Exclusive: 1,000s of veterans to protests VA service cuts in West Texas on 4th July

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Big Spring Texas VA Hospital

I've just been passed a notice asking West Texas veterans to meet outside the VA hospital in Big Spring, West Texas, on the Fourth of July to protest drastic cuts in services at the massive, 135-bed facility. The hospital serves over 53,000 veterans "in an area spanning 33 counties in West Texas and New Mexico", according to it's website.

Veteran's groups believe the facility is being "closed from the inside out", with more and more of the medical services offered to veterans disappearing. The Urgent Care Unit has been closed as has an entire wing and five primary care clinics. There is a shortage of staff, due to cutbacks, and veterans can no longer recieve care for many service-connected disabilities because there are no Board Certified specialist physicians available for diseases like leukemia and coronary heart disease at the hospital any longer.

Due to federal regulations preventing protests on federally-owned property, the protest is asking for up to 70,000 veterans to assemble on Fourth of July, and for each veteran to walk up, calmly knock on the door, and exercise their individual lagal right to demand the return of essential services.

>>>>

http://www.newshoggers.com/blog/health_care/

[msongs]

1. so how many of those veterans vote for republicans? nt

[efhmc]

7. People in this country continue to vote against their best

interest.

[plumbob]

9. Every WWII vet I know is a Democrat. Got to keep in mind that there were

no Republicans in statewide office in Texas before 1984.

Many of these young imports from elsewhere are Republicans, however.

[xchrom]

2. recommend

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3. Union Says Budget Proposal Increase Won't Ease Strain on VA Medical Personnel

Chicken Hawks want to bust the Union at the Vets expense by cutting budget.



WASHINGTON, DC—Even though the overall 2012 budget request for VA includes $50.9 billion for medical care— a net increase of $240 million over the 2012 advance appropriations request of $50.6 billion in the 2011 budget—union representatives are worried that cost-cutting measures may be putting too much strain on VA’s already stretched-thin staff.

Much of the increase is the result of the inclusion of a $953 million contingency fund to cover a potential increased reliance on the VA health care system due to economic conditions. That nearly $1 billion fund is offset by a rescission of $713 million due to statutory pay raise freezes on federal employees in 2011 and 2012. VA officials are also estimating an additional $3.7 billion in third-party collections—an increase of almost $1 billion from the latest available actual collection figures from 2009.

That $50 billion breaks down to a little under $40 billion for medical services; $5.5 billion for medical support and compliance; $5.4 billion for medical facilities; and just more than $500 million for medical and prosthetics research—down from $581 million in FY 2010.


>>> more
http://www.usmedicine.com/articles/union-says-budget-proposal-increase-wont-ease-strain-on-va-medical-personnel.html

[xchrom]

4. well that's enightening. nt

[indepat]

5. Government reneging on sacred obligations so the uber-wealthy and large corporations can

suck freely at the government's welfare teat. :patriot:

[patrice]

6. K&R for Veteran Solidarity!

[w8liftinglady]

8. Holy shit. VA Big Springs is where most of the vets from Goodfellow go!

Now they'll have to drive to Dallas....240 some-odd miles.A long f%cking way for a TON of retired Air Force Vets. My dad was one of them.
This breaks my heart.
Literally.