die-hard supporter of the troops that he is .....*cough*, thinks he's found a way around this by making combat-disabled troops the top priority of the VA.

No one wants to see combat injured veterans treated quickly and effectively more than this author, however we can't just keep covering up the problem.  We can't treat some veterans while others wait.  We need a health-care system that can medically treat all those who have served in the most efficient way possible.

Someone remind me again why the funding for treating veterans when they come home will be  open for debate but the the war will be completely funded without any debate or conditions?

Neil Riley :: The new "surge" that we are not prepared for
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Called 'Political DeJa Vu' (0.00 / 0)
Only I don't remember much about privatization that McCain brings up.

Go back in history and research what my brother 'Nam Vets went through, and if you know a Korean or WWII Vet ask them who got preference, at least for a short time.

And what you folks are now going through not only should Not Be Happening from this Government Agency, but should have been on the Top of the list when the Military Supposedly Went 'Professional'.

I say 'Supposedly' because except for small numbers of, the 'National Guard' wasn't a part of the 'Professional Force', they certainly are now, and you can consider the Reserves the same way, they had moved into civilian professions from, for the most part, only a few years of active.

The VA care system, if we are the richest, or were, Nation on the planet, should have become, bar none, the Best care, research, and teaching facilities on this planet, benefiting the Military first but with Great Benefit to the population of the country and world, in the physical and mental  area's!  

'Hearts and Minds, "The ultimate victory will depend on the hearts and minds of the people who actually live there." -- President Lyndon Johnson


Rep. Murphy. (0.00 / 0)

Rep. Patrick Murphy is one of the only people getting ready for this surge. He has gotten the VA to build 2 new clinics in his area and holds veterans workshops/roundtables for people to give him ideas of how to make the VA work better in his district.

Now if only all the reps, senators and the president would follow suit.

Murphy for VP?


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