Paul Rieckhoff: Walter Reed: Is The Worst Yet to Come?

[babylonsister]

http://www.tpmcafe.com/blog/specialguests/2007/feb/23/walter_reed_is_the_worst_yet_to_come

Walter Reed: Is The Worst Yet to Come?

By Paul Rieckhoff

I am extremely pissed off about the recent news out of Walter Reed Hospital. And you should be too. Turn off the non-stop coverage of Anna Nicole Smith and let's have a little talk about how we treat our returning heroes.

Severely wounded Iraq veterans struggling to find their rooms, get appointments, or get their paperwork to the right offices. Families unable to communicate with doctors or find housing near the hospital. Mold, rodents and cockroaches in patients’ rooms.

At Walter Reed Army Medical Center, the premier Army hospital in the country, wounded Iraq and Afghanistan veterans are facing inexcusable conditions. The Army and the Department of Defense saw no need to fix these problems until they were embarrassed by a series of reports in the Washington Post. (Learn more about the issue, and hear IAVA’s response to the Walter Reed scandal on NBC Nightly News or Hardball.)

Luckily, some members of Congress are taking the lead on this issue. Senators McCaskill and Obama have proposed legislation to improve the ratio of caseworkers to recovering veterans and establish timelines for repairing substandard facilities. We hope we can count on all other lawmakers to support this bill.

But problems at Walter Reed are just the tip of the iceberg. When these same veterans leave Walter Reed and return to their local clinics and hospitals, they will be entering the chronically underfunded and understaffed Veterans Affairs system -- where these very same veterans will again face the long wait times, aging facilities, and inadequate staffing.

The VA is doing the best they can with the funding they’ve received. But unfortunately, just as the Bush Admininstration has hedged about the situation at Walter Reed (see Tony Snow's weak response to the fiasco) , they’ve also passed the buck on VA funding. Their new budget plan touts an increase in VA funding for 2008. But check the fine print. In 2009 and 2010, just as hundreds of thousands of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans will be first be seeking VA care, the President’s budget actually cuts veterans’ health care funding. Tell me that doesn't impact the morale of our people on the front lines.

So while troops at Walter Reed can probably look forward to fewer mice and more caseworkers – they should expect more of the same neglect and delays once they get home. The real question is, without the cameras and investigative reporters, will politicians in Washington continue to show real support for these wounded troops?

I am here all day to discuss. Please let me know what you think.

[SpiralHawk]

1. "What the hell, they are ONLY veterans." - Commander AWOL

"It's not like this affects donors to the republicon party, or our elite cabal of corrupt cronies, or anything important. So move along. There's nothing to see here."

- Commander AWOL

[Benhurst]

6. BushAmerica only provides decent health care for those who can afford it.

Our soldiers weren't off fighting to defend this society, they were being used to project the will of the military/industrial-complex against the Iraqi people, as dictated by George Walker Bush

While everyone should be entitled to decent medical care, the sad truth is these brave men and women are returning to the type of treatment one would expect from the society which sent them off to illegally invade and occupy a foreign nation.

The shoddy treatment of disabled American veterans merely reflects Bush's utter contempt for both American and Iraqi life.

[madame defarge]

2. Questions...

What can those of us who are ordinary citizens (not connected to military/veterans) do to make sure our veterans are taken care of properly in VA hospitals all over the country?

Granted, we can (try to) lobby our representatives/senators to stay on top of the situation, but how do we verify that the hospitals are actually being funded/staffed properly? Are we allowed access to these hospitals for citizen inspections? Can we volunteer to work at these hospitals or are they only open to military/civil service? How does one become a caseworker?

I ask these questions in all sincerity & in an effort to understand how we can help. Calling my (lame) representative doesn't seem to work, nor does it seem like that's enough.

[babylonsister]

3. Great question, and I will defer to others, like Monkeyman, to answer. I

have read of a DUer who has volunteered weekly to go read to vets who can't see. And I imagine every VA hospital has a volunteer corps that you could join.
Your concern is really appreciated! :hug:

[madame defarge]

4. Thanks.

Now we need to keep this thread alive so that others will see it & contribute. It's really an important issue.

[babylonsister]

7. I PMed Monkeyman to get his input. Any other vets who want to chime in,

please do!

[SharonAnn]

5. We have to get different people elected. That's the most important thing.

I fight this in my area all the time.

I'm in a "Republican" area. People want the legislation and results of Democratic office-holders but they elect Republicans. Then they claim that "all elected officials are like that". I usually respond with "The only ones we have here are Republicans so manybe all Republicans are like that."

Elections have consequences. We're seeing the consequences of electing a President, Vice-president, and years of Senators and Representatives whose agenda was to please their corporate suporters.

We've got to draw the comparison starkly enough that people start to see the difference.

[madame defarge]

9. I agree but what can we do in the meantime?

We need to create watchdog/investigative groups who will make sure the vets are getting the care they need & deserve.

[Monkeyman]

8. A Committee is being set up by Congress

With our up and coming Congressman and women. Anyone who has had a problem with a VA or Military Hospital get in touch with me I will forward to our people. As a citizen you have to right to go to any VA hospital to see the veterans while your there ask find out about problems. We are not letting this one go. VVA , VFP, IAVA, VVAW, and other vet groups have decided to fight back we say ENOUGH