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1.8 Million U.S. Vets Without Health Insurance: Send ‘Em to War, then Forget Them |
Two items this week pointed out how it easy it is for an administration to send our young people to war, but how not much thought is given to what happens to them when they return home.
First we hear that America’s war vets don’t get the health care they need.
About one of every eight veterans under the age of 65 is uninsured, according to a new study that contradicts the assumption many have that all vets qualify for free health care through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
Researchers at Harvard Medical School projected that about 1.8 million veterans overall lack health coverage. That’s an increase of 290,000 since 2000. The researchers said most uninsured veterans are in the middle class and are ineligible for VA care because of their incomes. Still others cannot afford their co-payments, or lack VA facilities in their community.
[snip]
“Only the government can put men and women into military service and only the government can guarantee that they are covered after they serve,” said Dr. Jeffrey Scavron.
Depends upon Bush administration priorities though, doesn’t it?
The second item concerning vets emerged amidst congressional hearings on whether the federal government has violated the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) by denying veterans reinstatement to federal civilian jobs or full benefits on their return from service.
Senate Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii), quoted in the Daily Labor Report (subscription required), is outraged:
It is simply wrong that individuals who were sent to war by their government should, upon their return, be put in the position of having to do battle with that same government in order to regain their jobs and benefits.
Montana Sen. Jon Tester (D) notes that as more National Guard members and reservists are sent to war, it’s a serious misstep by the federal government if civilian government jobs and benefits are not ensured for military personnel on their return.
In sum: It’s okay for American soliders to get killed overseas, but not necessarily to have health care or jobs if they return home. Let the countdown to 2008 elections begin.
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if John Edwards does not get elected we are all going to be with out insurance, in Texas the Insurance companies make and are the Law,so every gets screwed legally?They pass Workers comp victims on to Medicare so they don’t have to pay for our meds , we do and with a super high price to Us and Medicare Part D, which is not far to the Citizens of the USA or the Wounded workers on Texas Workers Comp
Rotten, stinking and immoral.
“Let the countdown to 2008 elections begin”? Then what?
Here are three letters I recently wrote:
____________
October 27, 2007
Dear Senators Murray and Cantwell:
The reasons for opposing the confirmation of Michael B. Mukasey for Attorney General are legion.
Not only did he refuse to answer whether or not the President of the United States is required to obey federal statutes. he also refused to say whether he believed that waterboarding qualified as torture.
Former assistant U.S. attorney, and professor of constitutional law at Yale Law School, Jed Rubenfeld, editorialized in the New York Times this week that, “If Judge Mukasey cannot say plainly that the president must obey a valid statute, he ought not to be the nation’s next attorney general”.
Senator John McCain, a former POW, had this to say about the torture of wasterboarding: “People who have worn the uniform and had the experience know that this is a terrible and odious practice and should never be condoned in the U.S. We are a better nation than that.”
Surely, there are other good reason for opposing the confirmation of Mukasey, but the two I have cited are more than sufficient if we hope to remain a lawful and civilized society.
Please vote “NO” on Mukasey’s confirmation, and urge your colleagues to do the same.
Thank you.
Most respectfully,
_________________
November 2, 2007
Democratic National Committee:
Feinstein’s and Schumer’s plan to vote “AYE” in Committee for Mukasey’s confirmation is neither honest nor leadership.
Old time Democrats are growing tired of cave-in Republicrat shenanigans, and are saying ”what’s the difference?”.
____________
November 2, 2007
Democratic National Committee:
Sham “debates” are a disservice to Democrats and potential Democratic voters.
They offer little in substance, and instead of being informative, they provide forums for hatchet-men like Tim Russert to ask stupid and inane questions.
The sham-debates are just one more example of how the media is trying (and succeeding) to marginalize important issues to conform with their “dumbing-down of America” agenda.
A debate should be between candidates, and should not be venues so people like Russert can ask what they are told to ask by MSNBC and other network executives.
We voters want to hear the candidates tell us about their specific plans for ending the occupation of Iraq; solving our nation’s health care crisis; instituting fair trade instead of continuing anti-worker, anti-union “free trade” agreements; re-building our nation’s infrastructure; truly supporting public education; dealing with the degradation of our environment, public financing of political campaigns, and other pressing concerns.
Thumbs down on sham debates.
Tell all the Democratic Candidates to demand real debates, period! If they want to lead, tell them here is their chance to do so! Lead us into true public discourse! Refuse to line up behind media whores who are willing to sacrifice substance in exchange for higher ratings and “beltway acceptance”!
(Man, all of this is getting old…)
[…] Mistakes aren’t always regrets. - Vox wrote an interesting post today on 1.8 Million U.S. Vets Without Health Insurance: Send âEm to War,…Here’s a quick excerptTwo items this week pointed out how it easy it is for an administration to send our young people to war, but how not much thought is given to what […]
The sad thing is that alot of the men and woman that join the services are from dysfunctional families that fall through the cracks of our Government system. The trauma of their childhood and the trauma of going to war compounds their mental health upon returning to their families. The people in authority are really letting society down at all levels.
http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=202835474&blogID=318952021
The veterans have an ally in Patty Murray, Dem, WA. Patty worked in a Seattle VA hospital during her college days and knows what they face. She has fought the Bush Administration and Jim Nicholson, the secretary of the VA to get the money needed to upgrade VA care. She was a thorn in the side of Bush and Nicholson until Bush finally gave in and Nicholson resigned.
Sunday’s Seattle PI said “The day of Nicholson’s resignation, Murray accepted an invitation for a social chat at the White House, a standard reception for top Democrats to meet with Bush informally.
“I said to the president that it was astonishing to me what an opportunity he has to do the right things for veterans,” Murray said, “and he is not taking advantage of it.”
“I said that to his face. I went on purpose to do that” she said. “I haven’t been invited back.”
Thank you, Patty.
This is the link to the article on Patty Murray. If only the other senators had that compassion to fight for our vets, just imagine what could be accomplished…..
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/PrintStory.pl?document_id=2003992829&slug=vetsmurray04&date=20071104
I thought that we corrected things after the Walter Reed scandal. It seems that we continue to neglect our veterans who are protecting our freedoms in Iraq. They deserve the best and we neglect them. That is a dangerous road to take. Thank you.
The title of the article says it all: “Send them to war, and then Forget Them”
the dictator, Rumsfeld, Cheney, Rove and the other criminals involved with this invasion did not look at the big picture. They figured invade, topple Hussein, grab his oil, and had no clue over 3,000 American women and men would lose their lives for the stupidity of the White House. That is criminal.
Again, look at Viet Nam, how many of those vets are still suffering without getting any help?
When the govt. wants to play war games, they must look at the consequences. Obviously they don’t, and corporate interests profit off the lives of soldiers. Then we call them heroes? How about martyrs?