Bush Loves Veterans!

[reprehensor]

From November, 2003:

This year’s White House budget for Veterans Affairs cut $3 billion from VA hospitals—despite 9,000 casualties in Iraq and as aging Vietnam veterans demand more care. VA spending today averages $2,800 less per patient than nine years ago.

The administration also proposed levying a $250 annual charge on all Priority 8 veterans—those with “non-service-related illnesses”—who seek treatment at VA facilities, and seeks to close VA hospitals to Priority 8 veterans who earn more than $26,000 a year.

Until protests led to a policy change, the Bush administration also was charging injured GIs from Iraq $8 a day for food when they arrived for medical treatment at the Fort Stewart, Georgia, base where most injured are treated.

In perhaps its most dangerous policy, the White House is refusing to provide more than 40,000 active-duty troops in Iraq with Kevlar body armor, leaving it up to them and their families to buy this life-saving equipment. This last bit of penny-pinching prompted Pentagon critic and Vietnam veteran Col. David Hackworth to point to “the cost of the extraordinary security” during Bush’s recent trip to Asia, which he noted grimly “would cover a vest for every soldier” in Iraq.

[dedhed]

1. I wonder what the twit that yelled at Kerry today thinks about that?

In case you haven't seen it...

http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/05/31/kerry.memorial/index.html

:bounce:

[elperromagico]

2. Bush ought to go there

and pay tribute to the guy who died in his place in Vietnam.

I ask, once again, if a veteran of a war can't protest that war, who the hell can?

[reprehensor]

3. Loves them so very much...

On the battlefield, our troops pledge to leave no soldier behind. Here at home, Democrats know that we must also leave no veteran behind. We must ensure health care, pensions, and benefits for veterans and members of the armed forces. Yet the Republican budget fails to adequately invest in veterans' health care, refuses to end the Disabled Veterans' Tax, and continues the penalty on benefit to widows of military retirees. In addition, the President's budget proposes new increases in the cost of veterans' health care and slash long-term care funding.

snip

Republican budget refuses to end the Survivor Benefit Penalty. The Survivor Benefit Penalty penalizes aging survivors, mostly widows, of the veterans of our county. Military retirees pay premiums for years and rightfully expect that upon their death, their spouse will receive 55 percent of their benefit. But when their survivor reaches 62, a Social Security "offset" drops the benefit to a mere 35 percent. The Bush budget forces the spouses of military retirees to continue to pay this unfair penalty, and the House Republican budget contains an empty promise to end the Survivor Benefit Penalty, but only if cuts to other programs are made.

Republican budgets refuse to end the Disabled Veterans' Tax. Both the Republican and the President's budget fails to repeal the Disabled Veterans Tax, which forces disabled military retirees to give up one dollar of their pension for every dollar of disability pay they receive. It continues to require nearly 400,000 military retirees with service-connected disabilities to continue to pay the Disabled Veterans' Tax.

Bush budget fails to expedite disability claims and threatens all veterans' benefits. The President's budget slashes funding for more than 800 employees needed to process disability and other benefit claims in 2005. Today, more than 465,000 veterans are awaiting a decision on their claims for compensation and pension benefits, and an additional 148,000 have appeals awaiting action. More than 106,000 of those veterans have been waiting six months or more for their decisions. Despite this backlog, the budget makes it harder for veterans to get their disability, education, pension, housing and employment benefits by eliminating critically needed staff who process claims for veterans' benefits.

[myomy]

4. Well, hereÕs one Vet who doesnÕt love him!

.

[screembloodymurder]

5. Yes, words are cheap.

Funding VA programs is just not his "thing". He has better things to do with our money and so many rich friends. Bastard!

[9215]

6. Here are alot more nasty things Bush has done for vets

AP Corrects Military Retirees Story
http://abcnews.go.com/wire/US/ap20030312_1070.html

VA to stop enrolling some higher-income veterans (January 16, 2003)
http://www.airforcetimes.com/story.php?f=1-292925-1502943.php

American Legion: Billions For Baghdad, Nothing For Veterans
http://www.usnewswire.com/topnews/prime/1031-102.html

Bush's 2004 Budget Proposes More Fees
http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&node=&conten... ¬Found=true

"If President Bush has his way, some veterans soon will pay more for health care, meatpackers will have to fork over more for government inspections...The Bush proposals include $230 million from a new $250 annual VA health care premium to be paid by higher-income veterans -- generally those earning more than $29,576 year -- who are not suffering from a military-related disability..."

Clinton, Reid, American Legion Urge Bush to Reconsider Budget Cuts and Support Benefits for America's Veterans
http://clinton.senate.gov/news/2003/03/2003304B29.html

Court overturns ruling on vets' free lifetime health care
http://www.cnn.com/2002/LAW/11/19/retired.veterans.hearing/index.html

DeFazio Blasts Bush Budget
http://www.house.gov/defazio/020502BURelease.shtml

The Independent Budget -A Comprehensive Policy Document for Veterans
http://www.pva.org/independentbudget /

Veterans Urge President to Provide
Adequate Budget for VA Medical Care
http://www.vfw.org/news/bushletter.htm

VA health care in dire shape, medical chief says
http://www.navytimes.com/story.php?f=1-292925-1548763.php

President’s Budget Cuts Vital Programs and Makes Room for Costly Tax Breaks
http://www.ombwatch.org/article/articleview/1314/1/18

Budget Plan a ‘Bitter Pill’ for Veterans
http://www.pva.org/independentbudget/news/ib0201.htm

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/docs/veterans.affairs.1.html

And many more links at:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/cgi-bin/duforum/duboard.cgi?az=sh...

(but be sure to kick this thread, not the old one)

[Rebellious Republican]

7. This Vet does not love Bush!

Don't Let The Whitehouse Door Hit You In The Ass On The Way Out!